Controlling Costs – Shopping

As we continue to look at the area of cost control we turn to the area of groceries.  The latest report from the consumer affairs commission shows the importance of the first factor to consider – shopping around.  The report showed the great disparity in prices of a number of basic food items from shop to shop.  The most important weapon of the consumer is the right to say no and when consumers work together cost reductions are possible.  This was seen to be effective in the case of fertilizer, the farmers complained about the price and the government stepped in and imported fertilizer at a significantly reduced price.  Many shop owners buy local produce from farmers at ridiculously low prices and then mark up the price 300% or more taking advantage of the consumer.  It is time that consumers learn to boycott those shops that are taking advantage of them.
The second point to consider is buying in wholesale quantities in order to obtain a lower price.  This is not to be confused with buying groceries in a wholesale, many wholesalers do not offer cheaper prices than the supermarkets but often what they offer is the right to buy a smaller amount of the product than what one could obtain in the supermarket.  Of course the unit price for smaller quantities is usually higher.  The wholesale purchasing that I am referring to is the purchase of more than one item (usually 3) resulting in a reduction in the unit price paid.  There is a caution here one runs the risk of buying more than what one needs and the excess will spoil thereby losing the benefit of the lower price.  One way to get around this is to get together with other persons to buy the larger quantities and to divide them amongst each other.
For those of you who have children who are at school and who pack a lunch for them consider buying juices in large bottles rather than buying those small bottles.  Small bottles of juices/drinks are much more expensive but are of course very convenient.  A better option would be to buy a larger bottle and to refill a smaller bottle each day.  This will require the child to keep the bottle rather than throwing it away.  This gives two benefits, one is the savings in cost and the second is the reduction in garbage that is generated each day.
These are just a few ideas; contact the consumer affairs commission for other suggestions on how to reduce the cost of groceries or for information on which shops in your area have the best prices.

Feedback Question: What ideas do you have for persons who wish to save money?