Today being Wednesday, we did our weekly shopping. Wednesdays have proved to be a reasonably quiet day for shopping here in Whitehaven, so we can avoid the hordes who need to save time rather than money. I have nothing against them, but prefer to keep out of their way, and since it takes a little more time in order to save money,it seems to work pretty well.
We often find that there are some good bargains to be had because we are hitting the mid-point between weekends. Certain remaining items that were bought in for sale the previous weekend are often reduced now to clear the shelves or freezers before the next weekend's shopping circus begins, and we find that large joints of meat can be cut down and frozen, and large trays of smaller items can be divided and frozen into more couple-friendly quantities. This almost always works out cheaper than buying the smaller packs although we always double-check any mid-week promotion prices just in case a better deal is available. You need to be a bit canny however, in order to avoid finding the freezer full of pork, say, in various guises - variety is the spice of life, remember!
Slightly stale bread is fine for toasting, and many baked goods can soon be refreshed by popping in the oven for a few minutes.
Don't ever assume that the larger pack of anything always offers the best value, because it just isn't the case. Today, for example, we found that 2 small 300g tubs of Custard Powder worked out a good bit cheaper than the large 600g tub. Check the shelf-edge price per kilo or per item, but mentally double-check that the store has done its sums correctly, as you may find the odd discrepancy which may or may not be in your favour.
We already have at least 10 days worth of main meals in our (small) freezer, as well as the makings of several more meals in the pantry, so today we were able to take advantage of offers we would normally have had to think twice about yet still remain within our budget. This helped to build up the stocks in our pantry so that we are not desperate for supplies if the weather turns against us later in the year, or if ill-health or circumstances prevent us from going shopping as usual.
One of the most valuable contributions towards efficient and frugal shopping has been the making of our Core Shopping List. Spend a week or two assessing your basic needs and writing them down, then working out where the best places are for meeting those needs and getting the best possible value.
In our experience, we have found that we can stretch our money most effectively by using several different shops and market stalls, but we also check the supermarkets' own websites for current promotions, as well as using sites like Hot UK Deals to tip us off on good value items.
The main thing is to keep it relevent to you - it's no good buying marrows because they're only 30p if no-one in your family likes marrows! Likewise, if you are having to travel miles to pick up a bargain, the cost of fuel to get there may be negating any savings, so learn what represents a good deal for you.
So, on to the Core Shopping List.
Yours will be tailored to suit your personal requirements, but to give you an idea, ours reads as follows:
Bread - 2-3 loaves (less if we're making our own)
Milk - dried, unless fresh milk is on special offer.
Eggs or Margarine (We buy them on alternate weeks)
Cheese, depending on promotions.
Coffee, ordinary/decaff/filter - 1 per week on 3-week cycle
Soya Milk
Fruit and Veg, fresh / frozen. (Seasonal, promotional)
Cereal
Jam/Marmalade/Spread (as required)
Stores - ie Dry Goods, tinned goods etc
Drinks ie Squash
Main Meals and Lunches (leftovers will make further meals)
Laundry/Cleaning Supplies/Paper Goods
Biscuits
Savoury Snacks ie Crisps.
Now, not everything needs to be bought every single week. This week, for example, we didn't need to buy much in the way of main meals or lunches, so were able to concentrate on replenishing our stocks of rice, tinned tomatoes, custard powder etc. Also, we didn't need jam or cleaning materials. The bottom two (biscuits and crisps) are non-necessities, but we might pick them up if they are on offer.
Our Core Shopping List serves as an aide memoire, and I print it out each week. I have space on the sheet to write notes about current bargains of relevance to us as gleaned from the shopping websites we use, or from store fliers that come through the door. I also use it to tot up our spending as we go round the store as we withdraw the exact amount of cash we have budgetted for our shopping needs - currently £40 but hopefully this will go down as we build up our supplies and become more adept at spotting the bargains.
In the UK we don't have the coupon system promoted by stores in America, and money-off coupons are not as widely-available as they were when I was young, when there seemed to be three or four in any magazine you picked up. Occasionally they come through the door, or can be printed off from websites. They are also issued by supermarkets as part of their loyalty incentive schemes, or printed in the 'magazines' given away in some stores.
Of course, they are only of any use if they are for items that you would normally buy anyway. It may be worth trading them with friends if you tend to acquire lots that you can't use.
We find that we use two or three local supermarkets (Aldi, Tesco and Morrisons) plus a few other shops (ie BM, and Poundland with care - sometimes things sold for a pound in Poundland are 99p or even less elsewhere, so don't allow yourself to be seduced!).
We can also get free-range eggs from a man at the local market (Thursdays and Saturdays) who is currently selling a dozen huge eggs for £1. We buy vegetables wherever they are cheapest (if the quality is acceptable) so it varies between the market, local greengrocer and the supermarkets. We prefer to buy Fair Trade coffee, so try to stock up when Ethical Superstore has on-line offers. And we buy our tea (bags and leaf, tasty and very economical) and occasional 'treat' biscuits once a fortnight from Andrew, our trusty Ringtons man.
Lastly, be aware of the power of marketing, and the positioning of 'bargains' within shops and supermarkets. The supermarkets' aim is not to give you the best possible value for money, whatever their adverts may claim, but to make huge profits for their shareholders (with the possible exception of the Co-op, I grant you.)
Loss leaders are great, but they can serve to tempt you into a store where they hope you will then do all your shopping under one roof, possibly paying much more for certain items than you might elsewhere, so be aware of how they are influencing your shopping habits.
Lastly, anything that you have ever seen an ad for will cost more, but may not be any better than the store's own brand, or another brand which doesn't spend on advertising or pass the cost on to the consumer.
So, make a Core Shopping List and try to stick to it.
Be prepared to go to more than one shop/store/stall if you want or need to save money.
Look at how marketing methods sway you, and break free of their hold.
Remember that a penny saved is a penny earned, so have the occasional treat, without guilt.
And remember that The Simple Life is about quality of life, not mere penny-pinching, although it is great fun to out-smart the marketing men and still live well!
No comments:
Post a Comment