23 Ways To Save Money On Groceries
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Looking for ways to save money on groceries? Try these easy grocery saving tips to cut costs, shop smarter, and keep your pantry stocked.
With the cost of living on the rise, many of us are feeling the pinch when it comes to our grocery bills. It’s a common challenge these days, how do we keep eating healthy food without the price tag leaving a sour taste?
I completely understand feeding our large family without breaking the bank can be challenging.
Thankfully with some creativity, there are many things you can do to still eat well, lower your food budget, and keep your grocery bill in check.
These are all tried and true tips I’ve used to save on grocery costs for years while raising our family and they still work great today.
Ways To Save Money On Groceries
Cook From Scratch
Cooking from scratch is one of the best ways to start saving money on groceries. When you stop buying boxed and frozen dinners, you’re not just cutting out the excess packaging and preservatives, you’re also cutting costs.
The markup on processed meals can be high, but when you buy basic, whole ingredients and put them together yourself, you’ll see substantial savings.
It’s about getting back to the basics, where a handful of affordable ingredients can be turned into a nutritious meal without the added expense of convenience.
Some easy dinner ideas:
Start Meal Planning
Taking a little time to start a meal planning routine can go a long way to stretching your grocery budget.
Start by looking at what ingredients you already have in your pantry. Then list out what meals you can make from those and write down a weekly meal plan.
This will leave you more money in your grocery budget that you can use for sale items.
But meal planning doesn’t have to be boring. You can set aside different nights for different themes maybe a comforting pasta dish on Sunday and taco night on Tuesday.
This approach keeps things exciting and sidesteps the all too common indecision that can strike at mealtime. Plus, planning for leftovers can be a smart way to ensure nothing goes to waste while giving you a night off from cooking.
Always Use A Shopping List
Have you ever gone shopping and forgotten your grocery list? I have, you know what happens right? You end up forgetting essential items and buying things that weren’t on your list.
Making a shopping list and keeping it with you is so important to keep your spending on track. It’s your plan of attack against impulse buys and forgotten essentials.
Organizing your list by the layout of your grocery store can help you save time shopping and keep you on track.
And while it’s a good idea to stick to your list, staying flexible for those unmissable sales on your go-to items is perfectly okay.
Eat In Season
Buying the right food at the right time of year helps seasonal produce is a better price than out of season products.
If you can buy local fresh produce at a farmers market or grocery store you can save money and enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables.
Always make sure you talk to your local growers and see if they have seconds available. Seconds are produce that are slightly damaged, so it doesn’t look as pretty for sale on the shelf. But you can get some great deals this way.
Either use your savings to buy extra produce to freeze or can for use later or to take advantage of sales and stock up on other items in your local grocery store.
Buy Generic Brands
If you are always buying brand name items switching to generic brands can quickly lower the cost of your overall budget.
Store brands are often very similar in taste to your favorite brands and this is one of the easiest ways to save money if you’re still using name brand products.
Buy In Bulk
Buying in bulk can save you a lot of money over time. Particularly for pantry staples like rice, beans, and pasta, which have long shelf lives.
A sale on these essentials is a chance to stock your pantry and stretch your budget.
Remember that bulk is only better if you have the space and a plan to use it all before it’s past its prime. After all, what good is a bargain if it goes to waste?
Bulk foods are available in many places check wholesale clubs, warehouse stores, and your local store to see who has the best deals.
Don’t assume that a larger package is always the better deal. Check the unit price, this is normally found in small print on the shelf price sticker.
Sometimes, it’s cheaper to buy multiple normal size packs than the bulk one.
Start A Pantry Challenge
Doing a pantry challenge is a great way to avoid the grocery store for a while and save money.
The goal is to create meals using only what’s already in your cupboards. This can spur some truly inventive dishes you might not have tried otherwise.
It’s a fantastic way to minimize waste, delay grocery shopping, and get the most out of your pantry. Plus, it’s very satisfying to make the most of every ingredient you have.
Preserve Food
Preserving food, whether by canning, pickling, or freezing, is a wonderful way to stretch your food budget.
You can buy produce in season when it’s the cheapest and most abundant and put it up to enjoy throughout the year.
Try making homemade strawberry jam, tomato sauce, or pickles, and enjoy the fresh, homemade taste and savings throughout the year.
Stretch Your Meat
Learning how to stretch meat is a great way to lower the cost of your meals.
One whole chicken can be the foundation for several delicious and different meals throughout the week.
Whole chickens are often a great price but you can also get rotisserie chickens already cooked if you are in a hurry.
Start by roasting the chicken to enjoy as a classic main dish for your first meal.
Then remove the remaining meat and cube or shred to use in tacos, stir-fries, sandwiches, or to add to salads.
The carcass isn’t to be wasted either, it’s perfect for making homemade chicken broth, which can serve as a base for soups and sauces.
Use Coupons And Points
Depending on where you live couponing can be a good source of savings. You can find physical coupons in local newspapers, flyers, and in store but don’t forget to check digital coupons and exclusive discounts offered by stores too.
If your stores have loyalty programs take advantage of it. I’ve seen ones that have exclusive sales and points that you can use to buy free groceries.
Although I rarely find coupons for fresh foods, you can often find them for baking ingredients, personal hygiene products, and cleaning supplies.
Remember, the trick is to use coupons to save on products you’re already planning to buy, not to tempt you into unnecessary purchases.
It’s a small step in your shopping routine that can lead to big savings at the checkout.
Bake Your Own Bread
Bread and bread products have been one of the foods that have jumped a lot in price over the past few years.
But it’s so easy to make homemade bread for a fraction of the cost.
These are my favorite easy recipes:
Make Homemade Bone Broth
Making bone broth at home is a nutritious and cost-effective practice that takes advantage of ingredients that would otherwise go to waste.
Keep a container in your freezer to save bones and vegetable scraps like onion peels, carrot ends, and celery leaves as you prepare meals.
When it’s full add it to your stock pot, slow cooker, or pressure cooker. Add water to cover and simmer until you have a rich broth that surpasses anything you’d find in a store.
Try Batch Cooking
Setting aside time for batch cooking can bring so much peace to your mealtime. Do some meal prep so you have freshly washed and diced produce in the fridge ready to use for salads and wraps.
But also make some freezer meals so you have dinners lined up for the week. Then when you are tired as dinner rolls around you aren’t tempted to run out for takeout.
You can either do a big bulk cooking session once a month or just double what you are making at night. Then place the extra dinner in the freezer to use later.
Having a freezer stocked with nutritious meals that just need to be heated and served is a wonderful time saver and really takes off the stress.
Use Up Leftovers
Learning how to use leftovers is a must when you are trying to stretch your food budget and really helps to reduce food waste.
But if your family doesn’t like to eat leftovers as is, don’t worry if you get creative they’ll never know.
That roast chicken from your Sunday family meal? It can become a zesty chicken salad or the star of a taco night.
The bread that’s going stale? Turn it into homemade stuffing, French toast, or croutons.
Using leftovers minimizes food waste and helps you to try new meal ideas.
Brown Bag Your Lunch
Taking a ‘brown bag’ lunch to work or school is a tried and true method for keeping both your spending and your diet in check.
In our area, it costs almost $20 for a basic fast food type lunch. If you eat out 5 days a week that’s 100 dollars a week. It’s so much cheaper to make a lunch and take it with you.
Plus, with a bit of planning, these homemade lunches can become something you look forward to, filled with variety and your favorite flavors.
It’s not just about simple sandwiches, leftovers, salads, homemade wraps, and even last night’s pizza are all great lunch ideas.
Windowsill Gardening
Per pound, fresh herbs are one of the most expensive ingredients. But you can grow herbs indoors and enjoy their fresh taste year round.
It doesn’t take much space either, a sunny windowsill and a few pots is all you need.
The simple act of growing herbs like basil or parsley brings a burst of freshness to your dishes that store bought packets can’t match.
If you have the space, why not expand to vegetables like tomatoes or peppers in containers or even a full vegetable garden if you have enough room.
Growing a garden is a wonderful way to lower your food costs.
Use Your Slow Cooker
Your slow cooker is a wonderful help for a busy day. If you know you are going to be too busy to make dinner later on. Take a few minutes in the morning to start dinner in your slow cooker.
By the time you are ready to eat, you’ll have a warm, homemade dinner instead of getting takeout. Plus, you can use cheaper cuts of meat that are naturally tenderized by the long slow cooking process saving you more money.
Try Meatless Meals
Enjoying some meatless meals can help you lower your meal cost.
Staples like beans, lentils, and whole grains tend to be more budget-friendly than their meaty counterparts while still packing a nutritional punch.
You can simply make some of your favorite recipes like spaghetti and leave out the meat or try some new vegetarian recipes.
Avoid Bottled Water
Buying bottled water can really add up. However, using a good water filter can help to remove undesired tastes from your tap water.
Invest in some good quality reusable water bottles to take drinks with you when you travel. Along with a packed lunch, this can save you a lot of money over time.
Plus, you will have less plastic waste to deal with.
Brew at Home
Do you love coffee or tea? Making it at home is a quick way to cut down on daily expenses.
It’s a simple habit that can save you a surprising amount over time compared to grabbing a cup on the go.
Plus, having control over your brew means you can make it just the way you like it, every time. It’s efficient and cost effective, and you can enjoy it exactly where you’re most comfortable at home.
Store Food Properly
The way you store your food can have a big impact on how long it lasts.
You spend your hard earned money on groceries, and the last thing you want to do is store your food wrong so it spoils.
Take the time to wrap cheese correctly to prevent it from drying out, place your veggies in the crisper where they belong, and avoid overfilling your refrigerator to maintain proper airflow.
Store dry foods in airtight containers to keep them fresh.
These small steps can make your groceries last significantly longer, cutting down on waste and saving you money in the long run.
Buy Frozen Or Canned Fruit And Vegetables
I know everyone says fresh is better but it’s not always. Canned and frozen vegetables and fruit are picked and processed at the perfect ripeness.
Compared to fruit and vegetables that are grown further away from you, shipped across the country, and then sit waiting for you to buy them.
Plus frozen and canned foods are often cheaper than fresh.
Some of my favorite frozen foods to buy are:
- Corn
- Peas
- Beans
- Spinach
- Berries
Barter and Swap
Try sharing and bartering with friends and neighbors, it’s a great way to help each other out.
If you have extra lettuce in your garden offer to trade it with your neighbor who could have extra tomatoes. If they don’t have produce to swap with maybe they can help you weed your garden in exchange.
With a little creativity, you can often swap skills and products to benefit everyone.
There are so many simple ways to save money on groceries, but it’s important not to try to do everything all at the same time. Just pick one or two things to start with.
Then, once you are used to doing that, pick another tip to add to your routine. This will help you build strong habits without feeling overwhelmed.
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Kim Mills is a homeschooling mom of 6 and lives on an urban homestead in Ontario, Canada. Blogging at Homestead Acres she enjoys sharing tips to help you save money, grow and preserve your own food.
