I am constantly amazed at how being a conscious consumer could save me literally hundreds of dollars each year. The last few weeks have been a perfect example. I started finding different alternatives for the staples that we keep at our house. The alternative doesn’t even lack in quality, it is in fact either of the same quality or better than what we were previously purchasing. Just when I think I’ve found the best way to do my grocery shopping, I am surprised to find a better alternative.
- Our couscous is now purchased in bulk. This is a staple at our house, and where I was previously purchasing the boxed couscous for about $.40 an ounce, I can now purchase it for about $.15 an ounce.
- We purchase our sun dried tomatoes in a dehydrated form rather than soaked in oil. I had a brand that I was really happy with, but was a little disappointed with the price. We were purchasing these in oil, but found that we could make the same purchase with dried tomatoes and add the oil ourselves (since we don’t always need them soaked in olive oil).
- I just found powdered Buttermilk at the store. I had been planning to make this purchase and as luck would have it I noticed it as I was walking down that aisle. Rather than purchasing traditional Buttermilk at the store, the powdered Buttermilk will last much longer, and cost me a lot less.
- We eat spinach about once a week at our house, either fresh or frozen. This week I found a new source for our spinach. I usually purchase our spinach at either of our local grocery stores in the pre-bagged area. Sometimes if the spinach looks fresh enough in the produce area, and the price is lower than the bagged spinach I purchase it from the produce area, chop off the extra stems and get cheaper spinach. Tonight while purchasing milk at Braum’s I discovered that the spinach at Braum’s is actually cheaper than either of my grocery stores. Lesson learned that not everything at Braum’s is over priced.
If I were a typical consumer, I would continue with my normal shopping trips, always purchasing the same brand. I know that I am not a typical consumer, always on the lookout for an alternative to how we currently do our shopping, and pleasantly surprised when I find the alternative. You have to be an unusual consumer to find the best price which requires you to get out of your comfort zone and do something a little different.
Manufacturers know that we are creatures of habit and will continue with the same brand year after year. Just take baby steps to find those new alternatives to save money. Don’t go crazy and change ten things at once only to be frustrated and disappointed, returning to how you usually do things. Make small simple changes over time that allow you to become comfortable again and create a new comfort zone for your grocery buying habits.