Saving Money on Your Next Grocery Trip
Have you recently found yourself looking at your grocery receipt in shock? Groceries and basic necessities can get expensive, but you don’t have to keep breaking the bank everytime you go to Costco. Here are some tips and tricks to help you save money on your next grocery trip!
Meal Prep
Meal prepping is a simple solution that can go a long way. This is when you choose a meal that will not only feed you that night, but for the next few days as well. You may be thinking that is just another phrase for leftovers—but meal prepping is much more intentional than that.
For example, you make taco soup for your family of 4 and almost all of it is gone besides a small container that can feed one of your kids—this is leftovers. To meal prep, you would make the taco soup dinner and double it (which doesn’t cost much more) so that it will feed your whole family twice.
Key Points
Here are some key points to remember when meal prepping:
- Choose the right meal. In the example above, taco soup was used, which is an easy dinner that creates large amounts. Choosing a meal that is easy to cook in bulk will make meal prepping easier.
- Be intentional when planning and shopping. Instead of going to the grocery store with a general plan about what you need, go to the store after planning out each meal you will have until your next grocery trip. That means listing out all the ingredients for each meal, seeing which ingredients you already have, and then shopping for the specific items that are left. You can even choose meals that have a few of the same ingredients so that you don’t have to buy a lot of things.
- It takes practice. You will have times where you don’t do well at shopping effectively, or where your meal doesn’t turn out exactly how you want it to. It takes practice to learn how to meal prep. But, that means that you will learn a lot about cooking and be a professional in no time!
- Make it fun! Buy some nice tupperware, have your kids help with the planning or cooking, and even earn some cash back rewards when grocery shopping! Make meals you love and learn new ones to love. Meal prepping can not only save you money, but can be a lot of fun!
Change Expensive Habits
We all have those grocery items we convince ourselves we have to get–but hanging onto those costly items may be what is costing you more than you plan. There are different and less expensive ways to shop that can get you exactly what you need and want.
For example, consider shopping somewhere else. Almost every grocery store differs in prices. And while there could be differences in quality, it usually is not as significant as we think. This is the same with store brands, like the Great Value brand at Walmart. It is reported that store brands cost 20-25% less than name brands but are the same product. This applies to groceries, as well as beauty products and other necessities.
Another tip for giving up those expensive purchases is shopping for things only when they are in season. Maybe your weakness is pineapple and you buy it all the time. Instead of doing this, consider only buying it in season and trying some other fruit or treat in the off-season.
In addition to this, buying in bulk is another thing people usually do–especially when they see something they really like. But buying in bulk can actually be ineffective and expensive because people usually don’t use all of it. If you are meal prepping, you will have a plan for each food item you buy and won’t end up throwing any food out at the end of the week.
Budget
Budgeting is a crucial financial habit you should consistently use and work on. When budgeting for groceries, be realistic and even add up the costs of meals you planned for that week so you can know exactly how much to spend. If you have some extra money for the month, budget a little more in your grocery category to get a small treat. If you are tight for the month, give up something that is unnecessary.
One way that people do it sometimes is to pay with cash. They budget groceries for the week or month and put cash in a “grocery envelope” and use that as the only amount they can spend at the grocery store.
Whatever you decide to do, sticking to a budget can help you be more meaningful with your purchases. Then you can begin to save a lot of money each month!
Additional Tips
Here are some additional tips and tricks to help you save on groceries:
- Grow your own herbs and vegetables! Costs for seeds are often inexpensive and what you get out of it can save you a lot of extra money. It can also be a fun way to work more with your hands!
- Look for deals and ads. While this may seem old-fashioned sometimes, it is still an effective way to shop. You can see deals online and in newsletters from specific grocery stores.
- Make a pantry meal. Instead of going to the grocery store because you don’t have any food, look up recipes for what you can do with what you already have. For example, fried rice is a great option for when you have some vegetables that are about to go bad.
Start Saving
Hopefully after reading this article you have some ideas for how to save money on your next grocery shopping trip! If you make a plan, saving that extra money on groceries can relieve stress. It can also create better financial and health habits.