It's harder to find bargains when you're shopping for a large number of people. Children can be fussy eaters and suddenly bringing in new food because it's on offer won't always be met with approval. Consider the following money saving tips the next time you're planning on doing your weekly grocery shopping.
Downgrade Brands
The simplest way of saving money instantly is by downgrading the brands you are currently using. For instance, if you're currently using premium brands on some products and mid-range plans on others, consider moving one step down the brand ladder. The premium products often taste the same as the mid-range brands and even the store-branded items.
If you're too scared to make the jump all at once, consider changing brands of a couple of products at a time. This will give you an idea of what items you don't mind downgrading on and those that you want to keep paying premium prices for.
Bulk Buy
If you're lucky enough to have a bulk-buy supermarket near you then visiting it to buy non-perishable items is always a good plan. If you don't have one nearby you can find certain sites online that will deliver these goods to you. Good items to buy in bulk are; toilet paper, tinned food, cleaning products and food you can deep freeze for a long time. Buy these monthly, or even quarterly if you have the storage space and you can get discounts on such buying in such big quantities.
Another good idea is buy items on offer that can be frozen. Only buy items you would normally have bought anyway and know you will use in the future, else you will be wasting money.
Make a Meal Plan
An excellent way of saving money is to reduce waste you produce. Consider your household as a machine - if you're not wasting anything in the house then you're working efficiently. Figure out what items you don't really need on your list. A family meal planner is ideal in these situations as you'll know exactly what everyone is eating on a daily basis and how much of each item you will require.
Don't forget to include the occasional treats - value is great but a happy family life is better!
Consider Costs
The value of shopping is calculated in the amount you pay indirectly as well as directly for the groceries. Consider where your current supermarket is located - are you going to the closest one? If there is a closer supermarket then you should consider swapping to it. While prices may be slightly higher, you could be saving the same in transport costs and time.
It's also a good idea to sit down and figure out when you do your shopping. Do you follow a weekly schedule? If you end up driving past the supermarket on other days when you have time to pop in and do you shopping then you could contemplate making your shopping time flexible rather than on a set day.
Opportunists will always get the better value with these money saving tips.