Here are just three green ways to save you money at the grocery store:
Buy Generic
The store brand is still a brand, but it’s better than the name brand for more than just its price. Generic or “store brand” groceries usually have the same ingredients and are made the same way as their brand name counterparts. They’re cheaper not because they’re poorer (or any different at all) in taste, quality, or freshness. They’re cheaper because they have a lower overhead, saving big – for starters – on the advertising costs big brand names eat up. Why pay for a bunch of advertising (an industry far from green) just so you can eat? Ridiculous! Go generic. It’s cheaper, it tastes the same, and you’re not paying a Hollywood crew to film a 30-second Prime Time commercial spot.
Buy Local
Every product’s packaging says where it was grown and/or made. When you buy groceries grown or made anywhere but in your own backyard (your town, county, state) you pay for shipping and transportation. This is bad for the environment because of gas emissions from shipping and transportation. And it’s bad for your local economy because you’re sending your money out of town and out of state – where the jobs may soon not be far behind. Read the label (or the sign above the loose produce) and buy from growers and manufacturers nearest you.
Make a List & Stick to It
This should be rule number one for any shopping trip if you want to save maximum dollars. You’d be amazed (or maybe you wouldn’t) at how much money you spend on items you didn’t intend to buy when you left home or work to go shopping. Those impulse items add up, outing after outing. Make a list before you leave the house and buy only those items on the list. You will save yourself loads of dough doing this. Believe me! (This tip may not sound green, but buying things you don’t really need generates excess energy and uses excess resources.)
{ 1 trackback }
{ 0 comments… add one now }