1. Quengelware – a temptation not only for children
Yes, almost everyone was already tempted. You stand in line at the cash register and look at the successful purchase on the cash register conveyor – but suddenly something else pulls us under its spell – the well-known Quengelware. Now a little reward for the way home, after this exhausting weekly shopping, that wouldn’t be a big deal, would it? But! Even if we only take one Snickers bar with us for 69 cents a week, we can get around 36 euros within a year!
So if you really fancy a little snack, then buy it in the regular bulk pack. A snickers from the "normal" range costs the equivalent of only 31 cents.
2. Seasonal and regional – delicious, cheap, nutritious
Do you love mangoes, avocados or the sweet passion fruit? We also. Nevertheless, you should use seasonal and regional fresh produce more often. This is not only more sustainable and reduces your ecological footprint, it usually tastes better and is super nutritious. If you eat according to the seasonal calendar, you are automatically supplied with the relevant important nutrients.
Small note on the side: Imported fruit or vegetables are often still immature and only ripen on the way to Germany. Accordingly, it contains much less nutrients than regional fresh produce.
3. Ciao to plastic bags
In the freshness department you can replace the annoying plastic bags with reusable nets – these are now even available at the discounter for little money. The plastic bags usually cost nothing, but they will cause great damage in the future. Since the plastic bags only slowly break down into tiny pieces, the microplastic, after 500 years, they are a great burden on our environment. Microplastics enter our oceans through our rivers and become a deadly threat to marine life.
But you can also safely dispense with the paper bags in the checkout area and replace them with a reusable shopping bag. Not only is it much more stable and tearproof, we also save 20 cents per waiver on the paper bag.
4. Ready meals do not come in the (one-way) bag
Well, ready meals can also come in handy when you don't have time to cook something fresh. But mostly they are completely overpriced and contain no high quality ingredients. If you count the ingredients down, you could probably cook ten dishes from the money. In the meantime, there are also healthy ready meals that rely on natural ingredients, but you also pay a correspondingly high price for them.
The solution? Give it a try Meal preping. This saves time, nerves and money in the working week. Have a look at our weekly meal prep plans – they will solve all your cooking problems in thin air.
Another cool tip: "Too Good To Go". With this app you can save delicious food from nearby food suppliers and even save money.
5. Kitchen roll – we can do that better
Who doesn't have them in the kitchen cupboard? The good old kitchen roll – The Germans consume 7 billion kitchen rolls, toilet paper and handkerchiefs every year. Even Grandma swears by the combination of kitchen roll and glass cleaner to fight annoying streaks and eliminate dirt.
However, it is time for us to change! Kitchen roll is not only the enemy of our wallet in the long run, it is also extremely harmful to our environment. Every fifth tree is a victim of the paper industry. We prefer to take up washable, reusable microfiber cloths back. In the long run, they are much cheaper than environmental sin.
6. Refined marketing tricks
Well-known, but true. The most expensive is almost always at eye level, but the cheaper alternatives can usually be found at the bottom of the supermarket shelf. So you'd better take a closer look and compare the kilo prices. With basics such as oatmeal, flour and sugar, you should think twice about whether the expensive branded products are really necessary here. As an insider tip, it is also worth looking at the manufacturer. Well-known manufacturers are often hidden behind the own brands of our favorite discounter. The same milk rice with a different name is 35 cents cheaper than its expensive competitor.
In general, the following also applies: An offer is not an offer. Products are often marked as a promotion, but are in no way cheaper than usual. They only serve to encourage us to buy. Well – at the latest now we are no longer being ripped off by such offers.
Would you like to read more about the topic and exchange ideas with other women? Then check out the "Spar-Forum" BRIGITTE community past!