We stopped by the store to buy milk the other day and I walked through the produce section to see if there were any deals {nope} and noticed they were selling a bundle of celery for $4.99. FOUR NINETY NINE!!! It wasn’t even organic celery.
The price was so insane, I actually shook my head and looked again just to make sure I wasn’t imagining it. It felt like I was in some sort of sci-fi movie or something… it was so weird. Celery, for $4.99. What is the world coming to?
How can I maximize my grocery budget is a question I get a lot these days, especially with grocery store prices that seem to rise with each new trip to the store.
Next to housing expenses, food is one of the highest overall monthly expenditures for people. If you are looking for ways to save this year, here’s a few of my tried and true tricks for spending less and getting the most bag for your buck at the grocery store.
Rule #1 Don’t shop when you’re hungry or tired. Why? Because you’re more likely load up on dense carbohydrates you wouldn’t have if you had been well-rested and full.
Set a grocery budget, and stick to it. Put your money in a paper envelope if you have to. But once the grocery money is gone, don’t buy anything else. Just like so many things in life, you have to have willpower. Tell yourself you are going to succeed at this task. And then do it. Make it happen. And stop making excuses.
Make a list and do not deviate from said list {unless of course you come across an insanely good deal, but make that the only exception. And if you do toss that insanely good deal in your cart, take something you were going to buy that’s of equal value out of your cart so you don’t go over your budget}.
Look at the unit price {price per ounce, etc.}. Sometimes the “family size” isn’t a better bargain.
Shop the top and bottom shelves first. Grocery stores put all of there most expensive items at eye level. Next time you’re shopping, compare prices on the top and bottom with those on the middle shelves. It might be a real eye opener.
Get out of the habit of running to the store for 1 or 2 items. Because seriously, how many times have you popped into the store for 1 item and came out with a bag or two of groceries?
Use what you have. This is the reason I like can. There are periods during the year that are like a produce void. Those months, I skip the stores entirely and pull jars from my pantry or bags from the freezer instead.
Canned peaches, canned corn, and frozen bags of peas and broccoli end up on the menu a lot. Using what you have also minimizes waste–which is like tossing money into the garbage.
Don’t buy what you want, buy what’s on sale. My favorite deal from last year was finding 1 pound bags of dried peas and navy beans for $.50 each. Did I stock up? You bet I did!
Learn to eat seasonally. Eating seasonally will likely get you the best deals and the best nutrition. Grapes in January? Probably not.
Shop less often. The less you shop, the less you spend. It’s not rocket science.
Make some sort of menu plan. For EXTREME savings, create a standard rotating menu that you don’t deviate from. This can be 3, 5, 10 weekly or monthly meals–whatever works for you. Shop for those ingredients and nothing else. You may want to change up the plan seasonally to accommodate the produce savings.
East less meat. The amount of meat we eat has gone way down over the years. It seem like 10 years ago, meat was the main item on our dinner plates. These days though, beans seem to be filling that spot and the amount of meat we each is much, much less.
Keep 10% of your monthly grocery budget for stock-up items. If a sale hits on a staple item, you’ll have money in the budget to stock up. Buying staples when prices are low will save you tons too.
So how about You? What are some of your money-saving techniques when you hit the stores? I would love to hear what you are doing these days to make your grocery budget stretch.
What are you eating more of, what are you eating less of, and are there any particular food items you’re just not buying anymore?
~ Mavis
Denise T Brandon says
Once a week I like to make a large batch of rice or quinoa and a batch of any kind of beans, but usually pinto or black beans. I’ll make a couple of meals with meat and vegetables, usually roasted, and then I cut up the leftover meat into small pieces and make rice/bean bowls with them for the rest of the week. They can be changed up using salsa, soy/teriyaki sauce, verde sauce or adding feta cheese…just whatever I have in the fridge that needs used up. I enjoy it because I don’t get bored with the same meal…there are so many different things you can do with the combinations.
Gwyn says
I started doing the same thing a few weeks ago. I never get tired of the combinations that I can come up with.
Bernadine says
This is a great idea. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Connie says
Many people are not aware of what is seasonal. Years ago in normal times, a coworker was complaining about the price of blueberries in winter. I said it was because they were out of season. She had no idea.
I try to eat with the seasons. I live in the southwest. We get produce from South valley in Texas. Not what you will get in Maine.
Jennifer says
Oddly enough, blueberries come from Peru in the winter here in NC and are often cheaper than in the summer. This has NOT been the case through COVID, but dh goes through 2 pints of them each week and has for years, so I learned how to get them cheaply early on.
Suzanne Shaw says
My husband works at a grocery store (specifically the produce department). It’s awful right now, between the price increases and product not being available.
Mel says
Here are my strategies (which I don’t always stick to):
1. It’s almost always cheaper and more flexible to make something than to buy it, even if you have to buy ingredients. So, if you want sandwich bread, it’s usually cheaper to buy flour, salt, yeast, etc. Also, then you have the ingredients on hand to make tortillas, pancakes, muffins, rolls, etc. instead of having to run to the store for those items. Flour can also be used in sauces, etc.
2. Don’t stock up on anything you don’t like eating or don’t have a plan for using.
3. Growing produce isn’t always cheaper, and it sometimes takes a while to get a return on the investment. Many plants only produce for one season, so you have to weigh the cost against what you can use (or preserve) in one season. However, some things grow year round depending on where you live. We always have rosemary, green onions, etc., so those have been very cost effective for the $5 or so total it took to plant them. Meanwhile, my $20 bay tree was a bit of a gamble for our zone, but it looks like it might make it through the winter, so that might eventually pay for itself as well since bay leaves are so pricey.
4. For some insane reason, our grocery store seems to stock some items in multiple aisles, and the prices are wildly different. So, sesame oil is one price in the international foods aisle, and a price that’s $1-2 different in the cooking oil aisle (in this example, it might have something to do with the cost of importing). So, check all the places an item might be stocked to compare prices.
Hawaii Planner says
For us, the big tips are: meal planning, doubling meals & freezing the second batch (this cuts back on eating out more than the grocery bill, but fits within the overall “food” savings), & looking for inexpensive options for our most commonly purchased options. We buy many things at Costco, but also have a great year round produce stand that is always cheapest for a huge variety of vegetables. Fruit can be a bit more hit & miss.
When I have a free weekend, I also try to make as many snacks/muffins/treats for the teens as possible, which reduces the need for premade items.
Cindi says
My one tip for saving money on food is to use those leftovers. Throwing out food is throwing away money. Eat leftovers for lunch or use them to make a new dish — soup, quiche, a pot pie or a casserole. Get in the habit of checking the refrigerator a couple of times a week to see what needs to be used up, then use it. I use this as a challenge to get creative.
Bellen says
Instead of ‘leftovers’ think of them as ‘planned overs’ – puts a whole new spin on it. You can have a recipe for a basic casserole that uses, for instance, 1 cup of animal protein, 2 cups starch like rice, noodles, and 2 cups vegetables and enough liquid binder like gravy, cream soup. It’s amazing how many different meals you’ll be able to come up with. Or you can just call it Garbage Casserole or Soup as my sons did, and they always loved it.
Tamara says
My grandmother taught me to never throw away food, even a small amount. I cannot count the number of meals we had of what she called “scraps”; you did not leave her table hungry! My cousin calls them “pieces”.
Our grocery bill has skyrocketed and we are being as mindful as possible. I will not cut back, though, on food we prepare for others who are sick, had surgery or a baby, had a death in the family or other event.
Linda says
I always shop the sale ads at our local store. What was on sale determines my menu plan. I also stocked up on sale items, utilizing my freezer and pantry. My goal was to never pay full price for anything. Large family size packages of meat was divided up and froze separately in meal size portions. I buy multiple turkeys when they are on sale around Thanksgiving. I also only cook from scratch. As prices got higher we started doing a monthly stock up at Aldi. (an hour away). This saves me $60-$70 per month. But I still watch my local store and pick up the sales items, items Aldi doesn’t carry or that are cheaper locally. I want to support local business as much as I can. I have Aldi guilt everytime I go, ha but you gotta do what you gotta do.
Kirsten says
Last year, one of my goals was to reduce the amount of trash and packaging our family produced, and from that goal came these money-saving tips:
Instead of purchasing boxed or canned broth, make your own from the bones of your roasts and chicken carcasses and vegetable scraps. Roast them (bones too) in the oven, then toss in a reusable freezer container until you have enough to make a batch, then either pressure can in quarts or freeze in quart-sized freezer containers to have on hand for recipes.
Secondly, opt to cook from scratch as much as possible and avoid prepackaged foods. As an example, for breakfast, instead of purchasing a box of cereal with fruit, nuts and flakes, have dried fruits, nuts, and oats on hand that you either preserved yourself or bought in bulk, and then you can make your own granola, fruit-and-nut oatmeal, etc. for much less per serving compared to the boxed stuff.
Along that line, if you purchase a good yogurt starter and make a batch every week or two, you can replace the cost of individual purchases of yogurt and sour cream in recipes and your daily usage, like smoothies… all you’d need to purchase ongoing is a good quality milk to keep the yogurt culture going, and perhaps a yogurt maker.
You can also save a lot of money by brewing your own drinks at home, like tea or kombucha, and foregoing packaged drinks like soda, juice or Capri Sun-type stuff and replacing them with powdered drink mixes and the frozen juice concentrates. If you invest in a faucet-mounted filter or pitcher and a good, insulated water bottle, you can also replace the cost of individually packaged water bottles without sacrificing taste.
We live in a rural area where we have to haul and pay for our trash disposal, so by adopting these tips, we’ve also reduced the cost of gas to transport the trash to the facility by making fewer trips, and the disposal fee.
Jennifer says
This reminded me of one. Several months ago, Crystal Light was BOGOF, so I grabbed 8 canisters and it ended up costing me around $13, so each canister was $1.65. Each canister had at least 5 packets so for .33, I could make a half gallon and that made 4 individual servings. My favorite drink is Diet Mountain Dew and it will run me .50 for a 20 oz bottle so the Crystal Light became a very cheap treat for me. I wouldn’t pay full price for it, so whenever I shop, I look at the ad for BOGOF deals – they can really pay off in the long run.
Jennifer says
I focus on several different things. When a certain cut of meat is on sale, I stock up. If Boston butts are .99#, I will buy several. For $8 or so, I can make 2 meals that will feed us at least twice. Chicken quarters are around $5 for 10#. I will freeze 3 in each Ziploc and use as needed. I can make 3 meals that will feed 2 of us each time.
Recipes that have few ingredients are a lifesaver for me. Pork roast takes the pork, onion soup mix, cream of mushroom soup and potatoes. Chicken bog takes bone-in chicken, rice and a stick of butter.
When COVID first hit and dh had just a 6 bypass heart surgery, we didn’t feel safe going in stores. We tried WM online ordering and pickup and it was great. I around that I only ordered things we really needed and challenged myself not to go over my budget. When it’s there right in front of you, it’s hard to ignore. Then, driving the half mile while someone loaded it all in the car, easy peasy. All for free!!
Dh and I have switched to a one/two snack and two meal system. For dh, its coffee, a piece of fruit and 4 pb crackers when he wakes up, lunch around noon, at 3 he has blueberries, pretzels and 3 cookies, then dinner around 7. If he wants dessert, he has sugar free vanilla pudding. Since COVID hit, I have no taste or smell, so I just eat the two meals and maybe some fruit if I feel hungry.
Diana says
I make most things from scratch, cereal, dips, dressings, bread, ice cream, juice, seasoning mixes, and the list goes on!
We live in a warm climate, near San Diego, so garden year round. We eat mostly from our yard with over a hundred trees, and large gardens. When it is time for a meal I go outside and pick the food items that are in season. We don’t eat meat, but do eat fish so that also saves a lot. We only can a few items such as jelly and jams, pickles, and fermented items as we prefer to eat fresh.
We do not budget our food purchases as life is short and we want to have fun! I am a health nut so I like going to farmers markets and buying weird things to try. I will admit I never look at prices on food. If it is healthy and I want it, I buy it. Being healthy is my top priority, and eating healthy food is cheaper than being on a medication.
Christy says
I use a lot of these same ideas already stated but my local grocery store has great clearance items. In the produce section there is a rack with clearance fruits/veggies, whatever is slightly or more than slightly past its prime. Hit or miss what is available but I often get apples, citrus, or peppers for a fraction of regular price. As long as I use them quickly, they don’t go to waste. A bruised apple doesn’t look any different in a pie than first quality!
I’ve also been able to find meat on clearance with a sell by date of that day or the next. Frequently this is priced cheaper than sale price. Take it home, portion out and into the freezer it goes and usually one portion for dinner that night.
They also have bakery clearance which is a real treat on occasion!
I’ve only find this at this one store, none of the other local stores do the same thing. I love that it keeps food from doing to the landfill and I save money.
Brianna says
It has become harder to find clearance and short dated food at grocery stores over the years. I am convinced it is because they either dumpster it or donate it to a food pantry for a tax write-off. I use to buy a ton of clearance mangoes and bananas and put them on the dehydrator. I use to buy ripe bananas and blemished apples for baking. I use to buy ugly pomegranates and citrus for eating. I use to buy shriveled peppers and onions for making chili and such. Those days do not seem to exist and I doubt I will find clearance produce anymore. I am seriously thinking about getting rid of the dehydrator as it isn’t used much anymore and takes up a lot of space.
Judy says
Hi Mavis, I try to make a lot of grocery items at home. Laundry soap, homemade condensed soup, beer bread just to name a few. I hyave a book,Make your own groceries which I use guite often. I can even make my own lunchmeat. I don’t do it all the time because sometimes I get lazy. Homemade tortillas are easy. Being self sufficent isn’t always easy but look at the alternative.
Lana says
Check your area for grocery discount stores. They are often in out of the way places or less good parts pf town but they are generally very clean and you can save a ton of money on short dated or slightly out of date food. We buy Pepperidge Farm brand breads for $1 each any time. You never know what may be in stock so we go with an open mind and be careful to only buy what we will realistically eat. Last week we got Jimmy Dean sausage for 1.49 a roll, name brand FF for 1.79, 2 pound packages of ground pork for 2.50, 3 pounds of Wright bacon ends an pieces which we chop and make bacon bits from for 3.99, cases of the best brands little glass jars of yogurt are often $1, six packs of yogurt smoothies are 50 cents. In the past we have gotten cases of premium refrigerated juices for $6, organic milk is often 50 cents a half gallon, refrigerated cookie dough rolls for 50 cents.
Our other money saver is to make as much as possible from scratch and not pay for convenience. Salad kits are so very expensive even when BOGO. Make your own hummus and dips and baked goods. Peel and cut your own veggies. Buy some produce keepers because they really do extend the life of your produce.
Jenny Smith says
For about ten years now I shop our local grocery ads for sales. I know what the absolute lowest price on an item is and will only buy it at that price. Mind you, I might have to wait 6 months for ground beef to go on sale for 1.99, but when it does I grab about 50# of it. I will freeze it and can it. Like this weekend I will be canning chili, taco meat, sloppy Joe meat and meat loaf.
I picked up hams on sale for 50 cents a pound. I grabbed 6! I made a nice ham dinner. Red beans and ham with leftovers and I will make Mexican beans with the ham bone. I am able to can those things too!
It’s not just meat, if chocolate chips are on sale for 99 cents, I’ll buy 10 plus packages… etc etc.
We do have a cellar under our basement that stays about 50 degrees, three freezers and an extra refrigerator. So we have plenty of room for food storage.
I could go on and on… we do very well when it comes to getting the best price and using the items we buy, grow or butcher ourselves.
Psuchic06 says
Mavis! Thank-you for saying shop in season! Hard in today’s world…but isn’t it nice to look forward to that favorite thing like sweet corn. Eat it up, put up some and on to the next! I think this year I might TRY to keep a record of per pound prices for say apples , watermelons, corn…celery lol thru the year.
Michèle Elizabeth says
Juicing celery and using it for a cleansing liquid diet is HUGE here! This may help to explain the shocking price right now. People say they can’t get their hands on enough of it in the stores. Who would have thought?!
Lana says
Be very careful with that! A friend did that celery juice cleanse thing and passed out while driving on the interstate! My alternative practitioner said NO!
Patti says
All of these are great tips. I especially try to use ALL my food so there is no waste since food waste accounts for a large part of the food budget. I have found that freezing every little thing helps me use bits and pieces such as bits of vegetables, chopping up onions and freezing them, freezing lemon juice in ice trays, cutting up celery to use later in soups or spaghetti, or even saving the celery leaves to use when I cook my chicken. I have a book called “”The Use It Up Cookbook” by Lois Carlson Willard that is full of good ideas. Right now I am looking at all the buttermilk recipes since I bought some for a recipe this week.
Cindy Miller says
I normally do not shop at the grocery store. Sometimes for sale items or some special veggies. I normally shop at Walmart. I went to Shaws and Hannaford tonight because I was in town. I went to Hannaford for just split bone in chicken breast for 89 a pound. As I was walking down the isle and I know my eyes were bulging out when looking at prices. Holy Cow! I am so glad I do not have a family to feed and feel bad for my kids trying to feed my grandchildren. Thank you for all your words of wisdom on shopping . 😉
Heather says
We just paid $1.29 for a bunch of celery at WinCo. I usually buy the items listed in the local sale flyer. We also have been buying chicken legs from Costco for $0.99 per pound recently. The package is subdivided so we only have to cook a few at a time. We got an air fryer for Christmas and found a great recipe for crispy garlic chicken legs the other day. I’m hoping to cut our electric bill by not heating the oven as often.
Sue says
I use my large muffin tins to freeze left overs and have used for soups. Makes one serving, I just pop in the freezer over night.
Next day pop all out and wrap in freezer paper. Name and date,
Put into big ziplock bags. Portions like this, there are no waste.
Take out a serving put in microwave and done.
Jenny S. says
Wow! That celery price IS shocking! Knock on wood, but the produce supply and prices has been pretty normal here, with the exception of lettuce last week- could not be found, but good supply and on sale this week.
I assume the trucking and other food transportation (boats, planes) is pretty key. A few trucker friends say they can have their pick of jobs and money is good- but a hard life and also Ive heard that those interstate rest stops are often filled with very sick truck drivers who have no where to go for care on the road.
So, garden, buy local, stock up, freezer, eat seasonally, etc. have already been mentioned, as have soups, leftovers, meal planning, being flexible, I pride myself in being good in this area of life, but I think we’ve all come up with lots of great ideas. It can be fun, or at least it helps to afford other things in life!
Heather says
When I found out that you can freeze cut up celery and onion and freeze it (literally mind blown) is when I started to waste less food. We shop at Costco once a month. I was wasting so much produce but the price was still less than buying at our local grocery store. Now I have set things I buy in the Costco produce section. Potatoes, celery, tomatoes, onions, lettuce and broccoli. The celery, onions and broccoli mostly get frozen to use all month. The tomatoes get fermented into salsa. The potatoes last all month. I will also buy the huge garlic bag once every six months. I roast it all, cover in olive oil and pop in the fridge. Everything else is canned, fermented or frozen from our garden in Winter and we eat fresh when we have it. Oh and rice and beans, beans and rice. Oatmeal. Lentils. Apples for fresh fruit. We are vegan so don’t know much about the price of dairy and meat.
Dee says
Slowly , supermarkets here in England are selling rubbish such as doughnuts cheaper than say apples.
It’s fully understandable why a harassed parent would cave in .
But thankfully we still have fresh produce as the main part of most supermarkets.
Ethnic shops have huge bags of spices and dried beans here .
I can’t really save on fresh produce as I try hard to buy only organic , the idea being I trust the farmer to care for his land and the creatures who depend on it.
So I save with spices, herbs I grow , some produce I grow , but mostly I save with little or zero waste , by making my own breads, cakes and meals.
Jamie says
Great list! I went vegetarian ~10 years ago for health reasons and to save money while in undergrad – I never looked back. Recently the rise in inflation, popularity of vegetarian eating, and plant based proteins has made the cost of these products often on par if not (in special cases) higher than certain meat based products. For example, the cost per pound of spiral ham is about $3 right now, for vegetarian spiral ham you are looking at about $12. Given vegetarian ham is a specialty product – and with that comes specialty pricing – but, it seems like the cost benefit of being veggie isn’t what it used to be. This is especially true if you take into account that the rising cost of dried and canned beans (staples in a balanced vegetarian diet). According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics prices for dried beans, peas, and lentils are 98.51% higher in 2021 versus 2000! In all fairness though, the prices for uncooked ground beef are 147.88% higher for the same timeframe.
Lilypad says
I have been a vegetarian (mostly vegan, but I don’t call myself “vegan” because I don’t want the vegan police to get me on the rare occasion I have some cheese, LOL). I eat this way for health/frugality/environmental/animal rights concerns. So I’m not going to stop, even if beans are more expensive than they were. (I hadn’t really noticed that.) But I look at something like “vegetarian ham” as a gimmick or a special treat. I always hated ham, so I’ve never tried it. But we do eat Gardein brand “chik’n teriyaki” or “be’f tips” or my husband’s and son’s favorite, “sweet and sour pork” about once a month, as a treat. Since it’s frozen, I stock up when I can get a good price ($3.99 for a packet that will feed the two of them, rice and veggies added at separate cost). I think of it as an easy meal for me to make at home (since I cook 99% of our meals, day in, day out, and always have done) that’s way cheaper (and healthier) than any takeout they could get. (My husband eats meat, my 20 year old son stopped eating it for environmental reasons a couple of years ago.) The rest of the time, other than some vegetarian Impossible brand “hamburgers” that we get at Costco (which I don’t eat, they look too much like the real thing and gross me out!), our vegetarian meals are based on real, whole foods and not fancy meat analogues. Something like that from a factory, with a large marketing budget etc., is almost always going to be more expensive than cooking from scratch. I do have recipes to make “burgers” and seitan “chik’n” (made from vital wheat gluten) from scratch, I’m usually too lazy to do it right now when I can get pre-made ones on sale occasionally that it’s a treat and not an expectation. The price increase for ground beef that you shared is just outrageous! I’m so glad we stopped eating it an never looked back.
Crystal Beck says
I’ve been using emeals, which is a meal planning service which costs money, but I think when you get into a rut with meals and you are struggling with cooking at home because you can’t think of anything to make other than the same 2-3 things over and over, doing something like emeals where you get recipes to choose from and a shopping list that makes things easy can really help. I don’t stick to the recipes exactly sometimes (ground pork was unavailable so used ground turkey, etc) and try to pick recipes that use the same ingredients, or whose ingredients are staples I know I can use. And then favoriting the recipes I really like to save them for using in the future. I think it is a great re-set for how to meal plan at home when you just don’t have any good ideas of what to make.
Ashley Bananas says
I have given myself an eating out budget and grocery shopping budget and have tried hard to stick with it. Last week we did eat out but used coupons for bogo deals, or bought out on Wednesday for pizza which is where they have the best sale date. Similarly when I didn’t want to cook but wanted to avoid restaurants I bought precooked chicken at the grocery store for $8 and we had drinks and sides at home. While some people are more frugal, this is a compromise to reign in our spending and get it under control.
I have started to grocery shop almost completely at Aldi, reserving a once or twice a month trip to Walmart for items that Aldi doesn’t have. Unfortunately the prices at our local grocery store are not very competitive and I’ve almost completely stopped shopping there. At Aldi I recently bought celery for $1.49, this price was high in my opinion, organic was $1.99. I am in SWFL.
To offset the cost of many things I am trying to buy generic brands and also to purchase on clearance things like meat and bread when I see them. Aldi does mark down items but only if they are near their end date, or they have so much of something they have to free up space and move product. Lately I have not noticed as much on clearance. It seems some people are panic buying again, and stores will also say they didn’t get shipment or the shipment was not as large as typical. Between those two reasons I understand why there is less clearance. However, I still look for it.
When it comes to buying ‘generic’ I do this for food and clothing. I have recently switched from name brand soda to Aldi brand saving me 2-3$ a case. Similarly I purchase clothing items but now look to places like Walmart for their generic brand yoga pants, and even work clothes. I dont purchase a great deal of clothing, but when I go to replace I have started to evaluate my options for the best cost savings.
Karen says
I look at fresh vegetables and the price per pound. Right now carrots at .99 lb for organic is the bargain and I make them 4 times a week. Usually roasted with different spices.
Linda Goudelock says
I just bought celery hearts for $2.99 but I’m in Florida. I also use freeze dried foods…stocking my pantry with Thrive Life products
Heather says
Go to a discount grocery store. The store that sells almost past date food or dated food. It saves tons of money and makes one highly creative!
Faith says
The one thing that has saved us the most on groceries is cleaning out the refrigerator every Saturday! Anything that needs to be used up is added to the meal plan or frozen. I also clean out our freezers at least once a month to see what we need to use. Same with the pantry.
Another way we have cut back is substituting ingredients. Don’t be afraid to deviate from what a recipe calls for. I often leave out or substitute secondary spices, vegetables, dairy, etc. in recipes.
Don’t be afraid to shop local! I have found that our local grocery chain usually has better prices on meat, canned goods, and paper towels. When you pay $0.50/can for beans vs. $0.99/can, it adds up!
Factor time and gas! We do not have an Aldi in our town, so the savings wouldn’t offset the time and gas I would use to drive 20 minutes to shop there.
These are just a few of the things we have learned over the years to help with rising costs.
Emily B. says
Fridge Smart Tupperware – this has been a game changer for me and keeping my produce from going bad so quickly.
I don’t know the wizardry that happens in those containers but truly it is amazing how well things can “keep” in them.
To stay thrifty, I found a full set of FS Tupperware on a local buy/sell/trade website for a fraction of the cost buying it new.
Win win!