It doesn’t matter if you’re a non-vegetarian, flexitarian, vegetarian or a vegan — grocery shopping isn’t easy. Here are 9 ingenious tips that will help trim down your grocery bill.
Cutting down your food costs can seem impossible at first but it’s doable if you have a plan in place.
1. Start with your pantry
One thing that makes your bill shoot up is your food waste. And food waste can be in any form like leftovers or things that have simply been forgotten.
To start planning your grocery shopping spree, start from your pantry. Take into account what you have, what went to waste and what needs to be consumed ASAP.
2. Draft a plan
Learn the art of meal planning. Not only will this help you eat healthily but also buy items that you actually need.
Be realistic and search for recipes that are healthy but don’t require a lot or expensive ingredients.
Also, plan your meals for a week at least so that you can finish the main ingredient before moving on to the next one. For instance, you can eat mushroom frittata for lunch, black bean and mushroom enchilada for dinner and mushroom soup the next day.
Apart from planning for the major meals i.e. lunch, dinner and breakfast, also plan your snacks for the week.
Skip shopping for all those meals that you’ll be eating out or order-in. You can easily plan meals by consulting a nutritionist or installing meal planning apps.
3. Create a list
Make it a point to go grocery shopping with your list in hand (or phone). This way you won’t forget the items you need and also reduce impulse shopping.
You can also limit your purchases to a specific amount. For instance, decide not to buy anything over $50.
4. Grocery store vs farmers market
I generally buy all my produce from the farmers market and recommend you do the same. Not only is everything fresh (and cheap) but also on a great discount if you buy in bulk.
Fresher produce usually lasts longer as it’s not been sitting around in trucks or warehouses as with the case with supermarkets.
5. Opt for seasonal items
Consuming seasonal items ensures that your body gets all the type of nutrition. Additionally, seasonal items are cheaper. For instance, peas are cheaper in winters and are only available in frozen packets during summers at a higher rate.
The best tip I have for you is to buy such items and freeze them. This means that you buy the items on a cheaper rate but can enjoy them throughout the year!
Also, you end up saving a big chunk of money when you buy in bulk. Win-win!
6. Shop online
Another great place to shop for groceries as opposed to grocery stores is online stores.
Typically, you end up buying a lot more when you go to a grocery store. The “candy aisle” or the seemingly small “cute” items just by the cash register often tempt you to buy things you don’t need.
This is why I recommend online shopping. It allows you to to add the items in the cart in accordance with your meal planning list. Also, they offer great deals and discounts and offer memberships where you can redeem points.
For instance, Amazon offers excellent discounts from 01st-07th of each month. This enables you to save more on bigger purchases such as oil, butter, cheese, beans, etc.
7. Start couponing
I get a bunch of coupons every week along with my morning newspaper. Whenever I need to shop, I sit down and circle out all the coupons that I can use.
You can also subscribe to a few grocery stores in your neighborhoods to stay up-to-date on the offers. This way you can compare and buy from the store that’s offering the maximum discounts.
8. Switch to store brands
This little trick will help you save a lot of money. Store brand items are cheaper than private-label items and are often of the same (or similar quality).
You can save as much as 25{7a722f13b952edd9ba8e4f746a234d197b0b27529fbd0e6e2a2fe7fef0032db9} when you opt to ut store-brand items. Buy expensive items such as peanut butter, ice cream and canned items of the store brand to save more.
9. Simplify your cooking
Reading recipes from magazines and your favorite food bloggers are great until you try them. The ingredients are expensive and can often be only used in the said recipe.
I recommend sticking to recipes that are easy, require a few ingredients but are wholesome. Experiment with recipes during special occasions such as Thanksgiving or Christmas.
The Takeaway
Grocery shopping doesn’t always have to be expensive. With the right strategy, you can easily cut down your grocery bill in half. Use the tips mentioned in this article to save more and let us know which was your favorite tip in the comments section below!
Author Bio: Shristi Patni
Shristi is the founder of F and B Recipes. She enjoys writing about health and wellness, Shamballa Reiki and food recipes. Formerly the Chief Content Officer at Raletta, she is currently working on her second cookbook.
