Elderly Care Tips: How to Navigate Packaging Size When You Go Grocery Shopping

Elderly Care in Thomasville NC

If you are like most family caregivers, going to the grocery store either for or with your aging loved ones is a regular part of your elderly care routine. Whether you pick up their groceries for them at the same time as you do your grocery shopping for your home, or you bring them along so that they can get some social interaction and physical activity, you want to make sure that you are not just getting everything on your list, but that you are doing it within your parents’ grocery budget. Many seniors live on a strict fixed budget, which means that there is no wiggle room when it comes to how much they have to put into filling their refrigerator, pantry, and closets each month. Making the most of each dollar ensures they can get the food and household products that they need without putting a strain on their finances.

One of the things that makes a major impact on your grocery budget and how much you are actually getting is the packaging size of common foods and household items. It can be extremely confusing trying to determine what to get so that you can make the most of the money that you have without sacrificing what items you purchase. Understanding how companies look at packaging size, and how you can work around it, can help you save money and get more each month.

Try these tips, and share them with your parents’ elderly health care services provider, to navigate packaging size when you go grocery shopping:

• Recognize the difference. Have you thought that packages of your favorite foods or other household products have looked smaller recently, or that you have been going through items more quickly than you used to? It is not just you. Many manufacturers, almost all major brands, have been gradually decreasing the amount of product in their packages without lowering prices, some cutting what they put in the packages by as much as 20 percent. By recognizing this difference you can understand why your grocery budget does not seem to be as effective as it used to be, and gets you ready to take control and make some changes.

• Translate prices. You might look at two boxes of cereal sitting beside each other and automatically go for the one with the lower price tag. Closer inspection of the sticker, however, might show you that while that second box is a few cents more expensive, it may actually be the less expensive option in the long run. Always check the “price per unit” on the price sticker. This will show you how much each unit, whether it is an ounce, a gram, a pound, or some other measurement, costs in final price. You often find that the price per unit of a slightly larger package of something is far lower than the smaller package. This means you might be paying a little bit more initially, but you are getting far more for it and will have paid less for the same amount.

• Compare brands. Take some time to evaluate all of the different brands of a particular item. Not all companies have reduced their package size, so find the ones that have not and use those. Remember that smaller packages mean bigger budgets. Buying the smaller package means you are going to have to buy it again soon, so even if you have brand loyalty, do an experiment one week and try a different brand that has more in the package for the same or an even better price. Very often the generic brands are made by the exact same plants, meaning it is the same quality, just with a different name.

If you or an aging loved one are considering elderly care in Thomasville, NC, contact the caring professionals at TenderHearted Home Care today. Call us at (704) 207-0265