Groceries are one of the biggest expenditures in most budgets, and you might be wondering how you can save a few bucks here and there on your groceries. If so, you’ve come to the right place! In this post, we’ll be talking about how to save money on groceries with some basic tips (and some unique ways you might not have thought about yet)!
Tips To Save Money On Groceries
1. Shop on Wednesdays.
Typically, Wednesday is the day sales start for grocery stores (although this may vary). Try to shop as close to the sale date as possible so you can maximize those savings by getting the things you need on sale before other people buy them out. Keep in mind that if you want something on sale during the sale week and you can’t find it, you can grab a raincheck to get it for sale price when it becomes available again. Rainchecks usually do expire, so be aware of that if you grab one.
2. Check for clearance!
Most grocery stores have a small section for clearance items that they need to get rid of. You’d be surprised how many goodies you can find in a grocery store clearance section! While the end goal is to save money on groceries, you might also be able to find toiletries and other items in the clearance section, so this is a good idea. We recommend stopping by the clearance section on every trip – just so you don’t miss out on anything!
3. Use coupons.
Of course, this is pretty common knowledge, but just a friendly reminder that you can save money on groceries in massive amounts by using coupons. Additionally, you can use apps like Ibotta and SavingStar to get cash back on your purchases to make the savings a little sweeter. Always check the apps to see what you can earn cash back on before you go shopping so you can double up those deals with coupons as well!
4. Meal plan before shopping!
When you lay out your meal plan for the week, look at the ad simultaneously! This way, you can plan your meals based on the sales. Meal planning can help you save money on groceries every week, especially if you’re including the ad in your decision making!
5. Buy store brands!
For the most part, name brands aren’t any better than store brand items. Some people have certain items they aren’t willing to budge on, and that’s okay too. Skip the name brands wherever you can to save money on groceries and cut costs drastically!
What other ways do you save money on groceries? Let us know in the comments below so we can share tips!
Don’t forget to check out all my “Money Savin'” posts too for great deals!
About Karrie
Food is my love language. But so is saving money. So I like to combine the two a lot and make thrifty make ahead and freeze meals to save time. Because life is busy, and freezer meals can come to the rescue for all of us. And yes, they actually CAN taste good. Read more...
Comments & Reviews
dweezilaz says
Excellent.
I sit down with the fliers when they arrive on Tuesday, circle what’s on sale that I’m shopping for.
Any online coupons I add to my account so they ring up when I go through the register.
Check paper coupons from the store I most frequent.
If there is something that I use regularly and it’s on sale I will buy it before I need it.
I have learned that brand name [and store brand on a lower level] cleaning products are worth the extra cost. The 99c Store ones are good in a pinch, for quick cleaning but for deeper stuff the brand names are superior [dish soap, laundry soap, toilet cleaners, all surface stuff].
However I am going to make some of the cleaners from this site. I already found a good one for carpet washers. No reason to spend when i don’t have to.
Liz says
My most recent coup was asking the produce guy if they had a cart with reduced products…aka: do you have any bananas? I knew that I was going to be in the business of making dozens of my favourite muffins: zucchini/banana .
I asked him specifically about bananas, to which he replied that he had just taken some off the shelf and would I like them. He went to the back storage area and sure enough, 14 bananas and $1.29 later, I was one happy muffin maker! 🙂
Ginfamous says
Get friendly with the meat department personnel. Find out which day they regularly mark down or what time of day so you can plan ahead. This is a good way to pick up meat for the freezer or dinner that night. If you keep your pantry stocked w flexible side dishes, anything works!
Karrie says
Great one Ginfamous!!
Jeanette says
Keep an eye on sale cycles & stock up. Some grocery stores have certain foods like cereals or frozen pizzas at very reasonable prices every 6-8 weeks.
Diane Young says
Don’t go to the store when your hungry.
Karrie says
So true Diane!!