7 Tips to Save Money at the Grocery Store

With the rising cost of food we are all thinking about ways we can save money at the grocery store and still eat well.

This week I am sharing my favorite tips to help you Save Money at the Grocery Store.

1. Shop your pantry and fridge first. Take the time to see what you already have! Pay attention to produce and other foods that will go bad. Put those items into your meal plan. Check those pesky hiding places in vegetable bins where food gets yucky. Wasting food is wasting money. I sometimes make a list of foods that need to be eaten and post it where I’ll see it. Or, I’ll put those foods front and center in the fridge so I will not forget them.

2. Plan your meals ahead. After seeing what needs to be used up, look at your calendar and see when you have time to cook and shop. What’s on sale this week that you can use? Include all the major food groups in your meals.

When time is short have breakfast for supper! For example, a veggie omelette, toast, fruit, and milk/yogurt make a nutritious, delicious dinner. My daughter used to love the novelty of having “breakfast for dinner.” Another money saver is to plan a meatless meal. Here are 20+ Easy Meatless Dinner Recipes from Eating Well to consider.

3. Look for items that are on sale or in season. Use grocery store apps and digital coupons to see sales, as well as circulars in the paper.

Warning – Be careful not to buy items just because there’s a coupon. Buying Oreos that are “buy one get one free” is probably not a good choice. On the other hand, stock up on sale items if you have room and you will use the product.

4. Make and use a grocery list. You can do this on paper or using an app. This will keep you focused on buying the right things and limit impulse buys. Don’t go to the grocery store hungry! It’s easier to walk past the chips if you aren’t starving. Curbside pick up is another option but generally there are extra fees and we’re talking about saving money (it might be worth it though).

5. Shop the aisles. Yes you heard that correctly. There are so many budget friendly shelf stable items in the aisles. Again, think food groups to help you decide if items are a good choice. I almost always keep these on hand: canned beans, canned tomatoes, salsa, pasta, rice, canned tuna and salmon, frozen vegetables and shrimp, and frozen berries.

6. Try store brands. They are often just as good as name brand products but at a lower price. Compare prices using the shelf tag.

7. Buy in bulk when it really (really) saves you money. Be honest with yourself: Will you use it? Buying anything you don’t use (or need) doesn’t save you money.

It’s often less expensive by a larger container, but not always. When I wasn’t thinking about saving money I would buy individual yogurts instead of the larger carton. Now I compare sale price vs store brand vs carton size. Look at the unit price to get the best value. Buying larger size containers and portioning out the contents cuts on the consumption of plastic packaging and thus helps the environment too.

Meats in larger packages are often less expensive per pound. It’s easy to open and freeze meal-size portions in freezer bags for later use.

I believe that you have to budget for necessary items first. You wouldn’t buy a bigger television before paying your mortgage and light bill, would you? Likewise, in the grocery store, it’s best to buy lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy and healthy fats before looking at the cookies and chips. If you have extra money (or calories to spare) you can splurge on a few indulgences.

If you are interested in saving money, decide which of these tips which will be most beneficial to you and give it a try! Remember, small steps add up to big improvement.