Thrifty Tips--Grocery Shopping

When I am in a hurry, I tend to shop on "autopilot" and pay little attention to my purchases. It is so easy to choose convenience over cost and encounter a number of cash traps as I navigate through the aisles. The following tips come in very handy and help me stay on budget:

• Studies have shown that hungry shoppers spend more on everything. The hoarding instinct kicks in and makes us want to buy more than we need. I try to have a quick snack before heading out to the grocery store.
  

• When I see those "maximum per customer" tags, I sometimes feel the need to take advantage of the deal and often buy more of one item. This does not always make sense especially with items that have expiry dates.

• I have often grabbed a bagged salad and found it to be a time-saver. But, it can cost three times as much as a head of lettuce. Salad kits are even more expensive.

• When I was working I would buy protein bars on a regular basis. These bars are high in sugar and fat and often act as a meal supplement as opposed to a meal replacement. And, they are often more than twice the cost of a chocolate bar.
  

• Pre-formed meat patties are handy, but they are more expensive than buying the ground meat in bulk and making patties.

• We are very fortunate to have good tap water in Ontario, so it is not necessary to buy bottled water. It is expensive and the environmental costs are very high.
  

• I have always enjoyed making my own tomato sauce using canned or fresh tomatoes. This is less expensive than buying ready-made tomato sauces that can run $2 to $6 a jar. The cost of canned tomatoes is often under $1.