Have you noticed the cost of groceries keeps going up, and up and up? And it’s not going to slow down anytime soon. According to the USDA “In 2024, all food prices are predicted to increase 2.9 percent.” With this in mind, you may wonder how to save money on groceries.
The good news is that it’s still cheaper to cook at home rather than eating out or ordering in from restaurants, but how can we make the most of our weekly food budget?
Recently I cut my monthly grocery bill in half and yet I still eat mostly all organic. I still buy wild fish as well as pasture-raised eggs and meat. How is this possible? I’m going to share with you 10 tips for saving money on groceries.
10 TIPS ON HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON YOUR GROCERIES
TIP #1
Take inventory.
Before going shopping, take inventory of what you already have on hand. I like to think of this as shopping your own pantry. Create a menu to use up items you already have. This helps to avoid buying things that you already have and don’t need.
TIP #2
Stay focused when grocery shopping.
Make a grocery list to take with you when you go shopping. This can minimize impulse purchases of groceries and help you to stay within your grocery budget. Try to shop alone whenever possible. If you’re a mom you already know what I’m talking about. Somehow lots of unplanned items can end up in our shopping cart thanks to our little helpers. (Side note - Don’t shop when you’re hungry. Hello chocolate bar.) It’s also helpful to shop at times when grocery stores are less busy. Between the music and the crowds it can be a distraction when you’re trying to read labels and make good choices.
TIP #3
Minimize convenience items.
Instead of buying convenience food like frozen dinners, canned soup and packaged snack foods, prepare your own homemade versions by making extra portions of meals and soups that can be frozen.
TIP #4
Bake at home.
When you do your own baking rather than buying store bought cookies, muffins, pies, etc., not only is it less expensive, but it’s better quality. With homemade baking you can use good quality ingredients and avoid the preservatives and inflammatory seed oils often found in store-bought desserts. Each week as part of my meal prep I make a batch of either some homemade cookies or a seasonal fruit crisp. If you regularly buy bread, there are lots of great recipes to make this homemade as well.
TIP #5
Store your food properly.
Some produce naturally stays fresher longer, such as carrots, winter squash and cabbage. Keep onions and potatoes longer by storing them in a dark, cool place like the basement. Some produce bags like the Debbie Meyer green bags can help keep produce to stay fresh. Vegetables like herbs, lettuce and celery stay fresher longer when wrapped in a damp paper towel.
TIP #6
Fill up on plant-based ingredients.
Beans, grains, potatoes and pasta are filling and inexpensive ingredients. Lentils, chickpeas, black eyed peas, rice, oatmeal and millet are all examples of beans and grains that can bulk up meals. Get creative by adding cooked lentils to a meatloaf, or make a batch of chili using extra beans in place of some of the meat. You could also make burgers that have cooked rice or beans added to them. Whenever possible, I prefer to use dried beans over canned beans. They’re cheaper and often tastier if you cook them properly. Be sure to soak them and cook them long enough to make them digestible. Enjoying vegetarian meals a few times a week, or at least adding more plant-based ingredients to your menus, will help stretch your grocery budget.
TIP #7
Buy in bulk.
I like to purchase certain items in bulk to save even more. Now I don’t go too crazy here because I have a smaller kitchen and not too much storage area. But I like to buy bags of frozen fish filets, larger bags of rolled oats, and bagged apples and pears), HMart and Indian grocery stores are wonderful resources for large quantities of rice that are reasonably priced. Larger jugs of maple syrup are often less money per ounce than the smaller bottles. So buying in bulk is a great way to get more for your money.
TIP #8
Shop around.
Invest a little time in looking for the best prices. See if you can find some good coupons and sales on items that you use regularly, and consider shopping at stores that offer price matching to get the best deals. I prefer to buy high quality proteins and organic produce, which are typically more expensive. But I’ve discovered 7 stores and online options that help to save money even on organic groceries:
- Aldi - Aldi is a discount supermarket chain with over 12,000 stores in 18 countries. Every week I buy certain organic produce items at Aldi, such as kale, baby potatoes, broccoli, romaine lettuce, pears and apples. They also carry grass fed ground beef, maple syrup, frozen wild fish, frozen organic vegetables, pasture raised eggs, gluten-free pasta, Irish butter, ghee and frozen organic fruit. Their prices are very reasonable and Aldi has been recognized in the industry for providing outstanding prices.
- At Walmart I’ve found competitively priced organic lemons, onions, salad greens, dried herbs, canned tuna, flour, celery, lettuce, bags of apples and olive oil.
- Trader Joe’s is another great resource for lower priced natural foods. I often pick up carrots, frozen organic riced cauliflower, green beans, maple syrup, olive oil, dried fruit, salad greens and gluten-free pasta. While you’re there if you need any greeting cards they have a great selection for much less than you pay anywhere else.
- Sometimes I shop at Shoprite, and they carry organic carrots, herbal tea, cauliflower, grapes, fresh herbs, juices, celery, green beans, and many other natural groceries at decent prices.
- Whole Foods is generally more expensive than the other stores I mentioned, but if you look for sales those can help to save. And I like their line of 365 products including the apple juice, olive oil, shampoo and laundry soap. At my local store they also carry unique items like sprouted rolled oats, fresh organic corn tortillas and pasture-raised beef hotdogs.
- Amazon is great for ordering dried herbs in bulk and larger quantities of maple syrup.
- I recently rediscovered Thrive Market and realized that they now carry pasture raised chicken at the lowest prices I’ve ever seen. They also carry many other organic and natural groceries at reduced prices. If you want to give Thrive Market a try, CLICK HERE to receive 40% discount off your first order.
TIP #9
Regrow produce.
Did you know that you can regrown store-bought vegetables like celery and scallions? Scallions, for example, can be cut off a few inches from the bottom and placed in a glass or vase of water. Within a week or two you’ll have grown a whole new bunch of usable scallions, which means you just doubled your money on the bunch you originally purchased. I have an entire video dedicated to this topic which you can watch HERE.
TIP #10
Make a meal plan.
Sticking to a meal plan will help you to know exactly what ingredients you need for the week. Making a shopping list based on your meal plan will avoid unnecessary purchases or impulse buying at the grocery store.
BONUS TIP
I have a bonus tip if you’re financially struggling right now:
Ask for help.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you really need it. Over 13.1 million children in the U.S. are experiencing what’s known as food insecurity, which means that they don’t have enough to eat. 21% of children in the U.S. are being raised primarily by single moms, and despite being employed, single mothers still experience high rates of food insecurity. If you need help, visit your local food bank or food pantry. Your county assistance office can help as well.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How do you save food?
Fruits and vegetables in excess can be frozen, pickled, dried, canned, or made into jam or jelly, especially during peak season output. Perishable food shouldn't be kept at room temperature for longer than two hours. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator or freezer in dated, transparent containers with labels.
Which container is best for storing food?
Although sturdy and suitable for the oven, glass can easily broken. Plastic is lightweight and convenient to store, but using a microwave can cause stains and gradual degradation. Plastics are lighter and simpler to carry, but eventually their shelf life runs out and they need to be replaced. Glass may be reused for many years with proper care, resulting in less waste ending up in our landfills.
How long can you keep meal prep in the fridge?
Plan your meals for approximately four days in the refrigerator and approximately four months in the freezer for safe storage. If your meal prep food starts to smell, color, feel, or develop mold, it's probably gone bad. When in doubt, discard food that appears to have gone bad.
I hope you found this article helpful, and if you did, leave a comment!
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