How to Save Money on Groceries 

It’s easy to let your grocery shopping trip get out of control, but with these tips, you won’t be blowing your entire monthly food budget during a single shopping trip. You don’t have to try every tip here, either — find the frugal grocery shopping tips that will give your wallet a break. 

1. Do your grocery shopping with cash

If you really struggle to keep the grocery budget in check, it’s worth trying a cash-only system. Bringing cash ensures that you can only spend what you have in your wallet, and it’s one of the simplest ways to keep your grocery budget under control. 

2. Plan meals ahead of time

Planning meals you’ll cook throughout the week is another surefire way to save money on groceries. Gather your favorite recipes and see which ingredients are already in the fridge and pantry, then make a shopping list for the rest. 

3. Choose your recipes based on sales

Review the circulars for grocery stores near you each week, and choose your meals based on which ingredients are on sale. If something is on sale and you can easily freeze it (and you know you’ll eat it), go ahead and purchase that item for future meals.

 4. Meal prep each week

You’ve planned your meals and bought the ingredients, now it’s time to get cooking. Meal prepping means fresh food won’t go to waste, and you’ll also save time when you don’t have to cook dinner every night. If you’ve never meal prepped before, these two articles can get you started: 

5. Look for discount grocers near you

If you always shop at the same grocery store, it pays to shop around. Discount grocery stores like Aldi offer amazing cost savings, so shopping there is an ideal way to save money. Another benefit of these stores is that they don’t usually have coupons (the prices are already incredibly low), so you save time as well.  

6. Shop around for the best price on groceries

If you don’t have a discount or salvage grocery store in your town, the next best thing is to shop around and compare prices. You should also look at stores you might not usually visit, like Walmart.  

7. Buy in-season produce

If a fruit or veggie is in season, it will be cheaper, so fill your cart with the produce of the season. This tends to be easier in summer, though fall and winter have their fair share of nutritious in-season produce.

 8. There’s an app for that

It seems like there’s an app for everything these days, and grocery shopping is no exception. This list has 10 of the best apps for saving money on groceries, so check it out and find your next cash-saving download.