Many people spend a pretty hefty chunk of change at the grocery store – and luckily there are a LOT of items you can sip buying there altogether that will save you more long term.
Although many shoppers use coupons to save dollars on their grocery total, many coupon clippers end up spending much more than what they intend – because they end up buying things that they may not necessarily need.
The BEST alternative is to not shop there at all, but I’m not sure if the average person could do that. Believe it or not, Costco has some great prices on Organic items – when you buy in bulk you actually score a better price than you would if you were using a coupon and chasing a sale.
The BEST strategy, though… is to skip buying lots of these items altogether and find alternatives. It’s possible.
Here are ten things you may want to avoid buying at the grocery store, and learn how to make your own.
1. Lunchables
There is really NO reason to buy lunchables.
Lunchables can have as many as 500 calories and 890 mg of Sodium – and WAY more sugar than you care to hear about. The healthier alternative is to make your own lunchable at home – a homemade sandwich, with a few grapes, few crackers and few pieces of cheese.
2. Salad Dressing
So many people meander in this area looking for that one perfect flavor – it’s so easy to buy dressing because if not at the grocery store, then it’s $1.00 at the 99 Only Store.
But do you really want all those yucky ingredients? Most of the store bought are laden with Canola Oil, Soybean Oil, Sugar and more… the calories per serving are ridiculous as well .. making it pointless to even so much as entertain eating a salad.
Make your own dressing at home with Olive Oil, Apple Cider Vinegar, Garlic, Salt and a touch of Spice… if you use Essential Oils like we do, Young Living has a Vitality Line of Oils that’s perfect for cooking and baking.
3. Canned Soup & Veggies
Avoid both of these because in all honesty, making your own is better in the long run. I would suggest avoiding anything that’s in a can (as most cans are BPA-Lined).
Instead, buy fresh Vegetables (join a CSA or even grow your own garden), and make your OWN soup from stock and freeze leftovers. You will realize that making your own tastes so much better than buying in store. Not to mention you can use up all your fresh veggies too. A carton of Organic Broth is just $2 at Costco (buy in bulk .. so 6 for $12) – and you can make more than a can’s worth, PLUS it’s better for you.
4. Gift Credit Cards
Although you are probably headed in this direction if you are late for teacher appreciation or if you need one as a gift at the last minute…
These usually come with a pretty large activation fee. Just stick with a gift card and call it a day.
5. Vegetable Oil or Canola Oil
If you are shopping for Vegetable or Canola Oil put it back on the shelf. We’re also going to talk about Corn Oil, Soybean Oil, Sunflower, Safflower, even Grapeseed Oils..) – most are refined, and made from GMO ingredients.
They are treated with chemicals to get just the right color. This goes for foods WITH these ingredients too.
Instead, pick up Coconut Oil (Unrefined, Virgin).. you can use it for baking and cooking just like you would use Canola Oil.
6. Margarine
Yuck and YUCK! Margarine is man-made – it’s not really real food. Skip it and pay the extra for real butter from pastured cows – Organic Butter is a nice rice at Costco too at just over $4 per pound. It’s full of fat soluble vitamins, in addition to linoleic acid and vitamin K2.
7. Greeting Cards
Oh my .. it is SO hard to spend $3 – $4 on a Card when that card will likely be in the trash can the next day.
If you are buying a card for your husband from your kids (or, your wife) .. then encourage them to make their OWN card at home. Or, pick up a box of colorful cards from Amazon HERE that’ll be less in cost in the long run.
8. Coffee Creamer
Most of the creamer varieties out there now have a laundry list of ingredients. They often times are a mixture of Sugar, Water and Hydrogenated Soybean Oil or Cottonseed Oil. Knowing how much of our Soybeans are GMO right now, then I stay far far away from creamer.
These Trans-fats are created in a lab – manufacturers take an oil (soybean for example), in ject with a metal (aluminum, nickel or platinum) which allows those molecules to rearrange themselves into a semi solid (which is partially hydrogenated).
Imagine ingesting that? How does your body process that substance? Instead, use Half and Half, Raw Milk in your Coffee, or skip Coffee altogether. OR learn how to make your own Creamer with just a few ingredients.
9. Frozen Meals
It’s so easy to throw these in your cart – many people use them for work lunches.
If you are throwing in frozen pancakes or waffles, those are just SO much easier to make at home and freeze ahead of time if you can get away with a triple batch. The variety in the store are full of chemicals and really overpriced when you realize that you can whip up your own for pennies on the dollar.
If you were buying them for work, teach yourself how to cook real food at home, and pack some of it up for the next day.
10. Boxed Cereal & Granola Bars
The only memory I have as a child is eating Corn Flakes, but then my mom ONLY bought “1” type of cereal. And that I will never forget. As a mom now, I opt out of ALL cereals in the grocery store. I hate to say it but they are FULL of sugar.
Most of them if not all have little to no nutritional value. Read our last post on the dangers of kids cereals.
Instead, opt for Steel Cut Oats (HERE), which will last forever, and fill those bellies up for school in the morning. Or scramble a few Eggs with Toast for the kids before they head out.
What are some things YOU opt to skip buying in store (so you can make yourself?)