Shopping on a budget is reality for most people. But it is those sneaky budget busters that can really have an impact on our grocery bill. Watching out for items that appear to be a great deal, but in actuality are not is something we all have to do. Here are a few of the budget busters I try and stay away from.
5 Grocery Budget Busters to Avoid
Bottled Water:
I drink a lot of water, but for me buying bottles is a huge waste of money. It is so much cheaper to use your filtered water from the fridge, if you have one. Or buy a filter for your faucet. Another way to ditch the bottles is to get a 5 gal or 2.5 gal dispenser and refill the bottles yourself from water kiosks. My grocery store has one and the drug store around the corner has one too. Very cheap!
Soda Pop:
My hubby and my son love soda but I do not buy it very often anymore. It is a big waste of money let alone empty calories. So if they need a soda, they have to go get one. It is a deterrent that helps their waist line and my checkbook!
Bottled Dressings:
Price per ounce, this kitchen staple is expensive. There are hundreds (or more) recipes on the net that you can use to make your own dressings for a fraction of the cost. Plus you are ditching the additives too!
Pre-Packaged Veggies:
Price per pound, these items can steal a lot of money from your budget. Always price the ounces to the fresh veggies. While it can be convenient to use pre-packed goods, you do pay for the cost of that convenience. Cleaning and cutting your own veggies is worth the savings. – Plus you can freeze the excess or use in smoothies
Anything on The End Caps:
Sometimes the products on the end caps of the grocery store is featuring a big sale, but for the most part these are easy to grab, last minute items that may not be a good deal. Always compare prices and cost per unit to get the best savings.
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These are great tips. Things I’ve never thought about! Good information!
I so agree on buying bottled water. I have 2-gallon jugs that I take and refill. Vegetables are so inexpensive too. Why buy frozen? Thanks for the helpful tips!
These are great tips, but I must confess, I am guilty of buying pre-packaged vegetables and salad dressing. I do wait for them to go on sale!
We make a lot of our own food, but I honestly never considered making our own dressing! What a wonderful idea! I’m very frugal so I’ll have to check out some recipes and start making our own. Thanks for the idea!
I have both a Brita And Zero pitcher . I don’t drink soda, but my husband want his diet favorites. I try to,use sales and coupons and check the unit costs.
I have a Soda Stream for making my own ginger ale and a Brita Pitcher that I fill my nice water bottle with. I shop with a list and don’t get anything that’s not on my list. DON’T SHOP WHEN HUNGRY!!
If there’s a way to bust the budget at the grocery, I will find it. I am pretty good about not buying bottled water. We have water bottles that we use & just fill them with tap water. Our tap water is just fine.
We cut out the soda and bottled water long ago and I find that we don’t miss it at all. We have reusable water bottles that we take when we are out. Every so often, I have an urge for a diet cola and I find that just one store brand one will do it for me.
I plan my grocery lists around the sales. I never throw out food–just can’t stand to waste it, so I buy only what I will eat. Nutrition was my first career so it’s old hat to me!
One thing I do to save money is buy yogurt in the quart containers rather than the single-serving size. It’s so much less expensive, and I can flavor it with my own jams, fruits, or granola, depending on my mood. Sometimes I make my own yogurt, which is even cheaper.
And speaking of single-serving products, I’m now making overnight oatmeal instead of using those packets of instant oatmeal. Again, I get to sweeten it and flavor it to suit myself, and it saves a lot of money as well as tasting better.
Excellent tips Anne! I do buy yogurt is larger containers, but I am lazy about making overnight oats. I did see a slowcooker recipe that would work tho…
EXCELLENT POST! I read every word and learned so much! I buy bottled water and I need to stop doing that! Also I am drinking way way too much soda and I need to stop that! I love the tip you shared about salad dressings. I freaked out the other day when I paid $5.00 for salad dressing that is CRAZYTOWN! and… yes I will be honest and admit it was Blue Cheese (totally fattening). I really need to get online and start making my oil low calorie dressings.
Thank you for sharing this one I learned a lot of things that will held me in the wallet and the waistline.
I never buy soda.
Great ideas! Also look at the bottom store shelves for the lower priced but just as good items. Stores put higher priced items at eye level.
Another tip…always take your own grocery bags! At our store we save .06 cents per bag we bring and use!
Guilty on ALL counts, Your Honor! Especially the bottled water and soda! I just keep refilling old water bottles gtom the ice water in the fridge, but my brother has to have an unopened unused bottle to take with him everywhere he goes. As for the soda, I’d love to get one of those machines where you can make your own soda.