Save $100 In 10 Minutes: Grocery Shopping That Actually Saves
This Save $100 in 10 Minutes tip takes 10 minutes of planning and then the usual amount of time it takes to grocery shop. If you’re like me, you know what you like to cook and eat… but when you get to the grocery store your mind is as blank as your 10th grade History test in a nightmare. I walk around, picking up random stuff and have no idea what to cook when I get home and it’s time for dinner.
To combat this I started figuring out what I cook/eat on a regular basis (the plan) and what elements of it can be bought in bulk (the savings). Anything that is non-perishable is a great opportunity for long-term savings on groceries.
What do I cook?
One example: I always cook pasta with some basic ingredients: garlic, diced tomatoes, olives and vegetables – it’s quick, healthy and cheap. Instead of running out to get a single tin of each of those items, I realized I could make a one-time large purchase of all of the items in bulk and wind up saving a bundle.
When buying a flat of diced tomato cans (12 cans for $4.50), the cash savings is pretty extreme over the single can at the corner store (up to $2.99). When I multiply this over a number of meals and ingredients that little bit of planning can cut at least $45 in food expenses for me on a monthly basis.
Get the Items!
Then instead of going to my usual market, I make a trip to Costco or another warehouse store. With this focused list and goal of a few meals, I will actually get great savings there.
As a bonus, having more groceries in the house means I eat out less often and save even more money in the long run.
