How to Save Money on Groceries (with Pictures) (2024)

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Co-authored byMichael R. Lewis

Last Updated: October 21, 2021References

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   Take careful stock of your pantry and fridge before shopping. The biggest way people end up overspending at the grocery store is inadequate planning. Before you go to the supermarket, take stock of what you already have.

   • According to a study by the National Resource Defense Council, Americans typically end up throwing out 25% of the groceries they buy. You can prevent this wastefulness by taking stock of your pantry and fridge before making a trip to the grocery store.^[1]
   • Find items that are about to expire and move them towards the front of the fridge or pantry. Make a note on your calendar or in your kitchen to use these items for meals in the next few days. Do this at least once a week to prevent wastefulness and save money on food.^[2]
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   Make a list and shop carefully. You should always make a list before you go shopping. Impulse buys can add up over time, resulting in you spending a lot more than you intended. You should also make sure to be careful when you shop. Avoid shopping hungry or stressed and review purchases when the shopping trip ends.

   • In addition to making a list, try to schedule you're shopping as well. Aim to only shop once a week, as this encourages you to use the food you have rather than going out and buying more unnecessarily.^[3]
   • Review your receipt when you're doing shopping and circle the items you spend the most money on. Consider what you could substitute for certain pricey items and what items you could go without.^[4]
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   Shop on the right days. The day of the week you go shopping can actually make a difference. Aim to shop mid-week, preferably on a Wednesday.

   See Also

   17 Ways To Save Money On Groceries | Bankrate84 Insanely Easy Ways to Save Money on GroceriesHow to save money on groceries - ways to cut your food shoppingHow Tahnee saved $891 in a month by tweaking her food budget - ABC Everyday

   • Food tends to reach its "sell-by" date midweek, so you're likely to find items marked down on Wednesdays or Thursdays.^[5]
   • Stores also add weekly deals and Wednesdays, but are also likely to honor the previous week's deals. This means Wednesdays are a great day to try to double up on coupons or sales.^[6]
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   Plan meals around sales items. When planning your weekly meals, do so around what items are on sale.

   • It might be a good idea to make a list around sales prices and then meal plan. That way, you will not be tempted to include unnecessary items that are not marked down to complete a recipe. You will have to work with what you have.^[7]
   • You can also shop and then meal plan. Many websites allow you to type in a list of ingredients you have and then offer you a variety of recipes you can use.^[8]
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   Buy in bulk. Some items are cheaper if you buy them in bulk. If there's anything that won't go bad too quickly, see if the store offers specials if you buy in bulk. Make sure you're really getting a deal, however. Many bulk prices actually come out to about how much you would spend on an individual item. Do a quick calculation in your head or on your phone to make sure buying multiple items is actually cheaper.

   • Some stores will offer a small discount if you buy an entire case of a product.

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   Know the average prices of items you buy frequently. In order to gauge what is and isn't a good deal, know the prices of the items you buy most frequently.

   • The more aware you are of the average price of items, the more likely you are to be able to spot a good deal. If the bananas you buy are usually $.99 per pound, a discount that offers a pound for $.90 isn't saving you all that much money.^[9]
   • You should also do some basic shopping around. Make a list of the 10 items you most often buy and drive around to a variety of local grocery stores to see what stores offer the best deal. Make sure to take bulk items into account as well, as you may save money buying certain items in bulk from a particular stores.^[10]
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   Price match local ads. Many grocery stores will allow you to do a price match. That is when you bring in prices or coupons from rival stores and request your grocer matches their prices. This way, you can get a variety of deals from different stores in one location.

   • Make a list of the best deals available, using local ads to find good sales prices on items you usually purchase. Then, take that list to a grocery store that offers price match deals.^[11]
   • Make sure the store you're going to offers price matching first. Not all stores do, and some may only offer it certain days or on certain types of items.
   • Tell the cashier you'll be price matching. As they ring up each item, tell them the price you saw and which retailer offered it. The cashier will then roll back the prices and you'll end up saving big.^[12]
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   Ask for a rain check if a sales item is missing. Many people don't realize if a sales item is out of stock, they can ask the store for a "rain check." Go to the customer service counter, request a rain check, and ask the clerk when they'll restock the item. A rain check allows you to purchase the item when it's restocked at the sales price, even if the deal has expired.^[13]

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   Use coupons wisely. Making use of coupons can be a great way to save if you use them wisely.

   • Learn the coupon policy of each store at which you shop. If you have two or more coupons for a single item, some stores allowing doubling or tripling of coupons. You should also see if your store takes competitor coupons. Many do, and this can be a great way to get the sale price most beneficial to you without having to make multiple trips.^[14]
   • Set up an e-mail account just for coupons. Stores often ask for your e-mail when you check out or sign up for a loyalty program, but many coupons end up going to a spam filter or a folder you do not often check. Set an e-mail account specifically for coupons and use that e-mail when at the register and signing up for loyalty programs.^[15]
   • While coupons can be a great way to save, be careful. Oftentimes coupons don't save you that much money. Say, for example, you're fine with generic brands of peanut butter but a coupon offers a discount on Jif. With the coupon, Jif may be $3.45 and the brand you usually buy is $3.50. You're not really saving much money and you're purchasing an item you don't really want. Stick to using coupons on something you would likely normally purchase at full price.^[16]
   • It's also a good idea to save really good coupons for when an item goes on sale in the store. As long as you watch the expiration date, there's no need to use a coupon right away. If you have a really good coupon, save it until you see an in-store discount on that item. This can double your savings.^[17]
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   Buy non-perishable items for 10 weeks at a time. Coupons and sales run in cycles, typically lasting around 10 weeks. If an item with a long shelf life, like a cereal you like, goes on sale stock up on enough boxes to last you 10 weeks. By the time you need more, there's a good chance that item will be on sale again.^[18]

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   Try farmer's markets. If you're looking to save money on food, check out your local farmer's market. Oftentimes, farmer's markets prices are cheaper for certain items.

   • Browse a few farmer's markets first to get a sense of the price range. Produce is sometimes more expensive if grown locally or organically, but items like dairy and cheese may be cheaper from a market.^[19]
   • Some local farmers and willing to negotiate discount prices with consumers if you agree to buy consistently every week. You can ask around the market to see which farmers are interested in working with consumers and then strike up a conversation.^[20]
   • Another option is joining a food co-op. This is an autonomous organization in which the members decide which foods to sell, where to get the food, and so on. You can often find seasonal, natural products offered to members at reasonable prices.
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   Become a member at a grocery store. Most grocery stores offer some kind of loyalty program that grants you access to certain discounts. Sign up for loyalty programs the stores where you most frequently grocery shop.

   • Some loyalty programs allow you access to both store issued coupons and manufacturer's coupons. This means you can easily double up on savings.^[21]
   • Some stores have in-store discounts only available to loyalty members. You'll want to sign up for a program to get these deals.^[22]
   • Ask cashiers about loyalty programs and how to sign up. Ask if they offer benefits like cash back rewards and whether you can combine member savings with other purchases.^[23]
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   Browse the clearance aisle of a local grocery store. Familiarize yourself with the clearance aisle of local supermarkets.

   • Most supermarkets have clearance aisle in the back of the store where discount items are sold. While the clearance aisle may not always offer items you need, it's worth taking a look every time you go shopping in case something you buy normally is on clearance.^[24]
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   See Also

   25 Tips for Saving Money on Monthly Groceries in 2024

   Consider discount grocery stores. Most towns have a variety of discount grocery stores that offer lower prices. Find a variety of discount stores in your area and consider making certain purchases there.

   • Staple items like flour, sugar, and cooking oils can usually be purchased at discount stores. It's a good idea to make a trip to such stores for staples, as you can end up saving a lot that way.^[25]
   • Make sure you compare prices, even at discount stores. Depending on sales going on or regular prices, it may actually make more sense to buy certain items at regular grocery stores.^[26]
   • Some discount stores offer price matches, so be on the lookout for stores that offer this to increase savings.^[27]
   • Consider joining a food co-op. You may have to pay a small fee to join, but you will get fresh, local foods for a fair price.

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   Have a pantry week. Try to have a pantry week once week a month, in which you do not do any grocery shopping and instead just rely on what's in your pantry.

   • Use leftovers, frozen food, and anything else you can find. You probably have more food than you realized sitting around.
   • You can google recipes that only use the ingredients you have on hand that week. As previously stated, many websites offer you lists of suggestions if you type in the ingredients you have.
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   Freeze certain foods. Some foods can be frozen to increase their shelf life.

   • If a bread item you usually buy, like sourdough bread or bagels, goes on sale you can freeze loaves or packages to increase their shelf life. Bread can last about three months when frozen.^[28]
   • Most raw meats can be frozen to increase their shelf life. How long they last depends on the type of meat, but poultry, beef, and pork can last for months frozen.^[29]
   • If you're big on seafood, buy pre-frozen seafood in the store rather than fresh cuts. Not only does this cost less, you can stock up on sale items and leave them frozen for a few weeks or months before use.^[30]
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   Choose splurge foods wisely. It's okay to buy expensive foods once in awhile. However, choose the items you splurge on wisely.

   • Certain foods may cost slightly more, but this is because they're healthier. Whole grain foods, for example, are much healthier than foods that use processed wheat, rice etc. This means you'll end up using less of these items as you'll feel fuller faster and for longer periods.^[31]
   • Some organic foods may actually fill you up more. You can experiment with going organic on certain items, usually wheat or grain-based foods, and see if you notice yourself eating less. If so, you might want to try swapping certain foods for the organic variety as you may end up spending less over time.^[32]

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