Hi.

I'm Tasha from One Big Happy Life on behalf of The Financial Diet. And this is The Lifestyle Fix, brought to you by Wealthsimple.

In today's video, I'm going to be sharing 10 things that you should never buy from the grocery store. The Lifestyle Fix is all about helping you create the life that you want on any budget. And a big part of that is making sure that you're getting the most value out of your dollar that you possibly can.

After housing and transportation, food is the biggest part of most people's budgets here in the United States. When it comes to groceries, it's hard to beat the convenience of stopping by the grocery store on your way home from work for a few things to help you throw together a quick meal. But that convenience comes with a price.

You work hard for all of that money sitting in your bank account. So you probably don't want to spend it all on high grocery store markups when there are cheaper alternatives. So here's a list of 10 things to avoid at your grocery store-- Number one, spices.

The shelf life of dried spices can range from 1 to 4 years, which means it's totally OK to buy more than just a one or two months supply at a time. By opting to buy your spices in larger quantities and/or online, you can save yourself quite a bit. So let's use garlic powder as an example.

My local grocery store currently has garlic powder on sale for $1.40 per ounce. So a five ounce container was $7.50. Meanwhile, Amazon is selling the exact same brand of garlic powder for $9 for 26 ounces or $0.35 an ounce.

In this case, skipping the grocery store can save you an easy $27. Even if your spice repertoire only consists of salt, pepper, lemon pepper, and seasoning salt, you'd still be saving yourself an easy $100 just by skipping the grocery store and buying online instead. And if worried that you won't use that much or you don't have the space to store the extra, split your spice stash with a friend and save the both of you some money.

Remember, friends help friends stick to their budget. Number two, housewares. Every grocery store has that houseware aisle where they sell handy kitchen tools that you might find yourself in need of because Pinterest made you do it.

You'll find everything from whisks to baking sheets in this aisle. While it may seem like a great idea to pick up your kitchen essentials from the grocery store-- I mean, it is also where you buy the food that you're going to cook, right-- you really should give that aisle a hard pass. The kitchen utensils in the grocery store carry high prices and the quality isn't always that great.

Chances are whatever houseware item you're thinking about picking up is not actually something that you need right this second. Impulse purchases like these are a grocery store's bread and butter, whereas the actual bread and butter is what they use to lure you through the houseware aisle so they can get your money. So skip that aisle altogether.

And do some comparison shopping to make sure that you get the best deal. Number three, batteries. Chances are that you have at least a few items in your home that use batteries.

And that's especially true if you have little kids like I do. Batteries have some of the largest markups in the grocery store. Why?

Because they know that if you're buying them there, it's because you really, really need them, which means you're basically willing to pay just about anything for them. Rechargeable batteries are the absolute best way to keep yourself from making it rain on some AA batteries at the grocery store. So keep an eye out for sales or great prices online.

And slowly build up your stockpile. We store our extra batteries in a parts storage container so that, when we need batteries, we know exactly where to find them. We also stash battery chargers around the house to make it easy to swap out our dead batteries.

Number four, pre-cut produce. It can be really tempting to head straight to the pre-cut fruit in the produce section of the grocery store because it makes it that much easier to get a meal on the table without having to resort to takeout. But, of course, you're going to pay quite a bit of money for that convenience.

In reality, it really doesn't take that long to chop your own fruits and veggies. Instead of thinking of food prep as a chore that needs to be sped through as quickly as possible, allow yourself to take some time and be present and really enjoy the process of making delicious meals for yourself. So get yourself a good knife and a cutting board-- not from the houseware of the grocery store-- throw on some tunes or a Netflix show, and chop your own produce.

Not only is this good for your wallet, but it's also a great way to distress. Number five, bottled water. Bottled water is expensive for no good reason.

It's also pretty bad for the environment. So let's just skip ahead and just talk about the money saving alternatives. First, you can just drink from the tab.

Generally, here in the US, there are no major health benefits to avoiding tap water. So grab yourself a glass or a reusable water bottle and fill it her up. Having said that, if you do choose to drink filtered water, there are still several options that are a lot cheaper than constantly buying bottled water.

You can buy a water bottle or a water pitcher with a filter. You can attach a filter to your water faucet, use your refrigerator's filtered water, or even install your own reverse osmosis water filter. Save the planet and save your wallet all at the same time.

Number six, diapers. Everyone knows that having kids can be pretty pricey. Babies can go through as many as 10 diapers a day and around 3,000 their first year.

And most kids are in diapers for at least two to three years. So diapers can add up pretty quickly. My grocery store currently has our favorite diapers on sale for $0.28 a diaper.

That means a year's supply would cost us $840. The same diapers are available through Amazon Family Subscribe and Save for $0.18 a diaper or $540 for the year. By switching over to Amazon, we saved $300, plus there's the added convenience of getting our diapers automatically delivered to our doorstep every month.

And of course, you can also consider ditching disposable diapers entirely and opting for cloth diapers instead. These reusable diapers are typically cheaper in the long-run. And they're a greener alternative to disposable.

Plus, they even make them in swim diaper form. Number seven, baking mixes. This is another one of those items that's tempting because it's so convenient.

This is especially true if you're a newbie in the kitchen. But baking doesn't have to be intimidating. And it doesn't have to be expensive either, if you're willing to skip the premade baking mixes.

Instead, keep your pantry stocked with some basic staples like flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, milk, eggs, butter, vanilla extract, and cocoa powder if you're a chocolate lover. With these basic ingredients, you can make your own pancakes, waffles, brownies, cakes, and cookies from scratch. You'll save yourself a ton of money.

And you'll know exactly what's in your favorite sweet treats. Number eight, gift cards. When it comes to gift giving, you basically can't go wrong with a gift card, unless, of course, you're always getting them from the grocery store.

You need a last minute gift so you head over to the grocery store to grab a Bath and Body Works gift card and a card. Those same gift cards can be bought at a discount through websites like raise.com or at your local warehouse store. Online discounters often offer electronic gift cards that you can just print out if you're really in a pinch.

So the next time you're looking for a last minute gift, head online and snag one at a discount. And pick up a card from the dollar store instead because it's so much cheaper. Number nine, pet food.

You might be noticing a trend here. You can get a better deal on just about anything if you're willing to buy in bulk. Grocery store pet food is typically sold in smaller bags, which means that it's going to cost more per unit.

They also have a much narrower selection than what you'd find at a specialty store where you also get the added bonus of being able to bring your furry friend shopping with you. So check out your local specialty store or warehouse store for great deals. Or consider using a pet food subscription service.

Number 10, anything that wasn't on your list. One of the best ways to keep your grocery bill low is to plan your meals out in advance and make a list of items that you need before you ever set foot in the grocery store. Take a look at the store's sale circular while you're putting together your list.

If you spot any good deals, add them to your list now. That way, when you get to the grocery store, you'll know exactly what you're looking for and you won't waste money on impulse purchases. If it's not on your list, don't buy it.

Shopping with a grocery list will reduce the need for those last minute convenience trips to the grocery store that can really add up over time. Creating systems that can help you remember to buy toilet paper before you run out or remind you to snag birthday gifts well in advance will save you quite a bit in the long run. And speaking of easy ways to save money, Wealthsimple is an online investment service that makes it easy to start investing and saving like a pro.

Just answer a few simple questions and they'll build you a custom portfolio that's designed to fit your financial goals, whether it's using smart savings accounts to save for your next vacation or building your long-term nest egg in an IRA. Best of all, it runs on autopilot. Just set up automatic transfers and let it go to work in the background.

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As always, thank you so much for watching. And don't forget to hit the Subscribe button and come back every single Friday for new episodes of The Lifestyle Fix. Bye.