Aside from rent and paying the bills, groceries can easily be one of our biggest monthly expenses. We need to eat, but we often overspend on groceries without even realizing it.
In fact, did you know that you can easily shave your monthly grocery bill by at least $25-$50 through following a few basic money saving tips? Groceries are a necessity but they shouldn’t have to bankrupt you, so here are 10 tips on how to save money on groceries:
Shop at Discount Stores
There are a lot of discount grocery stores out there, some of which can offer even better deals than you’ll find at your local Target or Walmart. Try shopping at a local grocery discount store one week and see if you notice any major savings. You’ll likely be surprised at the amazing deals you can snag at these discount emporiums.
Use Coupons
You don’t have to be an “extreme couponer” to save a ton with coupons. You can easily save a great deal by simply using a couple of coupons a week. Coupons traditionally come from newspapers and magazines, but more and more are being offered exclusively online. There are some websites that are purely dedicated to free coupons for groceries that you might want to try (such as Coupons.com) or you might be able to find printable coupons at your supermarket’s home website. What’s more, many supermarkets now have coupon apps which you can store and use coupons directly from your cell phone.
Look Out for On Sale Items
Virtually all supermarkets have sales going on all year round on certain items, so definitely always look out for sale items. Sale items are usually as good as regularly priced products and have the potential to save you a great deal of money, but not all sale items are created equal. Avoid items that are approaching their sell-by dates (unless you intend to eat them immediately) and bear in mind that some deals might actually be for items that you don’t really need or want. Generally you will be able to save the most money on sales by only purchasing on sale items that you would buy anyway and will definitely use.
Buy in Bulk
For non-perishable items, buying in bulk can often save you a lot of cash. There are entire stores such as CostCo, that only offer bulk items, but many popular supermarkets also offer goods in bulk at slashed prices. For the biggest savings, try to go shopping for bulk items once or twice a year and stock up. This should equate to less trips needed to the grocery store in the future and overall much greater annual savings in your grocery store spending.
Freeze Food
Avoid throwing away rotten food by freezing freezable food whenever possible. This way you can put away food you don’t intend to eat immediately “for a rainy day” and avoid having to see good food go to waste. You might need to invest in a decent sized freezer to make this work, but it might be a wise investment when you consider all of the foods that you can safely freeze for many months at a time.
Sign Up for Reward Cards
If there’s a certain grocery store you frequent regularly, inquire if they have a rewards card. The chances are they do, and you’ll be able to gain reward points, coupons and even gift certificates by using it. Not using a rewards card is like throwing money out of the window, so definitely sign up for cards at your most visited grocery stores.
Buy Generic Brands
Another great way to save on groceries is to buy generic brands. Most supermarkets and grocery stores offer their own “generic” version of many foods and other grocery items. As these items lack the brand recognition and name, the price is often dramatically cheaper than popular brand names. You may not even be able to tell the taste difference between the brand name and generic, allowing you to enjoy your favorite foods for significantly less by simply swapping from the brand to the generic.
Buy Produce in Season
Fresh fruit and vegetables tend to be on the pricey side, but produce that is in season is often much cheaper than buying off season produce. You can find what’s in season through a simple online search or by looking at your grocery store’s home website. Then you can shop accordingly to what offers the best value, and avoid getting ripped off by buying off season produce.
Buy Canned and Dried Goods
Never underestimate the appeal of canned and dried goods. These goods can literally last years without expiring, and so can be a wise and thrifty investment. If you are facing particularly hard times financially and aren’t sure when your next paycheck or unemployment check will be coming, you might want to stock up on plenty of canned and dried goods to that you’ll be covered food wise if financial disaster does strike.
Watch the Scanner
It’s always a good idea to watch the scanner as scanners and cashier employees can make mistakes. Deals don’t always go through and coupons could be entered incorrectly. Don’t be afraid to question if something doesn’t look right, as you are entitled to your savings!
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