Effective Grocery Shopping

You are well on your way to being super organized and saving some serious cash on your next grocery trip! Today, we’ll talk ways to making this trip quick, and kind to the wallet.

Set up your shopping list the way that your grocery is set up. Envision the space, and start your list where you will enter. The majority of the time, this is the produce section. So, first on the list; produce. Last on my list is typically dairy, as that is what is at the opposite end of the store. And everything else falls between!
STICK TO THE LIST. I mean it. Don’t be tempted by sales, or talk yourself into buying something that “just looks so good.” If you effectively planned for this trip (which you did), you already know what’s on sale, and probably have it on your list anyway.
If you have kids, be prepared with snacks. LOTS of snacks. It’s hard to buzz around a store with a cranky child. A whole apple is always a good choice for us--provides 15-20 minutes of solid, sticky entertainment.
Consider a smaller store. The bigger the store, the more choices, and let’s face it, the more madness. Choose a smaller grocery in your area to make your time spent there most effective.
Opt for fresh foods. Doing this forces you to remain on the PERIMETER of the store. While there are certainly exceptions, most of what is found in the aisles is overly processed, overpriced and not-so-good for you anyway. Avoiding the aisles as much as possible leads to a quick and effective shopping trip!
Stay away from the self checkout line. You don’t know the PLUs, you will probably scan something incorrectly, and I guarantee you something will go wrong that that damn scale. Then, you will need to wait 3 minutes for someone to come over and scan their card to turn off your blinking red light. Meanwhile, the person who entered the “long” line next to you is already on their way out. Let the cashier do the work for you. Bonus? They will more than likely do the bagging for you, to.

What are your tips for survival?

Looking for parts 1-3 of the meal planning series? Get in touch! Contact me directly HERE.