My Top 10 Tips To Save On Groceries

You can watch my full YouTube video on this topic here!

Ongoing inflation is making it downright painful at checkout these days.  This is especially true at the grocery store, where cost of groceries has gone up 4% over the past 12 months.  This is an improvement from 2021-22, when grocery costs rose 11%, but we’re still not back to normal prices by a long stretch.  Typically, we wouldn’t see grocery prices going up by more than about 1% year-over-year, which is why we notice the price increases so much more now.

What’s the best way to still eat healthy, nutritious food without breaking the bank?  Here are 10 things I’m doing right now:

1.   Establish how much you want to budget for groceries each month.  While saving money is a good priority, you don’t want it to come at the cost of your health.  For me, that’s meant doing without some other things right now so I can prioritize buying healthy, nourishing food for myself and my family.

2.   Meal plan ahead of time.  I have a rotation of meals we like to eat at our house, so I make sure to make a list before I go to the grocery store with everything we need.  This is even easier thanks to online grocery ordering, if you use that to save time.  When I’m at the store, I shop from the list and save myself from those little impulse buys that are easy to do at the store.

3.   Opt for dining out less frequently.  Dining at restaurants (or doing carryout) is about the most expensive way to eat right now.  And fast-food chains, while they might look cheap initially, are terrible for your health and can lead to costly health issues down the road if you choose to eat there very often.  Make dining out or takeaway a special event, not a nightly occurrence, and you’ll start to see the savings roll in!  You can also start brewing your coffee at home instead of going to Starbucks: for the price of a few lattes right now, you can buy a whole bag of beans and get several weeks’ worth of delicious morning brews! 

4.   Don’t buy processed food (or not much).  It takes more time to cook at home from scratch, but if your main goal is saving money, cut down on the number of frozen meals, bags of chips, etc. that you buy each week.  Not to mention that eliminating processed food from your grocery list is also much better for your health!

5.   Work more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans into your diet.  These are also good for your health!   I like to make big green or bean salads up with lots of veggies on top and then use grilled chicken or hard-boiled eggs as a topping.  Add a homemade dressing and you’re ready to enjoy a delicious, easy meal!

6.   Make sure you’re taking a high-quality multivitamin daily.  If your grocery budget is an area you’ve really had to cut back on, make sure you’re getting the proper balance of essential vitamins and minerals daily.  Multivitamins do cost a bit but are well worth the investment if your diet isn’t as varied or balanced as it might have been pre-pandemic. As with any supplements, check with your doctor before starting a new one.

7.   Use up everything you buy.  This might sound obvious, but one fantastic way to save money on groceries is to eat everything you buy each week, and don’t let produce go bad by mistake just because you forgot it was in the fridge!  Same goes for cheese and meat: if you’re not going to use it right away, pop it in the freezer and save it for later.  If you find you’re throwing the same stuff away every week, you’re either buying too much of it or your family doesn’t like it enough to actually eat it.  Either way, savings for you! 

8.   Stop buying sugary sodas, fruit juice, and alcohol (or buy less).  These things aren’t good for your health or your teeth anyway, so save them for special occasions instead of drinking them every day.  Wine and beer in particular can really add to your grocery budget, so consider cutting back if you want to save some money.

9.   Don’t be afraid to ask for refunds on grocery items.  Sometime I’ll get home and realize I picked up an expired pack of meat or a couple avocados that were rotten when I cut into them.  I just keep my receipts from the store around for a week or two, and get refunds on anything that wasn’t as fresh as it should be.  Most grocery stores are happy to honor refunds, as long as you have a receipt!

10.  Stock up on dry goods, household supplies and pantry items during sales.  Why pay full price if you get wait and buy in bulk at a discount?  I watch store sales as well as the clearance racks they put out with items the stores are discontinuing.