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You are here: Home / Deals / How to Save Money on Groceries

How to Save Money on Groceries

March 22, 2012 by Alea Milham 1 Comment

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These tips on how to save money on groceries will help you slash your groceries expenses.

Grocery shopping with a list
It started with a tube of toothpaste….saving money that is. I went to the store one day, used a Colgate coupon and walked out making money on that tube of toothpaste. I knew from then on I was going to find a way to save on those everyday items. That was 2+ years ago and I can tell you I will never pay for toothpaste again. But, don’t worry….I’ll still be brushing my teeth every day.

In the past 2 years, I’ve learned a few things that I wish I’d have learned sooner. I no longer think of all the money we threw away for so many years before coupons…now I think of all the things couponing and frugal living has and will afford us in the years to come. Below are a few tips on how to save money on groceries:

How to Save Money on Groceries

We use a lot of coupons. I wouldn’t consider myself an “extreme couponer” that can take a $450 grocery bill down to $1.02, but I can save a good 50% or more most of the time when I shop. And just because I have a coupon for an item doesn’t mean I feel the need to use it. If we prefer an off-brand or find it’s cheaper than name brand we’ll stick with the off-brand, even if we have a coupon for the name brand.

Shop with a list and track your spending. Every Wednesday I sit down with my recipe box and look over my stockpile list. I plan our menu for the week based on what we have in our stockpile and what is on sale. Then I make my grocery list and pull all the coupons I’ll need. Once I get in the store I take out my list and start tallying up my purchases. As I add something to the cart I add the purchase price to my list. Here are some more resources on meal planning:

  • How to Save Money with Meal Planning
  • 4 Easy Ways to Create a Weekly Meal Plan

If you eat meat, consider purchasing a side of beef. My husband and son love their meat, so for us, it made sense to purchase a side of beef last year. We are still eating meat from this cow! The cost per pound worked out to be around $2.50. We purchased 350 pounds of beef and had a wide variety of cuts. This is probably the best price you can get when it’s all averaged out.

Grow a garden. We started a garden several years ago. I should say my husband started gardening years ago…I am horrible when it comes to keeping plants alive. Once you’ve had a homegrown tomato you’ll never want a store bought one again. We don’t have a ton of space for a garden, so we also enjoy getting our produce from the Farmer’s Market. If you are new to gardening, here is the ultimate backyard garden starter guide to help you get started.

Pay with cash. This has probably been the hardest change for me to make. Actually, last month was the very first month I went to cash only. There is something about handing over the cash and not swiping the debit card that makes it harder to part with the money.

Look for alternate ways to save on grocery items. Amazon is a great resource. I buy many groceries and household items in bulk on Amazon and save more than what I would spend in the store. You will also find many of the daily deal sites offer savings on health food as well as other stores. For more alternative ways to save, check out these tips on extreme grocery savings without extreme couponing.

Thanks to Michelle Gee for sharing her grocery shopping tips!

More Tips on How to Save Money on Groceries:

  • Buy This, Not That: Tips for Grocery Shopping on a Budget
  • 10 Secrets of Frugal Grocery Shoppers
  • How to Start Couponing
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About Alea Milham

Alea Milham is the owner of Premeditated Leftovers and the author of Prep-Ahead Meals from Scatch. She shares her tips for saving money and time while reducing waste in her home. Her favorite hobby, gardening, is a frugal source of organic produce for her recipes. She believes it is possible to live fully and eat well while spending less.

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Welcome. I'm Alea!

On Premeditated Leftovers I share simple recipes made with whole foods, practical shopping tips, time saving techniques, and meal planning strategies. I also share tips for minimizing food waste, so more of the food that is purchased ends up on the table.

While volunteering as a budget counselor, I realized that food is the element of most people’s budgets where they have the greatest control. I set out to develop low-cost recipes from scratch to prove it’s possible to create delicious meals on a limited budget. Eating well while spending less is about more than just creating recipes using inexpensive ingredients; it’s about creatively combining ingredients so you don’t feel deprived and are inspired to stick to your budget.

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