10 Ways to Save Money on Food

Prices at the supermarkets are going up all around the country and chances are you are starting to notice or feel the pain of that. Am I right? There are so many ways for you to save money on food, but if you haven’t always saved money you may not be aware of how to play the game.

Are you a coupon shopper? If you’ve never done coupon shopping this can be a bit tricky or even scary the first few times so we’ll just start you off on the simple stuff. Have you ever seen the coupon pop out at the register once you were done paying? Grab that coupon, stick it in the front of your wallet and try using it the next time. Sometimes you’ll even get $2 or $5 off your next order. Make sure to read the instructions, sometimes you have to get two of an item or more.

Make a Grocery Budget! The very first thing you will need to determine before you go grocery shopping is to figure out how much you are going to spend on groceries for the month/week/day. How often do you want to shop?

Make a Grocery Staple Price List book. Most are going to tell you to make a list of the meals you want to make that week but I’m gonna tell ya to make that list of all the things everyone is going to want/need for the week. This is your basic list. I say this because you can figure out where to shop for these and where the best deals are. This is stuff like toilet paper, trash bags, laundry soap (unless you make your own), pet food, hygiene products, milk, eggs, flour, etc.

Eat before shopping! Do not go to the store on an empty stomach, chances are you’ll buy more stuff you don’t even need because you are thinking about what you’d like to eat right now. You’ll end up spending more than you planned.

Quick tips on saving money on Food

1. Check for coupons and check your grocery stores’ websites for weekly specials before you plan your meals and make your week/month grocery list. 

With this in mind, price check the surrounding stores you visit on a weekly/daily basis and find out which one has the best price for the items you want. Can you get milk cheaper if you drive to Aldis, Walmart, Meijers, or Kroger’s (whatever supermarkets are near you? Which place has the best meat/vegetable deals? Find out when the new sale ads go up.

Remember if you are shopping somewhere that has rewards or deals if you have your store card to clip those coupons in the store or before you go to the store so they count off in the end.

Don’t forget to look for good deals on meat? If you see a 10lb thing of meat for cheap I suggest purchasing it and once you get it home put them in 1 or 2 lb freezer bags and store them in the freezer. Don’t forget to write the date on the bag with a sharpie.

Keep an eye out for non-perishable deals too. If you can purchase them in bulk during a good sale you can use them throughout the year and when your budget starts feeling the heat during the year you’ll have items you can use instead of food shopping for that week. (pasta, rice, beans, toothpaste, shampoo, toilet paper.)

2. Having a designated grocery shopping day each week makes it easier to keep your budget under control. I typically choose the day the new sale ads will go up and roughly around the time I know the deli/meat section will have the meats going out so I can pick it up first. If you can figure out your sale ad days and the day they restock the shelves this is best to get all the best selections and deals before they are out.

3. Make a meal plan for the week/month, this will help you out from straying from the plan. Use the deals for the week to guide you. I have read where some only cook 3-4 times a week knowing they will be the bigger meals with lots of leftovers, the following day they just reheat or add a few ingredients to make a full meal.

Plan meals with common ingredients to save more money. For example, if you’re using cheese in one meal, include it in another (burgers one day, grilled cheese sandwiches another). Or if you’re using a certain vegetable, incorporate it into another meal too (baked potatoes on Monday and Wednesday you might have mashed potatoes).

4. Purchase what you know you need, if it makes it cheaper to buy more, buy more. But if it isn’t going to be cheaper buy the actual amount that you will use that week, no more. When it comes to serving it out use the portion size method. Little kids don’t need an entire slab of meat, if they are mine they will barely touch it. Why waste it?

5. Always look in your fridge to see how any leftover vegetables or meat can be incorporated into the next meal. If you don’t have enough you can always use some of this for lunch the next day. I know sometimes we have a ton of leftovers we can make into something else but sometimes it just isn’t enough for an entire meal so make lunches out of it instead.

6. Fresh vegetables always pack the most nutrition, but if you’re stocking up, frozen vegetables are much cheaper than canned. If you can get your veggies on sale buy a surplus of them, seal them up in a freezer bag and freeze them to make them more cost-efficient.

7. When buying fresh fruits and vegetables, choose items that are in season. You will always pay a premium for out-of-season items. There are lists all around the internet that will let ya know which season is best for certain fruit/vegetables. Plus when you are getting in the season they are going to taste better.

8. Slow cooking meats makes them very tender and soft, making it easier to choose low-cost meats that taste just as good. My family loves stews, pulled pork/chicken, etc. Slow cooker meals also mean you don’t have to stand over the pot for an hour, toss it in and go check on it from time to time. Saves on time and money.

9. Can you make your own snacks or meals? Kids will surely need snacks but instead of buying all those pre-packaged sugars try to make tuna salad and crackers, hard-boiled eggs, peanut butter (buy the big jars), and apples. Maybe you can even try making your own fruit strips.

For breakfast instead of those quick oatmeals, you toss in the microwave. Make your own oatmeal with cooked oats. You can top with brown sugar, honey, fruit, and more for a tasty treat. Pre-packaged oatmeals are expensive and full of sugar but you can prepare your own homemade style for your kids for less price and less sugar.

10. Shop the perimeter of the grocery store: produce, butcher/seafood, dairy, and bakery. It’s healthier and it will save you money. By this, I am saying try staying away from all the boxed meals, processed foods.

Tip: If you bring in sale ads from another store that has a better deal, typically Walmart will honor that deal.

I highly recommend; if you can afford it purchasing a small deep freeze to stock up on all those frozen food items like bread, meats, etc. We’ve never been able to stock up on frozen meats because our freezer wasn’t big enough, last year we purchased one for $200 and it has definitely helped us save money on meat. We have 1 turkey, 2 hams, and a ton of frozen meat in it right now that we got on sale.