Grocery shopping can get pretty expensive, especially if you don’t have a plan on how to go about it. Here are 12 ways to save money on your grocery bill!
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1. Make a List and Stick to it
You probably already make grocery lists, but how often do you really stick to it? And how many times have you forgotten to actually bring that list with you? I personally have constantly forgotten my list at home and have to go off of what I remember. This causes me to buy things I didn’t actually need and forget some things that I actually did!
I suggest making your list on your phone rather than paper, this way you have it with you at all times! Now, sticking to the list can also be tricky. Make sure you take the time to thoughtfully write your list out so you know you wrote down everything you needed, that way you leave no room for other things that pop up while shopping. Include things like small treats and snacks in your list, that way you aren’t tempted to mindlessly buy ALL the snacks once you are in the store.
2. Shop Your Fridge & Pantry First
Shopping your fridge and pantry before actually writing your list and heading to the grocery store is one of the biggest game changers! Look through the food items that you already have at home, especially the ones that need to be used up soon before they spoil.
You can write down an inventory of what you have on hand and use it for reference while you write your grocery list down. You can think of meals you can prepare with the items you have and write down the rest of the ingredients you still need to make the meal. This is a really awesome way to save money and lower your food waste!
3. Plan Meals Before Shopping
Another thing to do before you actually write your grocery list out is to plan out some meals you want to make for the week. If you have some food items you need to use up, go from there. Think of meals you can use with those ingredients and write out the ingredients you still need to shop for.
This is a great way to make sure that what you are buying at the grocery store is actually going to be used up and not forgotten about and gone to waste. It’s also a great way to make sure you are intentionally shopping for groceries instead of grabbing a bunch of random things and over spending. It’s actually my personal favorite way to save money on groceries because it’s so much fun!
4. Shop In Season
Shopping in season is another great way to save money on groceries. Be mindful of what fruits and vegetables are in season when you shop and try to stick to those. Produce that’s in season is always cheaper than produce that’s out of season. I mean, have you ever bought berries in the winter time? So expensive!
5. Shop Frozen
Buying frozen fruits and vegetables is such a good way to save money on groceries, especially if you are someone who doesn’t always eat all produce on time before it goes bad (me!). I know a lot of people think that frozen fruits and vegetables aren’t as healthy as fresh, but that is not true at all! Frozen fruits and vegetables are just as healthy, if not healthier, then fresh. This is because they are frozen right after they are picked, which helps to retain their nutrients.
6. Shop Less Often
If you have space in your pantry and freezer to store a good amount of food, then shopping less often is a smart way to save money on groceries. You kind of need to but more effort into planning since you are going to be shopping for more food to last you a longer period of time.
Shopping once a month is going to save you money compared to if you shop once a week. If you plan it out correctly, you can shop for an entire month’s worth of groceries. You can make things ahead of time such as freezer meals, snacks, baked goods and more! Shopping less often saves you money because there is less temptation to buy random snacks or food items here and there! It forces you to make snacks at home, because you already have plenty of food at home!
7. Eat Less Meat
If you have seen any of my recipes here on my blog, then you probably already know that I’m vegan. I’m definitely not here to convince you that you need to go vegan, but consider eating less meat of you want to save money on groceries! Meat tends to be more expensive compared to plant based protein sources such as beans and tofu. Just cut back a little and you’ll notice a significant difference, especially if you have a bigger family! I have some great plant based recipes such as this crispy teriyaki tofu and vegan enchilada casserole if you aren’t sure on what to make for dinner next!
8. Buy Things in Bulk
Personally, I don’t shop at places like Costco all too often because I don’t have a large family or too much space to store things. However, if you do have those things, shopping in bulk can save you good money on your groceries. Focus on buying the things you use all the time in bulk, such as staple pantry items. Some examples of this might be oats, rice, flour, etc. This is also a great thing to incorporate if you are someone who plans on doing a monthly grocery haul to try to shop less often!
9. Make Snacks at Home
If you are trying to save money on groceries, consider making your snacks at home. Buying premade snacks at the grocery store can quickly bring your grocery bill up. If you are trying to eat healthy, then you that all the snacks marketed as “healthy” are priced even higher than regular snacks. Just look up a few snack recipes on Pinterest and buy ingredients to make snacks at home! They will be healthier and save you money.
10. Buy Store Brand
If I’m being honest, I rarely buy brand name food items. I have found that store brand items are almost identical if not the same and way cheaper than name brand. Don’t be fooled, you aren’t actually getting higher quality items when you buy name brand. You are paying just for the name and can get the exact same thing by buying the store brand!
11. Shop at Farmers Markets
Shopping at farmers markets is such a fun way to save money on groceries! It’s so cool seeing all the vendors and buying directly from them. This also helps you buy things that are in season along with saving you money!
12. Use Cash Back/Rewards Apps
If you are already going to spend money on groceries, why not try to get some money back for it? I have been loving using rewards apps like fetch and ibotta lately. I think getting anything back, even if it’s just 10 cents, is great! It adds up and can save you money in the long run. You just scan your receipts to get cash back or get rewards points for a gift card in the future!
I would love to know if you already implement some of these tips into your grocery shopping strategy or if you have any tips that I didn’t mention here! Always looking for more ways to save money. Thanks so much for stopping by!
Sincerely,
Denise
