How To Save Money On Groceries

It's no secret that stocking up on groceries is 10x more affordable than going out to eat every day! Plus the health benefits are considerably higher because you can be in control of the quality of your meals and how fresh your food is. That being said, purchasing groceries can get to be pretty pricey if you don't have a plan or any ideas on how to save. I know I for one can easily drop a couple of hundred bucks at the store and have no “real food” when I get home!
It takes some preparation to save on groceries, and it does help to have a general idea of meal planning. Many of us think to "save money" at the grocery store we have to cut out all the yummy stuff and get down to the bare minimum, but that is simply not true! If money was the only component to consider then we could all just live off of ramen noodles and bread for 30 cents a day... however the quality and health benefits of our food will affect us significantly in the long run. While saving money is our ultimate goal, this list is also supposed to help you get the most for your money.
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Make a list: ​

Having a grocery list will keep you on track of what you actually need to buy. Otherwise, you'll be like me and have a cart full of "groceries" only to get home and realize you still have nothing to eat. I recommend creating your list with categories for each section of the store- so you can save yourself time from going up and down the same aisles. 
Meal planning before going shopping can be extremely helpful when creating your list and it's great to have a healthy meal plan for the course of your week. Decide what will you do for breakfast/lunch/dinner each day and make sure your grocery list covers all of the main meals and the ingredients needed per recipe. While it may seem tedious to come up with an entire week's worth of meals, it will save you time and money once you arrive at the store. 

​Eat beforehand: ​

We've all heard this one before because it's 100% true! If you don't eat before you go shopping chances are good, you will end up coming home with enough food to feed a football team, tank of great white sharks, and a medium size village! Don't let your eyes be bigger than your stomach (or wallet!). 

​Loyalty Programs: ​

Find a store that has a loyalty / reward program so you can score better deals as a member. Many grocery chains have some membership and by joining you can get discounted prices, better coupons, and even samples. If you’re going to spend the money regardless then you might as well be racking up extra points or some amount of savings. I recommend only using signing up as a card member at a store if it costs nothing to you (besides savings!). If it has a monthly fee, credit card interest, or any addition costs then it’s probably not as good as a deal as you think. 

​Store Hop: ​

Many financial sites promote only shopping at one store to “save on gas” but let’s be real- you’re not going to drop a ton on gas by going from Walmart to Whole Foods down the street. Store hopping can be an excellent option because different grocery stores have different deals and prices on certain foods. A Farmers Market will be way cheaper for produce, but Walmart might have great deals on buying cereal in bulk. Whole Foods might have more affordable quinoa or specialty items but cost an arm and a leg in every other area. Do your research around town and find out if store hopping might be beneficial for you in the long run. 

​Browse the Clearance Aisle: ​

Browsing the clearance aisle doesn’t mean buying something you don’t need just because it’s on sale! However, you can find awesome deals on clearance and some of the items might be things you already have on your list or snacks and condiments that may come in handy in weeks to come. It can also be a great aisle for trying something new that you wouldn’t normally buy at full prices- like that trendy new sauce Gordon Ramsay has been raving about that costs $12 bucks but now is on sale for $5. 
ALWAYS browse the clearance aisles after a holiday because you can score big- many items will be up to 50-75% off. Many of these items (like candy) won’t expire for a long time so you can even stock up for next year. Can we just talk about how amazing that Valentine / Halloween candy is post-holiday?!

​Know When to Splurge: ​

Sometimes it’s worth splurging on select items- like steaks or certain organic foods. Going “cheap” on certain things isn’t always the best option because the quality could be significantly lower. It’s ok to splurge on occasion or certain items as long as you feel it’s genuinely worth it.
For example, I recently bought quinoa for the first time for a crockpot recipe I came across. I was shocked to find out that it was over $8 for one (small) bag of quinoa, but I decided to go ahead and try it out regardless. Turns out that half the bag made between 6-8 meals after preparing in my crockpot- meaning it only cost about $0.60 per quinoa meal. It was a super healthy and delicious plate so I think it is entirely worth splurging on quinoa in the future!

​Be Ready to Cook: ​

As convenient as it may be, don’t EVER buy pre-made foods like pre-made salads, veggie trays, desserts, etc. ALWAYS cook and prepare your own! You’ll save a ridiculous amount of money, and you’ll also be able to have a much larger quantity. It’s also excellent to try to make your own snacks and desserts. That box of Chips Ahoy might seem tempting, but you can bake dozens of cookies for basically the same price.
Spend time figuring out what recipes you can make before going to the store that requires the same ingredients. For example, if you find three different recipes you can make this week that all need chicken or rice then it's easy to justify the purchase of those ingredients because they won't go to waste and they will be used to the fullest. Also, it’s cheaper to buy six boneless chickens then 2- hence another reason using the same ingredients in multiple recipes can be helpful and financially the best option.

​Take On Meal Prepping: ​

Meal prepping is an exceptionally good habit of taking on! I like to make huge chopped salads and store them in mason jars so that all week I have a salad to grab and go. There're so many different meal prep ideas, and while it can be tedious to prep all these meals, it will pay off the rest of the week when you’re in a hurry and want something fast. Instead of ordering a pizza or grabbing fast food, you can just open your pantry/fridge and get a delicious, healthy, pre-prepped snack/meal! 

​Buy in Bulk: ​

We all know this yet out of convenience sake tend to resist buying in bulk. Get into the habit of only buying certain things in bulk like toiletry items, cereal, meats, etc. Check coupon deals before buying bulk to see if there are any two for one deals or 50% off coupons. If you live in a big city or have a smaller living space, buying in bulk might seem like more of a hassle than a reward but if you can find some extra space, it will save you tons of money in the long run. The Container Store can help provide you with some fantastic space saving ideas if you need more places to stash your bulk items.

​Shop On a Weekly/Bi-Weekly Basis: ​

The least amount of times you go to the store, the lesser the chance of overspending or buying things you don’t need. It’s also a good idea to go shopping when you know you have plenty of time to look for the best deals and get all your groceries at once instead of feeling rushed and forgetting things. Some finance sites recommend only going to the grocery store once a month, but I find this to be entirely unreasonable and also quite a challenge for the average household who has a busy schedule. ​
Going to the store on a weekly/bi-weekly basis and getting enough meals for 10-14 days is just as financially beneficial as going once a month. If anything, I think you will have more control over your spending because you haven’t completely gone through your entire monthly budget for food in the course of a day. Divide your monthly grocery budget by each week to see how much you have allotted to spend per trip to the grocery store.

​Embrace Your Extreme Inner Couponer: ​

Ok, so we can’t all be magical extreme coupon-ing creatures who have powers, not of this world that include leaving a store with bags of goods and EXTRA money in their pockets. C’est la via….however, coupons can help save a pretty penny here and there! There are new and great apps that will find you coupons for items you’re looking to buy. Do a little bit of research before making a trip to the store to see if there are any coupons worth using on products you were planning to purchase.
Unfortunately, when it comes to coupons, a lot of people end up spending MORE than they planned because they didn’t want to lose out on a deal or coupon. Coupons should only be used on items you were planning to buy regardless (or will need at some point shortly) to score some extra savings. 

​Generic vs. Name Brand: ​

Generic products are cheaper and in many times the same quality as the name brand. Buy generic whenever possible- especially on things like canned goods, snacks, cereal, etc. because on most of these items you can’t tell a difference. There are some cases when the name brand is worth splurging on or if it’s one of your guilty pleasures- like Dr. Pepper and Oreos… 

​Go by Yourself: ​

The number one reason marriages fail? The inability to agree on whether to buy Nutella or Peanut Butter… The last thing you need is a tiny hand slipping a pack of fruit roll-ups into the cart or your lover insisting on buying the same snacks that have been sitting in the back of your pantry for three years now. Leave the kids and the significant other at home so you can stay on track and avoid overspending. 

​Check your Receipt:

The employee at the check out register is only human, and it can be quite easy to ring up an item twice! Check out your receipt or watch while they ring up your items to make sure no mistakes get made and anything on sale gets ringed up at the right price. Many receipts include coupons for your next purchase so make sure not to throw them out until you see what the coupons are. Also, sometimes stores will provide you a discount if you complete the survey on your receipt after your purchase- check and see if this is an option because filling out a 5-minute survey for 10% off your next purchase is an excellent deal!

​Pay with Cash:

Paying with cash is a great option because you CAN’T overspend!! If you have a hard time resisting extra purchases, then you should only take cash with you. However, if you have self-control and don’t tend to overspend then paying for your groceries with a credit card with rewards points can be a beneficial option that will pay off in the long run. Regardless of the method you choose, make sure you only spend money that you have and don’t go over your budget. 

Stock Up: ​

If you find certain things you use weekly on sale or an excellent deal (like buy 3, get one free) then stock up on your favorite items! Stocking up can pay off in the long run even if it means paying a little extra right now. Just make sure to only stock up on things you see yourself needing/using in the coming weeks or months.

​Minimalism is the New Shopaholic:

The newest trend is minimalism… aka less is more! Only buy things you’re going to use and need to use! It’s fine to indulge here and there but try not to be wasteful when grocery shopping. There have been so many times when I’ve thrown out leftovers only to have just found out I could have been freezing them this whole time to make a huge stew in 6 months- who knew?! 
We’ve all been in a situation where we never got around to eating all those avocados or apples we bought and now are forced to throw out rotten food that was perfectly fine to use- it’s terrible to let any food (especially produce or meat) go to waste! If you know that you can’t eat an entire amount of fruit at once, then chop it up and freeze half for later. There are SO many things you can freeze if you realize you won’t be able to use it before it goes bad like milk, vegetables, bread, cheese, and many other products.

Grow Your Own: ​

If you’re like me, and you live in a high-rise building in downtown Chicago then growing your food might not be a realistic option. Regardless of where you live, there are so many benefits to growing your food especially if you have space and the means to do so. Even in a small space lacking lots of sunlight, it can still be possible to grow various herbs, tomatoes, and other vegetables. Make a list of the produce/herbs that you use most often and then do some research to see if it would be easy for you to grow them at your home or in your backyard. Visit your local gardening shop or farmers market to see what seeds they have and look into purchasing the supplies you would need for growing your fav fruits/veggies/herbs!

Order Online: ​

Check out sites like Groupon or Living Social to see what kind of grocery deals and sale items they have. Both Groupon and Living Social sometimes have great bulk deals on things like kitchen soap or detergent. Obviously, it’s only worth making a purchase online if the shipping cost is low or free. The great thing about ordering online is that you can compare prices on so many different websites and quickly search for coupon / free shipping codes. 

Shop During The Week: ​

You’re more likely to come across good deals and after weekend specials- especially in the summertime! So many families and couples do their grocery shopping over the weekend so prices will tend to be higher on certain items. If you can, try to find time to go to the grocery store sometime during the week to get better clearance items and deals. You’ll also beat the crowd and have a much more relaxing grocery experience! Yay for front row parking!

Lay Off The Junk Food: ​

It’s tempting to buy those two bags of Cheetos for $3 bucks instead of making your snacks or spending $5 on that whole bag of Trailmix. However, research suggests that junk food makes you hungrier- meaning you’re actually going to need to buy four bags of those Cheetos so that you can feel full! 
According to D. Deborah Clegg from UT Southwestern Medical Centre in Dallas, “Our findings suggest that when you eat something high in fat, your brain gets ‘hit’ with the fatty acids, and you become resistant to insulin and leptin. Since you are not being told by the brain to stop eating, you overeat.” Not feeling full will cause you to make those irrational decisions of ordering pizza at 10 pm or eating half of your groceries within the first day of purchasing them. Junk food may be cheaper but in the long run, you’ll save so much more (plus your body will thank you) if you spend a few dollars more on healthier options. 

Use The Smaller Cart: ​

Larger carts mean more to fill- & it’s just so tempting to fill your cart! In fact, you might not even feel like you have “enough” groceries for the week unless your cart is filled (meaning overfilled!). You can get all the groceries you need just fine with a smaller one instead of maneuvering around one of those XL carts with the squeaky wheels. Don’t let the grocery stores psychological marketing tricks get to you! You’re a strong, independent shopper who doesn’t need a big cart!

To sum it up...

Grocery shopping takes a lot of effort but if you do your research, plan ahead, and have a budget then it can be a rewarding and financially beneficial experience. You don’t have to overspend at the store to eat healthily and be happy! Everyone has different food preferences and eating times so once you determine yours then you can be on your way to creating a great meal plan for you, your family, and your wallet!