If you are looking for easy hacks to save money on groceries, you found the right place!
Do you want to learn how to save money on groceries? but you are feeling frustrated because you have no idea where to start.
If you have been trying for a while to lower your grocery budget but have not been successful and you worry because you think you cant do it.
You are not alone my friend.
We are all too familiar with the feeling of going to the grocery store, buying just a few items and being shocked by how much those few items cost.
You come out scratching your head and thinking hmmmmm .
Related Post:
Dave Ramsey Budget Percentage Explained
How Can You Save More Money When You Go Shopping?
If this is you, keep reading to see my simple tips on how to save tons of money on groceries.
You would be surprised to see how simple to implement some of these tips truly are.
We all need to learn how to buy smart to lower our grocery bills.
Remember YOU have total control over your grocery bill !!!
According to The Bureau Of Labor, food is the third-largest expense for American families and households.
This means we are not saving money on groceries. That’s for sure.
When I started keeping track of my expenses, I was surprised … NOT just surprised … HORRIFIED and appalled by how much of my hard-earned money was going towards groceries.
This got me thinking ????
To make it easier for myself I created a “monthly expenses spreadsheet”. I’m a big fan of spreadsheets.
I’m a total nerd. What can I say!
My husband always tells me what a total nerd I am.
But I always answer back to him “YES I am a nerd…proud to be, but a SEXY nerd nevertheless ???? ”
Let’s get back on track to our topic on how to save more money.
After I realized how much money I was spending on my shopping trips to the supermarket, I came up with a plan on how to lower my monthly grocery bill.
My plan went through a few tweaks, transformations, and makeovers over the course of several weeks.
Then as I kept implementing new ways, I started seeing how much money I was saving without sacrificing taste or going hungry.
By following these simple steps, your wallet will thank you.
You will be surprised how much you can save each week, each month and each year.
Now without further ado
Simple Ways of Saving Money on Groceries and Maximize Your Grocery Budget
How To Save Money On Groceries At Home
1. Save Money By Planning Meals
One of the easiest ways to maximize your budget is to plan your meals ahead of time.
By the way, this step is very important don’t skip it.
Just set aside a few minutes of your time to plan your weekly meals.
This is the weekly menu I use. Feel free to download it for free and ENJOY !! ????
Once you have created your weekly menus you have to try your best and stick to your list.
DO NOT go get tempted to buy what’s NOT on your list.
Make a simple budget and keep it simple.
In my case, for example, to make my life easier, I have what I call my main meal. My main big meal focus is on dinner.
I always cook extra . . . ALWAYS… to take leftovers to work for lunch so does hubby and kiddo when she is around and not at University.
Make dinner staples that you eat every week. This way life is so much simpler and easy going.
For example, I have “Chicken Parmesan Tuesdays” – “Burger night Thursdays” – “Pasta Sundays” every single week and that makes meal planning easier for me.
Because it takes the guessing out of it and leaves me a few free days for “What do I have a taste for today”
For instance, breakfast is quite simple. At least I try to keep it simple.
I love oats and smoothies.
They are easy, delicious and fast to prepare.
Also now for the best part, the kids love it!
Take a look at this Healthy and Cheap Foods to Buy when you are Broke for a list of frugal foods to buy and frugal recipes.
You can grocery shop on a budget even if you are following a ketogenic diet or a low carb diet.
Diets can become quite expensive if you don’t plan ahead.
But it doesn’t have to be.
I compiled 21 keto recipes and low carb recipes.
They are the Best Frugal Keto Dinners – Fast and Easy to Make
Once you have your meal plan completed and ready, its time to move to the next step … Make the list.
2. Eat Before You Shop
Make sure you eat before you go grocery shopping.
If you are anything like me when I go grocery shopping hungry I want everything I see insight.
The next few times you go shopping pay attention to your buying habits based on either if you are hungry vs not being hungry.
I mean from the potato chips to the cookies and the juices… you name it, I want it!
This my friends is my number 1 sabotage for my budget.
But since I want to save major cash on groceries, what I do is I have a snack at home before heading out.
Also, please …. please …. please, you must try and avoid last-minute temptations and impulse buys.
Especially those well-placed items by the register.
3. Make A Grocery List
Before heading out to the grocery store, go take a look at your fridge and pantry.
Then take inventory of what you already have on hand and available.
So many times I went to the grocery store to come back home and notice I already had some of the items.
Shaking my head right now just remembering my rookie mistakes.
A shopping list will also help you get in and out of the store quick.
Since you are not in the store for too long and are focused on your list …GUESS WHAT?? …. You save cash!!! Hoooraayyyy!!!
Another thing worth mentioning, avoid last-minute impulse buys.
Just like those chocolate chip cookies, or that ice cream I mentioned earlier. We don’t really need those.
I mean eating them once in a while is great, but it will save you money on groceries and also save you those pesky extra pounds that come with eating cookies and ice cream.
So, what did we learn here? That a list it is a time-saver just as much as a money saver.
4. Don’t Throw Food Away
If you have leftover put them in containers and put them in the fridge or freeze them.
You would be saving more money as well as precious time.
All you need to do is take out the container from the fridge and heat up.
Leftovers are a great option for next day lunch or even a few days later dinner.
Just make sure you store them in airtight containers.
5. Build A Sensible Stockpile To Save on Groceries
When items are on sale, most stores limit the number of items a customer can buy.
Usually, the store limits 4 items per customer.
When you combine a store sale with a manufacturer coupon, your savings increase exponentially.
Take advantage of sales and buy a few items of the same product at a time.
For example, when I go shopping and find detergent on sale and I combine that sale with a manufacturer coupons, I buy a few.
6. Eliminate Unnecessary Ingredients
Buy your spices at the dollar store to get the best bang for your bucks.
Also, when cooking, make meals with fewer ingredients to minimize cost.
You would be surprised how simple this hack really is.
Money-Saving Tip –
Never buy spice mixes or rubs. Make your own spice mixes with what you have in your pantry. Mixed spices tend to be really pricey at the store.
How To Save Money On Groceries At The Store
1. Buy Generic
When you compare brand names with their generic counterpart or the store brand, you will see a big difference in price.
In general, brand-name products are better than generic products. Or at least their marketing is. This concept isn’t really disputed because if generic vs. brand-name items were priced the same, you would go with the brand name every single time.
CBS News
When it comes to taste, it’s a personal preference.
But really, generic brands taste just as good if not better as your beloved brand name.
I buy generic or store brand names for most of my food staples for my family. Such as flour, sugar, salt, etc.
Why spend more money when we can’t tell the difference in taste.
In the end, the purpose here is to save money on groceries.
For every penny you save is good for your wallet and your budget.
2. Save Money On Groceries With Coupons
Don’t do all your shopping at one store, shop around.
Sometimes you can find better prices at the dollar store.
Pantry staples like sugar, flour, pasta, etc.
Look for sales in your supermarkets.
Also, make sure to get the supermarket circular or go online and see what sales are being offered for that week.
Always get the weekly circular.
Sign up for your store reward programs.
Keep your card in your key-chain or in your car glove department.
Search for coupons online or in newspapers.
Go to your favorite products website and find coupons and offers directly from the manufacturer.
When you combine in-store sales with manufacturer’s coupons you will be maximizing your savings.
This is how you save money on groceries with coupons.
3. Eat Less Meat
In most cases, meat is the most expensive item on your grocery list.
Therefore, aim at having meat-free meals to reduce the amount of meat you consume each week.
Also, by eating less meat you will be incorporating more vegetables to your diet. Hence eating healthier.
Plan for two or three vegetarian meals per week.
It will lower your grocery bill considerably and your waistline would love it as well.
Find meatless recipes your family loves.
Think outside the box. Additionally, many meals are meatless (vegetarian) by nature.
For example, pasta marinara, vegetable soups, and salads are easy and affordable ideas to have meatless meals.
Going meatless a few times a week could save you hundreds of dollars a year on groceries.
4. Get A Rain Check On Store Sales
If you are unable to find and an item that is on sale at the store, or that is out of stock, ask an employee and get a rain check for that item.
A rain check is a voucher that the manager will sign and give you the sale price for when the item is re-stocked.
This voucher is good even if the item is no longer on sale.
5. Use Coupon Apps For Groceries
We all have smartphones, therefore lets put them to use.
By using these coupon apps you can save even more money.
When combined with store sales and manufacturer coupons it gets even better.
Below is the list of all my favorite apps I have on my phone. You can download the apps for free.
They work on iPhone and Android phones.
These are my favorite coupon apps to save money on groceries
6. Don’t Buy Bottled Water And You Will Save Money
Bottled Water Costs 2000 Times As Much As Tap Water. If you live in a city where the water is drinkable by all means drink the free water.
Why spend money on water when you can drink from the tap, faucet.
I save hundreds of dollars every month with these 25 things I stopped buying to save money
On the other hand, if the water from the tap is not drinkable invest in a water filter like a Brita Water Filter.
Related Post:
What is an Emergency Fund? Easy Tips to Start One
7. Price Match
Many grocery stores offer price matching. Just call your store and ask.
You would be surprised how many of them offer this super cash saving perk.
All you need to do is just ask for a price match.
Show prove that other stores have the same item at a lower price. It’s that simple.
8. Shop After Holiday Sales
Many stores overstocked their inventory before the holidays for fear of running out.
After the holidays are over they put those items on sale.
This is the time for you to take full advantage and go grocery shopping.
Pay attention to major holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, Fourth of July, Labor Day and Memorial Day to name a few.
These are prime times to go grocery shopping after since the store wants to empty their shelves to move on to the next items.
9. Shop Alone
There are so many reasons to go alone to the supermarket. It allows you to stay focus on your list.
This makes you more efficient.
Also because you are efficiencies it allows you to come in and out in a jiffy.
Try your best to leave the kiddos at home with dad.
They will distract you. Also, they want EVERYTHING that their eye catches.
Believe me on this one. My kid suffers for the “I want that” syndrome. I still love my little munching to death though ????
10. Avoid Pre-Cut and Prepackaged Items
I used to be the poster child for buying pre-cut and pre-seasoned items. Guilty as charged ????
My train of thought was that I was saving time. Soon I realized how this convenience was costing me lots of money.
No wonder my grocery bill was through the roof. I was paying for convenience.
Just to save a few minutes, I was bleeding away cash.
I was literally throwing money away. If only I could turn back time… and get that money back…sigh.
The key here is to stay focus on saving money
You can always make it fun with the kids by spending quality time in the kitchen with them.
Also, you can have them help you wash and cut the vegetables and fruits.
Even better have hubby together with the kids in the kitchen with you and catch up on your day while prepping your food and spending quality time with the family.
Besides these will be the memories and traditions you and the children will create for the rest of your lives.
Not to mention you will be teaching your kids the ropes on how to save money when they get their own homes.
11. Don’t Shop The Aisles At Eye Level
Have you noticed that the most expensive products are at eye level?
The shelves are arranged very carefully to target different consumers of different ages.
Companies pay lots of cash to have their product showcased at eye level.
Guess how are their target consumers? KIDS.
Most sugary products are placed on shelves where kids can see immediately.
Certainly, there is no coincide about that. that’s why kids go nuts all the time. Mom, I want this!. Mom, I want that!
Most of the time we parents will buy our kids the item.
Learn to say NO.
You will not only be saving money but also you will be doing your child a great service by not feeding them unhealthy sugary foods.
12. Keep An Eye On The Cashier
Make sure when you reach the cashier, that you keep an eye on that cash register screen for every single item she (he) scans.
So many times there are glitches with their systems when an item is on sale but the registers scan it as full price.
This has happened to me so many times.
If I would not have been paying attention to the screen I would have paid the full price.
So eyes on the price!! literally ????
13. Look For Discount Bins
Supermarkets usually have a clearance aisle or bin.
Look for those and most often than not you will find good items there.
Lots of people get the wrong idea or impression when it comes to the clearance section in the store
If you are of this mentality I will urge you to think again and reconsider.
Often items that are about to get out of season, get marked down.
As well as items that have been rebranded with the packaging.
The stores want to get them out quickly so they can stock the more new “shiny” “rebranded” package items.
Find The Best Places To Shop And Save Money On Groceries
1. Shop At Discounted Stores
For your basics and staple items shop at discounted stores.
You can buy dry goods like pasta, flours, sugar, salt, and similar items.
Also what I notice and it saved me lots of money are the frozen fruits.
They are so much cheaper at discounted stores than at the grocery store.
Some of my favorite stores.
- Aldi
- Dollar Tree
- Dollar General
2. Shop The Local Farmers Market
Shopping foods that are in season is one of the easiest ways to save money and eat healthy fresh vegetables and fruits.
Produce and fruits in the farmer’s markets are locally grown. from the farm to the market.
These foods are more affordable and more nutrient-dense.
The grocery counterpart is more expensive because it needs to be shipped from accross the country and manufacturers pass the cost to us the consumer.
Money-Saving Tip –
Go to the market as near to the closing time as possible.
Lots of vendors reduce prices because they would rather sell instead of having the item perish.
3. Shop For Groceries Online
Going online to shop for your groceries will save you time. Remember the expression “Time is money”?
Not only it will save time, but also money. You don’t have to spend gas to go on your trip to the store.
Stores I use to do online grocery shopping
- Amazon
- Fresh Direct
- Walmart
Money-Saving Tip –
Compare online prices with store sales to see where you can get the best discounts.
Let us summarize
How Can You Spend Less Money On Groceries?
- Plan meals
- Eat before you shop
- Make a grocery list
- Don’t throw food away
- Build a stockpile
- Eliminate unnecessary ingredients
- Buy generic
- Use coupons
- Eat less meat
- Get a rain check
- Use coupon apps
- Don’t buy bottled water
- Price match
- Shop after holidays
- Shop alone
- Avoid precut and prepackaged foods
- Don’t shop isles at eye level
- Keep an eye on the cashier screen
- Look for discount isles or bins
- Start shopping at discount stores
- Shop at the farmers market
- Shop online
By using these tips you will save hundreds of dollars every year.
To this end, I hope you apply some of my very simple easy ways to save money on groceries!
This will allow you to spend less and save more money
Do you have any savings? do you want to start saving more money?
Follow these simple steps you should be taking now to save more money and be financially free.
Remember to keep track of your budget and you will see big savings on groceries.
What are your favorite ways of cutting your grocery bill?
have you been using some of them already? Please share your tips in the comment area below.
Related Post:
Helpful Tips to Start Saving Money
150 Practical Money Saving Tips
