Your kitchen fulfills its mandate if it has the right foodstuffs and utensils to handle its functions.
The kitchen is not a kitchen without groceries. It is one part of the home that takes almost 30 percent of the budget.
However, this percentage you can reduce it depending on how you carefully prepare your meals.
We are even living in the worst times when we have a pandemic, which has defined a new normal for us.
With this, you need to practice extra care to protect yourself and your family.
Generally, there are a few dos and don’ts you need to practice to save a few coins from your grocery shopping
The Dos
- Have a budget plan
Once you decide to take your time to go grocery shopping, have a list of what you want to spend and the time.
Without this, you might end up making an impulse purchase and even take more time than expected.
If you tag the kids along, communicate to them in advance on the amount you wish to spend.
The last thing you want to see is a child throwing tantrums to other shoppers’ dismay because you failed to buy an expensive toy. In the plan have this
- The budget
- The amount you wish to spend on each item
- Carry bags to prevent buying extra
- Consider the weather and wear appropriately
- Consider other safety measures now that we are living during an outbreak times
2. Exercise friendliness and kindness
It’s the joy of everyone to have someone to show some act of kindness from strangers. Be that stranger who says hi and even greets other shoppers.
As part of showing empathy when you get a vulnerable person at the till it doesn’t cost you a lot to leave them to be served first instead of subjecting them to long-standing hours.
This includes the
- Physically challenge individuals
- The pregnant women
- Children
You never know where else you will meet this person. You might be the person you see on the other side of the desk in an interview panel. That simple act can give you your dream job.
3. Inspect the packages for expiry dates and packages
Not all stuff on the shelves is up to date as much as they try as much as possible to sell fresh foods.
Human is to err. Someone somewhere can forget to remove the expired perishable products, and you fall a victim of circumstance.
These are foods; you have no option but to counter check to avoid health issues resulting from the consuming expired products.
At times, you may end up throwing most of them away – what a waste of resources.
4. Have a plan B to replace ingredients
Groceries are available in stock, depending on the season. At times you may need a specific ingredient only to find that it’s out of stock.
Always have a replacement for the same as you wait for them to be restocked. For example, the best Exogenous Ketones supplement are in high demand.
Try and use fruits and vegetables to manage your weight loss program as you wait for them to be available in the market.
5. Use a credit card to pay
You aim to track the amount of money you use on your grocery shopping. The most effective way to do this is to pay using your credit card.
When you get your statement at the end of the month, you can always track and make adjustments where necessary.
6. Take advantage of discounts and offers
As much as people believe that offers and discounts have a hidden meaning. As long as you have your standards and the product meets that, why not?
The Don’ts
Some of the reservations you should have when doing your grocery shopping include
Never trust strangers
Although it’s essential to be friendly, you need to be cautious of your environment lest you be defrauded.
- Let the kindness end at the grocery store.
Avoid the sales language which compromises on your standard
When you are sure of the company, you wish to get your ingredients, avoid listening to the sales language that will lure you into buying products that you won’t love and enjoy.
- Don’t buy what you don’t budget for unless it’s vital.
If you planned to but avocadoes for a specific amount, stick to that. Buy more when you find the price is a bit lower but don’t exceed your budget. Imagine if you do that for all products
- Never share your credit card details with unauthorized personnel
Fraudsters and hackers only need your details for them to sweep clean your entire bank account.
With these tips, you can now enjoy happy and fun while doing your grocery shopping.