17 Must Know Tips To Save Money On Groceries

Nowadays, knowing how to save money on groceries has become incredibly helpful. So helpful that it can help you save hundreds, if not thousands of dollars each year on your bill. The amount you will be saving will make you want to always use these tips.

Food prices constantly increasing has made shopping for groceries incredibly frustrating.

As someone who has experienced this frustration way too many times, I can definitely say frugal shopping is the way to go.

Frugal shopping really pushes you to be smart with your spending and buy only what you truly need.

Allowing you to save money like a pro during your trips to the grocery store.

If you’re someone who constantly surpasses your budget, you might ask yourself, “How do I save money on groceries?”

You are going to learn how to spend less on groceries, where to shop to save money on groceries, and about grocery coupon apps.

After learning about all of these, you will become an expert on how to save money on groceries.

Using these tips may even help you cut your grocery bill in half.

This post is all about tips to save money on groceries every shopper should know about.

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Must Know Tips To Save Money On Groceries

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How To Make Your Grocery Bill Cheaper?

1. Meal Plan For The Week

Figuring out what to eat is something that crosses our mind every day.

Not having a plan can lead you to buy groceries that you don’t need or won’t be using any time soon.

This is why having a meal plan for the week is important.

Not going to lie, eating the same meal daily does get tiring. This is why it is best to plan out at least 2 to 3 different meals to switch things up throughout the week.

Having different options lowers the chances of you getting tired of eating the same meal over and over again.

Make sure to store your meal prepped food in containers that you can easily grab when you’re on the go.

This especially helps when heading to work as it prevents you from spending unnecessary money on take out food.

2. Change Which Stores You Buy From

Purchasing all of your groceries from a single store isn’t always the best way to save money.

That is because different stores will have some of your favorite items in stock, but marked at a lower price.

This is where browsing different stores in your area can be beneficial in saving money.

You might even find some of your favorite repurchased items cheaper at another local store.

One thing to keep in mind is how far the store that has lower marked priced items is.

If it is way too far, you might spend more on gas than is actually necessary. So plan your trips to the grocery store accordingly.

3. Buy Generic Brands

If you’re not already aware, brand name products are significantly pricier than generic products.

Because of this, stores will purposely place brand name products at eye level.

Take your time when browsing each section of the aisle. Make sure to search each shelf so that you are aware of all the generic products that are available.

Some of your favorite brand name items are even manufactured next to similar generic items in the exact same facility.

Meaning, you could potentially be spending more money just for the name rather than the actual product.

Now you may be thinking that the brand name only costs a couple of cents more than the generic.

However, the more generic products you switch to, the more money you will save.

The next time you’re out shopping, try generic brands instead. You might even like the generic brand a lot more and can be proud you were able to score some savings.

4. Shop Your Food Inventory First

This should always be done before doing any grocery shopping.

Nine times out of ten, you already have food at home you can use to make a couple of meals.

If you don’t have all the ingredients that you need, use this as a starting point when making your grocery list.

This also ensures you are not spending money on duplicate items.

When it comes to your inventory, always keep it as organized as you can. This makes the process of shopping your food inventory easier and faster.

Food items can often times get pushed all the way to the back.

So always check deep inside your fridge, freezer, and pantry when checking your inventory.

If you have trouble keeping things organized, you can purchase organizational trays.

These help by keeping all of your food in order, allowing you to easily see what you have.

5. Use A Calculator

Though this tip is helpful, most people don’t often think about it. That is to make sure to use a calculator when you’re out shopping.

As you shop around, it’s easy to get carried away and place all kinds of items in your cart.

You get so carried away that you don’t bother to look at the price.

Using a calculator makes you aware of how much your total is so that you stay within your budget. Before checking out, check to see if you went over your budget.

If you went over, check if any items can be put back or if there is a cheaper alternative.

There might even be some items that you impulsively grabbed that can instead be returned.

Almost all of us carry our phone with us at all times.

So the next time you’re shopping, open up the calculator app and track your spending.

6. Buy In Bulk When It Is Actually Beneficial

Buying in bulk is one of the best ways to save money on groceries. Well, when done correctly.

It can be tempting buying in bulk solely because of the price. However, you need to think about how often you’re going to use each bulk item.

If you don’t, you can end up with items that expire long before you can even use them.

This obviously leads to wasting money and is especially common if you are shopping for just yourself.

Stick with buying only the items you will eat and that have a long shelf life.

Such items include things like, rice, dried beans, dried fruit, grains, pasta, as well as nuts and seeds.

There are even foods like meat and bread that you can stick in the freezer to extend its shelf life.

It is also wise to compare the price per unit or ounce first to ensure you are scoring on a great deal.

7. Always Have A List On Hand And Stick To It

Regardless of how you write out a list, make sure to have one on hand when shopping.

Before making your list, meal plan for the week and shop your food inventory first.

This will give you a better idea on what you actually need to buy.

Listing only the necessary items and sticking to your list keeps you on track and helps avoid any impulse purchases.

Staying within your budget will be easier to do so.

8. Order Curbside Pickup

If you find it difficult to hold off on impulse purchases in person, using curbside pickup may be of great help.

While most stores offer this service for free, some charge a small fee. So make sure to check before ordering online.

That being said, many great benefits come with this service.

The first is that you can order in the comfort of your own home while in your pajamas as you sip on your coffee.

The second is that you no longer have to spend time walking up and down the aisles.

This also means skipping out on waiting in long lines that move slower than a turtle.

The third is that it is easy to compare prices. This makes selecting lower priced items easier.

Ever have those times where you see someone inside the store that you know but try your best to avoid? Well that also gets eliminated with curbside pickup.

So if you’ve ever wondered how to save money on groceries online, curbside pickup is the solution.

9. Don’t Shop On An Empty Stomach

We have all been there at least once.

I’m talking about holding off on grabbing a bite to eat because you would much rather get grocery shopping out of the way first.

As you shop around, everything looks delicious so you put it all in your cart.

You then get to the register, see the total, and snap back to reality. Realizing you went way past your budget.

This is why it is important to always have something to eat before your grocery trip.

You’ll be surprised at how much you can save by implementing this tip each time before shopping.

10. Use Coupons When Available

Are coupons still even a thing? Of course they are!

This is a great way to save money especially if you’re trying to stick to your monthly budget. So use them when they’re readily available.

You can obtain coupons from the newspaper, browsing the internet, and through grocery coupon apps.

Regardless of which source you use, you are bound to find a couple of coupons to use.

Before using them, make sure to thoroughly read all the conditions.

Certain coupons will have you spending more money than you really need to in order to redeem it. So be aware of this.

That being said, if the coupon makes sense to use and can help save even a little bit of money, use it.

Saving some money is always better than saving no money.

11. Buy Meat Only When It Is On Sale

As delicious as meat is, it usually leans towards the pricier side.

This is why it is best to hold off on buying meat until it is on sale. Once it does go on sale, stock up.

The great thing about meat is that you can place it in your freezer to extend its shelf life.

Before storing any meat away, cut it in different sized portions.

That way when it comes time to defrost, you will only need to defrost what you actually need for your meal.

Another tip is to try out different cuts of meat that are cheaper.

Cheaper, but equally as delicious, alternatives include chicken thighs, ground beef, beef chuck, and chicken drumsticks.

12. Avoid Prepackaged Foods

Food, especially fruits and vegetables, look aesthetically pleasing when they come prepackaged.

However, they are pricer compared to their non-packaged counterparts.

Though it’s easy to grab a couple of prepackaged fruits and veggies, it really doesn’t take a whole lot to cut them up yourself.

There are even some fruits that don’t easily turn brown when sliced. Such fruits include things like melon, mango, pineapple, kiwis, and watermelon.

You can even slice a bunch of these up all at once and store them away in your fridge.

That way you don’t have to keep cutting them up for the next couple of days.

13. Shop Alone When You Can

What’s worse than trying to shop in peace while trying to avoid impulse purchases?

Having people who are impulse buyers tag along with you on your trip.

Yes, I’m talking about children and significant others. If you’ve ever shopped with your children, then you know it doesn’t take much to catch their attention.

Oh, and price tags? Doesn’t matter one bit to them because it’ll be your money that will be paying for everything their heart desires.

The same goes for your significant other. Often times your significant other can pressure you to buy items that aren’t even on your grocery list.

When you can, make sure to leave all children and your significant other at home.

This helps greatly reduce the likelihood of impulse purchases from happening.

14. Bring Your Own Shoppings Bags

Remembering to bring your own bags can help you save a little bit of money.

There are even some stores that will give you a small discount depending on how many bags you brought.

If you’re anything like me, the chances of you forgetting to bring your own bags multiple times are probably high.

One way to prevent this is to have some bags stashed away in your car.

Another way is to make a big note at the top of your grocery list to not forget to bring your bags.

The amount you save won’t be a crazy amount, but every little bit still counts.

15. Shop The Clearance Section

One of the first things to do upon arriving at the grocery store is head straight to the clearance section.

This is basically how to get groceries cheap.

If you’re unable to locate this section, ask a manager. There might even be more than one section that contain items on clearance.

You can find all kinds of food on sale like canned goods, dry food, frozen food, dairy products, and more.

Think of it as a goldmine that allows you to easily score some great deals.

Keep in mind though that just because something is on sale, does not mean you need to buy it. You want to make sure that what you’re buying fits your budget and gets eaten to avoid any waste.

Checking the food’s shelf life also helps as you want to be able to use it before it goes bad.

16. Drink More Water

This is one a lot of people don’t think about so it hardly ever gets brought up.

That is to drink more water.

Not only will drinking more water help your overall health, but it will also help avoid pricey and unhealthy drinks.

Drinks like sodas, energy drinks, and juices.

17. Use Cash Back Apps

Plenty of apps exist that help you earn cash back.

One cash back app that has become very popular amongst them all is Ibotta.

With over a hundred stores to choose from, Ibotta helps you search digital rebate offers. This is so you can earn cash back on the things you love and need.

There are also other apps similar to this like Rakuten as well as Checkout 51.

Regardless of which one you use, you are bound to save money.

This post was all about tips to save money on groceries.

Though food prices don’t seem to be going down any time soon, these tips can help you save money.

Getting into the habit of using these tips all starts with a plan, a meal plan that is.

From there, you shop from your food inventory then create a list.

Once you’ve done that, everything else will fall into place.

As time goes on, you’ll get into the habit of always using these tips.

In turn, allowing you to avoid high grocery bills even with the way prices currently are.

This leads to having one less bill to worry about all while seeing an increase in your savings account.

If you found even the tiniest bit of information from this post helpful, just know that it was made simply for you.