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8 Grocery Shopping Tips You Need to Know
Grocery shopping is something we all do. We don’t really have a choice. But did you know there’s a way to do it better?
I know what you’re thinking. You’ve been grocery shopping all your life. No way you’ve been doing it wrong all this time. Have you? Read through these 8 tips for grocery shopping to find out.
1. Time your grocery shopping wisely.
Hint: Don’t plan to go grocery shopping on Sunday. Sunday is the busiest day for grocery stores. You want to try to find a time when the store isn’t so crowded, but also when they will have a good inventory.
Weekday evenings are good. Mornings are good. And Wednesday seems to be the least busy day.
2. Grocery shopping list
Having a good list is key. The best way to make your grocery list is by department. By doing this you’ll find what you need without skipping items or running all over the store.
If you have a good idea of the layout of your store, and you’re really feeling ambitious, rewrite your list organizing each section by aisle. It might seem like overkill to some, but being able to shop aisle by aisle is a huge time-saver.
One more thing. If you plan on going to multiple stores for some items, make separate lists for each store. It will be much easier to navigate.
3. Shop in the correct order
It’s easy to start your grocery shopping as soon as you get in the door, but you shouldn’t. Always start in the middle.
You should do this for two reasons:
- Canned and packaged goods don’t need to be refrigerated to stay good, so get these first.
- Putting your canned goods into the cart first will provide a good base for other more delicate items.
As an added bonus, you may be less likely to fill your cart with overly processed foods if you’re still saving room for other staples.
Did you know supermarkets put produce at the entrance because experts believe the bright colors will put you in a better mood and cause you to spend more money? Just one more reason to start somewhere else.
As a general rule, shopping in the following order will help you save time and make sure you get out of the store with the freshest food:
- canned/packaged foods
- nonfood items
- produce
- meat
- refrigerated items
- frozen foods
4. Utilizing cart space
Loading things into your cart properly while grocery shopping will help you in the long run. You’ll ultimately be able to checkout and get everything into your car with ease.
Placing canned and packaged foods in the front of your cart (furthest away from you) will enable you to have those things bagged first and put back into the cart before they can smash anything.
Use the half of the cart closest to you for produce.
Drinks fit well in the basket below the cart.
Bread and eggs are obviously some of the most fragile grocery items so putting those in the child seat will help keep them protected and allow those things to get bagged last.
Always place meat on the bottom of the cart. This will protect against contamination of other foods in case of leaks or bacteria on the packaging.
Lastly, always keep nonfood items separate from food. The easiest way to do this is by putting a basket inside your cart specifically for nonfood items. This will also help ensure these items get bagged separately from food.
Need tips on how to food prep when you get home? Find those here.
5. Keep like things together
Keeping like things together will help get your groceries bagged in the most sensible way meaning an much easier time putting things away once you get them home.
If you’re grocery shopping in the right order and utilizing your cart space, this should already be done for you.
6. Get perishable items from the back of the shelf.
Grocery stores rotate their items with the oldest in the front and the newest in the back. They do this for good reason of course because they want to sell items before they expire to reduce waste.
But if you want the freshest items possible, always shop from the back of the shelf.
7. Load the conveyer belt properly
You haven’t done all this prep work for nothing. Whether you’re loading your groceries onto the conveyer belt or it’s being done by a cashier there is a natural progression.
The cart should always be unloaded from the front (again, the furthest end from the handle) and if you’ve loaded it properly everything should go back into the cart in the correct order. And it helps protect more vulnerable items from ending up underneath anything too heavy.
8. Getting it into the car
Again, because everything has (hopefully) been loaded back into your cart appropriately, you now have a little more control of how it goes into your car.
The best method is to separate things into four groups as it goes in.
- cold foods
- produce
- canned/packaged food
- nonfood items
Separate the cold food and produce with the packaged food and nonfood items in the middle. This makes it easy to see what you need to take out first once you get home.
Inspired yet?
Maybe you’re wondering why I’m so serious about grocery shopping and make a plan for literally everything. Maybe you’re thinking these tips could help you. Or maybe grocery shopping doesn’t stress you out at all. Regardless of where you fall, I hope you found something that could help you.
Remember that making a meal plan for the week is a great start to a good grocery list. And take the time to food prep when you get home to make the most of your time and the rest of your week.
Have a blessed week!
Why do you spend money for what is not bread,
Isaiah 55:2
And your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,
And delight yourself in abundance.