I follow a strict budget when I go shopping for groceries and I really exert and effort to stick to it without depriving myself of the occasional food treat for myself.

The temptation is great whenever I go to get my groceries.  There’s always something interesting and something new to try.  Sometimes, some things are ridiculously over priced and I consciously decide to stay away from those things until next payday when I’ve included it in the budget.

Tips on Smart Grocery Shopping:

1. Assign a fixed, budgeted amount you wish to spend for your groceries.  This must be in line with your objectives.  How many meals are you shopping for?  Are you also shopping to include packed lunches for work or school?  What other items do you need to buy?  What is your budget for pets?  What is your budget for cleaning implements?  Do you need to buy anything else for the house?  After answering all these questions, then you’re ready to make your list. Don’t forget to include gas consumption/transportation as well as parking expenses in your budget.
2. Draft a menu for the week.  This will help you determine the quantities you need to purchase.  It will prevent you from unreasonable over shooting on your budget.
3. Create a list of items you need to buy.  Organize your list according to categories like: Food, Cleaning, Health and Beauty, Pets, Kids and Miscelleneous.   Misc. items should be the last priority on your list.  Once your done, off you go!  Don’t forget your list!  Its happened to me and it could get frustrating aside from the fact that I’m out of control without a list.
4. At the grocery, shop for the items on your list by choosing inexpensive but reliable brands.  Shopping for labels that cost and arm and a leg buut still deliver the same quality as something that is a bit cheaper is not practical.  To find out what brands work well, check out reviews on the internet, ask friends or relatives who have tried the product.
5. Lastly, be disciplined in the grocery store!  Shop only for items you need and that are on your list.  Misc items are the last priority.  Bring a calculator as you move along so that you could keep tabs on your spending.  If your mind works like a mini-calculator (like mine)– go ahead and compute along the way.

If you have kids, try not to bring them along as they tend to ask for many things.  Otherwise, if you can exercise control over them, then that’s fine.  You can even assign a buffer amount for their own little spending so as not to deprive them of occasional treats.

Happy grocering!