The Frugal Shopper.

There's a vast difference between a frugal shopper and a shopaholic. This is one area, I think most us are quite experienced in.

Shop till you drop....

...sounds dangerous! To your pocket that is....ha ha!

Oh boy, I had a lot of bad habits to kick in this area.

I'm going to try and cover a few general frugal shopping and some kitchen related tips that helped put me on the "straight and narrow".

Then more specifically will cover that dreaded monthly grocery shop.

GENERAL FRUGAL SHOPPING TIPS

• A want or a need?

  Whenever I am really tempted to buy something, whether it is a clothing item or even food product not on my shopping list, then I ask myself this question.

  Do I really need this and what do I have at home that I could use instead?

  Impulse buying and over-shopping almost always guarantee regret afterwards, so rather be a smart shopper and think good and hard about what goes into your shopping bag.

• Mom and Dad used to do It.

  Perhaps it's time we do what our parents used to do if they really wanted something...

  ...SAVE UP FOR IT.

  That word "save" has a painful ring to it, doesn't it?

  It really means waiting for something and perhaps even means that you'll need to do some sacrificing. (i.e. cut costs even further in order to save that little extra each month).

  I believe that if you saved long and hard for something, you end up looking after it and appreciating it far far more.

• Cheap is not always cheaper.

  In other words, buying cheap could end up more costly.

  My husband is very good at investigating a product thoroughly before buying it.

  He really takes his time before buying something - sometimes to my frustration! This is a very good habit to have.

  You may find that something more expensive will last you far longer than the cheaper version.

  This will also prevent you from buying something on impulse. Put the product down, walk away and think long and hard about it. Perhaps even come back another day.

• Cash is king!

  Try to leave your credit card at home.

  Better yet, get rid of your credit card!

  Only take the exact amount needed with you to the shops. This way you won't spend more than you had planned on.

• Window shop

  I hate window shopping - simply because I might see something I really really like and can't have and this will just put me in a bad mood.

  If you on the other hand find it relaxing, rather try to do your window shopping after hours, when all shops are closed, thus eliminating all temptation.

• Clever grocery shopping.

  I'm one of those people who go grocery shopping armed with a calculator, shopping list and with my shopping bags - don't leave home without these.

  Relying purely on memory as to what is and is not in your cupboard will result in over shopping and also forgetting to buy some essentials.

  This method also leaves you no control over the amount you are about to spend. This is where a bit of forward planning will help.

Now that you've managed to "tighten the reigns" on your spending, let me help you draw up your very own grocery list. But FIRST take a look at these grocery saving tips...

...which will help you save just that teeny tiny bit extra.



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