Proven Tips To Help Lower Your Grocery Bill

Over the years, I can’t believe how much groceries have seemed to go up in price, this past year especially.  Of course, if I take into account that we have 6 more mouths to feed now, that may account for it. 

I used to dread grocery shopping.  I spent a small fortune and felt like I received very little in return! 

Truth be told, we were spending close to $1,500 a month just on food for our family of 7 back in 2019 BEFORE prices really skyrocketed after COVID! 

Saving my family money is a must, and since I was looking for ways to lower that, I knew others were too. 

I’ve gathered some proven tips to help lower your grocery bill too.  

Cook From Scratch

Making your own meals and ingredients from scratch is a great way to save money. Start small by picking one or two things to start making from scratch and over time you can convert everything.

Learn To Coupon

Check if your grocery store does online coupons that you can load to your shopper’s cart.  Sometimes you can use them in conjunction with manufacturer’s coupons!   And ask if your store has a double coupon day too.

If you use an online app to shop, many of those now have coupons as well.

Portion Control

 Eat the amount you should!  It’s healthier to not overeat and the food waste is so much less.

Eat Leftovers

This used to be a hard one for us but it saves so much money!  If you struggle, don’t start a new meal until the old is gone.

Repurpose Leftovers

If you just can’t stomach the thought of eating leftovers, repurpose them instead!  When we have sloppy joes, I turn the leftovers into hotdish the next day by adding pasta and a few other ingredients.  Check out these 30 ways to serve leftover pork chops and this post with 53 ways to repurpose sloppy joes to give you some more ideas. 

Menu Plan

Planning your meals ahead allows you not fly off the cuff and make random (expensive!) purchases.  Schedule 6 meals and allot one day for leftovers.

Budget By The Week

With your menu plan, you’ll know exactly what ingredients you need.   That way, you can plan for 1 more expensive meal and several more affordable ones and be able to stick to your budget.  Try using the envelope budget method if you find you have trouble sticking to your weekly budget.

Eat At Home

I know it’s so tempting to swing through the drive-thru.  We just did it ourselves on our way back from a weekend getaway.  And the regret was instant.  Feeding the 8 of us at McDonalds cost us over $60!  And that was with me getting one tiny chicken wrap and a water! 

We immediately regretted that split-second decision as soon as we handed over the money and pulled ahead.   Eating at home is probably the biggest of proven tips to help lower your grocery bill.

Visit A Local Farmers Market

Not only are you supporting your local neighbors, family, and friends, but Farmers Markets tend to be cheaper and fresher for fresh produce than a chain grocery store.  

Shop Online

There are some products that I find to be cheaper online, including vitamins.  So when there are extra sales and free shipping, I order some of our dried/boxed foods that way.

Grocery Store Pick Up

To be honest, the first time I tried this, it was because I was tired and didn’t want to drag 7 kids through the store.  (We were doing foster care at the time.)  But it was so easy! 

It saves time and money because I place everything in my cart at home.  I pay online.  Set a time for pickup.  Then just show up at the store and get my groceries without ever setting foot inside.  (Which also means no grabbing things off the shelf that weren’t on my list!) 

So check your local stores to see if they offer it!  I do this for the following stores:

• Sams Club
• Walmart
• Coborns/Grocery Stores

Search For Cheap Meal Ideas On Pinterest

Pinterest is full of more ideas for cheap meals.

Stock Up On Meats When They Are A Good Price

Seriously!  Stockpile and freeze meats when you find a great deal.  Check with your local grocery store on what day they mark down their meats and hit them up on that day each week.

Shop At Aldi (Especially For Produce)

We started shopping at our local Aldi store a couple of years ago and have definitely saved a ton of money, especially when it comes to produce.  Most of the summer, we get strawberries for 99 cents a pound when all the other local stores were selling for $2-$5. 

And since we buy 6 at a time, the difference was huge.  And that goes for almost every produce item we buy there.  

We’ve loved almost every food item we’ve tried there with the exception of their cheese, peanut butter, and fake Cheerios.  So we tend to stock up with a big cart of groceries every time we go and it costs half what we’d spend elsewhere.

Organize Your Pantry

Staying organized means that you know where your food is and can easily access what you need when you need it. My organized butler’s panty has been a huge help for that.

Take Stock Of What You Have

This pairs with an organized pantry.  Take notes on what you have and plan your meals accordingly to use up those ingredients.

Food Saver

Vacuum seal your leftovers if you aren’t going to eat them in the next few days to help them stay fresh.

Bouillon Cubes For Broth

 Instead of buying beef or chicken broth every time a recipe calls for it, just use bouillon cubes.  So much cheaper!

Shop On A Full Stomach

No impulse buying because when you shop hungry, EVERYTHING sounds good.  And then you’re so tired when you get home that you order a pizza or cave and hit the drive-thru.  So, eat before you shop.

Shop Alone

I’ve found it to be much more cost-effective to leave the kids (and husband!) at home when I have to grocery shop.  Helps avoid those impulse buys that everyone is begging for.

Reduce Processed Foods And Snacks

Those types of items tend to not fill you up as much as fresh foods and homemade items.  

Make Your Snacks

Buying snacks means you are paying a lot for convenience.  Instead, make your own snacks whenever possible.  There are recipes for homemade granola bars, muffins, homemade protein bars, homemade cheese crackers, and a variety of snacks that you can make at home. 

Homemade snacks tend to be more filling and cost-effective. Check out all of the great recipes we have for things like this.

Shop Ethnic Aisles

Many times, you’ll find some basics at great prices.

Buy In Bulk

This may mean shopping a club store or just heading over to your bulk bins at your local grocery store.  Check pricing so you know where you’ll find the best bang for your buck.

Plant A Garden

Growing your own food will always save you quite a bit of money, especially if you learn to can it as well. You can even start an indoor herb garden so you have fresh herbs all year long. Check out this huge bowl of blueberries we picked from our garden.

We must have picked at least 8 big bowls like this. Blueberries are so expensive that this alone saved us so much money!

Buy Store Brands

Store brands are almost always cheaper. Many of them taste the same and some are even made at the same plant!

Pay Attention To What Gets Thrown Out

Do the last two bananas of the bunch always end up in the trash?  Make a mental note and buy a couple less next time.  Does the gallon of milk go bad before you use it up?  Consider getting a 1/2 gallon instead.  See what ends up in the trash because it doesn’t get used and adjust your future purchases to reflect.

Frozen Veggies Instead Of Canned

You can always reseal a bag and throw it back in the freezer.  But once a can is opened, it needs to be used up within a few days.

Switch to Reusable

We have started going to reusable items wherever we can. I purchase reusable batteries now (yes, they cost more upfront but save so much over time) and these reusable paper towels are another great way to save every month.

Shop The Ads

At the beginning of the week, plan your meals around what’s on sale at the supermarket.  And then shop the sales and avoid full-priced items. The Flipp app can be very helpful for this.

Alternate Brands Based on the Sale

For most things, I am not loyal to one particular brand. I switch our brands around based on what is one sale.

BONUS TIP:  Proven Tips To Help Lower Your Grocery Bill

Look at what you’re eating now. Brainstorm what you can either do cheaper or do without. I

n fact, I encourage you to draw a line down a page, and on the left column, start a list of your “now” foods. On the right, put ideas for frugal replacements.

Then identify 3 or 4 things you can switch out right away.  Do this every week, and 10 weeks from now you’ll have a game plan that works for your needs and budget.