“Hala! Nag-over budget ako!” Are these words part of your post-battle cry everytime you do the grocery? Can you also relate to emotional buying as I do? Anghirap humindi kay hubby or sa kids kapag may pinapabili sila sa groceries…

May mga instances pa nga before na yung bibilhin ko talaga ang hindi ko nabili. But on our journey to living a simple and practical life (or should I say tipid living) we’ve discovered our mistakes and some techniques that helped us save from our grocery expenses.

Sharing with you some of the strategies that we’re currently doing to help us stick to our budget when we do the grocery:

• Don’t shop when hungry – this is one of the most common tips of thrifty moms. Why? Because we tend to get carbo-loaded food and sweets when we shop hungry. It will also be difficult for us to stick to our list because we tend to rush.

• Always bring a list (plan your purchase) – plan your meal and buy only what’s needed. I am a chocolate and chips lover (please don’t judge me ha, we all have our weaknesses, hehe). So if our budget permits we set aside “happy meal fund” for some sweet treats and chips 🙂 By planning our purchase and listing what’s only needed, it will help us not to overspend.

• Check out the lower part of  the grocery shelves – part of grocery stores marketing strategies is to put premium and high cost products in the eye level, have you noticed na nasa pinakailalim yung mga affordable deals?

• Don’t buy bulk if not needed – I know that buying in bulk can save us money in the long run. But at some cases, we don’t have to purchase too much if we only need one? We should also consider the freshness & expiration date of the products if you’ll store it for a long period of time.

• Always compare prices – Record the prices of your regular consumption from different stores so you have a guide on when and where to get it at the best price.

• Get supermarket generic brand – buying generic brands of dish washing liquid, sanitizer and others instead of buying commercial brands are way more cheaper.

• Get reward cards – I love reward cards! If you have a favorite grocery store, why not get their membership card and earn points while you shop, we had so many purchases that we’ve got for free from our card points.

• Stick to your budget (bring a calculator) – don’t let your purchases dictate your grocery bill. By planning your purchase and knowing their price you can check before hand how much you are going to spend. Keep a calculator handy, wag mahiya magbalik ng items kung over na talaga sa budget. Stick to the needs instead of wants. Medyo mahirap talaga ito. Guilty din ako dito minsan.. Matinding prayer for self-control and discipline talaga ang kailangan mommies.

• Upload your receipt and get cash back –  I love this application I found online here, you can get cashback whenever you upload your receipts from groceries and pati sa mga drug store purchases. Check it out moms. Konti pa lang rewards ko kasi mas madalas ako mamili sa palengke (hehe).

Kayo mommies, baka you have additional grocery tips? Share it here naman and let’s help each other become grocery experts. (hehe)