All families go through bad economic times in which they have to stretch their money to the maximum to make ends meet. At those times is when a series of tips to save in the shopping cart are most needed. And that is why this article that we have prepared may come in handy for you.
And we have searched and We have found 45 tricks that can come in handy when it comes to saving. Do you want to know what these are? Then pay attention because we are going to break them all down. Shall we start?
Tips to save in the shopping cart
We know that saving is important for many families, especially when work is scarce or when you can't make ends meet and you have to try to do everything to get it. Therefore, here are a series of tips that may come in handy.
Before you buy
Here are some tricks you could follow before going shopping at the supermarket (or anywhere else). This way you will already be thinking about saving.
1. Make a shopping list. And don't get out of it.
2. Check your pantry. This way you will be eliminating from the list what you already have and you will not waste money on something you don't need.
3. Plan weekly meals. That will help you save because you will know what you need and you won't be improvising (or buying daily).
4. Don't go shopping hungry. In fact, we recommend that you go first thing in the morning, when you will be rested and will follow the list better, or at the end of the afternoon in case they offer offers (in the case of Mercadona they do).
5. Compare prices. But be careful, because if you see that there are things in a cheaper store, but you have to take the car and spend more on gasoline, it may not be as worthwhile as buying it in the usual place.
Food
Regarding food, you should know that there are some tips to save on the shopping cart with them. Here we leave you some tricks to keep in mind.
6. Buy seasonal fruits and vegetables. Yes, we know they are expensive. So try to choose neighborhood fruit shops or even talk to the farmers themselves. These usually have much cheaper prices and many are advertised online or on social networks.
7. Buy white or generic brands. As long as they work, what you save will always be good to invest in another part of the shopping basket.
8. Take advantage of sales due to early expiration. These types of products usually have discounts and you could use them before the date or even, in the case of meat and fish, freeze them, so the expiration date no longer applies as much.
9. Buy products in bulk. They tend to be cheaper than packaged ones.
Beverages
Like food, You can also think about saving on drinks. Here are some tips:
10. Avoid buying alcoholic beverages. They are the most expensive there is, so try not to buy them or reduce them as much as possible.
11. Drink tap water rather than bottled water. It is an option, but we know that it cannot always be done (because there are areas where tap water contains a lot of chlorine or lime and is harmful). In those cases, you either have to buy it bottled, or go to wells or sources to fill up with water (and believe us when we tell you that this is usually just as good as the bottled one).
12. Buy private label sodas. Many times they are the same as the brand name ones, but they are much cheaper.
13. Avoid juices, make them yourself. Packaged juices usually contain a large amount of sugar and are not as healthy as they may seem. In return, making them at home will make you know exactly what they contain.
14. Buy coffee beans and tea leaves. Believe it or not, these products are cheaper and taste better. With coffee, you will have to grind it yourself; while with the leaves you just have to put them in the water to make the tea and then strain it.
Non-food products
In this case we are going to Focus on household products, for example cleaning, or accessories.
15. Buy toilet paper, wipes, etc. in great quantities. They tend to be cheaper.
16. Think about product alternatives. For example, instead of kitchen towels, use cloths that you no longer use.
17. Reuse bags and containers. Trays, jars, etc. They can have a second life or more.
18. Look for multipurpose cleaning products. This way, instead of buying one product for everything, you will use the same one for everything.
19. Switch to energy-efficient light bulbs. We know that LED bulbs are expensive, but they are worth it for their useful life and low consumption.
Technology and durable products
In the case of technology, appliances, etc. Here are some tips to save in the shopping cart.
20. Bet on reconditioned technology. It is often the same as new, but at lower prices.
21. Forget about being fashionable. Yes, it's great, but it's expensive and in the end in a short time you will stop being "in fashion."
22. Whenever you can, repair before buying. Of course, you have to weigh what is more expensive.
23. Compare prices. Especially online, where you could find cheaper prices.
24. Bet on energy efficiency. Although they are more expensive, it will be worth it if you spend less.
Strategies when shopping
When you go shopping in stores, here are some tips to save.
25. Use a basket instead of a cart. That will prevent you from compulsive shopping or from seeing your cart too empty and adding meaningless things.
26. Be careful with sales techniques. Stick to your list or the products you know are cheaper. Don't be guided by the new ones or better positioned brands.
27. Compare the formats: family, individual... Sometimes the larger the format, the more savings you have, but it is necessary to compare it.
Buy online
Regarding online purchases, keep the following in mind:
28. Compare prices. It takes time, yes, but if you save a few euros, all the better.
29. Take advantage of offers. Many offers are usually made on the Internet, try to pay attention to what interests you.
30. Be careful with subscriptions. Not just in the shopping cart, but in general. The prices in this case are sometimes more expensive than buying them on other sites.
31. Buy in quantity to save on shipping costs.
Other tips to save in the shopping cart
32. Go for chunks or large pieces of meat rather than fillets. These are more expensive and you can ask them to cut the pieces for you (in butcher shops they do it that way).
33. Choose whole fish instead of fillets or already cleaned ones. The fishmongers clean them for you without charging you extra.
34. Buy clothes and accessories out of season. They tend to be much lower in price.
35. Look for alternatives in cleaning products. You can create them at home with ingredients you have and they will be cheaper (and can clean better).
36. Grow your own food: lemons, tomatoes, etc. All of this can help you save on the shopping cart.
37. Try reusing instead of buying. Many products may have another useful life, so go for them to save on your shopping cart.
38. Set a spending budget
39. Preserve food well to prevent it from deteriorating.
40. Review your expenses to see if there are any you can cut.
41. Make recipes that don't need expensive ingredients.
42. Use loyalty cards. They often give you discounts on your shopping cart.
43. Take advantage of leftovers. They can be used to make meals.
44. Be careful with offers. Sometimes they are more expensive than the usual price.
45. Buy foods (meat, fish, etc.) that you can freeze. Or that they allow you to make food for several days and freeze it.
Do you know more tips to save in the shopping cart?