Wether you are looking to pay off debt, invest or just have a bit more room in your budget, fine tuning how you shop can tremendously effect your financial growth. How can you curb spending and put back a little more money each month, AND live somewhat comfortably? In this post we uncover 9 tips on how to save money at any store you frequently shop!
Saving money has always been “in” but right now….it’s ALLLL the rage!
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No matter where you are from or what kind of income you bring in, most everyone has been feeling the price increase on consumer products.
So Lets dive in to these tips on how to save money one penny at a time. They all count 😉
Budgeting
Write up a budget for your family and stick to it.
It’s not as restrictive or scary as it seems. Making a budget for your approximate expected monthly income and expenses shows you what freedom you actually have!
We have really enjoyed using the App called EveryDollar Plus!
it has an easily customized list of budget categories to plan your monthly finances. And It tracks your transactions for you to simplify updating your budget and planned to spent ratio throughout the month!
So you might ask, How will this save me money at the store? well, first off in order to know what your limit should be, you need an overall budget so you can plan. And second, if you only have so much to spend on a specific category like groceries or a fun category like clothing or furnishings, you’ll find more creative ways to stretch your budget. Once it is gone, it is gone.
Inventory your pantry
Taking stock (aka Inventory) of what you already have in your pantry, cabinets, refrigerator and freezer tremendously cuts down on waste
While I am mostly focusing on groceries and monthly household items here, you can apply these same principle to any other spending category. For example, if it’s clothing, taking stock of what you have and buying what you need to fill the gaps. –
I like to take my phone with the “notes” app open and just quickly jot down the ingredients I have on hand. From there you can brainstorm what meals you can start with the stores you already have! Now onto the next great tip That will save you money on groceries
Plan your meals
One of the easiest ways of sticking to that food budget? Making a list of meals you plan to make. You can list all of your main meals, or just supper, and from there add in your daily items, lunch ingredients and snacks. Can’t forget those! 😋
Make a grocery list
Making yourself a List is a great way to cut down waste as it mitigates buying more of what you already have!
Now that we have an idea of what we have on hand, and a meal plan, next Take note of what ingredients you need to purchase for the meals planned. And anything else that is a necessity in your household.
A list helps keep you focused on what you really NEED and will keep you from having to come back for a forgotten item.
What if an item is missing from the list do I buy it anyway?
If it’s not on the list Don’t buy it!
When tempted to buy something missing from your list and not previously budgeted for, wait till you have budgeted for it.
If you have the money but it wasn’t on your list, pause and ask yourself, would I regret buying this? Waiting 24 hrs is usually a good tactic to keep your self from buying anything you don’t really NEED. If you still NEED it then it’s likely a good purchase.
Loyalty Programs
Does your favorite store have a loyalty card?
While holding on to a million loyalty cards is less than ideal, signing up for the few stores you frequent often can save a lot of money over time!
For example, if Kroger has a sale on some items, you will only get the sale price if you bring your shoppers loyalty card or enter your alternate shoppers I.D.
Coupons
Paper Coupons to your favorite stores – Only keep the ones you would buy anyway. (The key here is not letting them sell you on an item you wouldn’t normally use )
Side note : throwing away coupons you highly doubt you’d use will also cut down on paper clutter.
Online or in App coupons
Take advantage of the online coupons you can click and apply to your loyalty card, I like to activate even the ones I’m not sure on, that way when I’m in the store and I decide it’s a go I already have the coupon applied to my account. I use this when shopping at Kroger or any of its family of stores. Ensure and clip them before you go to the store! Sometimes in the store, the internet is quite slow, making it challenging to clip those coupons last Minute.
Eat before you leave the house
Possibly the biggest tip on how to save money at any store is this one!
Its really amazing how many things can pop up on one little trip.
There isn’t anything like going to the store hungry and being tempted to buy every yummy looking treat on the shelves !
Just by eating a meal or snack before you leave you can tremendously cut down the temptation to eat out while you are in town. Plus with all the inflation they’ve been passing around, you get so much less for your money now days. Literally.
Bring snacks and water for the kids
Bring snacks for the kiddies ( and yourself) who am I kidding, bring yourself a snack too, especially if you are a snacky kind of person 🙋🏼♀️ like me!
Brew your own to-go coffee
Similarly, make a to go coffee / water for yourself
I had to include this in my 19 tips on how to save money at any store, as when I go to town it totally keeps me from giving in to the temptation of going to my favorite local coffee shop, that so happens to be right off the highway going to town 🧋
For those that love a fancier sweet coffee, (totally guilty here) invest in a couple coffee syrups that you like, and nix the tempting excuse that it’s not like a bought one. If you are a caffeine addict then this tip can save you big $$$
Find the cheapest store
Shop smart find the cheapest store!
If it is cheaper to buy an item at a different store, try to buy it from there.
Is it just one item? You may justify buying it from the more convenient store, however if you have several items that you need from the cheaper store. Make it a point to go. It’s amazing how just switching stores can save!
I recently went to buy gas at one of my usual gas stations and it was ten cents higher per gallon then another newer station that was recently built. You better believe I stopped pumping and filled my tank at the lower rate 😎
A great place to shop groceries for value is ALDI, however they do not have everything we need, So I make a point to go to another local grocery or superstore to get my other essential items ever so often.
Pay attention to product placement!
Be product placement aware, it’s on way stores market higher priced products.
Look at the top AND the bottom of shelves for generic brands or sales on dry goods and canned or frozen goods.
Retailers usually place the higher priced name brands right at eye level.
Learn how to Barter!
Whenever it is possible, negotiate a good price.
The worst anyone can say is no!
If an item you are interested in is damaged, ask if they’ll give a discount! Most stores will at least give a 10% discount for damaged items. It’s so worth asking!
Don’t be afraid to wait | for the right time | and price
If it’s not in the budget don’t be afraid to wait!
Similarly to an item being not yet on your list, if it isn’t in the budget, don’t buy it this month.
Don’t be afraid of putting items back if you realize it is out of your budget. Trust me, You’ll thank yourself later!
Keep a list of “looking for”
Have a note book or category on your device about what items you would like to keep an eye out for, e.g Iike furniture, appliances, homeware or even tools! That way you can reference it when shopping for deals online or at your local thrift shop.
next tips on how to save money at any store –
Online shopping
When shopping online be sure to Search on Facebook marketplace or your favorite online space to find those second hand treasures.
whether you find an item on marketplace, a thrift shop or a big box store, PRICE COMPARE!
look for coupons online.
there are quite a few different websites and apps dedicated just to sharing coupons, like Retailmenot. Find the one that works for you.
Shop Sales
shopping sales for items you use regularly is another great way to keep more of your own money in your pocket!
set a little bit of money aside just for when good sales pop up.
that way you will be able to take better advantage of the good prices!
This tip is Especially great for buying bulk or sale meat for the freezer!
Stocking up on regularly used items | On Sale
Buy one for now two for later, if you are buying a good sale on frequently stocked food for your pantry, or another frequently used item.
Buy a couple extra boxes of cereal or [insert bargain item] at that awesome sale price so that you can extend your savings beyond that sales end date 😉
Check Expiration Dates
Speaking of dates, always check when the bargains expire. If they expire sooner than you can use them and you can’t freeze it, buy less! 💪🏻
Find what day your store starts their new Ad
Find what day does your store posts their new sales.
What day of the week does your store generally stock their produce? Generally stores have the freshest produce at the beginning their sales Ad. Fresher produce for you, less waste, Win!
Bonus tip
Use a cash back app, to turn your receipts into cash or gift cards!
I personally use and love Fetch rewards! They have been the most user friendly to me and it really doesn’t take long to rack up points to use toward a reward. All in a snap.
They also have a very good variety of store cards to choose from!
Use my link here to receive 100 points just for getting started.
This post was about 19 tips on how to save money at any store.
There you have it, 19 tips on how to save money at any store!
what would you add to this list? Let me know in the comments!
If you liked this post, go check out this article 9 Secrets to ALDI you didn’t know | Ultimate Grocery Savings
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