GROCERY BUDGETING -HOMEMAKERS GUIDE

In real Grocery budgeting is a science, and an art. So much must be balanced: time, preference, income, store availability, seasons, life situations, and more. Here are few tips for creating a grocery budget—and sticking to it.

1. Track what you actually spend for a month.

Right before you can make a realistic grocery budget, you have to have a realistic idea of what you usually spend. You might spend more on food (including drinks and eating out) than you realise. Start tracking what you spend for a month. Keep your receipts.

Whether you use a spreadsheet or a Word document, or just paper and pencil, it can be helpful to divide your food expenses into itemized lists. Drinks: coffee, tea, soda, alcohol, juices, mixers. Fresh produce,Frozen meals,Baking items,Meat. The key is to track everything that you consume.

Pro tip: To make this easier when you go back through your receipts, load your groceries from cart to cashier in itemised groups.

2. Budget per month, but plan per week.

Track your income monthly, so can you track grocery bills monthly. Some people track weekly; it’s a personal preference. Its found easier to stick to a monthly grocery bill, as few often go for two weeks without shopping. On the other hand, it is equally key to plan your meals per week, to avoid eating out or ordering in. Having a rough idea of what we’ll be eating for breakfast, lunch, and dinner helps us shop accordingly.

3. List down your priorities.

Its a self learning process to tell thyself, “If this, then not that,” as we shop for groceries. There are certain items that we can prioritise for our well-being , such as fresh foods and basic whole foods. Towards the end of a month,we can nix fringe items before cutting out priority items, depending upon family needs or taste.

4.Try not to eat out frequently.

Just don’t do it. Eating out is the Trojan horse of grocery budgeting. It sneaks into your monthly budget and destroys everything you’ve worked so hard for. Dramatic, yes, but true. We eat out for special occasions or with friends, but have made it a personal policy to never eat out as a response to laziness. Knowing your priorities and keeping basics, frozen double batches, and quick meals on hand can help with this.

5. Prize (and plan) variety.

…Else you will eat out, unless you have a willpower of steel. Plan variety into your grocery lists to stay well and keep food enjoyable. Some people can eat ramen for a month in the name of saving money. Rest can’t. However, try to plan budget-friendly meals that you know you’ll enjoy, and rotate those meals throughout several months.

6. A quick fridge list.

Try to keep a running list on your fridge and write down items that you need as soon as or shortly before you run empty. This is a basic tip but it can make all the difference between grocery runs that result in spending sprees or incomplete shopping.

7. Get creatively delicious with your leftovers.

They are your friends. They will feed you while protecting your budget. Invest in a good set of glass food storage containers—your food will last longer with better flavor. Plan meals that make good leftovers, and if you’re feeling ambitious, make double or triple batches and freeze.

8. Don’t be duped by coupons.

Coupons are great — if they are for items that you need and from brands that you like. Too often, coupons trick customers into buying unnecessary items “because it’s a good deal.” Furthermore, generic versions of many items in the coupon book are even cheaper than the price you’ll pay for a discounted name brand item. So if you find a coupon for an item that you usually buy, celebrate and purchase. Otherwise, steer clear and seek out cheaper options.

9. Shop a Sale but don’t Overstock.

Sales are the cousin of coupons: they can often dupe customers into buying more because it’s “a great deal,” not because they need that item or can even use that quantity. On items that keep well, stock up with sales.

But a common mistake is to buy a few extra items of each product, thinking that you’re saving time and money by not having to return later to the store. Buying a few extras of this and that each time,actually is inflating the grocery bills. Unless you live hours from a grocery store, this sort of pseudo-bulk shopping isn’t helpful.

10. Spend time to Compare and Save to Shop.

This suggestion of comparison shopping is inevitably met with a chorus of voices protesting the efficiency of “driving all over” just to find cheaper items. Time and driving costs must always be factored into budgeting. There are still a few items that we will buy once a month at the larger, more distant store, since we don’t have the time to go to several stores on each grocery run.

However, we can also do comparison shopping within stores: some items are cheaper in the international aisle, or the yogurt in the organics aisle, for example, might be on sale when the regularly bought yogurt selection isn’t. Also buying locally grown foods or stuffs is equally benefiting the producer and consumer. So pick the stores that are most efficient for your shopping, familiarise yourself with your options, and make a plan.

Howmuch ever we try there are times when we do skip,so if you have more tips to add on or tricks to keep the grocery budgeting on check do share here..

Happy Shopping and Healthy Living to y’all…