10 Tips for Saving on Groceries

No matter who you are, you have probably felt the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic. During this erratic time, we are all looking for any way to cut down on expenses and be more budget conscious. Groceries are typically a big weekly expense for most families. It’s also an expense that we have more control over than a pre-set expense, such as a mortgage or car payment. If you’re looking to cut costs, here are our suggestions for saving on groceries.  

Your Guide to Saving on Groceries

1 Make a grocery list & determine where you will shop

This seems like common sense, but many shoppers don’t start with a list and that can lead to over-spending. Your list should be determined by the meals you have planned for the week and the grocery staples you need, such as milk and eggs. When you have an idea of what you need, take a virtual flip through local grocery flyers and see where you can find the most savings. You can do this quickly and easily at flipp.com or on the flipp app. There you will find weekly flyers and ads from local retailers as well as specific retailer coupons for national brand items including laundry detergent, diapers and more. Flipping through flyers will also help you determine which grocer you will shop. Take note of the ad loss leaders on the front of each flyers. They are usually the best deals in the store.

2 Use items you have on hand for meals

If that pantry full of items isn’t giving you any inspiration, visit supercook.com.  You just select ingredients you already have in-house, and Supercook finds matching recipes from popular websites. It’s not only a great way to use up items you already have, but it also enables you to try new recipes. 

2 Give Meatless Monday a try

This trend of giving up meat once a week was originally started to help reduce our carbon footprint, but it’s also a great way to save on groceries. As an added bonus, it’s also good for your health. Consuming less red and processed meat and more plant-based foods such as vegetables, beans, soy and nuts can improve heart health.

3 Gather your coupons

In addition to the in-store savings, look for additional savings on the items you need in the form of coupons. Coupons.com and Coupon Sherpa offer free apps you can use to access digital or printable coupons. 

5 Take advantage of cash back and other rewards

Fetch Rewards, SavingStar, Checkout 51 and ibotta enable you to earn cash back or other rewards on everyday purchases.

6 Shop alone

In today’s environment of social distancing, this is not only the safer way to shop, but it is also helping you save. No one nagging you to buy things you really don’t need, if you know what we mean.

7 Buy generic and store brands

You’ll find many of these items have the same ingredients as national brands at a much lower price. Your family probably won’t even notice a difference.

8 Shop the canned and frozen foods aisles

Although we all love fresh, you can realize great savings by utilizing canned and frozen foods, such as canned beans, frozen vegetables and more. They will also last longer than fresh, helping you to cut down on potential waste.

9 Shop early in the day for marked-down meats and dairy products

You can usually find discounts on meat or dairy nearing their best use by dates. You can probably pick up a great deal on something to cook for dinner the night you shop. Check the clearance shelves of your local grocer as well, where you’ll find other great deals.

10 Learn to love leftovers

Make one night a week a potluck leftover night, where are all your leftovers from the week are served and everyone can eat their favorites. Add in a homemade dessert to make it a more special night. 

We hope our grocery saving tips help you to realize big savings at the grocery store this week. Please read our Spirit Financial Credit Union blog each week for more money-saving tips and other articles geared towards your financial well-being.