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Fasten your seat belts, the budget has shrunk!
Those who organize the family budget have already become an expert in putting together an economical shopping list, after all, with so many people and the need to go to the supermarket always, haggling is already an instinctive habit.
But, it never hurts to count on a little extra help. That's what this article will do: tips on how to save on shopping. It is also valid for those who have just left home and gone to live the adventure of living alone.
Attention: a smart and useful list starts before it is even written. So get ready.
pack everything
The first tip is to always keep the pantry, cabinets, fridge… everything organized. You need to know what you have and what you need. Organize by category, keep only closed packages. Whatever you are going to use at the moment, prefer to store it in pots.
Know everything you will need
Again, it's worth categorizing everything here. How's your routine? Breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner. Separate everything you need through these stages of the day. For hygiene and cleaning items, make a list of everything you use to clean the house and for your personal hygiene.
compare before
Use technology to research prices. There are apps and websites that do this service for you. One of them is ShopFully, a website that compiles supermarket inserts by region (the online version of the printed ones).
For those who really like to walk around the neighborhood, a good tip is to pick up the inserts from the supermarkets in the neighborhood. So you can make a visual comparison and it is still possible to assemble a list based on the offers.
If you are a more “virtual” person, you can visit the websites and access the electronic inserts (not all offer this feature). There are also comparison apps. A good example is Pinngo, which compares prices for hundreds of products, both in supermarkets and pharmacies. You can search by name or barcode.
There is the option to create custom shopping lists. Pinngo is a collaborative app, that is, it is made by users. So, you can also provide information about your purchase, just sending the QR Code of your invoice.
There are other apps, such as Aondeconvem. Some supermarkets also make their applications available, making it easier to create an economical and dynamic shopping list. From these preliminaries, you can effectively start building your list.
using apps
The tip of comparisons was already mentioned above. Since some of these apps also offer shopping lists, you can take advantage and save time. If you just want a list app, there are a multitude of options.
One of the highest rated is Bring, rated by users as an excellent grocery shopping list app and awarded by Google Play Editor's Choice, as well as recommendations from various entities.
Intuitive and with a very beautiful interface, it is a light application (18 MB) and all sectored by category, and each item in the categories is illustrated, ensuring a pleasant experience to use.
To save even more
And speaking of an economical shopping list, there are still discount and rewards coupon sites and apps.
For discounts, a tip is the Cuponeria, which offers coupons in supermarkets, pharmacies and other establishments. It has a good rating and is Editor's Choice on Google Play.
For rewards, the most famous is Méliuz, which has more than 1.600 partner establishments. It also offers coupons and notifies you about exclusive promotions and even has the “refer and earn” system. It is an Editor's Choice rated app.
review the list
After you've made your list, it's time to review and, if necessary, dry. Rethink each item. Will you really need it? Have you ever bought it and put it to good use? For example, if it was a food, was it consumed until the end, or was it left in a corner of the fridge until it spoiled? Always think about the waste, the economy and also the garbage you can generate (with a package, for example).
Important: follow the list strictly. Don't fall into temptations, or those products that keep “seducing” you on the way to the checkout. It's a marketing strategy, and the idea is to make you leave as much of your money as you can at the supermarket. Don't fall for it!
Don't leave home hungry
It is already known that those who leave home hungry tend to buy more than they need. And it's not always limited to food. Hunger can make you anxious. So, have a light and satisfying meal, and only then leave the house. That way you don't buy on impulse.
shopping with the kids
If you can't leave your kids at home, find a way to "match" shopping before you leave home. This can help to avoid pushy requests.
In addition, if they are older, try to include them in the purchase process before making them. Thus, the child can feel useful and will find it fun to help. The same previous tip applies: don't leave the house without feeding your little animals.
Keep a purchase history and set a budget
Shopping is a cycle that never ends with closing the list, going to the supermarket or completing the purchase. After you buy your products, save the note (or write it down in the app, as a saved list) so you can always compare prices with each trip to the supermarket.
That way, you always know if there has been an increase or decrease in the price. Keep a saved history. This also helps to balance the amount of items needed, to avoid returning to the supermarket between purchases, which ends up forcing you to buy things more than expected.
With this history saved, you will have an average of how much you spend on your purchases. Therefore, it is easier to stipulate a budget for the period purchases. Always try to follow this budget with maximum fidelity, always having a margin for price variation.
Above all: get organized, meet the goals set. Make it a habit. This way you will be able to save and you will still be an expert in creating an economical and efficient shopping list. Good shopping!
