By Tanya Bricking Leach
For The Associated Press
Most people pay for their groceries with three currencies: money, time and angst.
Grocery stores are getting bigger and more complicated. Unless you have all day, wandering aimlessly through the store can be frustrating, and it can wreck your budget, says Susan Mitchell, a nutritional consultant for SuperTarget stores.
"Start with a plan," she says, "preferably a running grocery list that you add to at home every time you run out of something."
That can keep you moving swiftly through the store and cut down on impulse buying.
Here are some other time- and money-saving tips for your next shopping trip:
* Pick a shopping strategy and stick to it. When most people shop, they either hunt or gather, says Adam Roberts, who wrote "The Amateur Gourmet: How to Shop, Chop, and Table-Hop Like A Pro (Almost)."
His theory is that most amateur cooks, and most Americans for that matter, are hunters who shop with a list and go about tracking down the items the need -- and usually in a hurry.
Great chefs, his theory goes, are more likely to be gatherers, who go shopping just to see what looks good, what's in season or what strikes them as interesting.
* Keep a well-stocked pantry. Grocery shopping can feel less overwhelming if you keep a well-stocked pantry, says Roberts. That means keeping things such as pasta, rice, eggs, cheese, olive oil, butter and spices on hand.
These items act as wonderful backdrops for whatever you bring home that's seasonal or fresh. And having plenty of goods on hand can make the shopping take less time and feel less overwhelming. It also can help you save money.
If you know what's in your pantry before you leave the house, you'll be more likely to eat what's in your cupboard, says Liz Crawford, a consumer strategist at consumer research firm Iconoculture Inc.
* Use a menu plan. Spend a few minutes before shopping to plan out the meals for the coming week.
This doesn't just mean dinner; figure out lunches and breakfasts. Then assemble your shopping list. This saves time and money because you buy only what you need. And if you have a plan for using the foods you buy, they are less likely to sit uneaten in the back of the refrigerator.
* To keep your shopping trip efficient, try to avoid the crowds.
"Avoid shopping on Saturday or Sunday or even Friday night," when stores are at their busiest, says Herb Sorensen, president of Sorensen Associates, an Oregon-based marketing research firm that studies the way people shop.
But stores also tend to stock up for the weekends, which means that's when the freshest items are available. Sorensen suggests shopping early on Friday afternoons. By then much of the stocking for the weekend is done, which means you get fresh food without the crowds. Or ask a cashier when the slow times are so you can adjust your shopping schedule, Mitchell says.
* Find out about delivery days. Ask your store managers when fresh produce comes in, when breads are baked and when seafood is delivered, Mitchell says.
And it likely varies by supermarket and location. The fresher your produce or baked goods, the longer they will last after you bring them home.
* Use coupons, but use them wisely. Use coupons for products that you would normally buy, but skip any others, no matter how good a deal.
If you wouldn't have bought it without a coupon, you're not really saving money.
* Ditch the plastic. Crawford says that if money is tight, pay with cash.
"People tend to spend less if they pay with cash," she says. "It' tactile and immediate."
Thanks : 5/14/2008
Thank you so much for this article because sometimes I can get depressed even going shopping and leaving the grocery store with sometimes nothing in my buggy. I look back and see how much money I have spent just getting the basic stuff. I will take advantage of your tips. God Bless!