This weekend I have had a lot of time doing shopping and reevaluating my shopping plans and understanding savings made since adopting some tips. We all love to visit the grocery store and the fresher products the store offers the more the consumers will flock in every week. I have in equal measure met consumers who have had trouble choosing an outlet that offers quality. In the town I live, Kakamega there were not many outlets we could rely on for some time until a new franchise was opened recently.

Today, I want to offer free advice to my middle-class fellows whom we meet in supermarkets and shopping malls in town getting groceries for use in their house. In this article I will offer a few tips I use to get my shopping on a budget while visiting these stores. There are a number of outlets I do visit but I must say that QuickMart Branches within the country have the best and fresh groceries you can find in any supermarket. They recently opened an outlet in Kakamega and I must say my shopping experience has been better ever since. Unlike other outlets, they have dedicated a whole section for groceries, from grains to veggies and the presentation is epic. I spend most of my time in this section and I know most of you do.

Please see some of the tips I use to keep my budget on the low when making grocery purchases.

First, buy perishable foods in quantities you’ll use before the next visit. Tossing food into the garbage is a waste of cash I would say hence my advice would be to try to buy fresh produce in small portions that you know you will eat within a week. In my case, I do weekly shopping since it’s only on weekends that I get time to do shopping.  I look for frozen fruits and vegetables which are less perishable instead of buying mostly fresh produce.

Second, buy Cereals in bulk. I always buy cereals once in 3 months rather than monthly/weekly, things like rice, maize etc. would take time before they expire hence you reduce the cost if you buy in bulk and benefit from economies of scale. Beans are a low cost protein source hence could be a supplement for red meat.

Third, be an informed shopper. Like any other shopping tips keep your budget from inflating by sticking to your grocery list. This helps prevent impulse buying, which can lead to the quick demise of your food budget. No one gives you items for free, forget about buy one get one free offers, non-moving stocks are sold off through such offers. Before you know it you end up buying foods you won’t eat or pay an inflated price for the ‘buy’ item to cover the cost of the free one, or worse still the free items get to expire before you use it.

Lastly, Limit your purchase of ready-prepared foods. Normalize buying even vegetables cut them yourselves, you will notice the quantities you get compared to cut veggies is quite a lot. Convenience is great until you have to pay more for it. I don’t get it when someone gets to a deli section, buys a read prepped meal and gets home to again warm or cook it more yet they paid for the service at the mall. Buying cooked meat, 5 pieces, sauce and some 20gms veggies at Ksh.150 is a rip off given that you can get more with this amount. Just my thought.

In Conclusion, if you are looking at making budget cuts on spending on the grocery section, why not try these tips. Before the year ends you will surely see some cost savings. Fresh grocery is also key, visit an outlet with a culture of fresh produce and trust me you will never regret shopping in these outlets. Make your choices quick!

© JMS 2021