Check out these ways to save money on groceries. With prices rising, these small changes to your grocery buying habits might just save you money each month. With two little girls who seem to eat everything in sight, I needed to change our grocery purchases to save money with the constant increase in pretty much every product on the shelf. I could no longer continue purchasing whatever I wanted without evaluating where the money was going. It seemed like every week the bill was getting higher and higher. I knew that changes need to be made and quickly. This post is all about ways to save money on groceries.
To be honest, this system of saving money on my groceries got me in the mindset to evaluate what I spend money on every month. I even woke up one morning and canceled the cable. Yes, I might regret that, but the thought of all of those little apps every month that we pay for drives me crazy. It is nuts what goes into a home budget each month, and if you can save money somewhere, it is worth at least trying to change up a routine or cut something.
Grocery prices are increasing constantly, and I hope that these tips on saving money on your monthly grocery bill will help. These tips relate directly to changes that I made to our monthly grocery approach, but if you can use a few of these ideas, you will save some money. Let me know which ideas work for you, and if you have some ways to save that, you’d like to share as well.
This post is all about ways to save money on groceries.
Table of Contents
Ways To Save Money on Groceries
Meal Plan
Meal planning is probably going to be the biggest change that you see when looking to save money. If you meal plan and make a grocery list based on those choices and stick with them, you are probably going to save money.
If you go to the grocery store without a plan, this is when the bills add up. Try to start with just planning out dinners, and then getting your basics for breakfast and lunch. Of course, you can always use your dinner leftovers for lunches the next day, too.
Clear Out Your Freezer Food First
Before making a run to the store for frozen veggies or meat options, check out what you have in store in your freezer. With the pandemic mindset of stocking up, I still catch myself stockpiling food for no reason. Once I thought about where my grocery bill was going, I knew I needed to shop my freezer for meal ideas and use what I already had before purchasing more meat and frozen veggie bags.
Shop in Bulk for the Staples
For items that you go through quickly, try to shop for those items in bulk at your local Sam’s Club or Costco. For instance, I always go through my kids’ favorite snack, Pirate’s Booty, super quickly, so it’s easier and cheaper for me to buy it in bulk.
I have been trying to make one big bulk purchase every 6 to 7 weeks, and that way I have what I need, but I am not overspending on snack food or toiletries.
Shop Aldi More Often
For those who do not have an Aldi nearby, I am sorry that you don’t have this amazing store to shop in. The prices are unbelievable and the food is of high quality. At first, I was worried about purchasing chicken and produce there, but I have been happy with both. The strawberries are always perfect, and the food options are fabulous.
Ways To Save Money on Groceries
Substitute Ground Coffee for K-Cups
During the week, it is quicker for me to just put a k-cup in first thing in the morning, but on the weekends, I have been making a pot of coffee to cut down on the use of so many k-cups. I actually started using the Aldi ground coffee in the dark roast, and it is delicious.
Use Lemon or Lime Juice in Water Instead of Seltzer
After evaluating our seltzer purchases, we were spending at least fifty dollars a month on seltzer. That is ridiculous, and so I cut that completely out of our bill. Instead, I purchased a bottle of lime juice and a bottle of lemon juice, and we just put a few drops of that into our water. The water has flavor, and we are no longer dumping money into seltzer cans.
Purchase Off Brand Toiletries
As for my love for Bounty paper towels, I had to cut this purchase out, and now I buy the Up & Up brand, and to be honest, there isn’t much of a difference.
Also, I started buying the Target Up & Up body wash, which is really nice and smells great.
Of course, you will not love every swap for the off-brand items, but it is worth a try to save some money.
Purchase Meat Options When On Sale and Freeze Them
Since I cleared out my freezer, I have been purchasing meat options when they are on sale. For instance, when ground meat goes on sale, I purchase a lot, so that I can make burgers and meatballs, and have some in freezer bags for pasta sauce and chili. This way, instead of purchasing it when I feel like making those meals, I am not overspending.
Ways To Save Money on Groceries
Shop Local Farms and Farmer’s Markets
Now that the weather is nicer, the farmer’s markets are all open, and the produce is great and a steal compared to the grocery store. Making these changes helps your local farms, and you save money at the same time.
Repurpose Leftovers & Use Them for Lunches
I know that this may not be appealing, but using leftovers the next day will save you money and eliminate food waste. For instance, if you make grilled chicken, you could add it to pasta sauce or make chicken salad the next day for lunch. Plus, you could toss it over a salad too. This way, you don’t have to throw any food away, and you don’t have to spend as much at the grocery store purchasing other lunch options.
Use All of Your Produce Before Replenishing It
We go through a ton of produce, and I used to run out and buy more strawberries or blueberries as soon as they would be gone. Now, I don’t do that as I wait for all the other fruit to be eaten. The girls have been eating more of a variety of fruits because they now reach for an apple or a peach. Plus, you won’t have any rotten produce this way.
Purchase Snacks and Sweets When On Sale Only
So if you are a snack and sweet family like us, it is tempting to just buy your go-tos when they run out and not think much of it. Now that I am trying to save money as often as possible, I have been purchasing our favorites only when they are on sale. For instance, the girls love creamsicles and popsicles of all kinds, so I only get them when they are on sale. I no longer just grab a box to grab a box.
Shop Every 10 Days Instead of Weekly
I like a schedule, and so instead of regularly buying groceries every week, I have been trying to do it every ten days. This might seem strange, but it helps us really clear out the fridge before just running to the store. This way every option is gone, and the restocking is more necessary. You might need a different time frame than this, but ten days has worked pretty well.
Shop Online for Pickup
I have always enjoyed shopping online and then picking up my groceries instead of running into the store with two kids. Of course, this eliminates a lot of chaos, and it also eliminates a lot of last-minute toss-in items into the cart. No one is hanging out of the cart screaming for the unicorn mac and cheese or the Toy Story fruit snacks anymore. 🙂
Let The Money Pile Up
Now that you have your new saving ideas, use these to pile up the money every month.
Be it you use your money somewhere else or put it into savings, you’ll be glad to at least glance at this list of ideas to get into the saving mode.
This post is all about ways to save on groceries.
& Remember
Start with the Bed,
Juliet
