5 Ways to Reduce Your Expensive Food Shopping Habits

As we enter the third month of the year, I'm sure many of us are considering how well we've kept our New Year's resolutions. Some people have no problem diving in headfirst and committing to their new regimens, habits, or lifestyle changes. Others have a more difficult road ahead of them, which is perfectly fine.

One of the most popular new year's resolutions is to change your eating habits, which, while the most popular, can also be the most difficult. So many of us are accustomed to operating in a certain manner during the day, and food plays a significant role in this. Our food habits are often unconscious decisions made to provide us with energy and to satisfy basic hunger needs- and our food shopping reflects this. How many times have you gone to the grocery store and picked something for the sake of convenience or simply because it was a product you were used to purchasing? I'm sure I've been there! However, if we aren't careful and develop bad eating habits while shopping, these seemingly insignificant decisions can end up costing us in the long run.

Do you have trouble sticking to a budget when it comes to food shopping? Are you looking for new ways to save money while still getting the same products you love? Do you want to put some money back in your pocket? These five tips will teach you the simplest yet most effective ways to save money while grocery shopping!

1. Keep an Eye on the Sales Ads

Looking at the weekly sales ads for the grocery stores you frequent the most is an obvious, but critically important, part of savvy food shopping. Sales advertisements will include anything from toothpaste to bananas to frozen pizzas that may be on sale during the week. Weekly sales advertisements may also include special promotions such as buy one get one free, one mix and match item for $5, and so on. When you compare the prices of regular items versus sale items, you can save a lot of money!

2. Shop in Season

 Another way to save money and break out of your usual food shopping habits is to buy certain goods in season. You might be

thinking, "Of course, I shop for things in season!" However, not everyone does. Food items, particularly fresh produce such as fruits and vegetables, are frequently at their cheapest when they are in season, as there is typically a large supply of the products.

3. Coupon, Coupon, Coupon

 Many people have heard of extreme couponing, but few take it seriously or believe they have the time to devote to all of the cutting, clipping, and researching. Couponing, on the other hand, pays off in a variety of ways. For starters, many grocery stores allow coupons to be stacked on top of existing deals. You can save even more money if you buy in bulk! Getting these deals on necessities like toiletries can really pay off in the long run when the sales are over and your friends are paying double or triple the price you got them for!

4. Enroll in Store Loyalty Programs

Nothing beats the satisfaction of scanning a store card and watching the money deducted from your final total. Loyalty programmes are a way for many grocery stores to ensure that customers will continue to choose their store for all of their food shopping needs. Many stores offer special promotions to cardholders and encourage you to download apps to clip exclusive digital coupons, such as Amazon coupons, Freshly Coupons, etc, allowing you to save even more money than the regular sales!

5. Use the Internet

Nowadays, many people use the internet to find answers to their questions, concerns, or inquiries about the latest deals they should be aware of. There are numerous forums and websites such as Askmeoffers & CouponsABC that detail all of the best sales and hot deals available at stores ranging from Target to Costco. Even after you've done your sales ad research and coupon clipping, don't underestimate the power of the internet in assisting you with your deal search.

Breaking food habits isn't always about eating healthy; it can also be about shopping healthy for your wallet! Saving money on food doesn't have to be time-consuming or difficult—with a few simple tricks like shopping in season and searching the internet for new deals, you can put money right back in your pocket and feel better about your new year's resolution.