How to Save Money on Groceries : 10 Practical Tips to Slash Your Food Budget | by BI Tips

Other than shelter, groceries are probably the single most important part of any household budget. With a little advanced planning and some smart shopping strategies, though, you can cut your food bill down by a huge margin. Whether you're trying to save for a big purchase or just cut out on some unnecessary spending, these tips will help you save money on groceries without cutting back on quality or nutrition.

1. Plan for Your Meals Ahead of Time

Meal planning is one of the best ways to cut costs in the grocery store. Having a game plan for meals in the coming week provides you a shopping list full of only what you need, and not buying food on impulse or redundantly. Pro Tip: Try building meals around ingredients that are used in other dishes to get the most out of your purchase.

2. Shop with a List (and Stick to It)

A good shopping list is your first line of defense when it comes to not overspending. Put together your list of everything you need before going store. Of course, stick to it. This keeps you from buying unnecessary items that quickly add up in price.

Pro Tip: Organize your list by sections of the store to keep you from backtracking—which can lead to picking up extra items.

3. Reap from Loyalty Programs

Almost all supermarkets run loyalty programs with discount and rewards-based promotional offers, often entailing special offers. These are typically free to enroll into and could spell significant savings into the future.

Pro Tip: A few of these programs also offer personalized discounts based on your consumption habits, meaning you are going to save more in the products that consumed frequently.

4. Couponing and Cashback Apps

Couponing is an age-old way to save money when shopping for groceries. You can get access to them from your local newspaper, online, and even from store apps. Also, avail yourself of cashback apps, such as Ibotta and Rakuten, which rebate on your regular purchases.

Pro Tip: Combine with store sales for maximum savings. Some stores will even let you stack manufacturer coupons with store coupons.

5. Choose Store Brands

Store brands, or generics, are usually exactly the same product as their name-brand counterparts but priced much lower. Many times the ingredients and quality are almost identical.

Pro Tip: Try store brands of the products you love and see if you can tell the difference. In many cases, the only difference is the packaging.

6. Shop Seasonal and Local

Naturally, fruits and vegetables that are purchased in season are almost always cheaper and also fresher. Your local farmers' market or community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs can have some outstanding deals on fresh produce.

Pro Tip: Know what fresh produce is in season in your area. It will be cheaper and more flavorful. This will also open you up to preserving or freezing seasonal produce to enjoy all year long.

7. Avoid Shopping When You're Hungry

Everyone knows that shopping on an empty stomach leads to buying high-priced and unhealthy snacks on impulse. Eat a meal or snack before you go grocery shopping to help stay within budget.

Pro Tip: If you can't avoid shopping while hungry, at least stick to your list and try and bypass the snack aisle.

8. Check Prices Online Before You Go

Check prices among different stores online before you leave your house. Some stores will price match, which will save you headaches of running around town.

Pro Tip: Use apps like Flipp or go directly to the store website to check prices on items you specifically need.

9. Buy the Things That Really Count in Bulk

For things that you regularly consume, the more you buy, often, the more you save. Think of non-perishable items such as rice, pasta, canned goods, or frozen vegetables as a case in and of itself—just make sure you have enough storage space and you'll use what you're buying before it goes bad.

Pro Tip: Compare price per unit (for example, per ounce or per pound) to make sure you're really getting a better deal when buying in bulk.

10. Home Cooking

Eating out and ordering takeout can get quite heavy on your pocket. The money you save by cooking at home is one thing, but you also get full control over the ingredients and portion sizes.

Pro Tip: Meal prep on weekends so that you have ready-to-eat meals on weekdays, and you won't even feel like eating out.

Conclusion

Groceries Saving money on groceries don't have to be hard. In fact, with a little bit of pre-planning and a few clever shopping strategies, you will finally be able to seriously shave the cost off of your food while still eating healthfully and delectably. Truly, taking a step toward a couple of these tips at a time and slowly working more in will see your grocery bill shrink.