Today I would like to talk about how to save money on groceries & share our 11 best tips to stretch your food dollar.
When it comes to saving money on your groceries small changes can make a big difference. Adjusting a few grocery shopping habits can make a big impact. These money saving tips can help you feed your family healthy meals while saving money. It is really amazing how much more money you can have to spend on the things you truly want in life when you can save on some of your everyday expenses-namely, food.
1. eat at home
Limit the amount of times you eat out. Take stock of your dining and spending habits and see if you can reign in the number of times you eat out per month. Your waistline and wallet will thank you! Save dining out for special occasions. Also, try to cut back on take out, fast food and convenience store stops. Sure, these outings are fun but, they add up in a big way! When you do eat away from home support local businesses and be on the lookout for specials.
2. Set a food budget
Take a good look at your finances and decide what you can afford to spend on groceries each month. Set up a food budget and stick to it. Decide how often you will shop and what you can spend each trip. Personally, I shop as seldom as possible as I feel that saves me the most money. I try to do a “BIG SHOP” one week and the next week just do a “FILL IN” trip of perishables, milk and eggs. I have 2 teenage sons so keeping fruits and veggies in stock is a priority.
3. shop online at discount grocers
Save money & your valuable time by skipping the grocery store. You can shop online from the comfort of your own home. As you shop you can take stock of what you have & not order things already on hand. You save money by skipping all of the impulse buys & register temptations. My 2 favorite stores to shop online are Imperfect Foods & Aldi
I like that Imperfect Foods are delivered in a cardboard box directly to my door after a low minimum is reached. I save on the delivery fees & tip by picking up my Aldi purchases (Workers are paid well and not permitted to accept tips-I asked). They do charge a nominal fee (1.99) to shop for you. Still a great deal!
Depending on your area you may have other good time & money saving shopping options available to you. Give them a try & use whatever works best for your situation.
4. bargain hunt
When you do venture out to do your grocery shopping make sure that you look for deals. Using coupons is a fabulous way to save money. But, also be aware of sales & markdowns at your particular store. Many stores discount items on a regular schedule. Find out when that is and plan to get there early for the best deals. Stock up and freeze what you can’t use right away.
Also, as you shop be aware that often times you need to search a little for the best priced items. Usually, higher priced items are at eye level. Look at the top & bottom shelves to see if you can snag a better deal.
Consider buying the generic when there is one available. My Dad was a truck driver & he once told me that often a factory is pumping the same product into both the name brand and the generic brand packaging. Buying the generic version can save you lots of cash while enjoying the foods you love.
5. Meal Plan
Meal planning will save you money and help you to cut back on food waste. With the cost of food it is important to eat everything you spend your hard earned money buying. Use what you already have in stock. You have 3 inventories: Your fridge, your freezer & your pantry. Before you shop and as you meal plan take a good look at what you already have. Stock up on affordable options such as rice, dry beans, pasta, flour and other “cross over” items. These are generally great to have on hand as they can be used to make several different dishes. Also, having some nice cooking oil & spices on hand helps you to create a variety of meals for your family.
Save money by planning your meals around what is in season since those items will be cheaper. Also, pull out the circular of the store you will be shopping and plan your meals around what is on sale.
6. cook from scratch
A little DIY in the kitchen can go a long way towards saving you a lotta cash. Many of your favs are so much easier to make than you may have imagined. I have been making things like bread, pizza, fish sticks, cookies & even pudding from scratch. Not only does it save me money…I feel so much better serving my family healthy meals that are not full of hard to pronounce ingredients.
Check out these sites to help you stay in budget, use ingredients you have & cut back on food waste:
- Supercook is a well known app for building recipes with select ingredients
- My Fridge Food gives you easy recipes using ingredients you already have in the kitchen.
- Big Oven Boasts over a million recipes plus, ideas & videos to help you get organized in the kitchen
7. Minimize processed snack foods
Snack foods can be costly, not to mention unhealthy. With a little planning you can stock up on healthy foods that can pull double duty as a snack or a healthy addition to your weekly meals. Some easy & affordable smart snacking ideas include:
- cheese cubes and whole-grain crackers
- Hummus and whole-wheat pita bread
- Carrots, pepper strips, and celery sticks (sometimes with ranch dressing to dip)
- Edamame (soy beans)
- Whole fruit or fruit slices (dipped in lemon juice to prevent them from turning brown)
- Trail mix made with cereals, nuts, pretzels, dried fruit, or raisins
- Individual serving-sized containers of low-fat, low-sugar yogurt (look for no more than 20 grams of sugar per 6 ounces)
- Baked tortilla chips and salsa
- Popcorn without added salt or butter
- Single portion-sized cups of unsweetened apple sauce or fruit packed in its own juice, without added sugar
- Celery sticks stuffed with peanut butter and sprinkled with raisins or other dried fruit (cranberries, blueberries)
- Home made kale chips
- sweet cherry tomatoes
8. cook once eat twice
Do you at times feel rushed & overwhelmed as you hurry to get dinner ready? Preparing a meal can be like juggling to keep several balls in the air as you bustle back and forth from task to task: Wash! Chop! Mix! Cook! Stir! Boil
The “cook once, eat twice” plan is a game changer when it comes to weekday meal prep.
If you’re not familiar with the term, basically it means that you cook one meal and then repurpose the leftovers for another meal. If you’re not a leftover lover, no worries, you don’t eat the same meal twice!
Give yourself a break! By planning ahead you can make some of the dinner tasks you’re constantly juggling easier. Spend a few extra minutes planning complementary menus.
Plan meals based around key foods prepared in larger amounts for use in one recipe the first night and an entirely different recipe within the next night or two.
You simply prepare extra of your protein, extra veggies and an extra starch one night. Separate food into 2 batches .Serve half as your planned meal the night it is cooked. Promptly refrigerate the food for the next meal to keep it safe. I like to use pyrex glass containers. Their glass containers are leak proof, freezer & microwave safe.
9. Use unit price to get the best deal
What is unit price? And how it can save you money when you shop?
The “unit price” tells you the cost per ounce, pound, quart, or other unit of weight or volume of a food package. It is usually posted on the shelf below the food. The shelf tag shows the total price (item price) and price per unit (unit price) for the food item .Make sure as you compare items that the store has them correctly labelled by ounce, pound, quart or entire unit cost per 1 item. For instance I have seen where the store unit price label will be by the pound for 1 item & by the ounce for another comparable item. Make sure you are using same measure for each item.
To calculate the unit price, simply divide the cost of the product by the quantity you’re receiving or check the store’s shelf label. Knowing the unit price for items helps you truly get the best deal. Sometimes a cheaper item actually has a higher unit price and will be more costly in the long run.
10. Shop the freezer section
Buying more frozen food can help you slash your grocery bill while still feeding your family healthy meals. Frozen foods are often quite a bit cheaper than fresh, and in many cases, they can be just as flavorful
Some frozen food items are up to 50% cheaper than their fresh counterparts. And since they can be stored for weeks or even months without spoiling, you cut down on waste and the cost of having to toss fresh items that have gone bad before you had the chance to consume them.
Some foods that are often cheaper in their frozen version include blueberries, fish, shrimp, pizza ,burritos, corm, spinach, mangos and broccoli.
As always keep your eyes peeled for sales and make sure to check the unit prices as you compare.
11. Join the “Meatless monday” Movement
You can save lots of money and still eat healthy if you plan some meat free meals. There is a global movement called “Meatless Monday” The idea is to encourage people to reduce meat in their diet for their health and the health of the planet. The campaign was started in 2003 by Sid Lerner, the Founder of The Monday Campaigns, in association with the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future.
Meatless Monday’s simple message to “skip meat once a week” works because it introduces an easy to learn habit of joining others on a meat free Monday. Studies show that Monday is the day people are most open to making positive changes. Starting each week practicing Meatless Monday can lead people to eat more fruits, vegetables and plant-based meals throughout the rest of the week.
There are many simple meatless meals you can prepare to save money and maybe even improve your health. Beans, rice, pasta & veggies are all healthy ways to enjoy your Meatless Monday. My recipe Gluten free avocado Egg & cheese stack is an excellent breakfast for dinner meatless meal your are sure to enjoy!
What are your top grocery saving tips?
I hope “how to save money on groceries & share our 11 best tips” has been helpful to you in your money saving journey. Let us know what tips you use to save money on your groceries.
