Want to know how to save money on groceries? These are the MUST-KNOW tips I use to save hundreds a month, and thousands a year!
Want to know how to save money on groceries? Easy, simple tricks to save money? You can never have too many up your sleeve. Groceries is one of the biggest expenses in our house, and it's most likely the same for you. That means that with a little maneuvering, you can save hundreds of dollars, all while continuing to eat the foods you love.
In this post, I will go over the exact tips I use to save money on groceries and embrace frugal living. These tips are simple, and go way beyond creating a budget and meal planning.
This post is all about how to save money on groceries.
Tip #1: Make Money in the Checkout Line
This is my #1 and favorite tip for how to save money on groceries. I hate waiting in long lines, especially at the grocery store. It adds SO much time to what is already a time-consuming errand. When I was paying off my student loans, I was always looking for tips to make extra money.
I realized I could make some good money while in the grocery line by taking online surveys! I would take 1-2 quick surveys adding up to about $10 (sometimes more depending on how long the line was). It's super easy to find surveys that are 5 minutes or less.
I used a ton of different apps to make money, and they were almost always grocery line friendly! If you ride the train to the grocery store, that's another opportunity to make some extra grocery cash. Even if you only have 5 minutes, that's enough to make some quick cash.
Sign Up to Take Online Surveys Here and get a $10 sign up bonus!
Tip #2: Use Ibotta for Cash Back
I still kick myself for all the years I lost money by not having Ibotta. This app has been one of my greatest discoveries for saving money on groceries!
Ibotta is an app that gives you exclusive offers to save money on groceries. Honestly, I don't know why everyone doesn't use it. They give you direct cash back rewards for simply buying groceries, and even everyday items outside groceries. The best part? It's completely free. All you need to do is sign up. Ibotta is legit and a great way to save money on groceries. I recently calculated that I've saved over $850 in the past 2 years by using this app.
You can redeem your cash back as soon as you hit $20, which is pretty easy to do. They also offer tons of special incentives and rewards for meeting certain goals. Just be careful not to accidentally overspend on items you wouldn't normally buy- that's the trick!
Tip #3: He's Makin' a List... checking it twice!
Santa doesn't mess around when it comes to lists, and neither should you. Except instead of lists for toys to be delivered around the world, you need a grocery list!
Making a detailed and specific grocery list before you go grocery shopping is, I think, the most underrated tip to save money on groceries. It is extremely powerful at keeping your spending in check. I use AnyList app to create my grocery lists, and it's been revolutionary for me and my family. You can easily add items using Alexa, too, which I think is mighty convenient for when I have my hands full! "We need more bananas" always seems to pop in my brain at the most inconvenient times...
Going into the grocery store to just buy what you want or think you need is a recipe for disaster! You will end up spending astronomically more than you planned! Go to the grocery with a list of items you need and ONLY buy from the list. Do not buy anything else. I don't care that your favorite muffins are on sale, or how cute the seasonal chocolates look! If you're serious about saving money on groceries, this is a tip not to miss.
Tip #4: Check the Fridge
How to save money on groceries? Go grocery shopping in your house! I love this tip for saving on groceries.
Before you head to the grocery store for all the goodies, look through your pantry and your refrigerator. Trust me, this one will save you from accidentally buying your fifth garlic powder.
What can you eat that you already have? What meals can you make from groceries you've already bought? Don't forget the freezer! My guess is you have enough food to live on for a while! They might not comprise those Pinterest dinners you've been dreaming of, but postponing the grocery store trip will save you major cash. You might realize that you really don't need to go to the grocery store yet.
Certain meals are perfect for cleaning out the fridge! I love to make a salad, soup, frittata, or just a random "bake" with whatever meat and veggies I have left over. Don't forget smoothies! I hide lots of vegetables (from myself) in them.
Tip #5: Take Fewer Trips to the Store
This might seem obvious, but it is a grocery saving tip that is often overlooked. Want to save money on groceries? Shop less often.
If you're anything like me, sometimes I find myself grocery shopping several times throughout the week while running errands. I had to return something at Target, might as well get that mac and cheese I love. I'm picking up medicine at CVS, oh look they have Marie Calendar's Pot Pies! Shoot, I forgot an ingredient and need to go back to the store. OMG look at the adorable bath bombs they have on sale! And it goes on from there... Soon I've spent tons of extra and unplanned money on "groceries" due to multiple trips to the store! And it doesn't help that you can get groceries and snacks from nearly everywhere these days.
Avoid this by making a promise to yourself to 1. Stick to the list and 2. Take fewer trips to the store! If you forgot an ingredient, tough! You can go back next week. This tip was really hard for me to follow at first, but it ended up saving me thousands in the long run.
Tip #6: Learn to Cook the Right Way
And I don't mean like Heisenberg! Learning to cook is essential to saving money at the grocery store, but you don't need to be Gordon Ramsey.
Instead, learn to cook the right meals. The ones that will help you meet your financial goals! Learning to cook lobster thermidor, while fun, is unlikely to save you money. Instead, pick 4 meals (1 per week of the month) that are really cheap and easy, and rotate them out week by week. That way you have a foundation of affordable meals, while leaving some room for creativity with other meals throughout the week.
My favorites are making a big batch of beans and rice/quinoa, a hearty soup, and a big salad. Pick just one of these to have per week, and you've got a cheap meal on your hands!
Other cheap but healthy staples include in-season produce, frozen fruit instead of fresh, frozen veggies instead of fresh, eggs, peanut butter, rolled oats and homemade bread. Using frozen fruit and veggies is a great way to save tons of money, and they've even been shown to have higher nutrient content than fresh! In addition, using whole produce like onions, tomatoes, rice, etc is WAY cheaper than you think. The best part, it's easy to learn how to prepare these items.
Tip #7: Always Be Prepared
A doomsday shelter is overkill, but some extra pantry and freezer items on standby are not. I know you're probably super busy, and I relate! How many nights have there been where you just didn't have the time, energy, or sheer will needed to cook? And how many of those nights ended in a pile of Mr. Chow's takeout boxes? I'm guessing more than you'd like to admit!
This is a trap that can easily be avoided! First, we anticipate it. Some nights, it really is just too much to cook. But takeout is the MOST expensive solution to this problem. Instead, make it a point to always have a super quick meal on hand. My go-to is a frozen pizza in the freezer. On the nights I don't want to cook, instead of splurging on takeout, I can just pop a pizza in the oven. Over the year, I save hundreds of dollars on groceries with this one tip. Say DiGiorNO to overpriced delivery!
Tip #8: No More Brands
Russel Brand is now the only brand you get to associate with, capiche? Stop buying brand name items at the store!
Seriously, you're paying for the label! The ingredients on the brand vs. generic items are the same, and the taste is the same too. This is also a great money saving tip for toiletries and other items. It is extremely rare that a brand name means higher quality or better taste, but they don't want you to know that! And honestly, I’m not sure who ‘they’ are, but they’re winning when you pay extra for the label.
This is one of the easiest tips for how to save money on groceries because it requires the least amount of change! You can still buy whatever item you were planning to, just get the generic!
Pro-tip: If you're really attached, save the brand name box and switch out the inside when you're home. Who says we can't use psychological warfare against ourselves, right?
Tip #9: Buy on Sale and Freeze
Meat is one of the more expensive grocery store purchases, but there's a simple way around this!
When whatever meat you like is on sale, buy a ton and put it in the freezer! That way, you can avoid paying full price, and you'll have it on hand at home. Meat goes on sale at regular intervals, so just plan to buy only when it's on sale. They are frequent enough that this strategy is super sustainable!
I recommend doing this for anything that's about to go bad in the fridge, too! Clean out your fridge for expired or near-expired items once a week to stay on top of it. Anything that's about to expire, eat it or put it in the freezer to avoid waste!
Tip #10: Eat More Fat
You heard me right, load up on the fat! Processed foods are not only expensive, but they are designed to have us hungry for more as soon as possible! They are not designed to be satisfying in any way, meaning we need to eat more and more. This means more and more spending at the store, unnecessarily.
Switching out processed foods, especially processed carbohydrates, for heartier foods like proteins and fats, is a surefire way to make sure our bellies stay full! Not to mention the health benefits. If you're hungry less often, you'll eat less, meaning you'll spend less. This is especially true for children. Most "kids foods" are processed sugary garbage that will have your little ones hungry for more an hour later. Make your life easier, and give them some whole, fatty foods. Eggs, vegetables cooked with butter/olive oil, and avocados are easy options. Add more butter and olive oil to your dishes, stay fuller longer. Make this simple switch and watch your grocery bill go down!
Tip #11: It's a Snack Attack
Or rather, an attack on snacks! Pre-packaged snacks (think chips, gummies, fruit snacks, pretzels, teddy grahams, crackers...) are eating up your grocery bill! I bet you didn't realize how much these items could add up, but they really do.
First, they are expensive, especially if you buy single serving. Second, just like I mentioned in tip #10, they don't fill us up at all! They're basically empty calories and that means money down the drain. Want to save money on groceries? Stop buying this stuff and swap for more satisfying and cheaper alternatives. Some ideas include whole fruits, chopped carrots, cherry tomatoes, grapes, avocado toast, chopped cucumber and roasted nuts! Make (or buy) some hummus or other dips to go along with a raw veggie platter. These are great snacks that even kiddos will like. Everyone will be full for longer, meaning less $$ spent at the store!
What is your debt free date? Let me know @ShesFinanciallyFree1 !
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