Down the aisle OR pricing your way down the streets of a market, it is undeniable that grocery shopping can sometimes be exhausting. Once every month, I like to restock my favorite food items and groceries, considering I often enjoy cooking.
I have a few hacks I go by while shopping and would love to share a few, but before we get into all of that (drumrollllllll); I’m excited to say that we have a feature brand on today’s post; CLOUDMALL AFRICA.
CloudMall Africa is a shopping and retail brand. They are a wholesome brand that caters to the shopping needs of individuals and even communities around which they are established. They provide shopping services ranging from groceries from local stores, fast food, and even down to pharmaceutical essentials; while also offering delivery services to customers. There’s not much to say other than letting you know the “tea” that Cloud mall exists to make shopping easier! They also have developed their branded shopping app to make every customer’s shopping experience fluid.
You might want to check them out on their IG profile by clicking any “cloud mall” word. The Cloudmall app is also available to download in both the google play store and the apple store.
Now, let’s get into thissssss:
- An ultimate guide to saving time and avoiding the stress that comes with shopping is “adding to the cart” (online shopping *winks). So, trust me when I say CLOUDMALL AFRICA is a great platform that can help solve your shopping needs while also allowing you to save time.
- One major hack that constantly saves me is that I shop for food, fruits, and vegetables in season. You have to double on the fact that a minimal supply or scarcity in the market supply of a particular food or product will lead to a spike in the price of that good, and I’m sure we all want to save money whenever we can. So, shopping for seasonal foods is one way to lessen your shopping expenses and also help provide a variety of meal options, which will further groom nutritional benefits. Also, considering that I enjoy cooking and trying new foods, buying seasonal foods helps me discover new ingredients and refreshes my idea board to cook something new.
- Avoid stepping out to shop without a shopping listAt a store, you might see something you like but did not have in mind to purchase, or even things you feel you might need but don’t necessarily need. Making a list of things you want to buy beforehand is a great way to reduce impulse buying and an even greater way to help you manage your spending habits.
- Never go grocery shopping on an empty stomach!!
I for one, believe that people turn gluttons on default whenever they are hungry, and for the most part, leads to impulse buying if you happen to be at a store while hungry. So I strongly recommend having a light snack before going shopping [emphasis on “light snack” :)], or better ensure you aren’t hungry.
- Price your way down the streets of a marketThere are certainly days when you do not have enough “doe to be posh” 🙂 or you just happen to have a low budget, you might want to avoid shopping at supermarkets or malls. Consider making your purchase at local stores and even marketplaces as this might allow for the pricing of goods, a variety of goods to make choices from, and even an opportunity to purchase fresher produce. This is an all-time ultimate hack for saving money (if you know, I’m sure you know)!
- Welcome the idea of shopping with a friend or partnerWe all know how fun things can get when we do things in twos! Even the holy book says “two are better than one” (heheeeee). I always enjoy shopping with a friend or partner because it helps to reduce the chaos that might come with the uncertainty of making a purchase and deliberating on preference. Also having small talks in between shopping can make the shopping process more fun and less tense. From the images you see, I went along with my baby sister who ended up being my photographer for the day 🙂
- Always grab the meat and frozen items lastI don’t know about you, but I don’t enjoy walking around with damp shopping bags, so I make sure to buy frozen items last to avoid having defrosted items between shopping time and arriving home.
- Go along with reusable grocery bags.Particularly when going to local stores or marketplaces. This has helped me times without numbers to cut the cost of buying bags at the market. It will also help reduce the probability of having your purchased items torn out of low-quality bags given at the market.
So, my friends, that’s about all my humble self have been able to gather from my countless shopping experiences. While these simple steps are easy to do, they’re just as easy not to do. So, I think it’s important to remember that being intentional about following these steps can go a long way in making your shopping less stressful, and can also help to prevent excessive spending while shopping from tipping the scales and reaching unhealthy shopping habits.
P.S. I was so sad about the quality of my images being a bit trashy on today’s post (I’m trying to save up for a new phone btw) but doing better is my specialty so no worries, I’ll be doing better. Hopefully, so much good comes out of keeping up with these. I had a brain-full time writing this one, but I enjoyed it. Have a lovely weekend shopping and relaxing my friends. I hope you guys enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing. Thank you very much for reading and I’ll see you guys in the next post!
This post is in collaboration with CLOUD MALL AFRICA
Images @sparnigeria
