Check out these five tips to help you save money on your groceries without compromising on quality.
1. Meal Planning
I am not talking about cooking all your food on one day and putting perfect portions in tupperware. No shade on that type of meal planning or prep but you don’t have to go to that extreme to meal plan. Meal planning is one of the most effective ways to save money on groceries. When you plan your meals in advance, you will have a list of ingredients you need. This will help you avoid buying unnecessary items and save money. Additionally, while meal planning you can check your pantry and plan meals based around items that you already have. This reduces food waste and saves you money in the long run.
2. Shop the Sales
Most grocery stores have weekly sales on certain items. By planning your meals around these sales, you can save a significant amount of money. Look through all the weekly sales ads you get in the mail or at the sites of the grocery stores around you. Pick one a grocery store near you that has weekly sales and has most or all of the food items you need. Right now for the city I live in my go to shopping store is Safeway but when I lived in a different city it was Walmart Super Store. Which store you pick will change based on where you live and what stores are available around you. I recommend picking only one to shop from because going from store to store on a weekly bases to buy certain on sale items will take up a lot of your time and shopping multiple stores can push anyone’s limits on withstanding impulse purchases. Also don’t forget, many stores offer loyalty programs or digital coupons that you can use to save even more money. However, be careful not to buy items just because they’re on sale if you don’t need them or don’t have a plan to use them before they expire it’s best not to buy them.
3. Buy in Bulk
Buying in bulk is another way to save money on groceries. Many items, such as rice, pasta, spices and canned goods, can be purchased in larger quantities for a lower price per unit. This is especially beneficial for non-perishable items that you use frequently. Just make sure that you have enough storage space and that you’ll use the items before they expire. To buy in bulk you might think you need to go to another store but that is not always the case, check with the store that you normally shop at to see if they offer a bulk purchasing discount. CostCo is one of the number one stores most people think of when you say shop in bulk. If you don’t have membership CostCo no worries. Here are a few great places to shop in bulk without a membership:
Just like it says in the name this is a store for chefs, and restaurants across the US which is a great , but it is also a convenient one-stop-shops for home cooks. This chain of stores is located in Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Washington.
One of my main go’s to stores as they offering the absolute lowest price they possible can every day. Also they have an amazing selection of Based in Boise, Idaho, with retail stores in Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, and Washington.
Co-ops
Search the web for a Co-op in your local areas. A huge misconception about Co-ops are that you have to be a member but you can shop just like you do anywhere else.
4. Purchase Generic Brands
Generic or store-brand products can be a great substitute for name-brand products. Swap and they cost less. Before automatically reaching for the name-brand option, compare the ingredients and nutritional information with the generic brand. In many cases, you’ll find that they’re nearly identical, and you can save money by choosing the generic option.
Here are a few suggestions that were easy for me to start off with:
- Paper Towels
- Frozen fruits
- Pain relievers
- Condiments ( Ketchup, mustard, etc.)
- Canned goods
5. Shop Seasonally
Shopping seasonally is a great way to save money. One way is buying produce that’s in season is not only better for the environment, but it’s also better for your wallet. When produce is in season, it’s more abundant, which means that the price is lower. Produce that’s in season is often fresher and has better flavor than produce that’s not in season. Check out what fruits and vegetables are in season with the check list. Not only produce can be shopped seasonally, items like scrub daddies’, dishtowels, candy that have just gone out of season are
Saving money on groceries doesn’t have to mean sacrificing quality. By meal planning, shopping the sales, buying in bulk, purchasing generic brands, and shopping seasonally, you can save money while still buying high-quality food. With these tips, you’ll be able to reduce your grocery bill and put that money towards other expenses.