This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.
Looking to save money on your grocery bill? Saving money on your groceries can be as simple as a little planning and forethought before your visit to the grocery store or as complicated as starting a garden.
If you’re looking for ways to spend less on your groceries, read our list of 22 ways to save money on your groceries below.
Table of Contents
Assess the Food you Already Have
Before spending any money on more groceries, try to use the food you already have. Can you make a meal out of the ingredients you already have? Is there something that’s getting ready to expire and needs to be eaten now?
Check the Sales at Grocery Stores
Before you go to the grocery store, check out the sales at your local grocery stores. Try to plan your meals around what items are on sale (especially meat and produce).
Look Up Recipes for Food you Already Have or are on Sale
This kind of goes hand in hand with the last two, but if you know what you already have and know what’s on sale, try to find recipes that either use the food you already have or incorporate both.
Make a Grocery List
Before you go grocery shopping, make a list of the items you plan to pick up. This will help stave off the temptation to buy food you don’t need and keep your grocery budget intact.
Keep a Rough Cost Estimate in Your Head While You Shop
While you’re shopping, try to keep a rough tally of how much your total grocery bill is. To make sure you stay under budget, try to round up to the nearest dollar for each item, even if it’s below the halfway point (i.e. $1.36 would round up to $2.00).
Buy Generic
In most cases, the generic brand is just as good as the name brand item, but only a fraction of the cost. Try out generic items and keep the ones you like. If for some reason you have to have name-brand for a particular item, don’t feel ashamed to get it. It’s much better to buy food you’ll eat than to buy generic items that will end up getting thrown away.
Compare Unit Prices
When shopping for groceries in store or online, make sure to compare unit prices. Don’t assume that buying in bulk will be cheaper. I’ve seen many times where a smaller item was cheaper per unit price than the bulk buy.
Buy in Bulk
For items that you use every day or use regularly, you may want to consider buying in bulk either online at a website like Amazon or at a retail warehouse club like Costco or Sam’s Club. The only caveat is to make sure you don’t buy more than you need…
Don’t Buy More Than You Need
This should go without saying, but don’t buy more than you can use. If you have a family of four, you probably don’t need 5 lbs of chicken breast for the week. Food waste is money you could have used elsewhere. Your goal should be to never throw away groceries.
Start Freezing Meals for Later
Make your own frozen meals. Simply cook bigger meals, divide the leftovers into meal portions, and freeze them. This is a great deterrent to eating out on those busy and/or late nights because all you have to do is heat them up. Some items freeze better than others like soups, stews, casseroles, etc.
Start an Herb Garden
Herbs are some of the most expensive food items you can buy at the grocery store. To cut down on your grocery bill, buy the whole plant or buy seeds and grow them from scratch. Seeds are definitely cheaper and potted plants are usually not that much more expensive than cut fresh herbs and, assuming you care for it, give you an ongoing supply for free.
My mother in law planted a small Rosemary plant in her garden and in a few short years it has become the size of a bush. You can’t beat free!
Start a Vegetable Garden
This one requires a little more space and work (depending on what vegetables you’re growing), but can pay dividends. For most people, the easiest way to get started is to create a raised bed for the vegetables and buy seeds online. Try to pick vegetables you know you will eat and will grow in your region. The USDA has a plant hardiness guide for the USA. Look up plants by your zone to see what grows best in your region.
Only Buy Meat When it’s on Sale
Meat is most likely going to be the most expensive food on your grocery list. As such, I would only recommend buying your meat on sale. Often times for me, this means looking at the sales for local grocery stores and planning my meals around what meat is on sale.
Skip Meat Once or Twice a Week
Because meat is so expensive, consider going a night without it. Some ideas include a veggie rice bowl, soup (think broccoli cheddar, vegetable, etc.), or a salad.
Shop Online and Pick Up at the Store
Many grocery stores now offer online ordering. Make a list, order your groceries online, and go pick them up. The store finds the items and bags them for you, so you can avoid the temptation of impulse buying while you’re in the store.
Don’t Buy ANYTHING at the Checkout Aisle
Everything for sale in the checkout aisle is overpriced. DO NOT BUY ANYTHING BEING SOLD IN THE CHECKOUT LINE.
Don’t Shop at Eye Level
Shelves at eye level often contain the most expensive items.
Don’t be Afraid to Ask for a Rain Check
If you go to the store and see that an offer you were counting on is sold out or is no longer available, ask a sales associate about it. They may have more inventory in the back or be able to offer you a rain check for the item when it is back in stock.
Learn When Produce is Ripe
When you buy produce, make sure the produce is ripe when you buy it. If you buy items that are already going bad, they’re more than likely going to go bad before you have a chance to eat them.
Store Your Food Properly
Learn proper food storage techniques for different items to ensure they stay fresh for longer.
Don’t Shop Hungry
So, you made a list, you’re going down the cookie aisle, and all of a sudden you notice the Pepperidge Farm cookies on sale. You’re starving and they sound delicious, so…they end up in your cart. Before you know it, you’re at home, eating half a box of cookies.
Don’t shop for groceries hungry.
Don’t Buy Precut Produce
When you buy precut produce, you pay a premium and usually get less. Also, precut produce goes bad faster. Learn how to properly prepare and cut your produce to have a cheaper and healthier experience.
How do you save money on your groceries? Do you have any other ways to save money on your groceries?