Do you ever go to the grocery store and feel guilty for buying only one thing?
I mean, while you’re there you should at least stock up on a few things you might need, right?
Wrong!
In this video, I share how resisting the urge to fill your cart can actually help you save money at the grocery store.
For years, I was under the impression that if I stocked up on whatever I thought we might need in the next few weeks, it would save us a trip in the future.
But I eventually realized that that only leads to food going bad in the fridge or sitting unopened on our pantry shelf for way too long!
And for our family of four, it’s never too long before we’re planning another trip to the store to get fresh milk, veggies, or butter.
We love Costco for many reasons — the great deals, the growing options for organic food, their excellent return policy, and of course, the free samples.
The kids love piling in the huge shopping cart, knowing that they’ll get “snacks” along the way throughout the store.
But just because they provide a nice, huge shopping cart, does NOT mean that you need to fill it up with stuff!
It used to be that we couldn’t escape Costco without spending at least $200 on things we thought we needed.
But now, I love Costco best when we can escape with spending less than $30.
I feel great knowing that I only bought things my family actually needs right now, and my kids feel happy that they got a few treats.
As a quick side note, Costco has a really excellent return policy, so even if you do buy too much stuff, you can always return your stuff with a reasonable expectation that the company will take it back.
Now I’d love to hear about you!
What do you think? Do you agree or disagree? How do you save money at the grocery store? Please share in the comments below.
Excellent tip! I love Costco, but we only go there once a quarter to stock up on pantry goods, veggies like carrots and celery that I can chop up and freeze for soups, and meat that I divide into dinner portions and freeze. I think the temptation to stock up is similar to buying things you don’t need but like when they’re on sale so you get them anyway, right? 🙂
It’s true. You think you’re doing yourself a favor since you’re already there or the item is on sale, but a lot of the times, things just sit unused. I’m still not perfect at this, but I do try to be mindful about when we’ll realistically get to using the item.
This is a great tip! I once watched a documentary about Costco that talked about all the things Costco does to get you to shop more, and all the awesome things it’s great for. It also told me that Costco’s aim is for you to spend $200. So, everytime i get out of there with 1 or 2 items, I say to my self “I win Costco!”.
Haha! We used to struggle with spending less than $200 there. When we started watching our spending, we realized we had to use self-control and either avoid it altogether or be disciplined about only picking up the things we really need.
This is just as important as, “Don’t go to the grocery store when hungry.”
That’s another great tip, Geoffrey! It certainly makes a difference!
Ahhh Costco! My cart is always full there ;(
Though, I mostly buy only dry good, pantry goods, or frozen items. I try not to get fresh produce from there because those are the things that go bad (plus I’m not a fan of the quality of their fresh produce). And I tend to only go about twice a month so I don’t go too crazy!
That’s good that you don’t go too often. We go about once a week, but usually we’re only there for a couple of items. We used to get so carried away that we’d practically leave with the whole store in our cart!
Great tip. I’ve found walking to the store helps prevent me from filling my cart, as I have to walk home carrying everything that I buy. 🙂
That’s a great strategy, Brianne! That will certainly make you think twice before picking up extra items you don’t really need. Thanks for sharing!
Love this tip! I always have a hard time with not stocking up, but really, you do lose space and money.
Glad you like it, Erin!