Grocery Shopping on a Budget

Going grocery shopping can be very expensive, especially when you’re shopping to feed a house full of people. To make matters worse, it’s even harder to save money when you’re trying to eat healthy and organic foods — they cost sooo much money. But…

Dun-da-da-DAH (cue my superhero music, please)! I am here to save the day with these helpful tips to make sure that you’re making the most of your trips to the store. It’s a new year, and it’s important to save all your coins, right? Right! So let’s jump right into it.

 

• Coupons are a great way to save, but don’t be fooled by them.

If there’s one thing I want you to walk away knowing, it’s this — a save isn’t really a save unless you were already going to buy the product. For example, let’s say that there are cereal boxes on sale 2 for $6. Sounds like a great deal, right? Well, only if you were already planning on buying cereal. If you weren’t, but you pick it up anyway, you just wasted $6 that could have went towards a product that you actually need.

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s talk about really great ways to get some coupons. If you shop at Shoppers, download their app — almost every single weekend, they offer $10 off a $50 purchase. That means if you usually spend $70 on groceries, you’re getting the same amount of groceries for $60. Check to see if your local grocery store has an app for coupons because you may be missing out! Additionally, there are lots of apps that can help you save some coins. Download a few or do some research! I’ve heard really great things about Southern Savers and Coupons.com, so check them out!

 

• Make a list and stick to it!

This is the best way to make sure you only get what you need. If you have an Alexa, you can say, “Alexa, add cheese to grocery list” and then access your grocery list directly from your phone. You can also go old school and write your list down with a pen — whatever works for you. Just make sure that you make a list before you go so that you’re not spending unnecessarily on items that are not necessities.

 

• Eat a meal before you go to the grocery store.

Trust me, guys, it helps. I went to the store while I was starving and before I knew it, my cart was full of products that looked really appetizing because I was so darn hungry. I promise you that if you eat a good meal before you head to the store, you’ll save a lot more money than you’ll realize because you won’t be so quick to grab everything off the shelves.

 

• Buy off-brand products; some of them taste the same!

I know, I know. The name brands are just a few cents more most times, but those cents start to add up to dollars over time. Try a few off-brand or store-brand items! The only off-brand item that I refuse to buy again is popcorn (it made the house smell like ear wax, yuck!) and laundry detergent (it just doesn’t smell as good as Gain to me), but other than that, I buy the cheaper option because it gets the job done just the same.

 

• Don’t be afraid to eat leftovers — there’s a way to spruce them up for the next day!

A lot of times, we eat out or buy more groceries than we need because we just don’t feel like eating the same thing two days in a row. I’ve been there too, but I’ve had leftovers that taste better the second time around. Don’t believe me? I’ll show you! Do you have leftover vegetables in the fridge? Reheat it on the stove and let it cook for a little bit in their own juices. If it’s been sitting in the refrigerator for a few days, that means the veggies have been soaking in their own flavorful juices, which makes for a tastier dish the next day. Have some leftover chicken, just spritz some water on it and stick it in the oven for a little bit. It’ll be just as juicy as the first day you cooked it, which makes it easier to eat it another day.

Also, there are ways to make an entirely new dish out of leftovers. Check out this article on creative ways to turn leftover food into new meals, or this article on 24 creative ways to use leftovers (this one has yummy pictures that are making me so so hungry 🙂 ). As you can see, there are ways to make leftovers work; you just have to find what works best for you.

 

These seem pretty doable, yes? Yes! Now, the next time you go grocery shopping, remember these helpful tips. I promise they work wonders! Let me know in the poll below which tip seems most useful for you!

 

 

“A dollar saved is a quarter earned.” — John Ciardi