did a little poll the other day on Facebook (do follow there if you don’t already!) to ask my readers what their biggest concern is. Most of you said money. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that most people love money and wish they had more of it. I’m certainly not a financial wizard but I do know my way around a bank account. I’ve never had to borrow money from anyone ever, I paid $12,000 cash for a car when I was 20 years old and my budget hasn’t changed since I graduated from university despite the fact that I earn five times what I did back then.
I’m not a tight arse but I do know exactly where my money goes so I thought I’d start to include more money and budget advice here on Smaggle. I’m starting with the 5 most costly mistakes you make when grocery shopping…
1. Not looking at the per kilo price
Most big supermakets have a per price kilo on the label that’s attached to the shelf. So if you’re buying a packet of almonds, a bag of 250gms might cost $6 which means that the per kilo price of those almonds will be $24. The 500gm bag of almonds might cost $10 which means that the per kilo price of those almonds is $20. If you regularly eat almonds it’s much better value to buy the $20 per kilo bag for $10.
2. Being blinded by sale stickers
This is a habit I had to break Mr Smaggle of because the boy LOVES a sale sticker. Just because something is on sale, doesn’t mean it’s the cheapest option. Look around at the other items and compare the prices to make sure you’re getting the best deal. Also have a peek underneath the sale sticker. You might only be saving a few cents in which case you’d save more money buying a cheaper branded item.
3. Only shopping in the one location
Supermarket prices can differ depending on what suburb you live in. Bigger suburban supermarkets tend to be cheaper than smaller inner city supermarkets. The best way to shop is to mix up where you buy your groceries from. It takes a little extra time but sometimes the farmers market will have cheaper tomatoes and sometimes your local supermarket will have a better deal. Keep an eye on the prices of fresh produce at your local shopping centre so you’ll know a good bargain when you see one.
4. Never looking up or down
Supermarkets are sneaky and they’ll put the products they make the most money out of at eye level. Have you ever noticed when you’re looking for zucchini in the produce section, you always seem to stumble upon the expensive organic stuff first? That’s not an accident. Make sure you look up and down when you’re trying to find an item so you don’t miss out on the best deal, whether it’s a sale item or cheaper version of the item you’re after.
5. Not paying attention at the check out
Nabbing an awesome 4-for-the-price-of-3 bargain in the aisle at the supermarket is one thing but if the sale doesn’t scan when you’re at the counter, you’ve just paid full price for 4 items that you probably weren’t planning on buying. If you want to take advantage of a sale, you need to make sure it scans properly at the check out, otherwise it’s just a waste.
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How’s your shopping mojo? Are you a savvy grocery shopper? Or a grab and go kind of person?
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P.S Also you should totally follow Smaggle on Facebook or sign up for the Smaggle weekly newsletter – I post productivity tips daily on Facebook and there’s almost always a Beyonce gif in my newsletter.