We all love the grocery store, don’t we? It has everything you need to make delicious, healthy meals for yourself or your family. But that doesn’t mean it’s cheap! With the rising costs of living in recent years, many people are finding themselves too strapped for cash to buy groceries regularly.
Here are 10 smart tips that’ll help you save money on food without sacrificing nutrition or variety in your diet (Tip 3 is a real game-changer)!
Shop with a list
A grocery list is a tried-and-true way to save money on groceries. People who shop from a list often spend less time shopping, and they tend to buy more of what they need rather than things that catch their eye while browsing the aisles.
Here are some reasons why using a grocery list is one of the smartest ways to save money at the supermarket:
- People who use a grocery list are less likely to make impulse purchases.
- People tend to stick more closely with their budget when they rely on a grocery list for guidance
- Shopping from a list helps you get organized and prepared, meaning you won’t have to worry about potentially purchasing something you forgot you already have at home.
- Writing your grocery list before heading to the store will allow you to estimate how much you’ll be spending once you get to the register. This will help you decide if you need to remove a few items to stay within your budget.
Before your next shopping trip, take an extra few minutes to jot down a thorough list of the things you truly need. You’ll get your shopping done quicker and your wallet will thank you!
Use coupons (the right way!)
There’s no denying that coupons are a great way to save you a lot of money without sacrificing high-quality food products.
Do a quick search online for printable offers before heading out to the store. You can even sign up for newsletters from food manufacturers and retailers so they send you deals directly!
Don’t be afraid to try new products or brands with a coupon, but remember that the key to using them effectively is knowing how much money your coupon will save you versus what you’d normally spend without it.
The best way to use coupons is not to hoard them and purchase whatever you get a decent deal on, but rather to find ones that match your shopping list and then use them when you’re in the store. Doing so will help keep your wallet fat while still keeping your fridge full!
Use a cash back app
If you’re not using a cash back app yet, now’s the time to start! Using a cash back app is a no-brainer way to save money on groceries.
With a cash back app, you can search through the offers they have, purchase those products and get cash back just by uploading a picture of your receipt to the app. It almost sounds too good to be true (free money, anyone?), but it’s legit.
There are a few cash back apps out there, but I would recommend Ibotta.
Ibotta is a 100% free app that offers cash back on groceries, cosmetics, clothing, pet supplies, etc. at 1,000+ retailers. Some of the popular retailers on Ibotta include Walmart, Target, Kroger, Whole Foods, Costco and more.
Ibotta users have earned a combined 500 million dollars cash back, so you know they have great offers!
Here are the basics of how to use Ibotta:
- Get Ibotta by clicking here
- Search through offers and add the ones you like
- Purchase the offers during your shopping trip
- Snap a picture of your receipt and upload it into the app
- Get your cash back!
You can have your earnings sent to you either through PayPal or Venmo. You can also use your earnings to redeem gift cards for stores like Amazon, Starbucks, Target and tons more.
The amount you earn on Ibotta while grocery shopping (or shopping in general) really adds up over time, so you definitely don’t want to skip out on this.
Get Ibotta and start saving on groceries by clicking here!
Get creative with leftovers
If you find yourself with a fridge full of leftover food from the previous week, don’t let it go to waste! With a little creativity and a few simple cooking techniques, you can transform your leftovers into something delicious and new.
Make soups, casseroles or sandwiches with leftover meat or vegetables to save money while still eating healthy. A quick stir fry with some veggies and your leftover rice is a great, filling and healthy meal that’ll keep you from throwing away any food.
Check out these recipes to get good use out of your leftovers:
- Got browning bananas? Make this delicious banana bread
- This healthy and filling pasta salad is perfect for leftover veggies and pasta
- Mix just about anything into these kitchen sink cookies for a sweet-and-salty treat
- Transform your leftover baked potatoes into this comforting baked potato soup
If you need more ideas, do a quick google search for “leftover *BLANK* recipes” (replace BLANK with the food you have leftover). You’re bound to get tons of delicious ideas!
Buy on-sale produce in bulk and freeze the leftovers
One way to really stretch your dollar at the supermarket is by buying produce in bulk when it’s on sale. Don’t worry about getting too much. If buying in bulk is a good deal, go for it! Just freeze what you don’t use right away so it lasts longer and use what you need as you go along.
Frozen produce is a great way to save money without sacrificing quality. Some people think frozen fruits and veggies don’t taste as good as fresh, but this couldn’t be further from the truth!
In fact, if you purchase your produce and freeze them at their peak, they’ll keep their delicious, fresh taste for much longer.
Frozen veggies are great to have on hand for quick, healthy dinners such as stir fry, soups, casseroles and more.
Frozen fruits are also fantastic if you’re looking for healthy sweet treats or meals. Throw them into your oatmeal, add them to your yogurt (thaw them out first if necessary) or even use them as a healthy topping on your ice cream!
Plan out your week’s cooking ahead of time
Don’t skip this amazing tip if you’re struggling to stay within your grocery budget. Meal planning allows for less food waste and more savings on groceries!
Instead of spontaneously deciding what you want to make for dinner each night, pick a few recipes and select your ingredients ahead of time. By doing this, you can easily calculate exactly how much your meals will cost and replace expensive meals with delicious, inexpensive ones.
If you’re a little tight on time and don’t think you’ll be able to fit meal planning into your schedule, consider signing up for $5 Meal Plan.
$5 Meal Plan was created by a busy mother who found the magic of meal planning. When you sign up, you’ll get sent weekly meal plans (+ the shopping list for each meal plan) for just 5 dollars per month!
Your first 14 days are completely free and you can cancel any time; so if you’re curious, go ahead and give it a try.
Sign up for $5 Meal Plan and get a 14-day free trial by clicking here!
Avoid impulse purchases
The grocery store is THE place for impulse purchases. I get it, those temptations can be hard to resist!
If you find yourself constantly buying food items that add up on your receipt, try sticking to your grocery list as much as possible.
Whenever you see something tempting (candy bars, chips… I’m looking at you!), remind yourself what you went shopping for in the first place. It might be hard at first, but with enough practice, you’ll get used to not letting your “why not?” list take over.
And by the way… I’m not saying you should deprive yourself of your favorite foods. Remember that moderation is key. Sneak those tempting foods into your list every now and then… It’s good for the soul!
Shop at discount grocery stores
You can save a lot of money buying at discount grocery stores (such as Aldi). Discount grocery stores often have high-quality, organic food at the lowest prices you can find.
Besides having great, unbranded food for cheap, they often have brand-name products for lower prices as well.
Remember to check out their weekly specials and discounts on products that may be expiring soon or have been marked down.
Don’t let soon-to-expire food freak you out. It’s often some of the cheapest foods you can find! Not to mention, the USDA has stated that foods past their expiration dates are safe to eat as long as they are not visibly spoiled.
Take advantage of sales and specials
Most grocery stores have sales every week on items such as meat, dairy products, produce, bread and other staples.
Take advantage of those offers!
If you see an item that you normally get marked down or on sale, go ahead and stock up.
But don’t forget to factor in whether or not you can refrigerate/freeze the items or how long it takes for them to spoil. You don’t want your initial savings to end up costing you money in the long run!
Buy generic brand products
Grocery stores are notorious for trying to make it seem like they’re selling name-brand products at prices that are “just too good to be true”.
You may think you’ve found a fantastic deal, but the truth is that these “bargains” are usually more expensive than their just-as-good generic equivalent.
Grocery stores know that many shoppers equate price with quality and assume that the cheapest products must be inferior in some way. This can’t be further from the truth!
Generic brand products are often made with the EXACT ingredients as their name-brand equivalent. Sometimes, they’re even created by the same company that creates the name-brand version!
So what’s the difference between generic brand products and name-brand products in those cases? The packaging and the price. That’s it.
Next time you reach for that name-brand food you normally get, check out the generic version as well. You may just find that the ingredients and nutrition labels are almost or even exactly the same!
Final Thoughts
If your goal is to save cash while shopping for groceries, then these tips should work well for you!
Remember: there’s no need to live off ramen noodles to get more savings in your bank account. And you don’t need to go over your grocery budget to eat healthy, delicious meals either. These money-saving tactics will help you get around pricey products while still purchasing high-quality, tasty foods!
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