That saying, “There’s always too much month at the end of the money,” really rings true after the holiday buying frenzy dust has settled.
It seems like everyone wants to reign in their spending and get a good start on the new year. Out with the old, in with the new. Groceries are a great place to save money, because most of us spend a pretty big chunk of our monthly budget on eating, and most of us unintentionally waste food. By adjusting your grocery buying strategy just a bit, you can see immediate savings in your budget, without really sacrificing health or flavor.
But before I go into my tip 10 tips on how to cut your grocery bill in half, the #1 thing you can do to cut your spending is to track how much you are spending on food. We track all our money via Personal Capital and let me tell you Bob, it has made a HUGE difference not only in our grocery spending, but our household budget as well. If you don’t know exactly what you spend, you don’t know how much you could be saving. It’s as simple as that.
Here’s a couple more tips to help you cut your grocery bill:
- Cook from scratch. You pay for convenience plain and simple {in price and with your health}. Processed foods contribute to heart disease, diabetes, obesity, etc. So, even if you can coupon yourself into rock bottom convenience food prices, you will pay for it in the rear with doctor visits, etc.
- Eat seasonally. This one leads to HUGE savings. Foods that are in season are at their lowest prices. For example, if you browse through the ads, you may find grapes or strawberries “on sale” in January. Be wary of the “sale” price. They are still grossly marked up, because they have been shipped from who knows where to get to your plate. You may end up paying $2.99/lb for grapes “on sale” in January, but if you wait until they are in season, you will get U.S. grown grapes for $.99/lb. {I personally like to eat from my canned and frozen good reserve this time of year. For veggies, choose items that can either easily be stored from the fall harvest {potatoes} or that can be grown throughout winter {kale and spinach}.
- Make a plan. This includes a list AND a meal plan. You already know that I am not great about meal planning, but that is because I am willing to cook from my freezer, not because I just go willy-nilly throwing things into my cart at the store. I usually have a list when I go to the store–and when I don’t, I pay for it! Also, meal plan with the ads in hand. Plan all of your weekly consumption around what is on sale {assuming the sale is actually a good price–see #2}.
- Keep 10% of your monthly budget available for “stock-up items.” If you plan on spending $300 a month, keep $30 available for stock up purchases that you can make when you see rock bottom prices. For example, if you see butter on sale for $2.00/lb, it’s probably time to buy several pounds and freeze them. Having money set aside in your budget to make those kind of unplanned purchases really saves money later on.
- Use coupons wisely. Coupons for cheese, yogurt, etc. are great when you can pair them up with store sales. This is just basic couponing 101. Don’t use coupons just because you have them–use them when they make the price competitive and worthwhile.
- Minimize waste by USING WHAT YOU HAVE. In the past, I have totally been guilty of wanting to try out a new recipe, even though I had food in the pantry/freezer that I could use. Shopping at home is the fastest way to save money. Plain and simple.
- Make freezer meals. These will take the place of convenience foods. And, let’s be honest, there are just nights when you don’t feel like cooking. Freezer meals are perfect for these sorts of things. You make them when your actually motivated and cook them when you’re not. You don’t have to sacrifice your health by getting a pre-packaged meal, or totally blow your budget by going out.
- Buy in bulk. I love to buy spices in bulk. You seriously pay pennies on the dollar. I also buy my meat in bulk from Zaycon. It is great quality offered at wholesale prices. The catch is that I have to process and freeze most of it myself–but that actually works out okay, because I can make freezer meals as I go. It saves TONS of money over the year.
- Shop alone. I know this is sometimes impossible, but shopping without the kiddos really limits distractions {which leads to missed items and last minutes runs to the grocery store} and potentially throwing unplanned items into the cart. If possible, go when you can leave them at home. Or, if you are lucky enough to have a friend that would like to team up, arrange a kid swap on grocery days.
- Keep a designated use first area in your fridge. Keep all of the items that won’t last much longer in one area. Plan your weekly menu around these items first.
You’ve probably heard/read all of these before, but have you tried all of them at once? Commit to trying all of the them and I am totally convinced that you will watch your grocery bill drop dramatically.
Happy Saving,
Mavis
Linda says
I would add look for recipes that use similar ingredients. I’ll buy a ham knowing I can make split pea soup, ham and bean soup, ham and cheese sandwiches, and ham and egg scrambles. Avoid recipes that use specialty ingredients. I hate spending $7 for a spice I’ll only use once!
Marcia says
This really speaks to me. I used to be pretty good at reigning in the grocery spending, but add a second kid (now a toddler) and a return to full time work. Our bill last year (I haven’t really tracked it since 2010) was a little over $10k – ouch!
Jules says
I have to say that #9 actually works the opposite for me. When the kids are along, I either A)just want to get out of there and only grab the most essential items for the week, or B) I take the time to show them how to compare prices and go for the sales.
The other tip I might add is, Only shop once a week – that kind of goes along with #3, have a plan. I find it I only go once a week, I am not tempted to pick up extras, knowing the weekly budget is set.
Lisa Millar says
Tip #9 made me laugh… we don’t have kids, but I hate taking my husband in to the supermarket… seems to always cost 3X as much….
“I need – cocopops – chewing gum – ooooh look! cashews on sale – lets treat ourselves to these nice drinks” etc etc etc
There are a couple of more expensive items like coffee, the big bags of rice etc that I know come on super special once in a while. (ie like about $10 off) so I always hang off buying until I see it. Then get at least two/three to last forever until the next time.
I also shop predominantly at the local supermarket that has a rewards programme. I opted to not take the gift vouchers until the end of the year at Christmas time… last year I was given $55 worth of vouchers which is great for taking the edge of the Christmas expenses!
Cecily says
I buy grade B produce and reduced price meat. I can’t pass up natural, additive free whole chickens for $5 each and red, yellow and orange bell peppers at 3/$1!
Victoria says
My bank just added an online feature where it categorizes all your spending for you. Let me just say I was horrified to see what I spent on food last year! I know I can do better. More cooking at home, less eating out (though eating out in the garden is 100% ok!)
Lynne Gill says
I’ve found that actually NOT doing a huge weekly supermarket shop is saving me money. Here in the UK the ‘austerity measures’ put in place by our government is hitting ordinary families very hard, and there has been a general move away from the huge weekly shop. People are shopping more locally and more sensibly.
My children are grown, so I am not emotionally blackmailed by them to buy the usual trash so that isn’t a problem for me. I also have the time to cook from scratch, which I acknowledge many many mothers do not.
I don’t ever buy processed meals – which saves me a huge amount of money. I also note the quality of the food we eat is much better by buying local – fish and vegetables from the weekly market are very fresh and the quality is excellent, and price is much lower than supermarkets. Meat from our butcher may not be cheaper, but by heck, the quality is beyond comparison!
When the slow but steady take-over of our shops by supermarkets – decades ago, they were seen as labour saving and MUCH cheaper. Nowadays this is not the case. The very cheap food is very poor quality- in ANY supermarket – and other prices have crept up so we didn’t even notice the SMs were becoming more expensive than the smaller independent shops. Now we are better informed about the really awful rubbish that goes into so much of our manufactured foods, people hopefully will move away from automatically buying up basketful every week. That is the way to save money. That and planning, bulk cooking and freezing and all the tips youhave mentioned will save you time, money and make you healthier!!
tc says
With only two of us in the household our budget is less though we love to entertain but then I decide what to cook by what I get free from the co op or what is 50% of at the supermarket. I don’t have to worry about distractions as I don’t take the other half along. When he goes to Costco alone oh boy, he always overspends and buys what we don’t need.
He has a favourite cereal which is normally $4.99 a box (ouch); I now only buy it when it is on sale at $2.99 and then I buy 5 of them and they last until it next comes on sale. Our biggest splurge is top quality meat from a local butcher as my other half is a huge steak, sausage and bacon lover and it is never on sale however, I have traded my home grown hot peppers for their sausages. Their meat is excellent but I now have them cut hubby’s steaks in half before they wrap it and I get them to prepare a 3-4oz fillet mignon for me. Any little leftover I put into a scramble for eggs or freeze and add to a ground beef meal later.
I also wait for big stock ups for when they have the special of 4 x gas rewards if you spend $75 in one go, we then use those for hubby’s SUV fill up not my baby car so we maximize there. He has saved as much as .60c a gallon at a time which is a huge savings.
I do go to the store 3-4 times a week but I don’t pick up a basket or cart, I take in my carry out bags so I can only buy what fits in it and I still scroll through the 50% of items and if there isn’t anything I want I leave but it does take discipline.
I am also stocking up on pasta, beans and other packaged dried food (potato’s, dried milk) when it is on huge sale for any emergency when the groceries fly of the shelf. This way I always have meals I can prepare at a moments notice from the pantry and could if no electricity cook using cast iron pan on an open fire or the gas bar b que.
I could feed all my neighbors a weeks worth of dinner from my stock of dehydrated food that I get from my garden or for free but alas they would rather go to the store and purchase stuff. (if we ever have a bid emergency then they may change their mind)
Keep up with the tips.
Nicole M says
our state farmers market has a wholesale building that anyone can by from on saturdays. so one way we save is to go up to the market once or twice a year and buy wholesale. we save a lot that way. 50lbs of patatos for $10, 50lbs of onions for $20 and so on. then we come home and start the canning and freezing. also some of the produce farms were we live will sale you the “reject” veggies (you know the broken or not so pretty stuff) for almost nothing. last year my family got together and got 6 outdoor trash bags full of string beans for $2 a bag. and had a canning party.
Miche Farl says
So I should spend $300 a week on groceries for a family of 3? Or less…