We Buy Products Wisely - How Not To Spend Too Much

Get used to the system and discipline, learn to plan your expenses based on your income. Of course, this applies to all your expenses, but now let's talk about food expenses directly.

First of all, analyze your budget - your income and expenses. Based on this, determine the amount you can spend on food. It is best if it does not exceed 20% of your income - which will be our goal. Next, move on to more detailed planning of food expenses.

If you've never budgeted before, you need to start by doing some research and calculating how much you spend on food. During several grocery shopping trips ( when you feel like buying) save your receipts and/or write down your expenses - how much of what you bought and at what price . Also, compare prices in different places - supermarkets, shops, markets - remember where it is cheaper or write it down. If you incurred any food expenses other than the main shopping trips (during your lunch break, on the way to/from work, while walking, etc.), record that as well. Based on this, you can analyze not only your expenses, but also your diet, how much and which productsyou consume, whether you need to add/take something from the menu and whether you buy in the right places.

Budgeting is ideally done once a month, before the main replenishment of the budget (salary, etc.), but if you initially find it difficult to plan food expenses for such a long period, you can start with a weekly period. It is advisable to make some plans for food for a year - first of all, this concerns the purchase and preparation of seasonal products, and secondly - the purchase of products in bulk. Take care in the summer about the vegetables and fruits that you will eat in the winter, because they can be prepared in a variety of ways, from freezing to drying. Analyze how much cereal and flour you consume for half a year or a year - as long as you can plan and store the product - this will allow you to buy long-term storage products in bulk even less often than once a month.

Make a table of expenses. Divide food products into categories - vegetables, fruits, bread, meat, dairy products, cereals, etc. Also, you can make a division between mandatory categories ( products that will form the basis of your diet) and optional ones (sweets, delicacies, etc.). Specify the number of products that you will need. There is an individual aspect here - whether you will buy products only for the current period or buy something for stock - it is determined personally, depending on your capabilities and income. Also, don't forget to budget for additional or unforeseen expenses — within reason, of course (no more than 10-15%).

Such an organization will provide you with the opportunity to make a clear shopping list every time before going to the store .

In this case, it is better to take an example from the Germans and be guided by the principle of "everything at once" - that is, go shopping for food when the refrigerator is already empty and immediately buy food for a week or another specified period (of course, taking into account the shelf life of the food ), also in such in this case, it will be easier to make a clear list of products . In the list , indicate all the items without exception - without any "I will decide on the spot whether it is necessary or not" - in the store you will most likely buy this product , in the general wave of purchases , but whether you need it for sure - you must clearly know in advance. Also, specify the required quantity of each product in the list. In a separate list, allocate products for long-term storage and use - cereals, flour, tea, etc. - which do not need to be bought every week, but can be bought rarely, in larger quantities on wholesale bases.

Provided you have completed the previous steps — budget planning and product price research — with a ready list , you can roughly calculate the amount that this purchase will cost you . That way, you can take a specific amount of money with you to the store (with a little extra just in case), which will be another reason not to buy too much, even if you are ready to be tempted to do so.

Now you can go shopping without forgetting to take a couple of bags or bags with you from home (why - later).

Read more about how to plan a menu and make a list of necessary products in the article - http://harchi.info/articles/planuyemo-menyu-ta-skladayemo-spysok-pokupok.

Supermarkets, shops, markets - today there are few places where you can buy food , sometimes you can find 5 shops on one street - your head will spin. However, do not forget about the main goal - not just to buy products , but to buy economically.

Of course, it is much more convenient to go to a large supermarket and buy everything together - saving time, but not always money.

It is best to buy vegetables and fruits at the markets - they are fresher, more natural and, often, cheaper. However, it is better to choose a weekday to go to the market: there are a lot of consumers on the weekend and sellers can set higher prices . Also, very often by the evening the prices on the markets are slightly reduced , because the sellers (usually they are also the producers) try to sell all the goods as quickly as possible.

When buying in the markets, be careful - make sure that you are not weighed and calculated.

Summarizing all of the above, we can highlight the following rules for successful and economical purchase of products . Guided by these principles, you will eat well and without harming your wallet.

• Do not forget to keep family accounting. Make it a habit to always research your family expenses, how much money you spend on food in particular, and also analyze whether all the expenses are necessary.
• Plan a family and personal budget. Determine in advance how much you can spend on groceries in a month, week or day (based on research of your previous expenses) and stick to the plan.
• Make a list of the products you need. This process should become your habit. Make a list before every grocery trip . The list should include only the products you actually need . When making purchases , do not allow yourself to deviate from the list and take extra.
• Buy products where they are cheaper. It will not be news to anyone that the prices for the same product (identical composition and brand) may differ in different places of sale. When making a trip to the store or market, remember (or write down) where and how much the products you consume cost, and buy them where they are cheaper.
• Don't buy all the products in one place, if some of them can be bought elsewhere at a cheaper price. Of course, you will need to spend more time on this, but this advice will save you money.
• Use wholesale food bases for purchasing products. As a rule, such bases are in every district of a large or in every small city. In general, prices in grocery markets are 10-15% lower than in the cheapest store. In addition, the name "wholesale" is often quite conditional and in such markets you can buy small wholesale or retail. Read more about buying products in a group here - http://harchi.info/articles/pokupka-produktiv-harchuvannya-gurtom-ekonomte-shche-bilshe.
• Do not buy products from expensive brands, if the cheaper ones do not differ in quality. The brand also affects product prices . One manufacturer is more famous, he invested more money in advertising and marketing, accordingly, all these costs are included in the price - the product of this brand is more expensive. However, if the composition and quality of the products of different brands are identical, why pay more?

• Do not chase after beautiful packaging, pay attention only to the composition and price. Beautiful packaging always attracts our attention - this is its main purpose. However, this does not guarantee the quality of the product at all. And it is reflected in the prices , because the more the packaging costs, the more the product itself costs.
• Buy foods by weight instead of packaged. This refers to loose products , cookies, candies. And this rule is very clearly visible on packaged vegetables (the prerogative of supermarkets). Prepackaged products always include a price for the packaging, and why should we pay for it if we're going to throw it away anyway?
• Follow promotions and discounts, sales, buy products in stock at promotional prices. This is really beneficial when it comes to really needed products , especially those that can be stored for a long time. Of course, this refers to cases where the promotional price is really beneficial, and not set to attract attention. Remember promotions, pay attention to which products and where discounts are most often offered.
• Don't forget to use discount cards. Now almost every supermarket or grocery store issues discount cards, develops its own loyalty programs, discounts, conditions for accumulating bonuses, etc., which allows you to save on food products , on average, from 3 to 7%. However, make sure that a specific product will not be more expensive in a particular supermarket, even with a discount, than in some other place. 
• Do not succumb to the provocations of the promoters. If you have weak willpower and are easily influenced, then it is better to avoid free tastings altogether. If you are still interested in the promotion, remember that the fact that you tried the product and listened to the promoter's advertisement about the benefits of the product does not oblige you to buy the product .
• Buy fresh vegetables and fruits in season. Seasonal vegetables and fruits in their season are more natural, healthier and, of course, cheaper. At other times, they are imported from far away and treated with special means to increase the shelf life, which is bad for your wallet and for your health. The price of the same vegetables/fruits in different seasons can vary many times and even tens of times. And if you want to enjoy this or that vegetable/fruit at any time of the year, then think about home freezing and preparation of products purchased in season .
• Don't let yourself be weighed down by the markets. It's sad, but about 80-90% of market sellers still try to deceive us. In order to avoid this, it is enough to carefully monitor the scales (if they are not visible - ask the seller to move them so that you can see or do not buy here), check whether the seller calculated the price correctly (especially if you buy several products). Elementary attention that will protect you from deception. Also, each market has a control scale, on which you can always check the truthfulness of the seller.
• Buy products of daily demand with a long shelf life in bulk. Products such as flour, sugar, cereals, pasta, etc. have a long shelf life and are used almost every day. The cost of a bag of such a product , compared to a small batch, is cheaper by about 5-15%. If it is still too much for you, you can cooperate with relatives, friends or acquaintances.
• Do not buy, but make preparations for the winter and semi-finished products at home. You will save at least twice as much on home preparations and preserves. Not to mention that homemade preparations are much safer and healthier than store-bought ones.
• Buy locally produced products. Local producers do not have costs for transporting products, accordingly, they will not be included in the price , and the product will be cheaper. Pay attention to this when choosing food products .
• Go to supermarkets with your packages. If you don't buy a new bag at the checkout every time, then add it to your home collection of bags from the supermarket, then you will save a little, but not much. Also, you can buy a special bag for products , which you can use more than once - a one-time purchase of such a bag is much more profitable than buying packages all the time.
• Shop at the markets more often. In the markets, it is profitable to buy vegetables and fruits, and sometimes dairy products. Go to different markets, evaluate the quality and price of products, and choose several sellers from whom you will buy food . There is a high probability that you will receive a discount as a regular buyer, and also, you can always agree to postpone or hold a certain product for a few hours , not to mention the fact that you will know the quality of the product you are buying.
• Don't forget to trade in the markets. You can always bargain at the markets, and in most cases you will win a small discount on products .
• Buy the markets at the right time. There are more buyers at the markets on weekends than on weekdays. Therefore, sellers set slightly higher prices for their goods. If you can, go grocery shopping on a weekday. Also, often at the end of the day, sellers (especially if they are also manufacturers) want to quickly sell off the remaining goods, so they lower the price . But in this case, pay attention to the quality of the product - because the quality of the leftovers may be somewhat worse.
• Make a menu for the week. This will allow you to clearly know which products you need for the period you have determined, make it easier to make a list , and prevent you from buying too much.
• Don't go grocery shopping too often. When you go to the store one more time, you will want to buy something unplanned more and more. Therefore, it is better to adhere to the principle of "everything at once", go shopping when your refrigerator is already empty and buy strictly necessary products.
• Go for food full and sober. This will save you from spontaneous purchases. After all, it is much easier to resist temptation and follow the list with a full stomach and a clear mind.
• Don't overpay for supplements. If you buy, for example, plain oatmeal and bananas or apples separately, it will be cheaper than buying muesli. And more useful.
• Watch what you buy. Pay attention to the delivery date and composition of the product to prevent spending on a low-quality product. As for the shelf life, discounts are often offered for products that expire. If such a product can still be consumed in the coming days or you can cook something from it without harming your health, think about buying it.
• Do not be lazy to look on the bottom shelf. The most expensive products are usually located at the eye level of buyers. And cheaper, but no less quality products on the lower and upper shelves. The cheapest products from the proposed line are usually placed at the bottom.
• Follow the given route. Necessary products are usually placed along the outer perimeter of the sales hall. Follow this route if you don't want to spend too much.
• Do not panic and do not buy products. Remember, in most cases, statements that there is or will not be a particular product (for example, buckwheat) are just rumors on which supermarkets make good money. And the fact that the product is not available in one place or another is the result of panic, to which the majority of the population is prone. So, don't be in a hurry to believe everything you hear and run to the store to buy all the sugar or salt. Don't stop following your meal and spending plan.

Download the list of basic rules for purchasing products so that you always have a reminder at hand - Basic rules for purchasing products