10 Tips to Save Money When You’re Grocery Shopping
When I first moved out onto my own, I was 18. I was working at a restaurant and going to school full time. Through my early and mid 20s, to say it was a struggle saving money is an understatement. I literally busted my butt just to be able to make rent. Grocery shopping quickly because one of my least favorite activities. Food is so expensive! Since I took a ton of accounting classes when getting my degree in Finance, I decided to look at it as a math game. Since food is a major recurring expense, I made it my mission to learn how to shop smarter. After years of practice, I’m ready to share some of my top money saving tips for grocery shopping! Not only will you learn how to save money grocery shopping, but you’ll be able eat well without breaking the bank.
Through my early and mid 20s, to say it was a struggle saving money is an understatement. I literally busted my butt just to be able to make rent. Grocery shopping quickly because one of my least favorite activities. Food is so expensive! Since I took a ton of accounting classes when getting my degree in Finance, I decided to look at it as a math game. Since food is a major recurring expense, I made it my mission to learn how to shop smarter. After years of practice, I’m ready to share some of my top money saving tips for grocery shopping! Not only will you learn how to save money grocery shopping, but you’ll be able eat well without breaking the bank.
Money Saving Tips For Grocery Shopping
When I first graduated college, I was in MAJOR debt. Think, crippling hundred thousand dollar debt. I kid you not. It was and still is overwhelming just thinking about it! Which led me to make some major lifestyle modifications.
Living in California, there’s not a whole lot we can do about rent prices. Since food is a major recurring expense, it became one of my first priorities in trying to strategize how I could save money every month.
When I was living on my own, my goal was to spend $30 or less on groceries every week. Some weeks I was able to clock in under $20 with proper planning and couponing.
And no I wasn’t just eating a bunch of ramen and frozen food. My fridge was filled with fresh vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, healthy fats & nutrient rich food. I avoided a ton of prepackaged foods and unhealthy snacks.
Plan Ahead When Buying Groceries
NEVER go into a grocery store without a plan or a list. I repeat, do not go in unarmed. You’ll fall prey to the snacks and flashy displays.
I start by sticking with a planned payment method. I always pay with my credit card because I get cash back on my purchases AND earn points that can be cashed out. If you have a credit card that earns you airline miles or hotel points, this also help increase your returns.
I like making my shopping list in the notes section of my phone. That way I can access it quickly and mark items off after I’ve found them. Making a list of the items you need for your weekly meals and plan will help you avoid impulse purchases and get finished shopping faster.
Use Grocery Cash Back Apps
There are a ton of grocery cash back apps to choose from. They let you get cash back on your purchases after buying specific items or brands. Since each app is independent, you can recycle the same recipe to get multiple cash back incentives.
Some of my favorite grocery shopping cash back apps:
Make sure you save your receipts because most of the apps will require you to take a photo of it and submit for cash back.
Shop Online
Online grocery shopping is a MAJOR game changer. I do almost all of my grocery shopping using AmazonFresh & Prime Now. AmazonFresh offers Attended Delivery, Doorstep Delivery, and Pickup in select cities in the US.
Orders under the local free shipping threshold before tax have a delivery fee applied at checkout. Delivery addresses in eligible regions receive free shipping on orders of $35 or more before tax. All other regions receive free shipping on orders of $50 or more before tax. Eligible regions include:
- Atlanta
- Boston
- Chicago
- Dallas
- Denver
- Miami
- California
- Northern Virginia
- Philadelphia
- Seattle
Amazon Prime Now is a benefit of Amazon Prime where members can place orders for fast same-day delivery in select zip codes. Amazon Prime Now and Amazon.com are related, but Amazon Prime Now is a standalone site and mobile app.
I love using Prime Now for my grocery shopping because it helps me stick to the necessities. It’s a lot easier to finish my shopping without buying random ice cream or snacks I pass by! It’s also great because I save time – no trips to the store, no time spent searching for items, etc.
The best part is that if you opt for 2 hour delivery, you get free delivery! Meaning it doesn’t even cost anything! If you’re in a rush and need your groceries delivered in an hour you can also opt for a $7.99 delivery fee.
If Amazon Prime Now or Fresh aren’t available in your area, you can also check out Instacart. You get a free 2 week trial when you sign up, after that it costs $99 a year. If you sign up and refer friends, you also get a $50 credit per friend. So you can earn your money back and towards free groceries pretty easily!
Sign Up for Grocery Store Memberships
I’m a huge fan of Costco. I shop there to buy things like paper towels, trash bags, almond milk and eggs in bulk. Costco is a store that you pay a membership fee to go to. They source and sell groceries in bulk, which reduces the unit prices of items.
Costco also offers samples – meaning you can eat (and actually get full) while you shop! Hello free lunch! Their prices are actually lower than Walmart! I love that they’ve started selling a ton of local, organic and smaller quantity items too. Shopping at Costco for items we use frequently is definitely a money saver. For instance, we eat smoothies every day that have almond milk, almond butter, frozen fruit & frozen spinach in them. Buying them in bulk not only saves money but means less trips to the grocery store.
Don’t forget to sign up for memberships at your local grocery store as well! When you check out, they’ll ask for your card & phone number so you can save on marked sale products. I find that I save a significant amount when I shop discounted membership items!
Shop Alone
This one might sound weird, but shopping alone will help you get in and out of the store faster. Meaning you’ll shop more efficiently. Bringing family or friends can be really distracting, making it harder to stick to your list. It also makes you more likely to miss something and end up having to go back again later.
Shop on a Full Stomach
Do not shop hungry. I repeat, do not shop hungry! It’s so important! If you shop when you’re hungry, you’ll have less self control and be more impulsive with your grocery purchases. Meaning you’ll be more likely to buy things you don’t need! Buying things you don’t need means you’ll end up spending more money!
Opt for Generic Brands
Did you know that most stores offer a generic version of brand name products? Generic groceries tend to be a lot cheaper. Make sure you read the labels though to ensure you’re getting the same product or something similar.
Pay Attention to Pricing
Did you know there’s an average price on every item in the grocery store? Understanding and knowing the average price on items will help you know whether or not you’re getting a good deal.
This is obviously easier said than done. My top tip is to check the prices of items on your phone while your shopping on Amazon.com or Walmart.com. That way you can get an idea of the average price of an item, before it goes on sale.
Keep in mind that items come in different sizes and there are different brands for similar items. Be sure to check the price per unit (usually it will say on the sticker below the item). That way you know whether or not you’re getting a good deal.
Use Coupons
I’m a big fan of coupons. Not like one of those crazy coupons you see on TV though. I don’t have time to do that.
Coupons are a really great way to find deals. Most of the coupons I see are for processed, packaged foods. Which is hard to stay away from when you’re being healthy. But you can still ave a ton of money using coupons on nonperishable items.
Reuse Your Leftovers
This has less to do with shopping and more to do with being aware of your leftovers and making a plan to use them!
I always recycle my meals. For example, if I have steak one night, I’ll use the leftovers to make soup or tacos the next night. If you’re looking for inspiration, Pinterest has a ton of awesome ideas!
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