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Of course, there are nuances here. Stocking up for decades to come so that later archaeologists will rake pyramids of stew and sugar is hardly a good solution. However, you should not fall into grocery minimalism either.
For many, an ordinary situation is to decide on the way home what will be for dinner and buy ingredients at the nearest store. And if there is suddenly something missing at home, delivery will help. This approach makes you overpay, because it makes it impossible to purchase everything profitably.
When you use the same products or detergents over and over again, it makes sense to buy them in larger quantities or buy something for the future if you see a discount. Among other things, it will help to survive the period of hype, as, for example, it was at the beginning of the pandemic, when many goods disappeared from the shelves due to panic. In such cases, you won't have to buy something at a speculative price. You will just wait out this time on stocks.
Hypermarkets are convenient and often profitable. But sometimes it is wiser to purchase something from a private trader. For example, for reasonable money, to save a neighbor from an excess harvest from the cottage. Of course, this mainly concerns products that can be produced in the backyard.
If there are no summer residents nearby, it is worth going to the market. In many cities, agricultural fairs are held in summer and autumn, where people sell their surplus. The main bonus of the market is that you can trade there. Don't miss this chance to save money and turn on the charm to the fullest!
At the same time, it is important not to fall into the illusion that private traders have everything natural, and firms supply only chemicals. Poultry farms, of course, give chickens medicines, but they follow certain protocols. Because no one needs inspections from inspection bodies and reputational scandals. Many private traders are also aware of what antibiotics, fertilizers, and so on are. And they can be used chaotically and in any quantities.
The average mom seems to be naturally endowed with the ability to cook four dishes from one chicken, and turn the leftovers from yesterday's dinner into a fundamentally new treat for lunch. Although, most likely, her life has taught her this.
It is not necessary to wait for finances to perform a poignant romance. You can make the menu a little more rational now. (And recipes are easy to find in a special project of the Life Hacker "There is time.")
However, many people will feel significant savings if they just start cooking at home instead of going to cafes and ordering food delivery.
In the store, pickles and delicious jam in winter can cost more than some exotic mangoes and avocados. So there is nothing shameful in taking care of your future and processing the harvest bought from private traders into mashed potatoes, compotes, salads.
The canning process itself looks like a tester of hell: it's hot, steam is everywhere, everything is bubbling dangerously. But in winter, a salted tomato of its own preparation will quickly take you to paradise. Especially if you compare the cost of your blanks and the cost of jars in the store before that.
Do not be deceived: our moms and dads can do almost everything with their own hands, not because they are superhumans, but from a difficult life. Not everything could be bought, and often there was nothing to buy. Therefore, everyone got out of the situation as best they could: they repaired the broken, learned to create a new one from scratch.
Of course, there is no need to make the situation absurd. If you are a highly qualified specialist and your time is expensive, it is always more logical to work on the profile a little more and pay for other people's services. But, for example, if you spend the evening flipping through social networks, it is quite possible to occupy your hands with something other than a smartphone. And save money.
For example, learn how to knit winter hats and scarves made of yarn with the addition of wool — these will be many times cheaper and better than store-bought synthetic ones. To make a broken device work, sometimes simple manipulations with a screwdriver and a soldering iron are enough. Some items of clothing do not have to be thrown away immediately, they can be sewn up. If finances are tight, this is the way out.
It is more common for the older generation to act collectively. And this is often a justified strategy.
For example, villagers often sell meat in carcasses. Buying a whole pig and finding a place for it in the refrigerator is a non—trivial task for a city dweller. But if we cooperate, it will be cheaper and the problem with storage will be solved. Large packages of products bought at a discount in the supermarket can also be more profitable to share. And sometimes just timely information about store promotions plays a role.
And what kind of savings strategy did you borrow from your parents? Share it in the comments.
