With high gas and food prices, many are strategizing on how to cut down on their expenses. Here are some strategic shopping tips that will save you time and money while lessening your impact on the environment.
Buy in Bulk
By purchasing items such as grains, legumes, nuts, and dried fruits in bulk, you create less trash. Bulk items are often cheaper because the costs of advertising and packaging are reduced.
When choosing between two sizes of an item in a bottle, can, or carton, buy the larger size. One large container uses less material than two small ones. Larger sizes are typically 10- to 20-percent cheaper per unit (ounce, milliliter) than the smaller size. For perishable items, make sure you buy only as much as you can use before the product expires.
Reuse Your Grocery Bags
Durable canvas grocery bags help to reduce unnecessary trash created by one-use disposable grocery bags. Most grocery stores now sell canvas bags and may offer a 5- to 10-cent refund per bag when you bring your own.
Enjoy More Vegetarian Meals
An easy way to lower your grocery bill and your carbon footprint is to incorporate more vegetarian meals into your diet. Meat is one of the most expensive food categories at the supermarket, and the meat industry is one of the most energy-intensive industries in the country. It takes 35 calories of oil to produce one calorie of beef by current cattle-raising practices. By eating more vegetarian meals, you can reduce your impact on the environment.
Top photo courtesy of:Knowtheflax.com
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