17 Ways to Save Money on Groceries
Food spending tends to be people’s second greatest monthly expense after mortgage/rent. That’s saying a lot!
In the U.S., we spend an average of $387 per person on groceries. Never mind what we spend in addition to that on restaurants and food delivery!
If you’re looking to curb your grocery spending, I’ve got 17 tips for you! These tips are broken down into things to do before, during, and after a shopping trip.
And don’t worry, none of these tips require you to make drastic changes in your food lifestyle. You love eating organic? Great! No need to sacrifice that. Is no meal complete to you without meat? Then, don’t go meatless.
Now, let’s get started with what you can do.
Before you shop…
1. Shop in your kitchen first.
Take inventory of what you have in your refrigerator, freezer, and cabinets. Grocery shopping blindly will almost certainly lead to unnecessarily buying something you already have at home.
But shopping in your kitchen serves another purpose as well. It puts the food you already have on your radar, so that you make it a point to use it. This ties right into tip #2 on this list. So, without further ado…
2. Meal plan.
First, for clarification, meal planning is not the same as meal prepping. Meal planning is deciding, in advance, what meals you will eat. Meal prepping, on the other hand, is when you actually make all your meals in advance. (Sorry, if you didn’t need the explanation. I, for one, used to use the terms interchangeably, so I’m just looking out for the folks who might have the same misunderstanding I did. 😉)
So, anyway, meal planning helps you save on groceries because it’s another strategy to avoid shopping blindly. When you already know what you plan on having for meals, it eliminates you just throwing a bunch of things into your cart that you imagine you might use for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It makes your grocery shopping much more targeted and intentional.
And to really maximize on this tip, do your meal planning based, first and foremost, on the items you already have in your kitchen.
3. Build your grocery list around what you already have.
This one goes hand-in-hand with tip #2. As you meal plan based on what you already have, create a grocery list that mainly consists of the items you need to complete meals.
For example, if you already have a box of pasta noodles and ground meat, plan to have pasta as one of your meals, and the only thing you need to add to your grocery list is sauce (and maybe cheese) to complete the meal.
4. Always shop with a list.
While we’re on the subject of grocery lists, having one is a must! Again, the idea here is that it keeps you focused on what you originally said you need. No flying blind. No getting sucked into whatever seems good in the moment as you browse those oh-so-tempting grocery aisles.
5. Set a budget.
Before you start any grocery shopping for the month, determine what a reasonable amount is to spend. Do this based on your food needs and what makes sense for your finances. Once you’ve determined a budget for the month, it’s easier to then figure out about how much you want to aim to spend each week.
Setting a budget makes you more mindful as you shop throughout the month. When you have a specific desired cap for your grocery spending, you do a lot less impulse buying.
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6. Don’t shop hungry.
If you need to, make sure you eat a little something before you go grocery shopping. Shopping while hungry will most likely have you adding things to your cart just because you wish you were eating it at that moment. Everything looks yummy — and everything seems absolutely necessary — when we’re hungry.🤤 You’ll end up with a whole bunch of snacks and other things you originally had no intention of getting.
7. Don’t shop when you’re tired.
When you’re tired, you just don’t care to give things as much thought or attention. So, you’re less likely to pay attention to things like which options are on sale. You might be too exhausted to think about whether you really need a certain product or not, so you just grab it and move on.
When you’re tired, you’re off your game. And being off your game is a sure way to end up spending more than you need to at the grocery store. So, make sure you're rested and you’ve got energy before you head to the grocery store! 😉
While you shop…
8. Shop midweek.
Grocery stores usually restock on Wednesdays. This is important for saving money because…
Last week’s inventory is more likely to be on sale as grocery stores attempt to get rid of it, now that the new inventory is being put out.
You have more options if you shop right after the restock happens. More options means you don’t miss out on reasonably priced items. I, for one, hate when I get stuck having to buy the expensive stuff just because it’s all that’s left.
9. Shop at two stores, if necessary.
Sometimes, there are particular things we really like at pricier grocery stores. So, we just go there and do all of our shopping.
Instead, do the bulk of your shopping at a grocery store that offers great value for quality products. (Shout out to Aldi! They’re not an affiliate or anything. I just looove me some Aldi!). Then, head to that more expensive grocery store specifically for those specialty items you like.
10. Consider buying store brands.
Store brands are often (although, admittedly, not always) just as good as name brands. So, keep your options open and go for store brands where you can, without sacrificing quality.
11. Beware of buying products at eye level on the shelves.
Many times, grocery stores strategically place the most expensive brands of products at eye level on the shelves. Don’t believe the hype! Be sure to consider the products that are shelved up high and down low. You’ll likely get a bigger bang for your buck.
12. Buy meat on sale.
Meat often gets a sale sticker slapped on it a day or two before the “Sell by” date. Be on the lookout for meat on sale. Then, just be sure to freeze whatever you don’t cook right away. It’ll last for a while in the freezer.
And if you’re really about that save-on-groceries life, make note of the “Sell by” date on the newly-stocked meat. Then, strategically plan your next grocery trip for a day or two before it, so you can catch another great sale next time.😉
13. Calculate your running total as you shop.
As you shop, keep a running total using the calculator in your phone. And if entering actual prices is too tedious for you, just use rounded dollar amounts (i.e. $3 for an item that costs $2.87).
Either way, this strategy will help you to be more aware of how much you’ll be paying at checkout. And being more aware will help you shop with purpose and stay focused on the items you said you were there for.
If you put tip #5 (set a budget) into practice, then keeping a running total serves another purpose, too. It helps you to stick to your budget. If you notice you’re approaching your budget maximum, you’ll be strategic about what else you add to your cart. You might even decide there’s something in your cart that doesn’t need to be there after all.
14. Consider paying in cash.
A lot of people don’t carry cash these days. BUT if it’s particularly hard for you to keep your grocery spending at a level you’re happy with, then try paying for your groceries with cash.
When we pay for things in cash, it actually registers differently in our brains than when we pay with a card. With cash, our brains register a certain pain of letting go of our money. With cards, it’s like we’re removed from the loss of our money because we don’t actually see the money leaving us.
When you pay with cash, you feel what you’re spending. This can help you to be more intentional about how you spend your hard-earned money at the grocery store (or anywhere else, for that matter).
After you shop…
15. Only shop once a week.
Once you’ve completed your shopping, make it a point not to go to the grocery store again until next week’s shopping trip. When you make random “small” trips to the grocery store here and there, you end up spending more than you realize. You go into the store for “a few things” and come out with way more than the 1 or 2 things you wanted to quickly grab.
If you run out of something or realize you forgot something, challenge yourself to make do without it until your next shopping trip. (Of course, if it’s something essential like baby formula, by all means, make the quick grocery store run. Do what you gotta do!)
16. Shop without a cart.
If you do find yourself making a quick run to the grocery store for an item or two, don’t use a shopping cart or a basket. Both of these things will make it easier for you to grab things you didn’t originally intend to buy.
If you find the 1 or 2 items you need without a cart or basket, it limits how much you can carry. So you won’t be able to add a bunch of impulse buys, even if you wanted to. Who wants to struggle to balance a bunch of stuff as you make your way to checkout? No, thank you.
17. Keep track of your grocery spending throughout the month.
If you budget, you’re likely already doing this in your budgeting app. But even if you don’t budget, at least keep track of your grocery spending. After each trip, jot down your total in a note on your phone. Keep adding up your overall total with each new trip throughout the month.
Much like keeping a running total during your shopping, tracking your spending throughout the month helps you to be aware of what your big picture grocery spending looks like. If your total starts creeping a little too high for your liking, then you know to be more mindful of your grocery spending for the remainder of the month.
Saving on groceries is not the only way to find more money in your budget! Interested in getting your hands on even more money? Get your free copy of 9 Ways to Find More Money in Your Budget!
Conclusion
So, there you have it! Seventeen ways to keep more dollars in your pocket when you're grocery shopping. I mean, food is delicious, and it speaks to our souls (or to mine, at least 😅). But we should still be mindful of how much we spend on it, so that we make sure our money is working hard for us in all the ways that count most!
Happy grocery saving! 🛒
Which of these tips did you find most helpful? Do you have any other grocery saving tips? Share in the comments!
