10 Easy Ways to Save Money on Your Grocery Bill
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As a busy mom and penny-pincher, I'm always looking for ways to stretch our family's budget further. One of the easiest places to start is with our grocery bill. By using these 10 easy tips, I've been able to trim our spending at the supermarket and save us hundreds of dollars each month without sacrificing the quality or variety of our meals.
1. Plan your Meals in Advance
One of the biggest changes we made was to start planning our meals in advance. Before we head to the grocery store, my husband and I sit down and come up with a list of what we'll eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner each day of the week. This helps us avoid impulse buys and makes sure we only buy what we need for the week. Plus, it saves us the hassle of figuring out what to cook each day. A simple Meal Planner or Weekly Menu Board helps us to map out what meals we are planning for which days, as well as map expected leftovers for later in the week.
2. Shop Sales
Another thing that has made a big difference is shopping sales and coupons. We always check the weekly ads before we head to the store, and we've started clipping coupons to save even more. This has allowed us to take advantage of deals on everything from fresh produce to meat and dairy products.
3. Buy Generic
Buying generic brands has also been a huge money-saver for us. We've found that in many cases, the generic or store-brand products are just as good as the name-brand items and are often significantly cheaper.
4. Buy in Bulk
“Some” is good, “more” must be better, right? When the foods you usually reach for go on sale, try buying in larger quantities. By buying in bulk when things are on sale, we're able to save even more money over time. Of course, be careful what you get on sale. For example, when your favorite frozen fruits and veggies go on sale, make sure to know your freezer availability ahead of time!
5. Do Your Research
Although an extra step, planning ahead on which items to get at each store has saved me a bunch. There are two ways I have done my research ahead of time: One is to make sure to peruse the weekly flyer and build my grocery list (and meal planning for the week) based on the sales. If I already know what meals I am making and already have my list together, I can use a price comparison site and plug in the foods to let me know which store has my items cheapest. I have used My Grocery Deals in the past but there are more out there to check out!
6. Leave the Credit Card at Home
If you find yourself deviating from your list week after week, one route you can go is paying in cash. Leave the cards in your wallet and bring only enough cash to cover your planned meals for the week. Not only does it force you to keep to your plan, but there’s also something a little more stinging about handing over physical cash and not getting it back (atleast, thats how it feels for me!).
7. Skip the Store and Shop CSA
One thing we've also started doing is incorporating a local Community Supported Agriculture program. Not only is it good to reduce our carbon footprint, but we also get fresh, local fruits and vegetables all season long at a fraction of the cost of the grocery store. Although, we don’t get to choose which fruits and vegetables we get all the time, it’s a great option to broaden the variety of produce on our table while also trimming the cost of produce from the grocery store.
8. Plan Ahead for Leftovers
When it comes to leftovers, we've learned to get creative. Rather than letting food go to waste, we freeze leftovers for quick meals later on. And when we're planning our meals, we factor in dishes that can be eaten multiple times, so we're not constantly cooking something new.
9. Grocery Shop at Home
It’s easy to get enchanted by the fresh fruit and drawn in by the big advertisement signs at the store. Let’s avoid that all together and do your grocery shopping at home. Try ordering your groceries online and schedule for pick-up, so you stick to the items on your list and don’t get caught up in those in-the-moment purchases.
10. Join Loyalty Programs
Finally, we always take advantage of loyalty programs at our local grocery stores. We've signed up for rewards programs that allow us to earn points for each dollar we spend, and those points can be redeemed for discounts on future purchases.
By using these 10 easy tips, we've been able to save money on our grocery bill and make significant strides toward achieving financial independence. With a little bit of planning and creativity, it's possible to reduce your expenses at the supermarket and improve your family's financial situation.
