How to Save Big on Groceries

Groceries are one of the places in your budget where there is the most room for big savings. Here’s how to save big on groceries.

Groceries are a necessary expense. After all, we all need to eat. I remember when it was easy to get a whole cart of food for less than $100 and that would last for most of the month. Now, you are lucky if you can get half as much, especially if you are avoiding boxed meals. Here are some tips on how to save big on groceries.

How to Save Big on Groceries

Know when your favorite store runs their sales. Some stores begin their sales Wednesday, some are Tuesday and so on. Knowing which day your store runs their sales week will help you determine the best day to go to grab deals while they are still in stock. If you get there and find the shelves are empty, ask for a rain check.

Use the Favado app to find the best sales at not only your local grocery stores, but also the best deals at dollar stores, drug stores, warehouse stores, and superstores in your area.

Make a list. This is the most useful tip on how to save big on groceries. It is even better than couponing! If you have a goal and a plan in mind when you head to the store, you are more likely to stick with it and put less unnecessary purchases in your cart.

Shop alone if you can. Bringing other people, especially kids along, can almost double what you would have spent. If you go alone, you are more likely to just buy what you need and not have stuff “snuck” into your cart.

Don’t ever shop hungry. Shopping for groceries when you are hungry is a recipe for disaster. Everything will look good. The food that is cooking in the store will smell good and make you want to buy even more. Eat right before you go so you want to get in, get out and get home.

Use coupons only when it makes sense for you. Think of coupons as an advertisement. They are often sent out to get consumers to try a new product. If the product is not something you honestly think you will use, getting it for 10 cents or even free is wasted time, money and space.

Plan meals. Even if all you do is plan dinner dinners, it will equal big savings for you in the end. When you create a menu plan, you can see what leftovers you may potentially have and put them to good use.  Plus, you will know what you need to add to your shopping list.

Serve smaller portions of things. I think a lot of times, we think we need to be stuffed full in order to have really been fed. This is not true at all, obviously. It also cuts down on uneaten food being thrown in the trash. Serve proper portion sizes and the amount you spend on groceries will really drop. If you have a very hungry bunch, allot for second helpings.

Buy Meats from a Wholesaler. Wholesale companies cut out the middleman and allow customers to buy large quantities of meat monthly or quarterly from frozen or refrigerated trucks at a deep discount.

Skip anything that is pre-packaged or portioned out. You will almost always pay more than twice for it than if you did the portioning yourself. If you like baby carrots, buy whole carrots and cut them up. If you pack school lunches with chips, don’t buy the single serve packs. Instead, portion them out of a larger bag yourself. We have gotten so used to convenience that we have almost forgotten that most of the conveniences foods we buy are things we could easily make on our own.

What are some of your best grocery saving tips? 

More Ways to Save on Groceries

• How to Save Money on Produce
• How to Save Money on Meat
• How to Save Money on Coffee
• How to Save Money on Milk and Dairy
• 10 Ways to Save Money on Organic Food
• How to Get Started Couponing
• 10 Ways to Save on Groceries without Using Coupons