Are you ready to save money on groceries? Me too!
If you are here, you are probably tired of paying too much money at the grocery store on every visit.
We are a small family who never consumes that much food but somehow, I still ended up paying way too much at the grocery store. As a mom with two kids, my time is extremely limited. That’s why I stopped clipping coupons so heavily.
I used to cut and organize coupons every week. I had a very organized coupon binder which I later replaced with a more relaxed filing system. Unfortunately, I stopped because both methods required too much of my time.
Nowadays, I use digital coupons, cash back apps, and follow the tips discussed below to spend less money on groceries.
Quick note: This post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosure for more info.
Top 7 tips on how to save money on groceries
1. Plan before going to the store
The process of saving money on groceries starts before going to the store.
Flyers are an effective way for stores to promote what they have on sale and hopefully, motivate the customers enough to get into their car and stop by the store.
Check the front and back pages of the flyer because it’s there where they normally place the items with the deepest discounts. Therefore, to save money, focus on those pages.
Here are three ways to access the flyers:
- Sunday newspaper
If you like to mark the flyers, the Sunday newspaper would be a good option for you. Every week, it has a variety of store flyers for the upcoming sales and most of the time includes coupon inserts too.
Because Sunday newspapers can get a little pricey, skip most of the stores and go straight to Dollar Tree where you can get it for only a $1.00! And since it’s available on Saturdays, you can plan your shopping trip in advance and be ready to save when Sunday arrives.
- Grocery store website
If you prefer the digital version, the store’s website usually has a copy of the flyer and sometimes, you can find special coupons and offers too.
Keep in mind that coupon sites such as Coupons.com, SmartSource, and RedPlum are great places to look for extra coupons.
- Grocery apps
If neither of the previous options works for you, use your phone! But, instead of going to the store’s website, download the mobile app called Flipp.
Flipp allows you to choose your favorite stores and it even notifies you when a flyer from one of your favorite stores has been uploaded so you don’t miss the sale. This app also has a section that allows you to upload coupons to your loyalty store card.
2. Use what you have available
This step is easy to do but frequently overlooked.
Before doing anything, make sure to take a closer look at your pantry and your refrigerator to see what’s left. There you can find potential items that you can use for your meals. That will reduce your shopping list and amount spent.
3. Put your meal plan together
At this point, you know what’s on sale and what you already have. Now, determine what food you will prepare throughout the following days.
Planning your meals in advance helps save money on groceries and be more productive.
4. Prepare your shopping trip
Make sure you have a shopping list ready and organized so you know exactly what you need to buy. You can color-code your list or separate it by sections. In that way, you can take similar items at once without going back and forth between aisles.
Having an organized list and focusing on it helps me get out of the store faster and avoid the temptation of buying unplanned items.
Shopping alone and in the morning also helps me get out of the grocery store faster. Plus, I keep a snack in my purse in case I get hungry while I am at the store.
5. Find the hidden discount areas
Grocery stores normally have small areas in the back of the stores where they keep clearance items or manager’s specials.
Take a quick look at the items in this section to see if there’s something from your list. Even if the prices are low, make sure to only buy what you and your family will consume. Otherwise, you are not saving money.
6. Take advantage of the sales
The stores have sale cycles which means that once your favorite product is on sale, you have to wait until it is put on sale again. The sale cycles vary based on the store and products.
The purpose here is to take advantage when your favorite products are on sale. In that case, buy a few of them to have extra ones at home until they are put back on sale. Just make sure to only buy what you know you will use.
In the beginning, it’s normal to run out of the items because you are learning about the sale cycle and how many your family uses in between. But don’t worry because your estimates should improve over time.
7. Be a loyal customer
Many grocery stores offer discounts, rewards, and even free items to those who are part of their store program. For example, Kroger provides extra discounts on a variety of products around the store. It also offers extra discounts on gasoline and gives you a free item every month.
Thanks to that, I have gotten free candies, chips, pasta, healthy snack bars, and a lot more.
If you have a Kroger nearby, make sure that you enroll in their text messages to receive their notifications. Even though you don’t have to get the free item that same day, you do have to save the digital coupon on your Kroger card that day.
BONUS: 3 Ways to save money on groceries
I know that you are busy, but I’m pretty sure you still want to save as much as you can. That’s why I want to share with you three ways to save money on groceries:
Ibotta
You can get some cash back just by submitting your receipts to this mobile app. It’s a really easy way to get money back based on the items you purchased at the store within a certain period of time. The cash back requests are processed quickly.
Right now, you can get $10.00 off when you sign up for Ibotta for the first time or download the app and enter the code: lgkgveb
Walmart Groceries
Have you used Walmart’s grocery pickup service yet? Before, I wasn’t too convinced about using the service. I kept thinking that the employee would not choose the items in the same way that I do. But, my mindset changed as soon as I used their service. The process is fast, convenient, and FREE!
Place your first order and SAVE $10.00 when you sign up to Walmart Groceries for the first time.
Shopkick
Shopkick is one of my favorite cash back app and it’s similar to Ibotta.
The difference is that you can also accumulate kicks (rewards points) just by walking into your favorite stores. Those kicks can be redeemed for gift cards to popular stores such as Walmart, Target, Starbucks, Ulta, and even Amazon.
If you have a few extra minutes, scan some of the store’s given products for even more kicks.
I can help you get 250 kicks when you walk-in or scan for the first time! Just join Shopkick through my link or download the app and enter the code: BLUE921928
Now, you are ready to save money on groceries
There you have it! Ten tips that you can implement right away to help you save money on groceries.
Keep in mind that to save the most on groceries, you need to apply a combination of these strategies. In the beginning, you may feel like you are not saving a lot. Especially, if you only use one strategy. But, like in any other situation, the more tips you implement, the more you save.
Now, let me hear from you.
Which one of the ten tips discussed here would you implement first? Is there a tip that you currently use, and was not included in here?