Does the cost of groceries got you down? Not to worry. Today I’m sharing some tips to help you save money on your grocery bill each month.
If you’re anything like me, seeing the prices of food these days nearly gives me a heart attack. They are so expensive!
While using coupons and shopping weekly sales can save you money, sometimes you just want to shop and not spend a ton without obsessing over coupons or having to buy and use what’s on sale. (And most of the time my brain doesn’t work that way anyways so . . .)
I’m hoping these tips will help you save money as well. Keep in mind that everyone has different dietary needs, lifestyles, budgets, family size and location can also be a factor in prices as well as how close a grocery store is to you.
To spend less you need to buy less.
Unfortunately, this is going to be true for most people. I’m not saying to buy the bare minimum, unless you need to, but what I am saying is to cut back on what you are buying. How often are you buying treats? Can you make them for less? (YES!) Is there something that you’re buying that you can cut back on?
It’s important to look at what you NEED to buy and what your wants are. You can still buy wants, but maybe cut back on those wants.
Or maybe you can be cutting money by buying the generic brand instead of that brand name.
Stick to a budget
This is my number one way I can cut back on my spending. It keeps me in check and I control my spending, instead of my groceries controlling the amount.
Have a set amount so that you don’t go over. You may have to pick and choose at times but that’s why knowing what you absolutely need.
Shopping online has been a game changer for me! I started online shopping and then doing a free grocery pickup during 2020 and I haven’t stopped.
I can clearly see everything in my digital cart as well as what my total is going to be. It’s made it so much easier to be able to stick to a grocery budget.
Now, some will say that it’s super easy to just click items to add them to your cart. And yes it is. But before you checkout, take a look at your total. That will have you adjusting what is in your cart and what your needs vs wants really are.
It also makes it super simple to be able to see what you don’t really need and with that item price staring you in the face really does help.
Stick to a meal plan
For me, this is much more than helping me stick to a budget (it saves my sanity at dinnertime as well) but when we meal plan, it helps knowing what you need to buy from the store. You know the saying “never go to the store hungry”? Well, “don’t ever go to the store without a meal plan and grocery list.”
I have a printout that I use, and I will either plan meals for the week and I’ve even done them a month at a time. When I do it a month at a time, it helps me, so I don’t make the same things over and over again.
Even if a day comes and I don’t want to eat the meal for that day, it’s too bad. I still make it and serve it. Because, while I do take the time to ask my family for dinner suggestions, they will be eating whatever it is that I’m cooking. The same goes for me.
If I choose to not cook a meal that I’ve planned for, then I’m stuck with food in my home that could potentially go bad and not get eaten which in turn also means that I’ve wasted money.
When you do a meal plan for your family, you can do it by month or by the week. Keep your calendar close to you as you make your meal plan because you don’t want to plan a labor intensive meal on a day that you’re going to be go-go-go until dinnertime. That is one way to make the meal plan fail.
When you make your meal plan, take a look at what you already have in your pantry and fridge. Try your best to plan meals around what you already have.
I feel like that sometimes when moms, or whoever is cooking in the home, will on occasions, want to make a nice meal for the family. Which is awesome. I tend to make a bigger, nicer meal on Sundays when everyone is home and we aren’t rushing out the door for anything. But don’t feel like you have to make nice meals every single night. I promise you, you will get burnt out. Unless of course you love cooking and have oodles of time and money to spend on cooking then you do you. I wish I enjoyed cooking and had the funds to make roasts, steaks, salmon, ribs and everything else I love. But the reality is, I don’t.
Also, don’t get stuck that you hate being in the kitchen so much that you make unexciting meals all the time. This can lead to your family, and you, not enjoying dinnertime. Ask me how I know. Can you imagine if someone that makes you dinner always made meals that just aren’t too exciting?
Try to find a balance of a few unexciting meals a week and a few meals that are a bit more exciting. I find that by doing both, I don’t mind the few unexciting meals because I know it’s not always going to be like this. It also gives me a bit of a break of being in the kitchen which helps.
Only go to the store once a week
Try not to go to the store more than once a week. How many times do you run into the store for 1-2 items and walk out with 2 bags instead? The more you go into the store, the more you buy.
It is so so easy to grab an extra item and throw it in the cart. Or a drink or little pick me up treat. Those extra items add up quick.
Again, ask me how I know. HA
A portion of your budget
Since we’ve talked about having a grocery budget, keep 1/5 of the monthly budget for anything you need to stock up on. I’m talking about your kitchen staples like oil, flour or the like.
Or if you find a super good deal on meat or other product, you have it in your budget to grab it and not have it affect your weekly budget.
Even if you don’t need an item, but there’s an awesome sale on an item you do use, then you should have it in your budget to be able to purchase it and not have to worry about it coming out of the weekly budget.
Now go out and save some money!
Hopefully these tips can help you save your family some money at the grocery store.
Tell me, is there something else that you do to help save money at the grocery store?
Thanks!
Thanks for being here, in this space with me. It brings me so much joy providing for my family (even though I hate cooking) and to be able to help others do the same just fills me with joy.
Let’s be friends! You can find me on Insta, TikTok or YouTube.
Meals in a bag.