There are many creative ways to save on your grocery bills, and the only thing you need to decide is what approach works best for you. Will it be the old tried-and-true methods, or new tech innovation that helps save your family money? This article will point you in the right direction to put together a plan that works for you and your family.
Plan your meals, make a list.
The first tip is something I am sure you already know, but it doesn’t hurt to be reminded. Never walk into the grocery store without a list and a plan!
If you are like the majority of us, after a long harried day you want to save time by stopping at the store on your way home. You think you will remember what you need but, what you may not realize is, you are at the mercy of the store’s marketing department—and your own cravings. Without a plan, you are vulnerable and will likely grab things you don’t need (but want) increasing your grocery bill.
Once you get home and start putting away groceries, you may realize you didn’t buy everything you needed, and you bought a lot of stuff you didn’t. Without a plan, this happens to all of us. The best course of action is to sit down and make a list of meals you plan on serving your family. Then from that list figure out what ingredients you’ll need on hand to complete the meal. Take some time to see what items you already have available, and then the things you need to buy goes on your grocery list. Although a plan and a list may seem like a lot of work, once you get into the groove you will find that it saves you money and time.
Subscribe to a meal planning website
If you hate the idea of planning your meals, some great meal-planning resources are available to do it for you. With some meal planning sites you pay as little as $5 a month, and you will receive a customized weekly meal plan, recipes, and ingredient lists. Some of these services enable you to print out and take an automatic grocery list to the store with you. If you want to go a little more high-tech some can also send your list directly to the store’s delivery service. With the amount of money you save, $5 a month is undoubtedly worth it.
Another fun site is the Allrecipes.com Dinner Spinner app which can help you pick great recipes to change up your menu.
Here is a list of a few popular meal planning sites. Some are free, and some work for a small fee.
- www.emeals.com
- www.platejoy.com
- dish.allrecipes.com/mobile-apps/
- www.mealime.com
- www.mealplannerpro.com
- www.bigoven.com
Break Up Packages of Meat
Smaller packages of meat are usually more expensive than larger packages. That’s why it’s a good idea to buy large packs of meat and have the meat counter break it up into smaller ones; most butchers are more than happy to do it. If you are too shy to ask, buy some freezer baggies, and split it up yourself at home. For additional savings, buy your large packs of meat when they are on sale. For instance, you can get the bulk chicken thighs and divide them out per meal serving for your family then freeze, or get a 5lb package of ground beef and take it home, cook it and then place in 1lb bags you can pull out of the freezer and microwave for a fast and easy spaghetti or taco meal.
Buy In-season at a farmers market
Buying in-season will save money, and if you buy produce at a local grocer or farmers market, it also supports your local community. During the summer and fall, it is a great way to get affordable, farm-fresh produce, and often the prices are reasonable and negotiable, which saves you money.
Find a local farmers market near you at one of these links:
Take advantage of pick-up and delivery services
Many stores these days offer curbside pickup. Most the time, it costs little to nothing. Not only does this stop impulse buying, but if you have a large family no more dragging the kids through the grocery store! Delivery is also a great option that brings your groceries right to your front door. Usually, there is a fee for the service, but with the money you save on travel and time it likely works out too at least breaking even. And let’s face it, you can’t put a price on that kind of time-saving convenience!
Using Coupons
Coupons have long been a source of savings, and when you layer coupons with weekly sales, you will double your benefit. In this modern age of smartphones and apps, there are even ways to deal stack by learning the art of layering coupons with rebates offered in mobile apps.
Here are seven rebate coupon and rebate app suggestions to help you save on groceries:
Save on organic produce
If organic is important to you, then you know it costs even more to buy organic groceries. But did you know not all grocery items need to be organic? While it’s true, that some produce is more likely than others to be contaminated with pesticide residue, many studies agree that the following 15 fruits and vegetables do not need to be bought organic. The Environmental Working Group refers to this group of foods as the “clean 15,”
So keep in mind the next time you head to the store; if you can afford organic then enjoy, but if you need to save somewhere, these are the best items to buy non-organic and save some extra change.
While there are many avenues to saving money, we hope that everyone can use the tips provided in this article to save money and stretch their grocery budget.