If you are like me, you are always looking for ways to reduce your grocery budget. And I’m not just talking about cutting off a few dollars here and there; I am talking about ways to drastically reduce your grocery bill each month. Keep reading – you WON’T want to miss these great money saving tips!
Reduce Your Grocery Budget Before You Go To The Store
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Reducing your grocery budget starts even before you enter the grocery store- it starts at home. A different way to think about your grocery budget is that you need to reduce your need to purchase items when at the store. Less items to purchase means a reduced grocery bill at checkout. That means you have to use what you already have at home.
Shop Your Shelves – Look at what’s in your fridge, pantry, and freezer before you go out and buy something you already have.
Meal Plan – It doesn’t have to be perfect; it just has to be done. Plan what you are going to eat the day or week before. Meal planning also helps to reduce the need to eat out.
Budget Meal Planning – Incorporate meals that are budget friendly.
Have A Budget – Set a budget and DO NOT spend more!
Make Ingredients From Scratch – Making ingredients from scratch allows you to make the exact amount you need for a fraction of the cost.
Substitutions – Modify your favorite recipes to include ONLY ingredients that can be found in your food storage or freezer. This allows you to buy more items in bulk, which is how you cut costs.
Check Rebates Before You Shop – Cash back apps like Ibotta allow you to get cash back on grocery items. Sometimes all you need to do is buy two of a particular item or buy a specific brand to qualify for the rebate, so it (quite literally) pays off to check!
Don’t Fall For Money Traps – It can be easy to fall into money traps that cause you to spend more in effort to save.
Grocery List – Give your grocery list a permanent home. Whether on your phone, on an app like Google Keep Notes, keep it with you so you will have it at the grocery store.
Reduce Your Grocery Budget While In The Grocery Store
Shop Multiple Stores – Go to two or three stores for your groceries to get the best deals.
Ask Employees – Ask the store when they reduce their prices so you can reduce your budget!
Plan For Busy Days – Keep a frozen meal and/or quick and easy meals in the freezer for these busy occasions so you don’t end up eating out.
Compare Unit Price – Be sure to compare the price per unit and not per item. The unit price is usually listed next to or below the total price.
Coupons – Use coupons on commonly used grocery or household items.
Shop Store Sales – Be willing to make adjustments to your meal plans to account for sales.
Buy In Bulk – Buy staples in bulk to get a cheaper price per item. I buy in bulk whenever I can, including cleaning products.
Weigh Items – Despite a product’s weight posted on the package, weights will differ- so get the product that weighs the most to maximize your grocery budget.
Appropriate Quantities – It’s better to get the exact amount you will use rather than throw away extras. Throwing food away is throwing money away!
Buy Generic – Saving a little here and there when buying generic brands adds up, and can result in a good chunk of money saved to help reduce your grocery bill.
Shop Online – Consider grocery shopping online rather than in the store. You won’t have distractions and you will be less likely to make impulse buys. Plus, shopping online has some great saving opportunities when shopping online on a budget.
Stick To Your List – Making a list is important, but you need to stick to it.
Quick Meals – Quick meals are generally more expensive than those you prepare yourself. But if buying a frozen pizza for $4 at the grocery store keeps you from ordering fast food, buy the pizza!
Buy In Season – Buy in season or consider buying locally for the best prices.
How to Maximize Grocery Budget At Home
Most people think that money savings happen before and during your grocery trip. However, not maximizing your groceries after you buy them can completely undo any savings you made in the store. Maximizing your grocery budget is determined by how you use the food you buy. Here’s how you do it:
Stick To Plan – Try not to deviate from your meal plan for the week. Deviation from the plan can result in wasted food, which is wasted money.
Freezer – The freezer can be the most under-utilized appliance in a home, and is essential to maximize your grocery budget. The freezer lets you buy things on sale or in bulk, and freeze it so it lasts longer.
Maximizing Leftovers – If you are committed to maximizing your budget, you have to maximize your leftovers. Learn to use and love them!
Meatless Meals – My husband loves the plant-based meals I have made, even though he used to insist on no meatless meals. So try it- you might be surprised!
Make Meat Stretch – Did you know you can add ingredients to your meat to make it stretch? Check out this resource for how to make meat stretch
Thoughtful Sides – Put some thought into what is served with the meat or main dish, so you can make the main dish go further.
How To Continue To Save On Groceries Every Month
My final tips for reducing your grocery budget include tips on how to continue to save on groceries every month. If you want to keep your grocery bill low every month, there are a few tips you need to follow.
Take Advantage Of Local Food Markets – Local food markets will have better prices on produce and meat than grocery store chains.
Store Strategies – Have you ever noticed that milk, bread, and other commonly purchased products are always in the back of the store? They know that if they can get you past the first few aisles, they can usually get you to make an impulse purchase. Beat the system and stick to your list!
Perimeter Shopping – Another grocery store layout design to be aware of is that packaged, processed, and sugary foods are usually in the aisles located in the middle of the store while the healthier/unprocessed foods are on the outer aisles.
Look Up And Down – Stores put name-brand items, which are more expensive than generic brands, at eye level. Look at the top and bottom of the shelves to find the item at the lowest price.
Always Buy On Sale, But NOT All The Time – You want to buy food on sale, but not all sales are created equal. Check to make sure the sale is actually saving you money, not tricking you.
Convenience Costs Cash – If you want to keep your grocery budget reduced every month, make it a habit to buy the block cheese instead of the shredded cheese and the head of fresh broccoli over the packaged broccoli florets.
Remember Rebates – Don’t forget to routinely check rebates on cashback apps.
Maximize Cashback Earnings – Did you know you can stack rebate rewards? Learn how to get the most money from rebate apps.
Don’t Throw Away Receipts – You can get cashback for ANY receipt you submit, not just grocery purchases!
Check Amazon – Amazon is usually the first place we look when shopping online- why not with food? Amazon Pantry provides grocery items in bulk, so sometimes you can get items cheaper online than at the store. They also have a Subscribe and Save option to save you even more on regularly purchased items. We love our Amazon Prime and feel it is well worth the annual membership fee!
Final Thoughts on Cutting Your Grocery Budget
Reducing your grocery budget is more than just making a list and sticking to it. You need to learn how to reduce your grocery budget before, during, and after the trip to the grocery store if you are really going to make a difference in your spending. Comment below with the tips you use to reduce your grocery budget in your home!
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