Five ways to save money on your groceries
Budgeting has become essential for most South Africans in the current economic climate.
We all have water-cooler conversations on how expensive basic groceries have become, but there is a way to save some money when you go and restock your pantry.
Consumer expert Wendy Knowler has these five tips for saving on your grocery shopping:
1. Opt for food with less packaging
The more packaging, the more you are going to pay. "A lot of us are married to the idea of convenience. You must know that it is going to cost you," says Knowler.
2. Process and prepare food yourself
Knowler says buying ingredients is cheaper than buying ready-cooked meals. "Buy your food in the most natural state as possible and cook yourself."
3. Compare prices
Don't just grab the nearest item. "Check the price. If you take the trouble to get the bag yourself and choose the ones you want, you will often pay a lot less per kilogramme."
4. Be careful of specials
Knowler says you may end up spending more than you planned on. "Products on special will get you into the store, but overall you may end up paying more plus the petrol you used to get there."
5. Buying in bulk isn't always better
Don't assume that bulk packs are cheaper than the smaller packs. "Check the per kilogramme prices. Get used to looking at the per unit prices," says Knowler.