Out of all of the biggest household expenses – housing, healthcare, transportation, etc. – grocery shopping is one of the budget categories where most of us have the flexibility to spend less. You can absolutely save money on groceries each week and still enjoy high-quality, nutritious meals that don’t take all day to prepare.
We all have to eat, and we should try to eat well, but there’s no reason it has to be so expensive.
Use these money-saving hacks to stop overspending on groceries. These are REALISTIC ways to get your grocery spending under control and not feel like you have to eat out all the time.
How to Spend Less on Groceries
Step 1: Set a Realistic Grocery Budget
- So how do you know if you’re overspending on groceries? Check out my guide on How Much Should You Spend on Groceries.
You can look up the estimate for each family member in your household to come up with a baseline. It really is a good guide to begin setting your own realistic grocery budget.
Once you have a baseline, track your expenses for a week or two to see where you fall. You’ll adapt it and tweak it to your specific needs as you stay faithful to keeping track of your spending on groceries.
So now you have a specific number to form the basis of a realistic grocery budget, you can get serious about saving money on groceries. The first step is that budget. Once you figure it out and decide to stick to it, you won’t mindlessly toss things in your cart. This alone will save you potentially hundreds of dollars. It can very eye-opening to see how even inexpensive items add up to a large total.
You may be surprised at how much the little things like snacks, drinks, or convenience foods add up. But don’t worry – this isn’t about being restrictive, it’s about being purposeful.
Remember: The point of a budget is to ensure you have money for what you want.
Step 2: Know Your Target Prices (Buy Prices)
One of the biggest skills you can develop to save money on groceries is knowing what things should cost. I call these “buy prices” or “target prices” – the price point where you know something is a good deal, not just marked with a yellow sale tag. When butter hits $2.99/lb instead of $4.99, that’s when you stock up. When chicken breast is $1.99/lb, you buy extra and freeze it. When you know your target prices, you’ll never overpay again.
- Learn how to find and track your target prices for everything you buy regularly How to Know Your Grocery Target Prices. I’ve even made a free printable to help you track them.
Step 3: Keep a Well-Stocked Pantry (Mini-Stockpiling)
When you know when something is really on sale, you can buy more of it and take advantage of that great price. And that helps build your pantry stores.
When you have a well-stocked pantry, you have the flexibility to skip buying something when it’s overpriced. You can wait for sales because you’re not desperate. This isn’t about turning your garage or basement into a grocery warehouse; it’s about buying extra when things you use regularly go on sale and storing them smartly. A well-stocked pantry is both a money-saver and a stress-reducer.
- Learn what items should be in your pantry: How to Have a Well-Stocked Pantry: Food Staples to Always Have on Hand
- Master the art of mini-stockpiling: How to Stockpile Groceries Without Going Overboard.
Step: Use Grocery Apps Strategically
These days, grocery apps are almost essential for saving money – but not all apps are worth your time. Store apps (like Kroger, Walmart, or your local grocery chain) give you access to digital coupons, personalized deals, and store layouts. Some receipt-scanning apps can add a few extra dollars in savings, though they require more effort. The key is knowing which apps actually deliver value and which ones waste your time.
- Find out which grocery apps are worth downloading: Grocery Shopping Apps That Actually Save You Money.
Step 4: Build Smart Shopping Habits
Saving money isn’t just about deals and apps – it’s about developing habits that keep your spending in check week after week. Simple practices like meal planning around sales, shopping with a list, and comparing prices per unit will save you hundreds over time. These habits might feel tedious at first, but they quickly become second nature.
Tips to Reduce Grocery Expenses even more
Once you have a realistic grocery budget and you’re sticking to it, you might be able to reduce it even more by using easy tips, tricks, and grocery store hacks I’ve listed below. Remember – the most important thing is that you and your family are fed and nourished. But once that’s taken care of, it can be quite fun to see how the pennies saved add up over a few weeks’ time. Maybe you can use your grocery savings for a splurge, like taking the whole family out for a treat every week!
- Use coupons. Couponing is not what it was in the 2010s. Some paper coupons still exist (and some are pretty good) but more and more, digital coupons in store apps are the norm. Whatever form they take, coupons are still part of a sound strategy for shopping frugally.
- Consider joining a warehouse club. In some situations, paying a membership fee to shop at a store can save you money. It can also be an expensive mistake. Be sure to read my related articles: How I Save Money at Sam’s Club and Is a Costco Membership Worth It?
- Use apps. But the main apps you need are actually the store’s own native shopping app, which will usually have coupons, the specific layout of the store you’re shopping in, weekly ads, and personalized coupons and discounts. Sometimes these even let you scan your cart and check out. Other shopping apps have negligible benefits. In my humble opinion, coupons are a necessity while rebate and receipt-scanning apps are just a bonus. But some shoppers insist these types of apps are a very big part of their grocery savings strategy. That’s why I include them here. Most of these give you points for scanning your receipts, and they can be used on top of (after) coupon savings. After accumulating a certain number of points, you can trade them in for gift cards or cash. Your mileage may vary, and success may depend on the stores you shop and the foods you buy. For convenience, I’ve added a list of apps below.
- Reuse everything. See how far you can stretch what you have (within reason). Some of these ideas are pretty old school: Are you wasting paper towels by grabbing a new one every time? How many uses can you find for plastic grocery bags? Will that sour cream container work as a container for leftovers? Keep straws, plastic utensils, paper napkins that come your way. Frugal people have been doing these things for years, and we get a lot of flack for it. Join us! 🙂
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