Tips For Saving Money on Groceries

With prices rising steadily for almost everything, you might be wondering how you can start saving money on groceries! Keeping to a budget is somewhat difficult with prices rapidly changing, but these tried and true tips for saving money on groceries can help you achieve that goal. Read along for some of our favorite ways to reduce your grocery bill! 

1. Make a list!

Absolutely, by far, one of the best ways to save money on groceries is by creating a grocery list and sticking to it! You can also find notepads that include meal planning for the week, along with a list section to write down the ingredients you'll need at the store when you go shopping. It is a good idea to do a full sweep of your kitchen to decide what you really need, and then go from there, adding the ingredients you'll need for your planned meals for the week.

2. Use grocery pickup.

This seems counterintuitive, but it's another great way to ensure that you stick to your list and only purchase the things you absolutely need! Essentially, creating an online grocery order for pickup is like creating a grocery list in and of itself! You'll be less tempted by avoiding walking through the aisles and potentially picking up things you don't need. Try to avoid delivery if you can, as delivery will have you incurring other charges and ultimately can be much more expensive. (See Tip #10 re: delivery)

3. Use coupons! 

Clipping coupons is nearly a thing of the past - there are many apps available to load coupons onto your local store card. This is a great way to rack up savings with minimal effort involved! Saving money on groceries can seem like a daunting task especially if you decide to start couponing, but remember that any savings is better than none! For couponing, it doesn't have to be all or none. Feel free to coupon as much or as little as you want.

4. Join loyalty programs.

In addition to using a local store card to store coupons, you can also start saving money on groceries by utilizing this resource every time you go grocery shopping! Make sure to have your card or hand or a phone number to type in every time you're checking out. The points may be small but they add up quickly over the year! After all, grocery shopping is something you know you'll be doing all year long, so keep building those points and reap the rewards! 

5. Use additional apps.

There are also additional apps you can utilize for savings like Ibotta! These apps allow you to scan receipts and earn rebates on items you've already purchased. It takes some consistency to see some real buildup of savings - but it is easy to do and takes little effort. 

6. Don't purchase for convenience. 

One of the easiest strategies for saving money on groceries is to avoid buying "convenience" items. This will include things like fruits and vegetables that are already chopped up and ready to cook, grated cheese, etc. - you will save money on your groceries regularly by avoiding these items. Grate your own cheese and chop fruits and vegetables yourself to save money! 

7. Shop around on protein prices.

Between checking other grocery stores, and also just staking out for some good deals, you'll find that saving money on groceries is easier to do when you're saving on bigger ticket items like protein. Many grocery stores have sections of protein that are on sale. If you meal plan around these ingredients, you'll likely be able to shave some money off your grocery bill! Some stores even have a section of proteins that need to be used within the next day or so that is deeply discounted, so if you're looking for big savings and planning on cooking it right away, you'll be able to save quite a bit! 

8. Check farmer's markets! 

This can be a huge factor in saving money on groceries every week, especially if you're lucky enough to have some great farmer's markets nearby. Farmer's markets can be extremely affordable with the benefit of also being able to buy locally grown food! 

9. Subscribe & Save on Amazon and others.

If you're looking to save money on things you purchase regularly, subscribe and save is a neat option offered by Amazon to help you save money on things you're already planning on purchasing. As an example, there are great options for savings on things like diapers - you just subscribe to the item and have it shipped regularly, and you'll see decent savings each time rather than purchasing in-store every time!  

10. Use grocery delivery.

In tip #2 I advised you to avoid grocery delivery if at all possible. There are pros and cons to utilizing grocery delivery services. There are times and situations where grocery delivery is the best option. I will give you the low-down on grocery delivery in another article where I share the ups and downs of three years of grocery deliveries.

Star clipping, clicking, and saving!

Using all of these resources and strategies in combination can result in huge savings on groceries! It can seem like a lot in the beginning, but following these tips is sure to help you save money on groceries! Once you get those groceries home, you might enjoy my article Tips for Cooking For Two where I share other money-saving actions.

Do you have other tried and true tips for saving money on groceries? Share in the comments below!