Online shopping is more popular than ever these days, and Americans continue to spend a substantial amount of money on groceries. A recent survey found that the average American adult goes to the grocery store 1.6 times per week. Although that doesn’t seem like a high number, frequenting the grocery store means that you may have some things to learn about supermarket shopping. That’s especially true if your goal is to save a little money.
Grocery shopping is a relatively simple task: you select items off the shelf, pay for them, and take them home. That act of grocery shopping is not the issue; rather, the issue is what you do in the store. You might be making a series of inadvertent mistakes that can cost you time, money, and your health. To help you become a better grocery shopper, we have outlined common mistakes people make in the supermarket. Avoid these traps and you’ll be much better off.
You Don’t Have A Grocery Shopping App
There’s an app for everything these days. If you care about conserving cash, especially when your dollar doesn’t go as far in the supermarket as it used to, you’ll want an app. A recent report found that food prices increased 9.5% since February 2022, and the USDA estimates an additional 7.5% increase in the coming year. A simple way to save money on groceries is by using the store’s app. You can clip digital coupons or take advantage of weekly deals, which you may not get as a regular rewards member or general shopper.
You Don’t Buy Seasonal Produce
One of the best things about buying seasonal produce items, besides the fact that they are more affordable, is that they taste the freshest. Seasonal produce tends to be riper, fresher, and tastier because of the availability amid peak harvest. There are more strawberries in July than in December because of seasonal availability. Buying produce out of season is possible, but it tends to be more expensive. You can look up seasonal produce guides, or visit local farmer’s markets, to find out what’s in season in your area.
You Don’t Read Food Labels
Before you slide a food item with a label in your shopping cart, go ahead and give it a spin to read that nutritional label. Yes, we are even referring to packaging that uses trendy words like “healthy” or “low-fat.” The nutritional label tells the truth! Pay attention to saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars, as you want to limit your consumption of those. Look to see how much dietary fiber, iron, calcium, vitamin D, and potassium the food provides. Additionally, make sure to take note of the serving size, because there may be more than one serving in the package. Click here to learn more about nutritional labels and how to read them.
You Ignore The Frozen Food Aisle
Now, before you jump to any conclusions, we do not advocate buying TV dinners or pre-made lasagna dishes. Those food items are incredibly rich in sodium and preservatives. We are referring to frozen produce, including peas, broccoli, vegetable medleys, and frozen fruit varieties. Produce is frozen at peak freshness, making nutrients more accessible and available to your body. Just make sure that you don’t see any added sugars on the nutritional label!
You Only Shop The Perimeter
When it comes to the raw vegan diet that accompanies our cleanses, we advocate shopping the perimeter of the store. That’s where you find the fresh produce and raw nuts and seeds. Although the middle aisles contain a huge collection of unhealthy foods, you can still find some gems within them. You miss out on lentils, beans, chickpeas, wild rice, quinoa, brown rice, oats, and more if you skip the middle aisles. As long as you stick to your shopping list, you can avoid the bad stuff!
You Don’t Make A List
Speaking of lists, entering the grocery store without a list is a recipe for impulse buying. When you have a plan in place, you are much less likely to add things like packaged cookies and other unhealthy foods to your cart. Shopping without a list typically makes you spend more money as well. Your list is your game plan and following it can help you succeed in the grocery store.
Vincent Stevens is the senior content writer at Dherbs. As a fitness and health and wellness enthusiast, he enjoys covering a variety of topics, including the latest health, fitness, beauty, and lifestyle trends. His goal is to inform people of different ways they can improve their overall health, which aligns with Dherbs’ core values. He received his bachelor’s degree in creative writing from the University of Redlands, graduating summa cum laude. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.
