High grocery prices don’t seem to be going anywhere, so it’s crucial to find ways to cut costs to help keep food costs low.
Here are fifteen examples of money-saving things you can do to spend less at the grocery store.
1. Waste Not, Want Not
Food waste is costly. Plan to eat your food in a way that takes advantage of its freshness, prioritizing fresh produce and meat over pantry goods.
2. Shop Your Pantry First
Before you make your grocery list, double-check your pantry: is there anything you can use up before buying another?
3. Never Shop Without a List
Shopping without a list is a recipe to buy a bunch of food you don’t need. It can also cause you to miss something you need for a meal, which might then mean you order in and spend more.
4. Meal Plan/Prep
A meal plan for the week is excellent, and preparing it ahead of time is even better! You’ll save an insane amount of time and money this way.
5. Invest in Food Storage
Food storage, like quality bags and containers, can help keep your food fresher longer so you aren’t tossing it prematurely.
6. Never Go Grocery Shopping Hungry
Even if you have a list, grocery shopping hungry will inevitably lead to you picking up a few extra snacks or desserts.
7. Use Your Store Loyalty Card
Most grocery stores have loyalty cards that provide special offers. Don’t forget to bring yours when you shop and look for loyalty specials.
8. Clip Coupons
Always use coupons when you go shopping. Download coupon apps and cashback apps so you can easily take advantage of all the savings.
A note about this tip: only clip coupons for items you already plan on buying. Clipping coupons for food just because it’s on sale isn’t saving money if you don’t usually have it on your grocery list.
9. Skip Prepared Food
Prepared food isn’t worth the price most of the time. There are some exceptions (rotisserie chicken comes to mind) because they can save time and money. Still, it’s usually cheaper to make and prep things yourself.
10. Try Cheaper Protein Alternative
Try your favorite ground beef recipe with tofu or beans. Both are less expensive but still offer a healthy serving of protein.
11. Go Veggie
Add more vegetarian and vegan recipes to your rotation. Meat is expensive, and expanding your recipe repertoire is a fun way to keep yourself engaged in the kitchen.
12. Keep Your Pantry and Fridge Organized
An organized pantry and fridge make it easy to see what you have, so you aren’t accidentally buying too much.
13. Start an Herb Garden
Herbs can be expensive. They’re also often sold in such a way that makes it hard to use all of them before they go bad. Start an herb garden and only clip off what you need.
14. Track Your Spending
Budgeting is essential, but tracking your spending to understand where your budget should be is equally important. Hang on to your receipts, see where you’re spending, and start making cuts as you see fit.
15. Buy Things You Know You’ll Eat
Be realistic about your purchases. Yes, you want to be the person who will eat tofu and beans in that ground beef recipe. But if you aren’t, then buying these things only to never use them isn’t saving you money at all.
