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If you find yourself spending more money at the grocery store recently or filling up your gas tank, it’s probably not because you bought more food or drove more often.
Consumer prices rose 5.4% in July Compared with the previous year. This is the biggest inflation spike since 2008, although experts believe that price increases are only temporary.
If you want to stabilize the rising costs, you will have to be different about shopping. Here are a dozen savings tips that can help you fight the rising prices of everyday purchases.
12 smart ways to fight price inflation
1. Purchase your pantry
Before going shopping at the grocery store, get in the habit of checking the pantry shelves first. Canned food, pasta and other food pantry staples are easily forgotten in dark corners.
By counting the items you already have in your home, you will avoid buying multiple identical items by mistake. You may be able to shorten your shopping list (and spend less money). You can also reduce the chance of food spoilage before you think about eating it.
Try one Pantry Challenge Use up what you already have at home instead of going out to buy overpriced groceries. Don’t limit the challenge to the pantry. Before buying more of the same thing, check what you have in the refrigerator and what toiletries you already have.
2. Cooking preparation
Planning your meals according to a meal plan and making a shopping list means that you will be less likely to waste money on things that look good in the store but you will never eat.
This Expert meal preparation advice It simply lists how to start planning your meals in advance.
3. Minimize food waste
When you pay more for food, the last thing you want to do is let it go to waste. It’s like throwing your hard-earned money into the trash can.
Use these tips Reduce food waste So you no longer have to throw away moldy cheese or stale bread.
4. Choose a store brand instead of a famous brand
The prices of brand-name groceries are already higher than their store-brand counterparts. In many cases, you can hardly tell the difference between the two.
As the price rises, Switch to a generic brand To reduce your grocery expenses. You may even discover new favorites.
5. Bulk purchase
Although you will pay more upfront for a lot of things, it’s actually a smart move Buy in bulk. Generally, you will pay less for each item.
If you don’t need a pack of three boxes of cereal or 10 pounds of macaroni, you can share the shopping expenses with friends or family at any time. Or you can use this as an excuse to reduce shopping throughout the month.
6. Eat less meat
Eat less meat This will have a significant impact on your grocery bill, because beef, pork, and chicken are often some of the more expensive items in the store—inflation or not.
Avoiding meat one or two days a week and switching to cheaper alternatives, such as beans and lentils, can help you reduce costs.
7. Save production cost
Even if the price goes up, you can still find ways to save fruits and vegetables—no need to grow them in the backyard.
Buying from local farmers, sticking to the season or choosing frozen instead of fresh are just a few ways Save production cost.
8. Buy reusable instead of disposable
Which is better: spend $5 on something and throw it away once you use it, or spend $10 on something similar that can be used repeatedly?
Reusable products have a higher upfront cost than disposable products, but they are generally more cost-effective because they have a longer lifespan. Better for the environment is an added benefit.
These nine comparisons show how Buy reusable instead of disposable Can help you save money.
9. Fuel saving
The price of pumps continues to rise. As more and more companies reopen after the closure of Covid, there are more places to go and more natural gas to burn.
Carpooling to the office can help you reduce costs. So you can sign up for a fuel reward program or use a fuel comparison app to find the lowest gasoline prices around.This article is about How to save fuel Even if the price rises, there are other suggestions that can reduce your expenses.
10. Sharing tools and equipment
Amortizing the cost of things you only use occasionally is better than paying full price for things that will eventually collect dust most of the time.
consider Share expensive tools and equipment — Like a stand mixer or leaf blower — with neighbors or nearby friends or family.
11. Learn to barter
You can also fight against price inflation by choosing barter With friends or family, instead of paying full price for goods and services.
Maybe a friend gets extra wood from home renovations, and you can use it in exchange for free graphic design work for their small business. Or maybe you can offer dog service to your family when they are out in exchange for some free meals.
12. Get free things from groups with nothing
Get free items from the local area Buy nothing, Which means you can bypass the high prices in the store-you don’t even have to offer anything in exchange. These groups focus on donations rather than transactions or barter transactions.
Join your local Buy Nothing Group or Facebook.
Nicole Dow is the senior writer of The Penny Hoarder.
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