Frugal Tip No. 5: On Grocery Shopping

Here are my frugal tips on grocery shopping:

Make a grocery list and stick to it 

Check on your supplies and prepare a grocery list. Having a grocery list saves you time and make you purchase things that you only need. Siyempre, you should stick to it. Kailangan malakas ang fighting spirit sa mga temptation sa loob ng supermarket.

Stick to your budget

Knowing your budget sets you a limit. If may natira pa, pwede niyo itong dagdag sa ipon niyo, save it for your next trip to the supermarket or you can buy something not in your list.

Don't shop when you are hungry

I know na narinig niyo na rin ito. I read it somewhere kasi na you tend to shop more when you're hungry. Kaya before going to the supermarket, load up muna. Besides, kailangan niyo rin ng energy dahil maraming lakad and buhat ang gagawain niyo inside the supermarket eh.

Don't shop when you are depressed

Di ba tendency if you are depressed you either binge on food or shop to the highest level? Kaya if you are depressed, better palipasin muna kasi malamang sa malamang you'll end up buying more than what you need or you'll buy something that you don't really need.

Schedule your grocery shopping

Do your grocery shopping on a weekly, semi-monthly or monthly basis. Maraming benefits ito. You'll save time, save on transportation cost and mas iwas sa temptasyon. In my case, I do it on a monthly basis since wala akong yaya/maid and very hard for me to shop because of my kulilits.

Buy in bulk

As much as possible, buy in bulk. Mas cheaper kasi eh. Maspalaki ng palaki ang size ng product, mas nagiging mura since mas nalelessen ang manufacturing cost. Pero siyempre, applicable ito sa products na madalas niyo nagagamit or mabilis na nauubos. Kasi kung hindi, imbis na nakatipid kayo, masasayang lang dahil na-expire lang.

Look for promos

Normally, maraming promo sa loob ng supermarket. Mga buy one take one, may mga freebies, etc. Try to look for them.

Stock up on promo items

Kung kaya ng budget niyo, try to hoard some promo items na madalas niyong ginagamit. Minsan lang kasi ang mga promo eh and sigurado naman na makakatipid kayo. Pero titignan niyo rin yung mga promo ha, kasi minsan ma-eenganyo kayong bumili pero hindi niyo naman talaga kailangan. In my case, site ako ng some examples. (1) Nung may promo ang Drypers sa S&R (free smaller pack), talagang naghoard ako kasi kambal anak ko eh and malakas talaga sa diapers. (2) Tapos minsan, yung 1 liter ng cooking oil may free na half dozen eggs, pinatos ko rin yun. At least, natanggal yung budget ko for eggs di ba? (3) Meron din buy 1 Kilo of oatmeal then may free 1 big can of evaporated milk. Ang dami ko rin binili since ang breakfast ng mga kulilits ko and hubby is oatmeal everyday and I use evaporated milk for their favorite sopas naman. 

Try other brands

Normally, we tend to buy known brands and most likely itong known brands na ito mas mahal. Try to experiment with other brands. Kung baga sa gamot, try generic. Magugulat na lang din kayo na mas-ok pa yung iba kaysa sa mga nakasanayan niyo na.

Have a supermarket loyalty card

Madalas may mga loyalty cards ang mga supermarket. Try to get it and earn points. These points can be used in your future purchases. Aside from that, may other perks din sa mga loyalty card holders like additional discounts or promos.

Be aware of the prices of the products that you usually buy and know the supermarket that offers lower prices

Hindi dapat dampot lang ng dampot. You need to be aware of the prices the product that you usually buy. Kasi ang mga supermarket iba iba ang price nila. May mga pang-masa , pang-soso and pang-totsyal na supermarket kasi eh. Example tayo: pang-masa - Puregold, pang-soso - SM, pang-totsyal - Rustan's. Siyempre kung gusto mo makatipid, dun ka na sa pang-masa or pang-soso since pareho lang naman ang tinda nila. Pero may mga exemption din naman, for example sa akin, I buy diapers and detergent powder sa S&R kasi masmura talaga kasi doon compared sa iba. Pero the rest ng grocery items I buy either sa South Supermarket or Makati Supermarket.

Buy more fish and vegetables than meat

Malakas na ang loob ko na sabihin ito since I changed na my diet since last year. Pero in fairness, mas nakakatipid ako ngayon dahil ang mahal na naman talaga ng kilo ng pork and beef ngayon. Aside from saving a lot, healthy eating pa kami sa bahay ngayon.

Buy fresh produce at the wet market

If you have time and means, it is better to buy fresh produce at the wet market. Mas fresh na, mas mura pa. For instance, price of small eggs sa wet market is only P4.00 (P48.00 a dozen) a piece samantalang sa supermarket more than P5.00 a piece (around P65.00 a dozen). Some of the items that I buy at the wet market are fishes, fruits, veggies, eggs and rice.

Never bring your husband with you 

Etong last tip naman na ito ay para sa sarili ko lang naman (peace Doc Padu!) and maybe sa mga nakakarelate din sa akin. Hehehe. Kasi madalas, ay hindi madalas parati pala, kapag kasama ko si hubby sa supermarket, kung ano ano ang dinadampot at bigla na lang nilalagay sa grocery cart. Minsan, mas mahal pa yung mga pinagdadampot kaysa sa mga binili ko. Like for example, nung namili ako sa S&R ng diapers and detergent, aba nagulat ako at biglang naglagay ng iba't ibang klaseng beer sa cart. At huwag ka, umabot ng more than P2k ang iilang pirasong beer na yun ha! At eto pa, nung last grocery namin, biglang naglagay ng kahon ng Nescafe Dolce Gusto and some kind of cheese. Eh yung lang dalawa na yun, almost P700.00 na! Pero di naman ako makatanggi at makareklamo dahil siya naman ang sole provider ngayon sa household namin. Kung baga, reward na niya yun for working hard for us.


So there you go guys! Those are only my personal tips for you. It is up to you if you follow it or not. How about you guys, may mga tips din ba kayo on how to save on grocery shopping?