4 Reasons You’re Overspending on Groceries

Overspending on Groceries?

Are you struggling to save money on your grocery bill each week? Do you often spend much more than you anticipate and aren’t sure why?

I can [probably] tell you.

Below are 5 reasons you’re likely overspending on groceries.

1. You don’t have a grocery budget

The most important thing you can do if you want to save money on groceries (or other things in your life), is to create a budget.

When you shop without a budget in mind, you have no reason to not buy every single thing that you want.

2. You don’t plan menus for the week

An essential part of saving money on groceries is menu planning. By creating a menu plan every week, you are not only going to save money, but your shopping trip will be easier, and you’ll know longer have to worry about what’s for dinner.

You don’t want to restrict yourself to certain meals? Have a free day included on your menu plan, where you can make whatever you feel like. For the other 6 days, suck it up. It will be worth it.

Remember, you don’t have to do a “this is what we’re having on Monday, and this is what we’re having on Tuesday” type menu plan. Simply list 7 dinner ideas and make whatever you want from that list each evening.

3. You buy expensive items

We all have our splurges, but when it comes to the majority of grocery items, to save the most money, you need to train yourself to only purchase what’s on sale.

Don’t go into a store with a list of items you want to buy, just because you want them. Go into a store with a list of items you want to buy, because they are on sale for a good price.

Check out the Canada Yearly Sales Cycle to get an idea of when certain items are on sale.

4. You shop on impulse

Have you ever decided to go shopping because you were bored? Have you ever went out for groceries at the last second, without creating a shopping list first?

Shopping on impulse is never a good idea. You should always plan out when you will go shopping, where, what you will buy, and what your budget is. If you don’t know these things, avoid the stores until you do.

Think about how you currently handle grocery shopping. Do you know what your budget is? Do you shop on the same day every week? Do you always bring a shopping list with you?

If you answered “yes” to any of those questions, congratulations. You’re a money-saving, grocery-shopping super star! If not, you have a bit of work to do. Get on it. Practice makes perfect! I’m here to help, if you need me.