How to Shop Smart and Save Money

The supermarket is designed to make you spend more. The aisle layout, the promotions, the endcaps — everything is calculated to fill your cart with unplanned purchases. With a simple method and a structured list, you take back control of your shopping, your budget, and your diet.

Steps

1

Make your list before you go

A grocery list isn't a vague sticky note ("veggies, meat, snack stuff"). It's a precise document with quantities: "500g broccoli, 4 chicken breasts, 1 kg brown rice." Base this list on your weekly menu. No menu, no list. No list, no efficient shopping.

2

Start with the store perimeter

The fresh departments (fruits, vegetables, butcher, fish, dairy) are always on the store's perimeter. The central aisles mainly contain processed products. By doing the perimeter first, you fill your cart with whole foods before (quickly) passing through the center aisles for dry goods.

3

Read labels strategically

You don't need to read everything on every product. Three seconds is enough: check the price per kg (not the package price), look at the ingredient list (the first 3 make up 80% of the product), and the sugar content. If sugar is in the first 3 ingredients of a savory dish, put it back.

4

Buy staples in bulk

Rice, pasta, lentils, oats, nuts: these foods keep for a long time and cost 30 to 50% less in large quantities. A 5 kg bag of basmati rice at $6 works out to $1.20/kg versus $2-3/kg in a 500g packet. The initial investment is higher, but the monthly savings are significant.

5

Prioritize seasonal produce

Seasonal fruits and vegetables are 2 to 3 times cheaper, tastier, and more nutritious than those imported out of season. In winter: cabbage, leeks, squash, apples, clementines. In summer: tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, peaches, melons. A seasonality calendar on the fridge is a great reminder.

The supermarket layout trap

The most profitable products for the store are placed at eye level. The cheapest products are on the bottom shelves. Endcaps aren't always promotions — it's often placement paid for by brands. Essential products (milk, eggs, bread) are at the back of the store to force you to walk past every temptation. By knowing these techniques, you buy what you need, not what they want to sell you.

An example of a healthy grocery list

Fruits and vegetables: broccoli, carrots, onions, garlic, peppers, tomatoes, spinach, bananas, apples, lemons. Proteins: chicken (1 kg), eggs (12), green lentils (500g), plain Greek yogurt (1 kg). Carbs: brown rice (1 kg), whole-wheat pasta (500g), whole-wheat bread. Pantry: olive oil, canned tomatoes, canned chickpeas. This list covers one person's needs for a week for about $35-45.

Storage tips to reduce waste

Fresh herbs keep for a week in a glass of water in the fridge (like flowers). Separate bananas from the bunch to slow down ripening. Keep tomatoes out of the fridge until they are cut. Keep onions and garlic in a cool, dark place (not the fridge). Vegetable scraps (carrot peels, broccoli stems) make excellent homemade broth. Every food item saved from waste is money saved.

FoodCraft Tip

The auto-generated list by aisle

When you confirm a meal plan in FoodCraft, the grocery list is generated automatically. Ingredients are grouped by supermarket aisle (produce, meat, pantry, dairy), combined when the same item appears in multiple recipes, and quantified down to the gram.

Weekly budget tracking

FoodCraft displays the budget level for each meal plan. By selecting "economy" mode, the algorithm prioritizes ingredients with the best nutrition-to-price ratio and shows you possible substitutions to lower the bill even further.

Frequently asked questions

Is it better to shop once or several times a week?
One big weekly shop + a quick mid-week run for fresh items (fruits, vegetables, bread) is the best compromise. Every trip to the supermarket costs an average of $15-20 in unplanned purchases. Fewer visits = fewer temptations.
Are curbside pickup or delivery more economical?
Pickup costs the same but eliminates impulsive buys since you don't walk through the aisles. Studies show a 10 to 15% saving on the monthly budget. Delivery costs a $3-5 fee but pays for itself if it helps you avoid unnecessary purchases.
How do I resist useless promotions?
If it's not on your list, it's not a deal — it's an extra expense. The only exception: proteins on sale that you can freeze immediately. A batch of meat at -30% frozen the same day is a real saving.
Are store brands as good as name brands?
For basic products (flour, rice, pasta, canned goods, plain frozen items), the quality is often identical. Store brands are manufactured in the same factories in many cases. Compare ingredient lists: if they are identical, go for the cheaper option.

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