With the prices rising around the world, it can be hard for many people to keep up. The cost of living makes it very difficult for people to save money, but it does not have to be impossible.
Picking up a few frugal shopper tips can help you save some cash without scrimping.
The most common problem that stops people from saving money when they shop is their old habits.
Luckily, it is easier than many think to save cash.
Here are some excellent frugal shopping tips that you can start using today.
Use Coupons
Coupons are everywhere, and you should take advantage of them – as 90% of consumers already do.
Coupons can be found online, in magazines, newspapers, etc.
You cal also collect the same coupons to get bigger discounts on items when you go to the grocery or shop online.
Make use of all the free delivery, discounts, etc., available.
Recognize Valuable Deals
Not every deal is equal. There are many times where shops will have huge sales or give freebies for purchases, but that does not mean you should go out of their way to go for those deals.
You actually waste cash when you buy deals for items that you do not need.
For instance, a lot of clothing stores run flash sales, stating that they will only have a mega sale for 1-2 days.
However, many of those stores would have a limited-time flash sale every week, so there is no real deal or value there.
It just encourages people to buy things that they probably do not need right away.
There may be a great deal for two new pants, but they may not be pants that the person currently needs.
Therefore, there is no need to waste money and have useless items. Instead, recognize when a deal is good AND useful.
Start Planning Meals
Getting food delivered or dining in a restaurant is a great treat, but it should stay as a treat.
Dining out all the time and ordering food can easily rack up a huge bill at the end of the day.
However, buying food at the grocery can easily only cost $40-60 a week, less if you are a frugal shopper, whereas buying ready-made food at a restaurant can cost $20-50 a day.
Meal prepping is a great way to have food ready in a home.
Meal prepping food helps people avoid the temptation of ordering food because there is already food available.
You may dislike meal prepping because you get bored of the food.
The trick is to use different seasonings, veggies, etc., and to prepare the food in different ways to vary the meals.
Moreover, meal prepping every 3 days would be ideal to keep the food fresh.
Opt for Seasonal Food
When planning meals, try to center them around ingredients that are in season.
Veggies and fruits are cheaper when they are in season because farmers will have a larger supply.
Therefore, centering recipes around produce that is currently in season can save people tons of cash.
Moreover, the produce tends to taste fresher and better when it is in season.
Use Cash When Possible
It is easy to spend money when the money is not visible. Using debit cards and credit cards can be a trap because it makes people think that they can spend more than they should.
It often makes people go over budget because they do not remember how much they allotted when they shop.
Bringing physical cash whenever shopping needs to get done will help you save more money.
If you do this, you can only spend as much money as you bring.
This can be made easier by creating a list with the estimated cost of each product that you need to buy.
Calculating how much each item costs when adding it to the cart will also help you keep track of the bill.
Skip the Fads
Trends come and go, but they can be a huge trap for many people’s wallets.
It can be easy to get caught up with all the fads and buy into whatever is trendy.
However, trends quickly go out of fashion, so whatever a person spent on fads would simply go to waste because they would not use it again.
For instance, a brand new shoe might be all the rage.
However, it quickly goes out of style, so it would lie in the back of the closet and be a waste of money.
Instead, if you can pick a pair of good-quality and timeless shoes that will last, you will get much better value for money.
Go for Thrift Shops
Thrift shops have a lot of hidden gems that people do not know about.
Thrift shops have lots of quality clothes that are waiting to be bought, and at a much lower price.
Therefore, hitting a thrift store instead of a big brand name shop can save you lots of money.
Thrifting takes some effort, but there are a lot of fun and timeless pieces that can be found in a thrift shop.
They have lots of bargains available, so people that want to go on a mini shopping spree can get a lot of stuff from a thrift shop for the same money as one item from a high street store.
Remember, thrift shops are not limited to clothing shops either.
There are many vintage shops for furniture, plates, cups, etc.
Shop Online
Many people feel pressured to make a quick decision that could cost them a lot of money when they shop in real life.
For instance, shopping at a clothing store can feel stressful because the employees often hover over customers.
It makes the customers feel like they need to buy quickly, or they would feel embarrassed.
You are more likely to make a sound financial decision when they shop online.
It allows you to browse all their options. Plus, it lets you look for the best deals.
There are many different online shops that offer the same product, but they will be at different prices.
So, you can scout for a reliable online shop that offers the best deal for the item that they need.
Remember What’s at Home
A lot of people make the mistake of buying too much of the same items because they forget what they have at home.
For instance, a person may buy another crop top when they already have several similar crop tops at home.
The same is very true for grocery items at home. For example, you may easily overstock on laundry detergent when you already have more than enough at home.
Therefore, remembering what is already at home can help you only buy what you actually need.
Take Some Time
Many sellers and employees will encourage shoppers to make a decision on the spot to buy an item.
However, a frugal shopper never makes an impulse decision. It is very rare to actually have to urgently buy a product, especially if it is not essential like clothes, gadgets, etc. Instead, take a few days to sleep on the idea to compare it to other deals, other products, if it is needed, etc.
To Sum Up
Learning to shop more frugally is a great skill that can help you buy the products you need, without breaking your budget. Learning how to do this now will help you save thousands of dollars throughout your life.
