13 Easy Ways to Save on Groceries

A question on every homemaker’s mind at one time or another is, “How can I save money on groceries? I want to spend less on my food budget- how do I get started?”
We have a lot of control over our budgets when it comes to grocery spending, even though it might not seem obvious at first.  Many frugal people enjoy saving money on necessities so that they can splurge on their chosen little luxuries for their families (like family vacations or a new game system).
That’s what frugal living is all about!  These tips for saving money on groceries are a good starting point to get you cutting your grocery bill down drastically.

13 Easy Ways to Save on Groceries

1. Leave the kids at home when you shop for groceries (if possible). Comparing prices takes concentration. Someone begging for items which are not on the list can be distracting and drive up your grocery bill!
2. Check the price per unit. Select items based on how much each unit (ounce, pound, etc.) costs, not the whole package. Many stores make your job easier by having the unit price on the shelf’s sticker. If not, carry a calculator with you or use your phone’s calculator and do your math. The larger package is NOT always the better deal.
3. Stick to the perimeter. Whole base foods (the bakery, dairy, meat and produce) usually line the outside walls of the store. Try to stay out of the middle (where the packaged, processed convenience foods are). Those “middle” foods are more expensive and have less nutritional value than whole foods.
4. Make a menu plan for your meals and stick to it. No last minute runs for full-price ingredients when you find out you’re missing what you need for dinner!
5. Base your menu around a few key ingredients. Fewer unique ingredients means fewer things to shop for.
6. Always shop with a list. Don’t get distracted; only buy the things you need.
7. Buy generic. For most items, generics and store brands are comparable quality to name brands, but cost a fraction of the price. Even at Walmart and Target, you can now find a good selection of organic foods in most departments that are affordable.
8. Use coupons. Clip them from magazines, newspapers, or print them online.
9. Combine coupons with sales whenever possible for extra savings. Make sure to read the fine print on your coupons to make sure combinations or stacking is allowed.
10. Get rainchecks if sale items are sold out. Don’t let the store hassle you about it either; it’s not your fault if they don’t have a proper stock of their sale items. Get a raincheck at customer service and lock in the sale price for your next shopping trip.
11. Buy staples in bulk, just make sure you’re able to properly store them. Read our story about messing up the food storage, in case you missed it.
12. Switch from soda to water. Soda is not good for you and it’s expensive. Water is a free healthy alternative. Need I say more?
13. Buy produce from local produce stands or farmer’s markets. The food is fresher, usually grown locally, and costs you less since the grower doesn’t have to pay to ship it to a grocery store. However, not all farmer’s markets are created equal. Make sure the produce is actually from a local farm.
We found this out the hard way when we lived in California. Unfortunately, some vendors bought produce from Mexico and claimed it was from local farms. There were, however, real local farmers selling their own produce from local farms at other nearby stands. Just do your homework and make sure you’re really buying what you think you are!
This list barely scratches the surface of ways to save on groceries for your family to cut down your food bills. Get creative and find ways to make entire menu plans off of stores’ sales for the week. What will you do with all the money you save?