Beyond Coupon Clipping: 20 Effective Hacks For Saving Money On Groceries
Cut Costs, Not Just Coupons
Grocery prices have increased an estimated 25 percent over the last 10 years, outpacing inflation, making it harder and harder for Americans just to feed their families. For many, finding creative solutions to saving money at the grocery store, from skipping meat to meticulously tracking sales, isn't a choice, but a necessity. To help you keep more money in your wallet and food on your table, here are 20 effective grocery-saving hacks you can easily incorporate into your life.
1. Shop On Sale Items
Check flyers for weekly sales. If your grocery store has an "on sale" section, seek it out and always change your recipes to substitute less expensive ingredients to avoid paying full price.
2. Don't Buy Premade Items
Premade items are where grocery stores have the largest profit margin. Because you pay extra for the convenience, it's always going to be far more expensive to buy a premade salad or marinade than to make it yourself.
3. Know The Best Prices
It's easy to get screwed over if you simply don't know the best price. If you're unsure, look it up to compare unit prices and discover if another store has the item for cheaper.
4. Meal Plan
Meal planning prevents you from buying things you won't use or worse, impulse shopping. If you meal plan effectively, you'll eat healthier, waste less food, and save money and time.
5. Budget For Groceries & Snacks Separately
Have a separate budget for your non-negotiable groceries and your non-necessary snacks. Some weeks you might have more leftover to splurge on fun things than others, and that's okay, but you'll feel more assured if you keep the two funds separate.
6. Bring Cash To The Grocery Store
Bringing cash to the grocery store is a great way to ensure that you don't go over budget. Don't even bring your credit card to really hold yourself accountable.
7. Utilize Grocery Pick-Up
Scheduling grocery pick-ups is a great way to avoid impulse shopping if you're prone to it. It also allows you to easily know if you're over budget and saves you time.
8. Join The Right Loyalty Programs
You can earn points and save big when you unlock member deals and coupons by joining a loyalty program. However, not all loyalty programs are created equally, so make sure you choose wisely.
9. Reverse Meal-Plan
Reverse meal planning is when you create meals based on whatever sales you find that week. It doesn't work for everyone, but if you're a creative cook and don't give in easily to impulse buying, it can save you more money than regular meal planning.
10. Look Up & Down
Grocery stores are designed so that items placed at eye-level on the shelf are the most expensive. Make sure you're looking at the top and bottom of the shelves to ensure you're getting the best deal.
Victoriano Izquierdo on Unsplash
11. Go For Frozen
For fruits and vegetables that aren't in season, buying frozen is often cheaper than buying fresh. They're frozen when they're in season anyway, and what's more, the freezing process locks in more of the nutritional content.
12. Shop Around
Shopping at multiple stores for the best deal can get you the best bang for your buck. However, only do it within reason, as driving around can end up burning through all your savings in gas money and wasting more time than it's worth.
13. Go Meatless
Try incorporating Meatless Mondays into your week. Protein is usually the most expensive item on your grocery list, so even just having veggie days once or twice a week can save you big.
14. Shop With A Calculator
To ensure you're staying within budget, utilize that calculator app on your phone. Most of us aren't that great at doing math in our heads, and items add up shockingly quickly.
15. Shop At Strategic Times
Find out from grocery store staff when the best time to shop for markdowns is. They just work there; they'll tell you. Early in the mornings on certain days of the week are often the best.
16. Buy Generic
For most items, you can buy store-brand products instead of name brands and not even notice a difference. They're often just as good and are much cheaper.
17. Use Coupons
Coupons are still an effective way to find deals. You don't necessarily have to flip through coupon books anymore: there are apps for this that make the process smoother.
18. Buy Holiday Items After The Holiday
This one may seem obvious, but holiday items are always going to be way more expensive right before the holiday. When it makes sense, hold out for post-holiday sales to get them severely marked down.
Food Photographer | Jennifer Pallian on Unsplash
19. Set Up Price Drop Alerts
You can use an app called Favado to favorite items you buy often, and you'll be alerted when they go on sale in your area. It's a great way to never miss a deal without having to actively spend time seeking them out.
20. Check Expiry Dates
Check items' expiry dates for imperfect products. You can bring it to the attention of the staff if an item is too close to its date and potentially get a discount on it.
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