This spring, we’re dedicating our blog to the idea of consuming less, a good way to explore how much is enough for today. That doesn’t mean that you need to give up everything you own and go live in a tree (though that’s great if you do, and many of us feel like we’d love to do that about once a day!). This month, however, we’re dedicating our time to giving you ideas on how you can consume less in reasonable ways in things that you do every day. Today’s topic? How to consume less when you’re at the grocery store. (Scroll to the bottom for our handy infographic!)
Grocery shopping. We all have to do it. And food (particularly in America) is complicatedly wound up with social status, finances, emotions, weight and health and environmental waste all at once! Whether you’re trying to waste less food, be kinder to the planet or simply eat more healthily and make better decisions, here are our seven favorite tips for how to consume less when you’re at the grocery store.
Tip Number One: Always Bring a List
One of the best proven ways to control and limit what you buy at a grocery store (or any other kind of store) is to be sure to bring a set shopping list with you. A shopping list means that you’ll avoid wandering around aimlessly trying to decide what you need to buy or eat and ultimately buying more than you need or things that you later realize that you didn’t even want to begin with. If your grocery trip is pre-planned and pre-set, you’ll avoid temptations, bad buys and excess food. Another option is to set a hard limit on how many items you’ll buy just so that you know that you won’t leave with too many.
Tip Number Two: Don’t Get Tempted by Sales
Everybody likes a good bargain, particularly on something like food that we all have to spend money on whether we like it or not. But sales can easily tempt you into buying things that you’ll ultimately waste or not eat – or that can derail a health or weight loss program. The easiest way to avoid over-consumption or waste from sales items is to stick to your shopping list. Eventually, you’ll train yourself to not even notice the intrusive advertisements in the store. Remember, while using coupons can save you money, that’s only money well-saved if you’re not wasting it on items that will simply sit in your home, unused.
Tip Number Three: Don’t Go Grocery Shopping Hungry
We’re sure that people have told you this before, but never, ever, go grocery shopping when you’re hungry. In a grocery store full of food, your hunger will take over and you’ll find yourself buying more than you need (and things that you never needed at all). Even when armed with a grocery list, don’t set yourself up to fail by going into the grocery store with your stomach already rumbling. Stop at a coffee shop and have a muffin or bagel before you go in!
Tip Number Four: Bring Your Own Bags!
Nothing makes us crazier than watching twenty single-use plastic bags get put into the shopping basket of the person in front of us at the grocery store! Plastic bags are chemically harmful to the environment and they add up to tons and tons of ocean waste. It’s so simple to instead switch to using reusable shopping bags! Yes, we believe that everybody’s journey to postconsumerism is unique and individual, but we also believe that eliminating single-use plastic bags is one easy area that we should all be able to agree on.
Tip Number Five: Think About Those Produce Plastic Bags
Another area where a lot of waste is generated at super markets and grocery stores is putting individual produce purchases into even more single use plastic bags. We’ve even seen people put bananas into single use plastic bags! Bananas already have their own packaging! The truth is that those single use plastic bags aren’t protecting your produce from anything – the produce has already been sprayed with chemicals and touched by other individuals. You’re not adding any hygiene with an extra plastic bag. Just take your produce home in your own grocery bag and then wash it before you use it.
Tip Number Six: Consider the Farmers’ Market
Your local farmers’ market is always a good alternative to even the most environmentally friendly food store. You can have greater (but not perfect) knowledge that the food you’re buying at the farmers’ market was grown more sustainably and created fewer food miles than what you would purchase in the grocery store. You’ll also be buying food that, in many cases, didn’t need to utilize extensive packaging (or any packaging) to get moved to the point of sale. Just switching to a farmers’ market doesn’t make grocery shopping perfect, but it does help.
Tip Number Seven: Think About Your OWN Food Miles
When you’re grocery shopping throughout the week, take some time to think about your own food miles. Are you driving to a grocery store multiple times per week? If so, maybe some better planning could reduce the number of times that you get into a car. Is your grocery store walkable? If so, perhaps you should buy in smaller quantities more frequently and walk to the grocery store. Consuming less isn’t just about what you buy. It’s also about the way that you get to where you purchase and the decisions you make about how you do that. Think about ways that you could take fewer, or healthier, trips to the grocery store while still buying fresh and in reasonable amounts.
Bonus Tip: Bulk Isn’t Better
As a bonus tip, remember that buying in bulk isn’t always better. You may manage to get a slightly better price on an item, but you also may be buying things that you don’t need or will simply waste. Much like with couponing, take the time to think about whether bulk purchases actually help or hurt your overall goals about buying and consumption.
We have a few more tips on being successful at the grocery store!
Have another idea on how to consume less when you’re grocery shopping? You tell us. Comment below or tell us about it on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram.
