Smart eating: Tips for saving money at the supermarket

28 de October, 2024

Cooking at home can be a good opportunity to prepare healthy and economical meals. However, you need to know how to shop. It’s not enough to go to the supermarket and put the first option on each shelf in the basket.

There are little tricks you can put into practice at home to make sure you’re successful when it comes to shopping. Best of all, you’ll reduce your bill and make life easier.

Are you ready to start saving at the supermarket? Discover some practical tips with us.

Planning to save

Start by understanding what your real needs are. Look at the products you’re running out of, the ingredients you’ll need to cook the week’s meals, the storage space available and make a shopping list.

If you know the current promotions in the supermarkets you go to, the better. This doesn’t mean you have to stop buying the artisan bread you can’t give up for breakfast, but it will help you make smart choices and reduce the weight of your bill.

While you’re at home, prepare your reusable shopping bags and remember one of the golden rules: eat before you go out. It’s been proven that shopping while hungry is a disaster for your wallet and your diet. You’ll tend to make impulse purchases and choose gluttonous foods with low nutritional content.

Resisting temptation

There are countless strategies used to get us to consume, so learn to spot them and resist them. Once again, the shopping list can help you. Keep an eye out for products on sale, but avoid deviating from what you have planned.

Bear in mind that retailers often place the products they want to sell at eye level, and that they are not always the cheapest or most nutritionally adequate options. Look for the ones that are out of the way.

It’s impossible to escape the displays next to the checkout counters with attractive, low-priced products, strategically placed there to get you to buy while you wait your turn in the checkout queue, but you should resist these impulse purchases.

Finally, define a “safe” route to get around and reach the essential products. Bread, dairy products and meat are usually located at the back of the supermarket, so that customers walk down more aisles and buy products they don’t need.

Our tips for saving money

Keep an eye out for promotions, but don’t be fooled by false price reductions;
Compare prices per kilo, liter or unit to see which options are cheapest;
Choose products with a longer shelf life;
For short-term meals, choose discounted products that are close to expiry. This saves money and prevents food waste;
Opt for familiar formats, especially in the case of highly consumed products with long lead times, such as coffee, breakfast cereals and pasta. According to a study by DECO PROTESTE, large format packaging is almost always more economical;
Buy “simple” rice and pasta because the special options are more expensive;
Opt for fresh bread instead of packaged bread: it’s cheaper and richer from a nutritional point of view;
Prefer milk or equivalent plant-based options in 1-liter cartons rather than individual portions;
Eat seasonal fruit and vegetables because they are cheaper, richer nutritionally and more sustainable for the environment. Buy small quantities to avoid waste;
Buy deep-frozen products. The DECO study showed that deep-frozen vegetables are up to 80% cheaper than fresh ones. What’s more, they are practical, keep for longer and are just as nutritious;
Opt for fresh national fish, according to the season and the minimum size required by law. It’s cheaper and more sustainable for the planet;
When it comes to meat, remember that it pays to buy whole pieces rather than parts;
Glass jars of canned products are up to 40% cheaper than cans and are reusable. But it’s best to buy dried legumes because they’re half the price. You’ll be saving money, the environment and it’s healthier, as dried versions don’t contain additives or excess salt, as canned foods do;
Forget about ready-to-use foods like chopped onions and packaged salad;
Don’t buy bottled water because our tap water is suitable for human consumption;
Only buy products that are discounted when bought in larger quantities if you know you’ll use them up. Otherwise, you’ll either over-consume or waste.

Online shopping

Buying online can be the solution for those who don’t have time or prefer to shop without leaving home, but it’s essential that you check the conditions of home delivery and compare prices between different supermarkets before choosing the one you’re going to shop at.

Did you know…

…can you receive the weekly supermarket promotions in your email? This is one of the best ways to plan your shopping, compare prices and take advantage of promotions!

A must!

Always carry your own bags. This small gesture is enough to reduce your ecological footprint and save you money.

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