Walking into a supermarket for a few basics and leaving with a financially painful bill has become a weekly reality for South Africans.
While you can't control food inflation, changing a few subtle habits can quietly save you thousands of rand over the course of a year.
One consumer, Refilwe Raymond Bogatsu, recently captured the frustration, saying: “Buying groceries will make you think you are spending recklessly. Ramaphosa's economy is ‘eat before you go economy’.”
While households may not be able to control food prices, they can control some of the habits that determine how much they spend.
With spring bringing changes in the availability and prices of fresh produce, consumer expert Renier Botha says now is a good time to reconsider how we shop.
“Spring is when a lot of produce prices actually come down as supply increases, so it’s a natural moment to relook at how you shop,” says Botha.
“People often assume saving money means buying less, but that’s not necessarily true. Small changes like planning your meals, checking what you already have at home and paying attention to unit prices can make a real difference over the course of a year without changing what you eat.”
One of the easiest ways to spend more than planned is to enter a supermarket without a list. Without a clear idea of what is needed, it becomes easier to add unnecessary items to the trolley or forget ingredients and make another trip later.
“Most impulse spending starts before you’ve even picked up a trolley,” Botha says. “If you know exactly what meals you’re making and what you need to buy, you’re much less likely to come home with lots of extras that weren’t on the list.”
Another habit worth changing is ignoring unit prices. A larger packet or a product marked as a special is not automatically the cheapest option. Looking at the price per kilogram, litre or 100g makes it easier to compare products and identify genuine savings.
“Promotions can look brilliant at first glance, but the unit price tells you whether you’re actually saving money,” he says. “It’s one of the quickest ways to reduce your grocery bill without changing a single product you buy.”
Seasonality can also influence the cost of fresh food. As spring arrives, shoppers can look at what is readily available rather than automatically buying the same fruit and vegetables throughout the year.
“Shoppers often stick to the same basket of fruit and veg all year round, but prices shift a lot with the seasons,” Botha says. “Building a few seasonal swaps into your trolley each spring is a simple way to eat well and spend less, without it feeling like a sacrifice.”
Then there is the supermarket trip made on an empty stomach. Hunger can make snacks and treats look more tempting, adding purchases that were never part of the plan.
“It might only be one or two extra treats, but if you’re spending an extra R40 every week, that’s more than R2 000 over a year,” says Botha. “Those little purchases add up much faster than people realise.”
Before leaving home, shoppers should also check the fridge, freezer and pantry. Buying another packet of something already sitting in the cupboard is an easy way to waste money. Planning meals around what needs to be used first can also reduce food waste.
“I always recommend taking two minutes to check your fridge, freezer and pantry before you leave the house,” he says. “Buying food you’ve already got is one of the easiest ways to waste money.”
It can also pay to break the habit of shopping at the same supermarket every week. Shoppers do not necessarily need to visit several stores, but knowing where regular essentials cost less can make a difference.
“Saving just R50 to R100 on your weekly shop could leave you with an extra R2 600 to R5 200 over the course of a year,” Botha says.
The lesson is not that shoppers need to become extreme bargain hunters. It is that small decisions repeated every week can have a significant impact.
“The people who consistently spend less on groceries aren’t necessarily coupon experts,” says Botha. “They’ve simply built good habits into their routine. Spring is a good excuse to reset those habits. A little planning before you shop can save you thousands of rand over a year.”
lutho.pasiya@nationalmg.co.za