10 Grocery Store Hacks
We’ve all been there: You’re doing an ordinary grocery run, tossing items into your cart at random, and then the cashier rings up your total and you’re sure they mistakenly included two tickets to the Bahamas because there’s no way you spent that much on groceries.
Unfortunately, we’re all seeing higher numbers at the grocery checkout counter these days, and it’s usually not because the cashier made any kind of mistake. Grocery prices have simply skyrocketed, increasing 22.5% over the past four years, and it’s hard not to feel the pinch.
The good news is, you don’t have to blow half your budget on groceries or start raising your own poultry and cattle. With some clever tricks and careful planning, you can trim a significant amount off your grocery costs each month without compromising on your food intake. Here are 10 ways to save on your groceries.
1. Plan your meals before you shop
First, create a detailed weekly meal plan. Include the meals you’ll cook at home and the ones you’ll prepare for work or eat while on the go. By outlining your meals in advance, you’ll minimize impulse purchases and avoid buying unnecessary items.
2. Create a shopping list
Next, write up a detailed shopping list that includes all the ingredients you’ll need for the items on your planned menu. If you know your supermarket well, you can draw up your list based on the layout of the store. This will help minimize your time in the store and make it easier to stick to your list, which can be challenging when walking through a store and seeing all the items you think you need to buy.
3. Leverage store sales and coupons
Why pay full price when you don’t have to? When creating your menu and shopping list, check out the store’s weekly sales flyer and plan your menu around on-sale foods. Most large grocery stores have online flyers for easy bargain-hunting and may offer alerts on special deals as well. You can also find digital coupons on the store’s apps or website and layer these up with sales to amplify your savings.
4. Opt for generic or store brands
Generic or store-brand products often provide the same quality as name brands, but at a lower price. Choose these substitutes to reduce your grocery bill without sacrificing on quality.
5. Buy in bulk
Purchasing items in bulk can be cost-effective, especially for non-perishable goods. To make sure you’re really saving on the deal, compare unit prices on goods before buying. It’s also a good idea to only buy in bulk if you can finish the items before they expire. Saving five bucks on a container of peanuts that can feed an elephant and then throwing half of it away because it went bad before you could finish it means not saving anything at all.
6. Shop on a full stomach
Shopping on an empty stomach is a sure-fire way to get to the store, see what they’re selling, and tell yourself you need one of each. Shopping after you eat a meal will help you stick to your list and make more responsible choices.
7. Use cashback and rebate apps
Who wouldn’t love to put cash back into their wallet after paying for their groceries? Well, there’s an app for that! Several apps, including Ibotta, Checkout 51 and Receipt Hog, offer cashback or rebates on grocery purchases. By scanning your receipts or linking your store loyalty cards, you can earn money back on items you've bought, further stretching your budget.
8. Shop seasonally and locally
You’ll get a bigger bang for your buck, and better-tasting produce, when you buy fruits and vegetables that are in season and can be sourced locally. Check out your neighborhood farmers’ markets for the freshest produce at competitive prices. As a bonus, you’ll be supporting local farmers with each purchase.
9. Rethink dinner
If dinner to you means a three-course meal served on fine china, it’s time to get out of the 1950s. In today’s more casual approach to dining and family time, you can serve a far more relaxed meal that everyone will love at a fraction of the price. For example, you can serve breakfast for dinner, like French toast or pancakes, or have open sandwich night, in which you provide several choices of hot or cold fillings with fresh club bread or baguettes. Falafel and pita can make an inexpensive and easy dinner, too, and so can grilled cheese and tomato soup. Get creative and save big!
10. Raid your pantry before you shop
Never head out on a grocery run without first doing a careful check of what you’ve already got at home. Why go buying new ingredients when you have forgotten items in your freezer and pantry? Challenge yourself to create at least one or two meals out of the random stuff you have at home, and purchase only new groceries for the dinners you’ll need to make the rest of the week.
There’s no need to blow your budget at the grocery store! Use the hacks to save on food costs without going hungry.
Sources:
https://thedinnerdaily.com/saving-money-on-groceries-how-i-saved-347-in-one-month/
https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/finance/ways-to-save-money-on-food-groceries
