Do you want to know how to save money on groceries? But, don’t know where to start?!
A huge chunk of our money is spent on groceries every month.
We go out shopping once or twice a week and sometimes end up buying a lot more than we actually need.
But, a little planning can help you to save a whole lot of amount on groceries.
How to save money on groceries
Here are some effective ways on how to save money on groceries.
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1. Make A Meal Plan
Plan your meals once a week. Decide what you need for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the next week and buy accordingly.
Meal planning is time-consuming. But it is worth the money. Sit at least once a week and write down the meal plans for the whole week.
If you don’t like meal planning, you should try this $5 Meal Plan. For just $5 a month, they will send you delicious meal plans which cost about $2 per person.
$5 Meal Plan will allow you to save hundreds of dollars each month.
You will be able to cook delicious food with inexpensive and healthy natural ingredients.
The best part is that they also offer a Gluten-free plan. So, if you are a woman suffering from PCOS/PCOD, you can definitely try out their meal plans.
Try the $5 Meal Plan for 14 days and cancel anytime if you don’t like it.
2. Make A Grocery List
Before going shopping, make a list of groceries that you are going to buy. Stick to that list while shopping. This will prevent you from overspending.
I usually prefer making a list like this while before I go shopping. You can download this free printable below!
This will help you to save a lot on groceries.
3. Use Rebate Apps To Get CashBack
Checkout 51 allows you to earn cash back on your groceries.
Simply head on to the store and buy what you need. Then take a photo of your receipt, upload it on the application and earn cash back.
It is a great way to get some money back on things you buy every day!
Some other cashback apps for saving money on groceries:
4. Shop Online
Consider joining a membership program like Amazon Prime and get free shipping for groceries.
You will be saving a lot of money on gas by not having to drive to the grocery stores at the weekend.
5. Don’t Purchase Eye-Level Food Items:
Have you ever noticed that the foods kept right in front of your eye level are much more expensive than the others kept below or on the top?
Well, it is their marketing strategy.
We tend to pick up things that we see at the first sight. Instead, look up and down while shopping.
6. Shop Less Often:
Go shopping only once or twice a week.
You will end up spending more if you go to the grocery shop every day.
7. Avoid Buying Junk Food While Shopping
If you are with your kids while shopping, chances are you will end up buying a whole lot of chocolates, chips, ice cream, or other snacks while shopping.
Avoid purchasing those sometimes for saving money.
8. Avoid Pre-Cut Food:
Buying pre-cut food might make you feel like you are saving your time, but you are actually emptying your wallet.
We all have been there!
Walking through the grocery store and we catch the sight of perfectly cut pumpkin and watermelon arranged in a container just for you.
Those pre-cut food are twice expensive as when you pay for the whole thing.
Pre-cut food is for the people who don’t have the time to cut those vegetables at home.
You can buy the whole food and then cut them on your own.
9. Have Meat-Free Meals:
We all love meat but most of the time, it is the most expensive item on your list.
Try to have vegetarian food at least twice a week.
10. Buy Frozen Vegetables
Frozen veggies are just as nutritional as fresh ones.
However, frozen food items are cheaper than fresh ones.
Also, fresh foods are sometimes not stored properly, which leads to the throwing away of a lot of foods every year. Hence you can save your money by switching to frozen foods as they are as good as fresh ones.
Related post: Ways to improve your grocery shopping experience
11. Do Not Shop With An Empty Stomach
You shall end up buying huge tones of food when you are hungry. So, never go shopping when you are hungry.
12. Shop Alone:
Whenever you are going to shop, go alone.
It helps you to stay focused and not buy anything apart from the list. Especially, don’t take kids with you.
Mamas love their kids to death but when it comes to shopping, kids will be like ” I want this chocolate now!” and it is so difficult to say “No” to those cute little kids! So, it is always better to shop alone.
Summary of how to save money on groceries:
So, these were my thoughts on how to save money on groceries. I really hope that you found out some ways to save more and spend less on groceries.
What tips are you using to cut your bills on groceries? Let me know in the comment section below.
