tip on how to save on groceries

How are you saving on groceries? Here’s a tip for you. These days, I scan the grocery store’s weekly promotional brochures online first before I head out.

Typically I look for items that I need that also happen to be on promo. So that way, I try to stick to buying mostly what’s on discount for the week, and the other stuff can wait.

I can do this because I’m in the habit of buying in bulk. So I can afford to wait for a particular item to be on promo because I usually still have stock at home.

When my stock starts running low, I will start monitoring prices of those items and buy another batch when they’re on discount. Is this how you manage your purchases? Care to share?

if you have flabby arms

The blazing hot weather means that the tank top is probably the first choice of casual wear for most women. I am a self-professed tank top freak myself.

But if you have naturally large limbed or have flabby arms, you might want to opt for something other than a tank top. The slim cut of your tank top will tend to make your arms appear even larger.

So yes, I know it’s hot out and there’s nothing more cooling or comfortable than a tank but choose to go with a light, flimsy top with sleeves instead. That way, you stay cool and no one has to see those arms.

game to try house brands

I hardly ever pay attention to house brands simply because their plain, no-frills packaging have never caught my attention enough for me to take an interest in them. Lately I’ve noticed though that many people seem to be opting for house brands as they are the cheaper option.

I’ve heard they don’t taste as good but I just have to see for myself. So I bought Tesco’s house brand spaghetti to try. I cooked it today and found it contains more starch and the cooking time is longer. Tastewise, it’s true, it doesn’t taste as good as the regular brands that I’ve tried.

But then, with rising food costs, I reckon it’s time to shed my brand and store loyalties. I’m game to try a different brand, a different store whichever offers a cheaper, comparable product. No harm trying, right?

kids and supermarket carts

On another occasion, I saw a kid trying to climb out of a supermarket cart. His mother has placed him there probably to prevent him from running all over the place.

Fine but kids are highly mobile and should never be left unattended in a supermarket cart. First off, the cart is on wheels which doesn’t make it the most stable thing in the world.

Secondly, a child leaning out of a cart with wheels is very dangerous. He might fall out of it head-first or he could tip the cart over. Both are potentially hazardous to the child and he could be badly hurt.

I don’t understand why mothers allow their kids to stand in carts in the first place!

kids and plastic bags

I saw this kid with a plastic bag in his hand that he’d probably torn off the big rolls in the fresh produce section at the supermarket. His mom was nearby when he started putting the plastic bag on his head and pulling it over his face.

I saw them from afar and thought surely his mother would tell him to remove it. She looked at what he was doing and then moved on to the next aisle without saying a word! Um, hello? Plastic bags are fun but they’re a suffocation hazard.

Tags: shopping with kids

how to save petrol money (2)

Folks out there would argue that we should be more worried about the domino effect of high fuel prices on the overall cost of living than about the high price of petrol per se. I say, we got to start somewhere and since saving petrol is within our control, that’s a great starting point, don’t you think?

I’ve got a few more tips here that I promised in addition to the ones I mentioned earlier:

Drive smoothly and avoid frequent accelerating and slowing down. Sudden jerks will consume more petrol.

Plan your travel logistics. This is what I do. I try to plan my errands such that I avoid making U-turns back or taking a longer route than necessary. Instead of running out to do one errand at a time, I tend to do them all in one run.

Carpool or walk. It isn’t always possible to do these. We have to adjust our timing or risk being the victims of snatch thieves. Duh! But if it works, then great.

Switch off your car engine when idling or waiting. Leaving the engine on consumes more petrol than restarting your car/

Just a few simple ways to save petrol and in doing so, save our pockets and the environment as well.