When I started budgeting for food, the hardest part was grocery shopping. It is so tempting to buy everything and anything, no matter how obscure, when its on sale. This was something I had to overcome. These are some hints and tips I use when trying to budget in a grocery store.
1. Plan what food, and meals you will be having until you go shopping next. Bring your list to the store and do your very best not to buy anything outside of that list.
2. Only buy in quantities that you need. I found that the most wasting money I did was purchasing too much food, and having to throw it out later.
3. Price check! It may cost you a little extra gas money but all grocery stores have different items on sale at different times.
4. Be mathematical! Some products may look like they are a good find, but how does it compare to a different brand? Is the price per lb, per gram, etc. You'd be surprised where some hidden fees are!
5. Put household items like toilet paper and cleaning supplies in a different grocery budget as these products typically cost a lot of money, and they don't need to be purchased every time you shop. I used to set aside about $50 for these products monthly. If you don't spend that money on those products, its free money!
6. Finally, do your best not to exceed your grocery budget. When I would set my $50 bi weekly food budget I did my best to stick to that number. If certain foods were more expensive during one shop I would opt not to buy it, or find a similar food that was cheaper. Setting these budgets is really important because its so easy to exceed and go over!
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