After months of high prices, inflation is slowing as companies back off from prices increases. That move is driven in part by what The Wall Street Journal has called a “shopper rebellion”: Consumers who’ve had enough of inflation are buying less. That said, since eggs and other grocery staples are still punishingly pricey, it still pays to be frugal at the store. Redditors from the r/FoodHacks community recently shared how they’re saving money on groceries with these seven popular tips.
Eat Before You Shop
With their shiny, eye-catching displays, bright lights, and occasional sample stations, grocery stores are designed to do one thing: sell product. As one popular study showed in 2015, shoppers are more susceptible to these marketing tricks and ploys when they’re hungry, even when it comes to non-food items. “We found that the desire to get food may more generally plant the idea of ‘getting stuff’ in your mind, which increases the likelihood that you’ll also be attracted to products that won’t satisfy your physical hunger,” researcher Norbert Schwarz told the University of Southern California of the study’s findings.
Related: 23 Ways Companies Trick You Into Spending More Money
Use Your Freezer Space
Buy discounted products and toss them in the freezer for future meals, Redditors suggest. This works especially well for meat, bread, and pre-frozen goods like vegetables. According to Forbes, frozen foods can be up to 50% cheaper than fresh alternatives.
Related: Costco’s Best Buys for Packing Your Freezer
Shop at Asian Grocery Stores
If you’ve ever shopped at an Asian grocery store, you’ve likely noticed that the prices are lower. Cathy Burns, an industry expert who heads the Produce Marketing Association, told The Washington Post that national chains are often more expensive because of higher salaries, real estate costs, and equipment expenses. Some Asian grocers also buy downgraded produce, the Post reports, further discounting the fruits and vegetables. “The quality is better and the prices are way lower!” a Redditor writes of their Asian grocery store.
Related: These Beloved Grocery Stores Are Gone Forever
Create a Menu Plan on Google Docs
Knowing what you’re going to buy before you shop can keep you from making frivolous purchases. As one Redditor suggests, one high-tech solution is to maintain a Google Doc with a two-week menu plan that includes a running shopping list of needed items. With Google’s app installed, you can pull up the list anywhere, which should almost guarantee that you stick to your budget (provided you have the willpower).
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Read Price Per Unit Labels
When you’re shopping around for the cheapest products at the grocery store, focus on an item’s price per unit (PPU). “Most of the time, you’d think things like buying larger quantities or buying in bulk would save you money, but if you check the unit cost, you can be sure, especially if you’re not great at doing math in your head,” a Redditor writes.
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Make Staples from Scratch
Learn what one Redditor calls “old school skills” — how to bake bread, biscuits, soups, stocks, etc. — to reduce your kitchen waste and save big at the grocery store. Shoppers who simply buy these staples pay a “convenience price” on goods that should be easy to make, the Redditor explains.
Order Groceries Online
“Supermarkets are sophisticated marketing machines that know how to extract the maximum amount of money from you,” a commenter warns. To avoid the “sophisticated marketing machine” altogether, order your groceries online so you don’t have to step foot into a supermarket. “This is a great hack for me because there’s no getting distracted by yummy snacks or grabbing this or that to try out,” another Redditor writes.
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