I’m Making Money By Saving On Groceries
I’ll tell you about how I turned my routine chore of grocery shopping into my side job or ‘hustle’.
As a backstory, I’m the oldest sibling of nine and my circumstances changed drastically when my dad was incarcerated when I was 15. That forced me to learn how to stretch limited resources to feed our big family. We could barely afford frozen burritos, which were often our staple meal.
My financial situations remained tight as I had my children early in my twenties, got divorced, and ended up being a single parent with an autistic child. But in all this, I learnt to be resourceful.
Hardships ceased when I got remarried at 30 and our household income saw a significant boost. For the first time in what seemed like an eternity, I was not haunted by every grocery bill.
Skipping forward a few years, my family’s spending on groceries and eating out has spiraled. In comparison, it’s probably more than what I earned in the mid-90s. Can you believe it?
Recently, I stirred up “The Great Grocery Experiment of 2014” to rein in our grocery spending. Amazingly, I managed to cut our grocery bills by half. It’s astonishing, but believe me, we didn’t feel any greater strain.
I began treating my grocery shopping like a side job. The savings, around $600 a month, were substantial. That’s more than what many people make from part-time work! This realization helped me offset our family’s seasonal income changes. My husband’s income, as a table dealer in a Reno casino, dwindles during the winter months.
With my new approach, we’ve begun to spend less on food during the lean periods. The real challenge now is overcoming the temptation to revert to our old habits when his income rebounds.
My aim is to keep grocery costs reasonable, cut down on dining out, and free up money for more important things – like clearing our debt and possibly even buying a house one day.
Saving has become my kind of earning. Every cent that I save on groceries is like income. Weird, but think about it, I’m earning by saving.
Whenever those cravings for gourmet cheese or takeaway pizza hit, I remind myself that those few dollars saved are like earning for me. If balancing a tight budget means turning leftover dishes into a tasty recipe, then that’s a $15 addition to my pay-check!
If you’re interested in converting your grocery shopping into a side hustle, here are some pointers:
1. Don’t bother with coupons if you feel they’re too overwhelming.
2. Identify and stick to the grocery stores that offer the best overall prices.
3. Use cash. It helps you keep a check on impulse purchases.
4. Create a meal plan and corresponding grocery list. Stick to it as much as you can.
5. Keep an eye out for sales but avoid hoarding.
I’d love for you to share any other tricks you might have for minimizing your grocery expenses.