When you are shopping for groceries, it is difficult to stay on budget. If you are shopping for organic and fresh produce, the expenses can go up in the blink of an eye. Furthermore, if you are shopping in a store like IGA Extra in Canada, you can’t resist the urge to buy more.
Therefore, we have compiled a list of six smart tips that can help you save money on grocery shopping in IGA stores-
Check The Weekly Flyers
IGA stores release IGA extra flyers every week. You can watch out these flyers online and find the trending best deals and the upcoming deals to plan your shopping trip accordingly. Watching these flyers is one of the smartest ways to save money on grocery items and prepare your shopping list before visiting the store.
When you browse the items on sale, you can plan what to buy and what not to buy. If you find something you frequently use at a cheap price, you can stock up. The IGA extra flyers keep you updated about the latest deals, enabling you to make smart buying decisions.
Buy The Store Brands
One alternative to purchasing brand name items is to look for off-label foods. Often, it is seen that the in-store brand items are almost the same in quality. The only difference is that the label looks different. However, make sure to read the labels to compare the product details. Some of the grocery items you can substitute with the store brands include canned products, milk, dry goods, or cleaning supplies.
Price Match The Items
Price matching is the easiest way to save a few bucks while shopping in a superstore. When the store you are shopping is advertising an item at a lower price, the IGA store will adjust the price of the items. IGA beats the price of its competitor. So, while you are shopping at different superstores, keep the price match policy of the IGA store in mind, too.
Check The Shelves Thoroughly
Superstores place the pricy items at the eye level and cheaper items on the lower and upper shelves. Also, seasonal ingredients and sales items are placed at the end of the aisles so that they get the most visibility. So, the next time you get confused between the brands of any canned food item, don’t just settle for something that is in your arm’s reach. Look up, down, and all around.
Create A Shopping List And Stick To It
Before you enter the store, have a look at the inventory of your pantry to know what you need for the week. So, organize your list by the store’s layout and category. This way, you will avoid visiting the store again and again because you forgot a food item.
Create an online list and ask the authorities about the in-store shopping services. It will help you save a lot of time and keeps you from making impulse buying decisions.
Look For ‘Soon-To-Expire’ Produce
When you are running out of things you daily use, like flour, spices, etc., you can save a lot of money by shopping for soon-to-expire food items. These items are good in quality, and you can purchase in as much quantity as you need.
As these items require less packaging, they are inexpensive. Every grocery store displays these items in the ‘soon-to-expire’ section. You can shop for bell peppers or old bananas (for banana bread) in this section.
These are some of the money-saving tips to keep in mind the next time you visit the IGA or any other grocery store.