Perhaps you’re spending a little more than you think is necessary and you’re looking for ways to save money on groceries.
Do you already know the amount per month that you’ve allotted to a food budget? If not, it’s time to create the budget and set an amount.
To hold yourself accountable, you must know how much you are currently spending on groceries and what you actually want to spend.
Let’s get to the point and go through some tips that could potentially help you save money on groceries.
Make A List To Save Money On Groceries
Are you making a list of the groceries you need?
If you aren’t, you’ll be tempted to do a few things:
- Head to the store later in the week for an item you missed, potentially causing you to pick up additional items you do not need.
- Randomly pick things that look good or you think your family may like.
- Fill your cart because you always fill your cart and you feel like something is missing.
- Wandering down aisles randomly as you remember things you forgot you needed until you were on the other side of the store.
- Get home and realize you have only picked up enough items to make one full meal and there are seven days in a week.
I’m sure you get the point. There are a few different methods for making a list.
You could use your phone’s notepad or a special app.
I use notes on my phone, plus there’s a shopping list section on our family calendar in the kitchen so anyone can add anything they want.
I had to train my family a bit before they started using the shopping list section on the calendar.
Every time the kids would say “would you buy some of this” or “we are out of this”, I would tell them to add it to the shopping list. Eventually, they stopped asking me for things and now they are automatically adding whatever they want to the list.
Believe me when I say that a list is crucial to save money on groceries. If you take away one thing from this article, please take away this.
To Save Money On Groceries, Think Simple
Yes, there are a couple of nights a week where we have a traditional meal I’ve cooked with a recipe.
And then there are nights that are totally cheap and nobody in my family cares. My kids ask for cheap Manwich nights. They don’t think twice when we have breakfast for dinner because it’s helping me save money on groceries. They think it’s cool.
Don’t think planning your meals means you have to go all out with some extravagant meal. I work 9-5ish. I don’t want to stay in the kitchen for two hours. My max is forty-five minutes during the work week.
Plus, I don’t want to spend a ton of money on meat every day. I feel like everyone would get burnt out if I cooked a steak with veggies and homemade mashed potatoes. (Side note: We rarely eat steak.)
Don’t plan for seven nights of cooking in the kitchen. Eat leftovers some nights. Get excited having your kids or significant other or roommate help come up with the weekly meal plan. The plan can be as simple as you’d like it to be. What matters is that you made a plan.
Get Help From The Experts
Personally, I use eMeals. They charge me a yearly fee, but I love the fact that it’s linked to my Kroger/Walmart accounts so I can easily add items to my cart.
I’ve used Allrecipes.com as well. I’ve also found some amazing recipes on Pinterest that get added to my weekly shopping list.
Don’t come up with all your recipes on the fly, unless you’re a physical encyclopedia of recipes.
For example, I can easily say that I want spaghetti to be one of our meals this week and then proceed to add everything I need to make spaghetti to my cart. If I try to add the ingredients to make ratatouille, I’m going to fail to add everything if I go by memory.
Find a system that works for you.
If it’s some recipe site that you found and love, great. Create a system of gathering the recipes and adding everything to your cart.
My system is to pick recipes on eMeals and then automatically add the items to my Walmart cart. Next, I add any staples (like milk) or “Shopping list” items the family asked for. If I found a recipe on Pinterest that I liked, I already have a screenshot of it so I can add those items one by one.
Find your system and improve on it each week.
Go Through Your Pantry And Refrigerator
At a minimum, go through your pantry and refrigerator once a month. If anything is coming close to expiring, find a dish to use it in.
I know you’ve thrown away perfectly good items because you didn’t realize they were about to expire.
This could literally save you hundreds of dollars every month.
Got bread that’s about to go stale? Sounds like it’s Grilled Cheese night.
Most meal websites (eMeals and AllRecipes included) provide a search box so that you can enter ingredients you have to find meals to make with those specific ingredients.
Snacks For Kids
Let’s use celery for example. Currently, I can purchase a celery stalk for less than $2.00. Think of how many pre-made snacks you could make for $2.00. It’s a lot cheaper than buying the packs already assembled for your kids to grab.
Spend time making pre-made snacks for yourself and your family. Make it an event that you all do together after you bring the groceries home on Sunday.
If I buy a watermelon, nobody touches it. If I cut the watermelon up and place it in smaller containers, it’s gone in twenty-four hours.
Buying pre-made lunches? Look at how much you spend on those per week and consider taking the thirty minutes or so to create your own. How much do you save? How much is 30 minutes of your time worth?
It’s definitely something to think about.
Curbside Pickup
I literally cannot remember the last time I went grocery shopping.
There are so many benefits here it’s crazy.
Let me start with your time. If you already have a list of the groceries you need, it’s so easy to put it in the search box on your favorite grocery website and add the item to your cart.
Second, the temptation is gone. If I want to put something extra in my cart, I don’t see it. I have to actually surf around the website intentionally to find extra items to add.
I’m not standing next to an item that is so easy to grab and place in my cart.
Third, there are no surprises at the end. I know exactly the amount I’m spending with each item I place into my online cart. This is a game changer when it comes to sticking to your budget.
Loyalty Programs
It’s rare that you find a supermarket that doesn’t have some sort of loyalty reward system or program.
Make sure you’re getting the most out of your favorite grocery store.
I’ll be honest – I don’t like stepping foot into a Walmart. However, I have a Walmart Capital One card that offers 5% back on online purchases and I make all of my purchases online, including my weekly grocery items.
For majority of grocery stores, you will not need their credit card to take advantage of loyalty programs.
Often, once you join the loyalty program, the store will send you coupons for items that you purchase regularly.
Buy Generic To Save Money On Groceries
Some of you will not like this tip, but hear me out.
Check out The Dinner Daily’s article on Generic Vs. Name Brand Foods – Is There Really A Difference?
Start small with sugar or spices. Build your way up from there after you start getting comfortable.
You’re looking to save money on groceries, correct? This is an easy, simple change you should give a try.
Compare Prices
Don’t feel stuck with one store. I’m a creature of habit and rarely look past my weekly Walmart order.
However, I will comparatively shop some of the larger ticket items on Amazon.
I can often find paper towels cheaper if I buy from Amazon and have them shipped than ordering from Walmart and including in my weekly pickup order.
I also have a Sam’s Club membership where I actually go in about once a month and shop for items we use regularly. If you choose this route, make sure your savings will offset the yearly cost of the membership.
Buying In Bulk
I’m a fan of buying in bulk because I can get the price per unit down and I don’t have to worry about purchasing that item for a while.
Let me add this… I never buy food in bulk. I’ve been burned too many times.
As soon as I buy food in bulk, my family will stop wanting to eat it. There’s something about having a lot of one thing that causes everyone to steer clear. Perhaps they get burnt out after a while of eating the same thing.
You know your family. If you need to buy K-cups in bulk because you’ve drank the same coffee for years and you know you’ll use it, go for it.
Keep in mind that people change. Don’t be stuck with throwing out food.
Create A Shopping Pattern
I grocery pickup once on Sunday and once a month at a wholesale club.
It’s a pattern I’ve created and the household knows it.
If they need something in-between those dates, it goes on the list and they’ll wait until Sunday to receive it.
When you visit the store multiple times within a week, you’re increasing your monthly grocery spending. Limiting your trips is also limiting temptation.
Once you create a pattern that you’re utilizing every week, it becomes a habit like brushing your teeth. Everyone knows the plan and they stick to it with you.
My Final Thoughts On How To Save Money On Groceries
The biggest takeaway here should be making a plan. If you’re blindly shopping throughout the week, you’re going to mess up your budget.
Create a budget and make a plan to stick to it.
Get your family members on board by praising them as they help you pick out your weekly meal plan or they place items on the shopping list.
The chore of grocery shopping will turn into a simple habit once you get organized and make a game plan.
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