How to Save on Groceries

If you’re looking for ways to reduce your expenses you may want to consider ways to save on groceries.

I recently consulted with a couple who was spending a large amount of their expenses on groceries. After evaluating their expenses, they were shocked by the amount they were spending on groceries and quickly committed to doing something about it.

I know they are far from alone on this issue.

Groceries are a top expense in households and sometimes rightfully so when considering the cost larger families have, it’s still an expense that should be carefully evaluated. Although a necessary cost, it doesn’t excuse it from being a budgeted line item to watch and consider in your expenses.

I have been successful at keeping grocery expenses low (2% of our expenses) and wanted to share some of the strategies and methods that have helped us save on groceries.

Monthly Grocery Shopping Trips

I personally hate grocery shopping. Something about all the people and long lines gives me anxiety. Because of this, I prefer to be in the grocery store as little as possible. I do as much bulk shopping as I can once a month and pick up additional items as needed.

Committing to doing this will force you to plan your shopping needs for the month, reducing the number of random purchases you may make along with the number of random groceries runs you make. You’ll be surprised how a one-item pick-up run for eggs can result in additional snacks, drinks, and other random items you didn’t need or plan to have.

Make a list

Pre-planning has been the biggest contributor to the success of staying within budget. Planning out your grocery list also helps to reduce the number of duplicate items you may buy which will help reduce the amount of food you may end up wasting.

Making a list will help you be more intentional in your purchases so that you aren’t just picking up random items you don’t need, reducing the chances of racking up your costs.

We keep a running grocery list on our fridge so that we are aware of items we need to purchase the next time we go to the store. Additionally, to that list, we go over additional items we need to purchase for our monthly run and build our meal plans along the way.

Shop based on coupons

Kroger is our main grocery store. They have weekly ad specials and digital coupons that we take full advantage of. They also send additional coupons in the mail for items that we tend to use regularly.

Before I start adding random items to my grocery list, I FIRST look to see what’s on special, especially produce and meat, which are staple food items in our home. These items are also used to build my weekly and monthly meal plans.

Our state doesn’t have a food tax which makes it even easier for me to estimate grocery costs using ad prices to check if I am on target with my budget prior to heading to the store. I always put cost estimates next to each item on my list. After putting sale items on my grocery list, I build the rest of my list out from there. Shopping based on coupons has helped us save about $30-$40 a month on groceries.

Budget for it

Grocery costs are often neglected in the budget due to people considering groceries a necessary household cost. But just as easy as it is to rack up target expenses, it is equally as easy to rack up grocery expenses.

Set a budgeted amount on groceries and stick with it. If you struggle with overspending when using your debit and credit card, use the cash envelope system method to help you control your spending.

Review the average amount you spent on groceries in the last three months and determine a reasonable amount you can allocate for your groceries. Creating a goal around grocery expenses is a great first step to increasing your awareness of spending habits.

I’d love to hear your tips on how to save on groceries. Comment below!