Views expressed in this article are the author’s opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of Secure Single. It is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It is not investment or financial advice. James Bollen is the author of Thriving Solo: How to Flourish and Live Your Perfect Life (Without A Soulmate). Now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon. Subscribe to Secure Single’s Substack for free!
When it comes to being single, you’re either living alone, or with a pack of amazing roommates (your parent’s don’t count). Adulting is hard, but we don’t judge. So at the grocery store, what are singles actually buying, and how do their purchasing habits differ from their married counterparts? Let’s explore.
Shopping for an Army of One, or Some…
According to Business Insider, the number of millennials with roommates has surged in recent years. More young adults have roommates, than in previous years. For this, you are either buying in bulk (which is really smart), or you are dividing up the grocery bill with your roommate(s). Singles have gotten smart when it comes to their grocery bill, and many are beginning to meal prep. With roommates, or solo, meal prepping can actually be very effective when you are working towards saving extra money at the end of the month, and you also have more time to control what you eat. Meal prepping is associated with making healthier meals, and avoiding potentially dangerous foods found in drive-throughs.
What’s in the Cart Matters
You’ve just got paid, and your fridge is empty, again. It’s time to head to the grocery store. What do you put on your list? It depends, though what you buy will differ from the traditional ‘married with children’ shopper. Things you don’t need to worry about spending money on generally fall into the family items category. Diapers, children snacks, and chow for your significant other, adds up pretty quickly. When you’ve got your list of items budgeted out and on a piece of paper, you’ll easily notice a smaller chunk of change going towards your food, rather than the opposite. Go ahead and add that extra cash to your emergency fund.
Alcohol
This may not always be at the store, but when singles buy alcohols it is generally for the purpose of socializing. It’s no secret that singles have more of a social life than those who are married off with children. Singles are more self-sufficient and fulfilled. It would only make sense, then, that singles would invest in alcohol, a nice touch to any house party. Elite Daily found that single people drink nearly three times as much as couples do, and spend about $60 on average a week in comparison to their married counterparts of $22 a week.
Other than the basic housing expenses, singles generally allocate their money differently when it comes to spending. Let us know how you spend your hard earned cash in the comments below. Stay secure and live the best life ever in your singles journey.
Views expressed in this article are the author’s opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of Secure Single. It is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It is not investment or financial advice. James Bollen is the author of Thriving Solo: How to Flourish and Live Your Perfect Life (Without A Soulmate). Now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon. Subscribe to Secure Single’s Substack for free!
More men are making their ways to the grocery stores to buy food to cook for themselves. Grocery shopping is an important life skills. Marriage is being delayed or put off completely resulting in more single men having to learn how to shop at the grocery store. It is important that men know how to shop because it is a life skill. All adults should know how to shop wisely and how to best spend money while at the grocery store. There are some best practices that single men should use when going to the grocery store that save time and money.
3 Best Grocery Shopping Practices For Single Men
Know How the Store is Organized
Single men should know how to navigate a grocery store. Grocery stores can be broken down to roughly six different sections. First, there is the vegetable section. Second, is the deli and prepared food section features side dishes and prepared chicken. Third, the meat section where you will find seafood and a range of different types of meats in the store. Next, the dairy section is where milk, yogurt, and cheese can be found and is often in the back of the store near the frozen food aisles. Fifth, the frozen aisle is often one the left side of the store and this is where the prepared frozen food can be found. Finally, the canned meat and pasta sections that are in the middle of the store. Those are the main parts of a grocery store.
Navigate the Store
After learning how grocery stores are set up, it is important to know how to be efficient when visiting the grocery store and to buy what is on your list. An important rule to save when going to the grocery store is to stick to a shopping list and not to go to the store when hungry. The simplest way to navigate a grocery store is to start at the fresh vegetables section and then work through the different sections. After all the groceries are picked up, it is time to go to the checkout.
Save Money
There are a few different ways to save money when going to the grocery store. If the produce and meat will be cooked in the day couple of days, buy vegetables and meat that marked downs prices. These reduced priced vegetables and meats should still be inspected before making the purchase, but often times they are fine. This will lower the grocery bill since meat is often the most expensive product at the grocery store. Another way to cut back costs and save money at the store is buy the store’s brand instead of major brand. The grocery store’s white label product is very similar to the branded product and sometime the store’s brand uses the very same source for its products as the name brand. Buy the store’s brand instead of the name product and save anywhere from a few cents to a few dollars. These two steps will help to save money on groceries at the store.
Grocery shopping is a life skill. It requires being committed to a grocery list and not spending more at the store than is required for the week. Single men can follow the three steps to assist them on their next shopping trip. It does not matter if it is the first time or one hundredth time shopping alone. Go in with a plan. Navigate the store. Be effective and get what is needed for meals that week. Purchase products that are listed at reduced prices and buy the store’s off brand.
Views expressed in this article are the author’s opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of Secure Single. It is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It is not investment or financial advice. James Bollen is the author of Thriving Solo: How to Flourish and Live Your Perfect Life (Without A Soulmate). Now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon. Subscribe to Secure Single’s Substack for free!
Grocery shopping single can be difficult. Produce and packaged foods typically are sold in family sizes, although there more individual servings of rice and sides becoming available as food companies begin to recognize that Millennials are staying single longer. Food waste is a problem, not just for singles but for the average American, as the National Resources Defense Council found that the Americans throw out $28 to $43 worth of uneaten food each month. Singles should make sure to pick up what they need at the grocery store on their weekly or bi-weekly shopping trip. Be organized, shop smart, and use a shopping list app. Here’s a guide for grocery shopping as a single and how to shop for one the next time you go to the store.
Vegetables
Fresh vegetables can be used for snacking or for cooking. Baby carrots, Persian cucumbers, and bell peppers are a good choices as they are sold individually and easy to eat. Fresh vegetables that work for cooking include medium onions, garlic, fresh herbs, and avocados. Vegetables can be difficult to eat before they rot. For this reason, consider getting frozen vegetables. It has been found that frozen vegetables are actually more nutritious than fresh vegetables. You can buy mixed vegetables along with other popular vegetables in the frozen aisle. The portions are generally better for one person compared to buying fresh vegetables.
Fruit
For fruit, it is best to buy fruits that can be purchased according to the number that you will eat for that week. The most commonly available fruits will be apples, oranges, bananas, peaches, and other related fruits. These fruits are ready to eat. Just get the number that you think you will eat each week.
Meat
Meat can be tricky to estimate because it is purchased by pounds. Plan meals around six ounces increments now double that according to the number of meals that you plan to eat the meat that you buy. Two pounds, or 32 ounces, will be about six meals depending on how big of an eater you are. Stores will typically have some pre-cut fish, pork, or beef around the meat section.
This is just a quick guide to help singles to better buy food on their trips to the grocery store. Singles live in a grocery store world that focuses on giving families the best deals. Plan your trips. Be a smart shopper. And do your best to not waste food. Be a responsible shopper and buy only what you need for each week.