9 Grocery shopping hacks for broke Cameroonian housewives during inflation.

The next time you go to the market to do grocery shopping for your family, these tips are going to come handy.

Gone are those days when our mothers could take just 1000frs to the market, buy and cook a whole meal for a family of 5 or more.

Oh boy has that changed...

Nowadays, even10,000frs looks like coins when you go grocery shopping in the local market.

Hello, welcome to another housewife hacks and tips.Today we are going to be talking about grocery shopping in the local market as a housewife in Cameroon .

GROCERY PRICES ARE INCREASING IN THE MARKET.

I'm sure by now you know the cost of living in Cameroon has increased. Rent, transportation and food..

Everything now is getting expensive in the market day by the day..Even garri that has been the hungar rescuerer and equally saving lives in Cameroon, and AFRICA as a whole, for no less than 70+yrs(I think), the price has gone up so much that garri which we used to buy 50frs per glass some few years back, is now 150-200frs. Tripled the price.

This just takes me back in my primary school days, whenever I get back home from school hungry and mom still hasn't finished cooking, soaking garri with sugar was the next available option. It was almost as if it was a full meal in many Cameroonian households. So I really do take this personaly..lol 

Anyways it's not about me...

Not just garri..other Cameroonian household food stables like corn, groundnut, beans,cocoyam etc have pretty much doubled in price aswell.

Inflation is affecting Cameroonian housewives and their Households.

It's now save to say 3 square meals a day has now become a luxury for most lower and middle class families living in the big cities in Cameroon. 

Because not many families can afford to feed their families 3 meals a day coupled with the Anglophone crises which has displaced so many people from their homes in the villages and now you see up to 10 to 12 people living in one house in these citied. 

So whether you're broke or not? It doesn't matter if prices of tomatoes and veggies quadrupled or cost of transportation has gone through the roof..one thing is certain....and it is....YOU and Your FAMILY have to eat every single day. I mean food is a necessity.

Now as a homemaker who is responsible for buying groceries, cooking and sharing food so everyone in the house can eat, it becomes a challenging task because even though prices are increasing, salaries remains the same and most husbands don't increase the allowance for the home or "chop money" as we call it and you can't really blame them. It's just how it is now, Times are simply hard!!

Times have changed! Change with it.

It's high time you realize that times have changed and you obviously need to be making changes and adjustments to your lifestyle and daily habits inorder to be financially upright able to eat atleast 3 square meals a day. because inflation is no joke..

You need to start implementing new strategies and money saving techniques in everything including when you go grocery shopping.

Unfortunately there are still so many housewives out there who uses the same strategies they have been using years back. Some people are just oblivious and reluctant to change and I get it but the way things are going, Change is a must.

That's why I will be sharing with you some of the tips tricks I have learnt and what I personally use during grocery shopping as a Cameroonian housewife which makes my life a bit easier.

Tips to save money when next you go out for groceries shopping in the market.

Listen, I'm not perfect either because every day I learn, unlearn and relearn new and improved strategies. 

I'm not going to lie, I had a hard time grocery shopping for my house because of the increase in prices just like most women at the beginning.

I would feel so frustrated every time I go to the market to buy my weekly or monthly groceries, and eventually end up not buying everything because prices seems to be 3 times their normal prices?

I will go to the market planning on buying groceries for atmost 7k but end up spending alot more than I bargained. My little savings got finished because I also had to assist my husband financially too.

I started doing research (and I mean it). Asking questions to other women in the neighborhood, copying or micmicking other women bargaining skills in the market, and ofcourse I would implement everything just so I could be the one to gain.

 Here are my top 9 tips;

1) Upgrade your bargaining skills.

Some women are just experts in bargaining. They have masters this skill so perfectly.They can bargain like ABC. However there are others like me who find it embarrassing.

 I mean, I used to feel embarrassed whenever I visit the market with a particular friend who has mastered this skill perfectly. she would bargain ( knack price ) for everything even if it cost 100frs. I would call her out for that but It didn't change anything.She has no shame in her game. But you know what, I came to realised that it was a very essential skill to learn especially during hard times. Her bargaining skill rub off on me because I started copying her and it worked. I would buy things cheaper or the exact price I had antocipates

2) Get your Change  ( coins) in full after buying.

There are a group of people who do not put value into coins like 25frs, 50frs and 100frs. If you're in that group of persons, then you are creating a big hole in your pocket without even knowing. I know alot of people when they buy, they let go of their change either because the sales person tells you there are no coins just so you could buy something else..don't do that!!! because every coin counts. Try to get all your change after buying no matter how small.

Save your coins. Don't underestimate a fr or cent or penny.  Think of it this way, if you have 1000frs in cash, without 25frs there wouldn't be 1000frs right?

3) Know which market sells less and buy from the market.

As a housewife you need to investigate and ask questions from other women. Know all the markets near you and buy from the cheapest.

4) Group buy with other women.

If you want to buy things like fresh fish, meat, then you can go to the cold store and you'll meet other women who will gladly group buy with you. Goup buying will be more advantageous since you'll be buying in bulk and cheaper as opposed to buying small quantities.

5) Always carry your own bags to the market.

When going to the market, always carry a big plastic bag that can fit everything you want to buy and avoid the extra cost of buying plastic bags because your load can't fit the small bag you have. If you don't do this, you'll discover you spend atleast 1000frs monthly buying big bags just to come add to the ones you have in your house 

6) Be conscious of your Needs vs your Wants.

There are alot of women who can't even differentiate their wants from their needs.

Wants are things you can actually do without. they are not that important e.g yaourt, chinchin, gateau, Ice cream, the 5th pair of shoes or slippers, those hope earnings you wear once in 2 yrs, those are all wants.

while Needs on the other hand are necessities. things that you can't afford to leave it e.g like vegetables, fruits.

when you visit the market be conscious of your needs and let go of wants. 

7) ALWAYS make a market list before going to the market and stick to the list.

 As a housewife, especially during this time, you cannot afford to visit the market without some sort of market list. It's a big No No.

 Always write down what you want to buy and the price beside. If you don't know the exact price, you can ask your neighbors or write down an extimated price. 

8) Don't fall for lesser prices of things you can do without.

what are the odds that as housewives you go to the market and in the course of buying, you see a dress or purse that you like or had wanted to buy before but could not afford. then "fortunately" on this day the price is lesser, now because you have some extra money on you which ofcourse you had planned to use for something else, you end up buying the dress because it's cheaper. Wrong move!!! I can't begin to stress how much this habit has caused me and so many other housewives financial setbacks. 

9) Buy healthy and fresh groceries from Farmers or from their farmlands at cheaper.

 Try to buy directly from farmers you know or buy directly from their farms. You could ask around your neighborhood, you'll most likely find women who plants and sells their own crops. It is an opportunity for you to buy from them. You can place a command so that when they harvest they can come deliver to you fresh. Or you could even ask to follow them to their farms if they'll let you, to buy which ofcourse is going to be way cheaper.

Conclusions.

Don't compromise on food quality no matter what.

Personally, I don't joke with what goes into my husband and children's mouth. I do everything I can to give them good and healthy food. Healthy food makes a healthy home right?

 I live by this quote as a mom and housewife;

"PAY THE FARMER, NOT THE DOCTOR"

What's the essence of compromising on your food quality when you would have to go to the hospital paying huge sums of money to fix what you could have prevented if you had put the right spices in place for a balanced diet.

Always try to improve your strategies so you can save more.

Do you have any suggestions to add to these tips? Because it's going to help someone. If you do, please leave it in the comment section down below.