You're not alone if you're sick of leaving the grocery store feeling broke. Compared to a few years ago, many of us are paying significantly more money to fill our fridges. Higher food prices are now the norm, but you can still make strategic moves to avoid overspending.
Mobile apps can make it easier to save money. Find out more about an app that could help you stay organized and better plan what meals to make so you don't waste food or money.
Don't let the food essentials you already have go to waste
Many shoppers neglect to take regular inventory of their food before grocery shopping. You likely have basic cooking staples and canned goods in your cupboards. When did you last look at what you have at home before going to the store? If it's been months, keep reading.
You need to take inventory before making a grocery list to avoid buying unnecessary items and wasting money. Discovering you have food that's long expired can be upsetting. But with good inventory practices, you can prevent this from happening.
Use mobile apps to stay organized and informed
Mobile apps can help you be better organized. One example of a helpful app is SuperCook. With this app, you can keep track of your current grocery inventory to know what ingredients you have to make informed decisions while at the grocery store. It's free and can be downloaded to iOS and Android devices.
You can add items to your pantry by manually searching for them or selecting popular ingredients suggested within the app. You can also deselect items to remove them once you use them up. SuperCook also has a shopping list section where you can list items you need to buy the next time you shop. There will be no more forgetting your paper list at home!
Stretch your money further with free recipe suggestions
Here's another way SuperCook can help you save money. Once you input your ingredients, the app will recommend recipes you can make. This feature makes it easier to plan meals for the week by maximizing what you already have so you don't waste food.
The app also lets you search for recipes that only require one missing ingredient, so you can make your upcoming grocery trip more affordable. Plus, a quick trip to the store for a handful of things may be less stressful than planning a big haul. If you're sick of draining your bank account and wasting money on ingredients you already have at home, why not try this app?
As someone who gets easily overwhelmed in the kitchen, I hope to experiment with this app to save time and avoid decision fatigue. It's been difficult for me to decide on recipes in the past, but knowing my current inventory will make it much easier to choose what to cook.
Learning new habits can save you money
Being willing to develop new habits can be beneficial. One example is learning to use apps that allow you to be more organized and informed. As you make positive changes, the savings will add up. For additional tips, check out our personal finance resources.
