Grocery bills are only increasing thanks to the rising cost of living – and our healthy appetites. Implementing money-saving methods to cut down on your food bill will help to improve your spending without sacrificing nutrition. We’ve gathered 20 tips to cut your grocery bill in half.
Make a Weekly Meal Plan
Often, the biggest cause of wasted money is not knowing what you want to eat. With a weekly meal plan, you can write a detailed shopping list and avoid deviating from set items. A weekly meal plan also allows you to plan for ingredients you can spread over more than one meal.
Grow Your Own Food
If grocery store prices for fruit and vegetables are too high, why not grow your own? Start your own food garden at home and save money. Harvard Health also explains the benefits of appreciating your food more because you grow it yourself.
Create a Strict Grocery Budget
It may sound restrictive, but it’s the only way you’re going to avoid buying that extra pack of snacks. If you set a budget, it can help you keep better track of your spending and make sure you’re focusing on the main grocery items you need without accidentally overspending.
Utilize Coupons and Discounts
You should also try to take advantage of store discounts, which can be more easily done when you plan your meals. For example, there might be a 2-for-1 deal on certain food items. You can also collect coupons from apps, websites, and newspapers to maximize savings.
Buy in Bulk
Buying in bulk can seem like a bigger initial payment, but in the long run, you’ll actually be saving money. Buying large packs of regular items instead of individually will help reduce costs and allow you to stock up. It’ll also reduce gas or commute expenses with fewer trips to the store.
Don’t Be Afraid of Store Brands
Don’t be tempted by the more impressive packaging of the famous brands: store-brand products are often just as good for half the price. Especially with basic food items such as fruit, you’ll be getting a similar-quality product for cheaper. Try to experiment to find store-brand products you like.
Shop Seasonally
Food items in season are often more reasonably priced and of better quality than out-of-season foods. If you want to buy seasonal produce and save it for later, you can safely freeze or can certain food items. To make it easier, plan your weekly meals around seasonal availability.
Avoid Processed Foods
It can often seem like processed foods are the cheaper options because of not having to buy all ingredients separately, but they’ll actually cost you more for the privilege of convenience. Cooking from scratch will not only save you money, it will be more nutritional.
Eat Less Meat
Switching to plant-based meals or just avoiding meat will help to save on expensive meat prices. You can plan for meat-free days within your meal plan. It’s also a good option if you’re trying to lose weight, as those who eat less meat “generally eat fewer calories and less fat”, says Mayo Clinic.
Shop at Discount Stores
Explore your local discount stores instead of sticking to your normal grocery store, as this can help you discover cheaper items. Discount stores are the best choices for staple and non-perishable items, while ethnic grocery stores can offer the most affordable ingredients.
Use a Price Book
Price books can help you to keep track of your spending in a more detailed way than budgeting. You can write down the food items you always buy and then compare prices between different stores or brands. This will help you pinpoint the cheapest option for your regular foods.
Learn Basic Food and Prep Skills
If you learn basic butchery for meat and correct prep for vegetables, you can learn how to best use every part of a food item to avoid waste. You can also save money by knowing how to prepare certain foods yourself instead of having to buy them already done for you.
Make Room in Your Freezer
One of the best ways to save money is by freezing and preserving a lot of food. If you don’t have a big enough freezer, investing in a larger one might help you save money in the long term! Buy in bulk so that you can then extend shelf life and freeze portions.
Use Cashback Apps
Download apps that offer cashback on grocery purchases. Your grocery store might have an official app that offers money-back rewards. By always using the app, you can collect points and scan your receipts for additional savings. Every little helps!
Avoid Shopping When You’re Hungry
According to Forbes, shopping when you’re hungry makes you want to buy more – not just on food items! Impulse purchases, whether food, cosmetics, or clothing, are more likely on an empty stomach. Eat before grocery shopping to ensure you’re not tempted by snacks you don’t need.
Give Batch Cooking and Meal Prepping a Go
Meal prepping can help keep food organized and fresh, which means less risk of forgetting about items and having them go off. By batch-cooking meals, you can cook large amounts all at once and portion them out for the week, saving both time and money.
Check Unit Prices
It may sound nitpicky, but checking unit prices can be a great way to save money. You can compare prices per ounce or pound to find the best deal per unit. Food packaging can often be misleading, so reading the fine print will help you save money.
Make the Best of Leftovers
More food waste equals more money waste, so making the best of leftovers will help to create new meals for less. Purposefully plan meals whose leftovers can be used as a new dish. The Independent suggests using loose leftovers that can’t function as a standalone meal as fillers for enchiladas or wraps.
Shop the Perimeter
A good rule of thumb is that the middle of the store usually has all the processed items, and the perimeter has fresh produce. The latter is where you’ll want to shop to save money and find the healthiest ingredients.
Compare Prices Online
Our final piece of money-saving advice is to compare prices online. This can be easier than trying to do it manually in different stores. Use price comparison websites to find the best food deals before you travel out to do your shopping. You can also sign up for money-saving alerts.
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