If you’re looking to cut down you monthly spending, start by learning how to grocery shop on a budget.
Luckily, you’ve come to the right place.
I’ve written an entire 36-page Guide to Living Off Less for every area of your life. If you’re serious about living frugally, take time to read through the guide and you’ll find tips for grocery shopping, meal planning, budgeting, earning more cash back, and so much more.
For now, I’ll share with you the most effective ways to grocery shop on a budget. I’ll slice your monthly grocery bill by HUNDREDS.
You’ll wonder why you didn’t grocery shop like this all your life.
Let’s get started!
Where Should I Grocery Shop?
One of first tips for grocery shopping more affordably in your area is to shop at the RIGHT stores. If you’re wondering where should I grocery shop, you may assume I’d suggest Aldi or Walmart for the best prices.
Absolutely wrong.
Each week, local grocery stores in your area run different sales on different items. Some weeks potatoes chips are on sale, other weeks ground beef. Sometimes pasta is on BOGO, other times it’s loaves of bread. Deciding where to grocery shop will determine how much you spend on groceries that particular month.
Consider any and all stores in your area as possibilities. Start by downloading apps and joining rewards programs. Sometimes you even get a sign up coupon just for joining grocery store loyalty programs. Almost any store (Fresh Thyme, Safeway, Hyvee, Kroger, Target, Publix, Walmart, Meijer, Whole Foods, etc.) has an app to download.
But before deciding on a grocery story, I always take inventory of what’s already in my house before heading to the grocery store. That way, if say tortellini and cheese is on sale, and I know I have pasta sauce and Italian sausage in the freezer, I could easily plan for a pasta bake as one dinner for that week.
After taking inventory in your own house, search through apps for grocery stores near you to determine which stores have the best sales for the week.
Lastly, you’ll plan your shopping day. I typically hit more than one grocery store when I’m out and about. The question of where should I grocery shop is better asked as how many stores will I visit on shopping day. Considering each stores has different sales, you’re likely to find great deals at multiple stores.
Let’s Dive Deeper
In order to give you a better idea of what grocery shopping sales really looks like, let’s dive deeper into a hypothetical example:
Your pantry should always serve as your first grocery store to ensure you’re never buying food you already have, therefore producing unnecessary waste.
Let’s say I have eggs, condensed tomato soup, sourdough starter, taco seasoning, beans, breadcrumbs, peanut butter, jelly, grapes, onions, crackers, parmesan cheese, and two pounds of ground beef to work with for meal planning,
After researching, I find strawberries, baby carrots, honey crisp apples, peppers, butter, sharp cheddar cheese, tortilla chips, and chicken tenderloins on sale at Kroger. I’ll meal plan around those items FIRST. Red Barron frozen pizzas are on sale for three bucks each. Peanut butter is just $1.50. I don’t need either of those, but it wouldn’t hurt to stock up for later. Kroger also carries Chobani products, so I can redeem my monthly coupons there. I’ll also allow for some wiggle room on my grocery list as I’m shopping to keep an eye out for reduced items with the big red and yellow stickers. This could be hamburger buns, discount meat, snack options, or diced fruit/veggies. If it can go in your freezer, all the better!
It’s always okay to spend a little extra on your groceries if it’s a great price on something you WILL use!
KROGER = DONE
Now, that grocery haul alone may last me through the week, but Hy-Vee also has a few great sales like canned veggies for 29 cents, brats for 77 cents each, salad kits for $1.50, and a free dozen eggs if I spend $25 on a purchase. After Kroger, I’ll run into Hy-Vee, This store typically does daily deals, as well as weekly in-store offers. I’ll grab anything on a good sale to get me to $25 total, then check out with all my coupons!
HY-VEE = DONE
**Does the idea of going to multiple grocery stores each week feel overwhelming? Make stops when you’re already out. I’m heading to the post office, and I’m passing an Aldi anyway. Or, I’m picking up my daughter from school, so we drive over to Kroger since it’s close. This saves time because you’re already out. It saves some gas money as
well.**
Extra Tips For Grocery Shopping
On top of learning to grocery shop on a budget at actual grocery stores, learn to think outside the box to find deals and discounts elsewhere.
- Start emailing all your favorite companies to see if they’ll offer one-time or reoccurring coupons. Find companies who accept coupon requests here and inspiration for how to write email in my guide.
- Join Social Nature (socialnature.com) to earn rebates on brand new products at various grocery stores.
- Join
- Social Nature (www.socialnature.com) to earn full rebates on brand
- Download the Flashfood app with code SOME49BQT to find discounted meat and produce in your area.
- Shop discount/salvage stores. Never been? Look up a discount store in your area here.
- Look up Ruby’s Pantry in your area to score a trunk full of groceries for just $25 each month.
- No matter what grocery store you shop at, ALWAYS be on the look out for reduced or clearance products. These items may be close to expiration, but if you can incorporate them in your next meals or even freeze them, you’ll save yourself lots of dollars!
- Score rebates on hundreds of brands through various apps like Ibotta, Fetch, and Brandclub. Sign up and score welcome bonuses with links here.
- Join the Facebook Buy Nothing group in your area, or search “free” in Marketplace. You’d be surprised how many people love to give away free food.
- Grow your own produce when the weather permits in your area… or make friends with others who do!
**NOTE FOR OUT-OF-TOWNERS**
Maybe you go into town once a week/month to stock up. Consider extending your grocery trip in town an extra hour so you can hit multiple grocery stores for various sales. Stock up when you can! If you find great sales, purchase multiples at a time to load up your freezer for the coming weeks!
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