Grocery shopping: How to shop with little money in Nigeria

Have you done grocery shopping recently? How did you feel? I can wager that you were shocked (or annoyed) at the rising price of food items. That feeling is understandable. Here’s why: food items constitute the majority of household price surges in the May 2023 inflation report. 

Despite the never-ending price hike, you don’t need to break the bank to shop for food. In this article, we’ll teach you how to shop for food with little money in Nigeria. 

3 ways to shop with little money in Nigeria

It’s almost blasphemy to put “little money” and grocery shopping on the same table. But these tips will help you shop for more food on a reasonable budget. 

1. Use a shopping list

Unpreparedness is every shopper’s enemy. Suddenly, every food appeals to you during shopping, which isn’t entirely wrong. But when you’re on a limited budget, you need to set food priorities. This is where you need a shopping list.

Although there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to creating a shopping list, the following tips will come in handy: 

• Know your health goals: The shopping list for pregnant women isn’t the same for diabetics or individuals with ulcers. Your health and body state influence the food you eat. Plan your shopping list accordingly. For instance, if you’re trying to lose weight, your shopping list should include cruciferous vegetables, dark leafy vegetables, and weight-friendly fruits like cucumbers and carrots. 
• Take inventory: How many times have you bought grocery items you forgot you had at home? I’ve been there a few times, especially a few weeks ago when I bought extra salt I didn’t need. Poor me!  

But inventory can help you avoid overspending. Take note of the food items you have and need. Check your store, kitchen, fridge, and other storage places to be sure you’re not buying food items you don’t need or already have at the expense of immediate needs. 

• Prioritize fresh products: Generally, fresh food items have a longer shelf-life. In cases where canned or processed foods are healthy options, go for them because they have moderate longevity. 

Shopping tip: Whether you want fresh or processed food items, Pricepally is the one-stop online grocery store you should look at. 

2. Buy food in bulk 

If you live in urban areas, like Lagos, you already know that regular market trips aren’t cheap. But bulk buying helps you save on transportation costs. 

When you shop on Pricepally, you’ll enjoy the added benefit of Pally, the bulk-sharing feature. Like your regular food group, Pally allows you to share food prices with your friends or other shoppers.  But unlike food groups, you can pay for your slot as soon as you’re ready. 

This is how Pally works: Suppose you want to buy a bag of rice, but you can’t afford it. Pally lets you share the cost with other friends. This way, you can buy the portion you need without breaking the bank. 

The foodstuffs you should buy in bulk depend on your needs. The general rule is to prioritize non-perishable items first, then your preferred perishable items. For this reason, the following foodstuffs are regular staples on the shopping lists of Nigerian households:  

• Soup ingredients and spices. E.g., onions, garlic, thyme, curry. 
• Edible oils, such as red palm oil and groundnut oil. 
• Starchy foodstuffs. Examples are cereals (e.g., rice and wheat), beans, garri, yam and yam flour, and pasta (e.g., instant noodles, spaghetti, and macaroni).  
• Breakfast meals. E.g., eggs, plantains, and adult cereals like golden morn, cornflakes, and oats. 
• Fruits of the season. E.g., Agbalumo (African star apple), mango, and African pear (ube). 

Shopping tip: It’s a good idea to buy baby foods in bulk as a new parent. Newborns require specific nutrients from baby cereals and formula for healthy growth. Some of the baby cereals for babies aged 6 months and older are: 

• Nestle Cerelac
• Nestle Lactogen 2
• Nestle Nan Optipro

3. Shop at an online grocery store like Pricepally

Generally, online grocery stores offer shopping convenience. But that’s not the only benefit of shopping online. For instance, Pricepally sells fresh food products at cheaper rates compared to local markets because they source food directly from farmers and suppliers. Shopping convenience plus slashed food prices are the perfect combo you need to shop more without breaking the bank. 

Besides, watch out for reward cards, coupons, and loyalty bonuses in online stores. The schemes let you buy food at discounted prices, especially if you’re a returning shopper. 

Frequently Asked Questions about online grocery shopping in Nigeria 

How can I buy food in bulk online in Nigeria?

Online stores and supermarkets are the best places to buy food online. Despite the easy access and convenience online supermarkets offer, some sell groceries at retail prices, making it expensive to shop in bulk. 

Pricepally, however, sells farm-fresh products and grocery items at wholesale prices, making it easy to buy food in bulk online. The Pally feature also makes bulk shopping easy on your budget. Here’s how to use the Pally feature:

• Log in to your Pricepally account on the web or mobile app. Choose the food you want to buy, as the gif below shows.

• Select “Pally (Split Bill)” under “Select Order Type.” Select the number of people you want to share food prices with and proceed to checkout. 
• We also have preexisting Pally deals detailing the prices of available slots. All you need to do is “Buy slot” to proceed to the checkout. 

Which website is the best for grocery shopping in Abuja and Port Harcourt?

The best grocery stores save time, offer bulk-buying options, make shopping accessible, and timely delivery service. Pricepally, which operates in Abuja, Lagos, and Port Harcourt, gives you all the features while selling food at relatively low prices compared to local supermarkets. You can place your order through the web, mobile app, or WhatsApp shopping assistant (April). 

Can I Pally with other shoppers through April, the WhatsApp shopping assistant? 

You can order food in bulk through WhatsApp. But as at the time of writing, you can only use the Pally feature on the mobile and web apps.