Food Shopping on a tight Budget, 8 tips to maximise spending

December 27, 2007

Cookie Monster , Cookie Budget

Above: Cookie monster, cutting back on cookies

Being almost broke on a number of occasions is a common occurrence for me. When running your own business, you have ups and downs. One thing I really put value on is my food intake. Your food intake effects both your mood and energy. Here and now, I hope to provide some good advice that I have learned over the years to help you eat like a King while shopping on a paupers budget.

Observe Clearance offers - Have you ever seen those 2 for 1 deals on certain products, for example on products like Duck and pasta sauces. In my local store, they put together items that are going out of date shortly ususally within a day or two. These items are usually heavily discounted. I will buy them and store them. Usually these things are on sale for passing their Sell by date and not their Use by date. At different times you may get items that are half price at 2 for the price of one, thats a 75% discount on the original price! Most stores have these bargin areas I would keep your eyes open to such deals. It may not be exactly what you are looking for but it’s better than going hungry plus it may just broaden your cullinary pallet.
Check out bargains online - You should always check offers online on stores websites. Read reviews about the product you are looking for then get the best price. This will save time and money. You can then go from shop to shop on your high street armed with the knowledge to get a good deal. This also gives the ability to go store hopping if shops are nearby getting best bargains. Remember, if the price is high in a shop then the guy selling it knows this and realises his mark up is high, you will always be able to haggle for if your buying a Dvd player, then some free movies. If your buying a Television then some free cables. Always, get something from them if their price is high, especially considering the both of you know it.
Buying directly from farm producers - This is a great bet because you get the best food at excellent prices. Now, I live near some farming wholesale shops so it can be good to buy all your vegetable and fruit in these places if you have access to them. Also again you can haggle the price a bit more so than a supermarket. Most stall owners love a challenge within reason. Especially if you are buying for a big family, they will more than likely arrive at an amicable deal.
Buy in bulk - If you like a certain product. It can certainly be a good thing to buy convenience packs. For example buying bags of oranges rather than buying single oranges is cheaper. On the other side their is chocolate bars. Always buy the single 750g bars as per gram of chocolate they are about 25% cheaper than Fun size multipacks. This
Check dates on products - If you buy products with longest use by date lets say milk and if you buy it regularly. If you then end up putting lots of it in the bin, clearly this is a waste. Check your dates, ensure that you have the product with the Use by date as far in the future as possible. This will lower your chance of wastage. Always look to the back for fresher products, as this is where staff are trained to put new stock. It’s called rotating the stock.
Freeze your food - Always buy your meat on special offer then freeze it. This is the only way to eat fillet steak in this day and age. If you eat vegetables and end up throwing lots of them in bin due to spoilage, I recommend buying frozen vegetables. They can be stored virtually indefinitely. Also soup should be what you should make with any vegetables that are going out of date. Soup is really nutritional and great for warmth in the winer. Also if you are going on holiday, freeze your meat and other foods (of course it depends on food). This will keep your food fresh for a longer time, and save your cents, pents , dong (Vietnamese currency, hehehe) or drachma.
Shop in Ethnic stores - There are great bargains to be had here. You can get great quality nutritional food such as rice and tofu and live for weeks. Ethnic food can be cheap and is usually very nice tasting.
Try to avoid branded foods if you can bare it - If you buy non standard branded goods. Then you will get the same quality product and in some cases possibly the same product (especially with curries and the like) for a lot cheaper. Top brands sometimes supply the shops with their own product rebranded as a budget brand. So keep an eye out. Also experiment with the cheaper products, price does not always mean quality.