Just like a business, effectively managing your inventory at home can mean time and money. If you do it well, you will spend less money and have more time.

My husband doesn’t necessarily want to be bothered with it and this is evidenced when he does any shopping. He requires a detailed list and purchases everything on the list and only items on the list. When asked why he paid $8 for grapes…his reply is – ‘grapes were on the list’. He has no idea what an outrageous price is or what something usually costs versus  on sale – so it doesn’t help if I add the words ‘only if on sale’ to the list. Nor does he compare between brands to check quality and price. He is perfectly capable but he doesn’t do these tasks on a regular basis and doesn’t have the data on the top of his head.

I on the other hand, take it as a personal challenge to buy things we use at the lowest price. I don’t drive around all over the city but I keep a running inventory in my head and scan the prices as I’m doing regular shops. I maintain a running list and set a menu so that I only shop once a week. I’ve also learned which places sell what categories of items (grocery, household, drugstore, clothing) at the lowest prices. When I see common items we use on sale, I buy multiples. I go to a fruit and vegetable store as opposed to buying these items at the larger grocery stores. There is always a huge difference in prices.

It’s not a complicated system and most people have their own. Whatever works for you but if you don’t have a system or think that maybe yours could be improved…there’s probably some time and money savings in it for you!