We all have to eat. We all have to step foot into a grocery store or a market to buy food and grocery shopping can get expensive. I get it. Grocery shopping is always one area of our budget that I am trying to cut back. Simple grocery store hacks can save you hundreds of dollars per month on your ever-growing food bill.
Groceries and eating out are a huge line item in every budget. By putting forth a bit of effort we can cut back on our grocery bill and put our hard-earned dollars toward other goals.
I am not going to share coupon saving tricks with you, I have never been one to cut coupons. Coupons can save money if you use those particular items. However, the amount of time I spent cutting coupons was not worth the return on my time investment. I started looking for other ways to save money at the grocery store. After years of grocery shopping and trying to save money, I have found these super simple grocery store hacks that everyone can implement.
Simple Grocery Store Hacks
Menu Plan
Of course, the first of my simple grocery store hacks is going to create a menu plan. This will give you an idea of what you need to purchase for each meal. Be sure to check your pantry and fridge before shopping so you do not purchase unnecessary items. The menu plan will help you have a meal on the table each night without needed to drive through the fast food line.
Read The Grocery Circular
The front and back page of the grocery circular is normally your best value. Use the weekly circular as your jumping off point when meal planning and shopping for your family.
These simple grocery store hacks will help cut your bill when you pay attention to the weekly sales.
Study your Stores Selling Patterns
Pay attention to how often your local grocery store rotates through their sale cycles and stock up on your favorite items. You’ll also want to pay attention to sales during the holidays. You’ll often find the best deal on items like ketchup around Memorial Day or 4th of July. Your favorite baking supplies are normally on sale during November and December for the baking season. You’ll want to stock up on these essentials at their lowest price.
Shop the Perimeter of the Store
The perimeter is where you’ll find the freshest foods available in the store. These foods are in season and ready to be consumed. Just stay away from the bakery, unless you want to add a few unnecessary pounds! haha. All kidding aside, the perimeter of the store is where you’ll find your meat, produce, and dairy. These items are staples for most households and will save you money in the long run.
Be Smarter Than the Advertisement
We all fall for it. An item is on sale buy 10 for $5. 50 cents for your favorite yogurt is a great deal but did you know that you do not need to buy 10? You can buy just what you’ll consume and still pay the 50 cent sale price. Unless your store has a different policy, you can buy as many or as little of these items as needed.
Reading the fine print on the ad is easy to overlook. However, these simple grocery store hacks with the weekly circular can add up to big bucks when implemented each time you shop.
Stop Buying Bottled Water
Is water on your list? If it is you could be spending unnecessarily. You can invest in a filter for your home to take advantage of the tap water you are already paying for. In most areas of the United States, tap water is perfectly safe to drink. If drinking from the tap is not an option, look into using gallons rather than individual bottles.
I get it, we have a well and the water is filled with sulfur. While we have a great system on the house we are just not comfortable drinking it. (Maybe it’s time to have it tested to see if it’s safe for consumption?!) We buy water by the gallon which is much more budget friendly than individual bottles. While we are still spending money on water, we did find a way to cut back the expense. Win!
Sign Up for the Grocery Store Membership Card
If your local grocery store has a membership card be sure to take advantage. These cards offer savings that are not available without the card. Some membership cards even offer perks like cents off of gas or gift cards.
Enjoy One Meatless Dinner Option Each Week
Skipping meat at dinner is like a sin to some. In our family, we are used to eating meat every night but it gets expensive. We try to swap one dinner out for either a vegetarian option or a breakfast option. Breakfast for dinner is the best! The best part is, breakfast is super cheap and simple to make. Our favorite breakfast swap is baked french toast by Paula Deen.
Skip the Health & Beauty or Baby Items
I know how tempting it can be to pick up your favorite shampoo or deodorant while grocery shopping. Or maybe you need a pack diapers for your little one. The grocery store makes it convenient to pick these items up. Here’s the thing – you are going to be paying significantly more for them. Save these items for your big box store you’ll save a bunch of money.
Try the Store Brand
If you find yourself on the aisles look for the store-branded label. Often times these items are manufactured by the same companies as your favorite name brand but offered at a fraction of the cost. Most of the time you won’t notice a difference in the taste! Try just swapping one or two items per week to see if you like them and enjoy the savings.
Simple Grocery Shopping Hacks Bonus Tip
I know at the beginning I said I don’t like cutting coupons. This app isn’t for coupons but it will pay you cash back just for shopping. Try the Ibotta app. It only takes a few minutes after you are done grocery shopping but you scroll through the app and see if you bought anything that Ibotta is offering rebates for. If you did buy that item you take a picture of the barcode and upload your receipt. You’ll have the money added right to your app and when you reach the threshold you’ll be able to have a check sent or redeem the money for a gift card. You can even link your store’s membership card to the app.
If you sign up using my referral link you’ll receive $10 just for joining Ibotta.
These Simple Grocery Store Hacks can save you hundreds!
I hope you found these simple grocery store hacks useful and try them out on your future shopping trips. Saving money at the grocery store is always a priority for me because we tend to go overboard when grocery shopping. You can even try leaving your spouse and kids at home – this always saves me money!
If you have any other money-saving grocery store hacks let me know in the comments section. I would love to hear from you.
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