Have you ever gone grocery shopping for a “few things” and come out with a cart full of stuff and a bill totaling hundreds of dollars? I sure have, and it never feels good. The price of groceries can really take a large chunk out of your monthly expenses so setting a grocery budget is vital. Setting a grocery budget will give you a sense of awareness and control. It can help you to eliminate unnecessary spending and impulse buys. Thanks to the Visa
Clear Prepaid program and the Green Dot® Reloadable Prepaid Visa® Card who are sponsoring this conversation about How to Stick to a Budget While Grocery Shopping.
Clear Prepaid program and the Green Dot® Reloadable Prepaid Visa® Card who are sponsoring this conversation about How to Stick to a Budget While Grocery Shopping.
To Stick to a Budget While Grocery Shopping:
Use a Shopping List
Shopping with a list is vital if you are hoping to stick to a grocery budget. Never head into a grocery
store without a list. That is a sure recipe for overspending. Shopping without a list leads to impulse buying. If you go down every aisle aimlessly you will be tempted by items that you don’t necessarily need like that giant bag of candy or a new color of lip gloss. To avoid these spending temptations, shop only in the aisles where your list takes you
and skip the rest.
store without a list. That is a sure recipe for overspending. Shopping without a list leads to impulse buying. If you go down every aisle aimlessly you will be tempted by items that you don’t necessarily need like that giant bag of candy or a new color of lip gloss. To avoid these spending temptations, shop only in the aisles where your list takes you
and skip the rest.
Buy Sale Items
To making sticking to a budget easier, buy sale items. Each week stores run sales on various items.
Check an online circular before you shop to help you plan your list. I am a big sale shopper. This means that I sometimes buy store brands or a brand that is on sale. This allows me to stretch my budget and often times gives me a chance to try a brand I would not normally buy.
Check an online circular before you shop to help you plan your list. I am a big sale shopper. This means that I sometimes buy store brands or a brand that is on sale. This allows me to stretch my budget and often times gives me a chance to try a brand I would not normally buy.
Use Coupons
You can find coupons online, in store circulars and in a supplement in the weekend newspaper. To
make the most of your coupons, try and match them up to weekly sales. For instance if you have a coupon for $1 off a certain brand of cereal, your money will go much further if you use the coupon when the cereal is on sale as
opposed to when it is selling at its regular price. If your store doubles coupons, meaning they double the face value amount on the coupon, all the better!
make the most of your coupons, try and match them up to weekly sales. For instance if you have a coupon for $1 off a certain brand of cereal, your money will go much further if you use the coupon when the cereal is on sale as
opposed to when it is selling at its regular price. If your store doubles coupons, meaning they double the face value amount on the coupon, all the better!
Shop with a Prepaid Card
I recently got a Green Dot® Reloadable Prepaid Visa® Card, part of the Visa ClearPrepaid program, and took a Shopping List Challenge to use the card to help me stick to my grocery budget. Since you can’t spend what you don’t have, using a prepaid card is perfect for the budget conscious. The card has been loaded up with cash and you can only spend what is on the card. The Visa Clear Prepaid seal means cards are designed to have an easy-to-understand monthly fee plan that covers your day-to-day activities. So, you’ll know when
you pay a fee and when you won’t. The Green Dot® Reloadable Prepaid Visa® Card reduces the stress of
managing the monthly grocery budget.
you pay a fee and when you won’t. The Green Dot® Reloadable Prepaid Visa® Card reduces the stress of
managing the monthly grocery budget.
How the Visa Clear Prepaid Program
Works
Works
Head to Visa.com/visaclearprepaid to find a prepaid card that works for you. Obtaining and loading my prepaid card was easy. I headed to a local retailer that carried the card (there were tons to choose from) and bought one for $150. The card had a purchase fee of $2.95 so I had $147.05 left on the card for groceries. You can feel good using a card like the Green Dot® Reloadable Prepaid Visa® Card since it meets the VisaClear Prepaid program standards meaning that you’ll have a card that gives you protection and transparency.
When I got home, I just registered it online and I was good to go for my Shopping List Challenge.
Thanks to the tips above and my prepaid card I was able to come in under budget at the grocery store spending $121.63. I can reload my card via direct deposit, at the store, with a check at Walmart, by transferring money
from a bank account, or from another Green Dot card – some for a small fee. The card can be used anywhere Visa debit cards are accepted and you can even withdraw money for free at in-network MoneyPass ATMs. While prepaid cards are not intended to be a replacement for other forms of payment, including cash, they do make a great alternative.
Thanks to the tips above and my prepaid card I was able to come in under budget at the grocery store spending $121.63. I can reload my card via direct deposit, at the store, with a check at Walmart, by transferring money
from a bank account, or from another Green Dot card – some for a small fee. The card can be used anywhere Visa debit cards are accepted and you can even withdraw money for free at in-network MoneyPass ATMs. While prepaid cards are not intended to be a replacement for other forms of payment, including cash, they do make a great alternative.
The Visa Clear Prepaid program provides you with strong consumer protections including:
- Easy to understand fee plans
- No overdrafts permitted so you can’t incur fees or spend more money than you have
- Deposit or share insurance to protect your funds, e.g. FDIC/NCUSIF
- Visa’s Zero Liability[1] fraud protection, providing added security if your card is lost or stolen.
[1] Visa’s Zero Liability Policy covers U.S.-issued cards and does not apply to certain commercial card transactions, or any transactions not processed by Visa. You must notify your financial institution immediately
of any unauthorized use. For specific restrictions, limitations and other details, please consult your issuer.
of any unauthorized use. For specific restrictions, limitations and other details, please consult your issuer.
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of the Visa Clear Prepaid program and the Green
Dot® Reloadable Prepaid Visa® Card.
Dot® Reloadable Prepaid Visa® Card.
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