Saving money on groceries can be a real challenge. As a Financial Coach, I think groceries are the number one thing that I hear people say they struggle to save money on.
I am always on the hunt for ways to save money in my own life and I always share those tips with my clients and blog readers. Over time, I have come up with many different tips that help me stick to the grocery budget.
I am here to share 5 of these tips with you today.
5 Ways to Save Money on Groceries
- Have a Budget. I recommend doing a zero-based budget which means you have a plan for everything you are going to spend money on. Having a budget is especially important when it comes to groceries. You have to have a limit, or a goal, that you are trying to stay within. If you are not familiar with a zero-based budget, I explain it in detail in my online course!
- Meal Plan. Before you go to the store, figure out what you are going to eat that week. That way, when you go to the store you are able to buy all the ingredients you need for dinner that week. Meal planning seems intimidating, I know. Keep your meal plan simple and easy by not overthinking it. Just because you are writing it down doesn’t mean you have to try a new recipe every night. It simply means you have a plan and it takes the stress out of the 5pm hour. This saves money because if you wait until 5pm to figure out dinner, you will likely end up in the drive-thru lane.
This is the dry erase calendar that I use for meal planning! - Meal Prep. Once you have meal planned and shopped, spend some time prepping for the week ahead. This helps you save money by making sure you eat the food before it goes bad. It also helps you save time when making dinner during the week so that you are not tempted to go out to eat instead of cooking. I spend about an hour on the weekend to meal prep and it makes the week so much easier! What this looks like:
- Wash your fruits and vegetables.
- Cut them up & put them in individual baggies for lunches and meals for the week.
- Cook up some meat ahead of time for that week’s dinners.
- Buy in Bulk. When you buy individual packages, you are paying for convenience. Instead, consider buying in bulk and separating into your own containers or bags at home when you are meal prepping.
- Only Go to the Store Once a Week. Let’s face it, we impulse buy every time we go to the store. It just happens… you didn’t plan on buying that candy bar, but it looked delicious. You didn’t plan on buying that juice, but your kiddo just HAD to have it. Going to the store once a week saves you money by reducing your chances to impulse buy.
I hope this helps you save some money at the grocery store this week! What are some things you do to save money when you go grocery shopping?
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Amanda is a wife and a mom. She loves coffee and everything pumpkin spice (especially together!) She is also a Financial Coach that is a spender at heart. She has found a way to balance spending and saving and she shares all the details on her personal finances + lifestyle blog at AmandaSharratt.com.