10 Tips to Save Money at the Grocery Store
It’s no secret that food packages are decreasing while prices are increasing. Here are 10 Tips to Save Money at the Grocery Store to help you save at least 50% on your grocery bill. These are easy tips that you can start to implement in your shopping trip today!
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1. Shred your own cheese
Not only does it taste WAY better, but it saves so much money! I promise once you start shredding your own cheese at home, you won’t go back to pre-packaged shredded cheese. The pre-packaged stuff has a coating on it to prevent the cheese from clumping together. That coating also prevents the cheese from melting properly and gives it a weird taste.
If you have a Kitchen Aid, this cheese shredder attachment will help you shred cheese in 5 minutes! I like to shred cheese on Sunday for the week so it’s ready to go. You can also use a hand crank shredder or a box grater works too!
You can even freeze shredded cheese! Just add the shredded cheese to a freezer safe bag or container, (use a food saver vacuum sealer, if you have one), and it’s good in the freezer 6-9 months. Please note that fresh mozzarella and fresh parmesan does not freeze well. Some varieties that do freeze well are block mozzarella, cheddar, Colby jack, Monterey jack, pepper jack, provolone, and Munster.
Thaw frozen shredded cheese in the fridge, or use straight from the freezer in melting recipes such as soups, casserole, or macaroni and cheese.
2. Shop Sales and Use Digital Coupons
Gone are the days of clipping coupons from the Sunday newspaper on your kitchen table. Now we have grocery store influencers and digital coupons! There are TONS of creators that do weekly store breakdowns for you. They make it so easy for you to create your shopping list based around sale items. I always watch the sale breakdowns from my favorite stores before actually heading to the store. Jump on YouTube and watch a video before making your list. They even pair up digital coupons available! These creators are truly a gift!
Some of my favorite creators are Coupon With Star, Cravings for Savings with Laura, and Savings with Sara.
I live in the south, so I shop at Publix a lot. If you live in a different region, search “weekly sales at your favorite store” and voila! Savings at your fingertips.
If you prefer blogs to videos, some great grocery sale websites are Southern Savers, The Krazy Coupon Lady, and The Coupon Mom.
Just by shopping sale items-even without digital coupons- you can save up to 50% off of your grocery bill!
3. Opt for grocery pick-up or delivery
Choose grocery pick-up or get delivery when you can, it saves SO MUCH on impulse purchases! Even if you pay $10 for a delivery fee, this could still be such a money saver compared to shopping in store. When you order groceries online, it makes you stick to your list and then you aren’t tempted by unnecessary purchases in the store.
4. Stick to a list
If you are shopping in store, make a list and stick to it! Sometimes I’ll have my daughter come with me shopping because she keeps the list and takes her job very seriously. If it’s not on the list, it does not go in the cart. She does not get distracted by shiny packaging or new food items. If you are easily swayed with impulse buys, bring along sometime to make you stick to your list.
Even items that are “only $1” add up quick and increase your grocery bill more than you realize. All of a sudden you get the check out total and wonder how you spent so much. That’s me 😉
5. Shop your pantry and meal plan
Before heading to the store or making your list, shop your pantry and freezer first and make meals out of what you already have. I find it helpful to write down everything I could make with what I already have for those times it seems like the fridge is empty or when I can’t think of what to make for dinner.
There are websites where you can enter ingredients you have on hand and it will show you recipes you can make with your ingredients.
I love recipes like a “Clear Your Fridge” Frittata, roasting veggies that are about to go bad and making a pasta sauce from that, or a “clean out your veggie drawer” pasta primavera to use up odds and ends in the fridge.
6. Wash and prep veggies as soon as you get home
Wash and prep your veggies as soon as you bring them home. This helps you to actually eat your produce instead of it going bad before you eat it. When you get home, fill the sink with water, add 1/2 to 1 cup of apple cider or white vinegar and let the produce soak for about 10 minutes. Let your produce dry completely before storing in the fridge.
If you have the time, cut up your produce so it’s ready to go for recipes or snacking. Prepping your veggies helps you get more veggies in your diet.
This is great for kids if you are trying to get them to eat more fruits and veggies. Cut up bell peppers, cucumbers, broccoli, and carrot sticks and store them in a “grab and go” container in the fridge so kids can just take a snack when they’re hungry.
I love making an after school snack tray filled with a mixture of fruits, vegetables, cheese, crackers, and other snacks. I find my kids eat way more good for you things when I just leave the tray on the counter with no pressure. They try new things they wouldn’t normally try. And it keeps me from making an extra meal or snack before dinner. Win!
7. Use cash back apps
Use cash back apps like Fetch, Ibotta, Rakuten and Swagbucks to save even more at the store!
These apps all work a little differently, but even using just one can save you big on the items you’re already purchasing.
- Fetch– you’ll take a picture of your receipt after shopping and earn points on every transaction at almost any store (even non-food stores!) You can redeem points to use on gift cards to your favorite stores. First time users get 1,000 points! Get started here: Fetch link
- Ibotta– You’ll go on this app and click the offers you want before heading to the store. After shopping upload your receipt with the selected items you purchased and you’ll get cash back for those items.
- I love pairing an Ibotta cash back rebate with a Publix BOGO sale to save big! I just watch my favorite YouTube couponer’s breakdown before heading to the store and I make a list with the best deals. Great to stock up on items you use frequently at the best price. First time users get an extra $5 when you upload your first receipt. Get started here: Ibotta link
- Rakuten– This app if for online purchases. Shop through Rakuten for anything you buy online and get a percentage back from your total purchase. They send you a check in the mail of your cash back every quarter. First time user bonuses vary, sometimes it’s a high percentage back on your first purchase and sometimes it s dollar amount. Get started here: Rakuten link
- Swagbucks– This app is similar to Ibotta. Select items in the app before uploading your receipt. You can earn cash back to redeem for gift cards. This app doesn’t have the selection of products Ibotta has, but their rebates are much higher for the items they do have. Plus you can get rebates for in store and online purchases. Get started here: Swagbucks link
I like to save my points and cash back all year and use it at Christmas or saving up for a larger purchase.
8. Cook at home more often
Cook at home more often. If you eat out a lot this could save you thousands a year. Even just cutting back 1 day a week will add up. You could save $1,000 up to $10,000 a year not eating out 1 less day a week!
U.S. News has a great article on cooking at home versus eating out.
Read it here.
9. Shop local farmer’s markets
See if you have a local farmers market. In season produce is so much cheaper at farmers markets. I am blessed to have a full time farmers market grocery store right up the road and I can get backyard eggs (better than free range organic!) for $4 a dozen. And they have excellent prices on in season produce, half the price of grocery stores.
10. Meatless Monday’s
Go meatless one day a week.
Incorporating more vegan and vegetarian recipes and ingredients into your diet is better for your health and saves you money! You don’t have to sacrifice taste or worry about getting enough protein either.
Some high protein vegetarian options include beans such as black beans, chickpeas, cannellini beans and pinto beans, eggs, quinoa, oats, nuts and nut butters, cheese, and lots of vegetables. Tofu is great too, if you’re adventurous!
On average a family of 4 can save $2,000 or more a year just by omitting meat one day a week. Incredible!
Here are some delicious vegetarian dinner ideas:
- Boursin Cheese Pasta Bake
- Broccoli Pasta Salad
- Lemon Orzo Salad with Chickpeas
- Baked Ziti (Just leave out the beef) with Garlic Knots
- Roasted Fall Vegetable Salad
- Creamy Mac and Cheese
- Crockpot Minestrone Soup
- Ravioli Casserole with Cheesy Garlic Bread Sliders
- Crock Pot Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese
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Tons of great ideas! Thanks for compiling all this information. I’m going to look into the Fetch app and the digital coupons.
So happy to hear that it is helpful!