How to save money on groceries is one of the questions which intrigues most of us, especially when you realise a significant chunk of income is spent on food.
How to Save Money on Groceries
How to save money on groceries remains one of the main concerns due to rising food prices and the tendency to spend a maximum portion of the budget on meals. According to the data of 2023 released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Americans spend around $ 500 a month on groceries, which is quite a high amount. USDA estimates that a small family of four with kids spends up to $ 700 a month if we consider a low-cost food plan in mind. If you are a savvy shopper looking for ways to save from your grocery budget, you have landed in the right place.
1. Meal Planning
Many savvy families recommend how to save money on groceries by meal planning as it not only helps you have organized shopping lists but also reduces extra time wasted in shopping. Besides, buying items in bulk comes with reduced prices. Meal planning reduces the chances for food waste and in this way cuts down extra expenditure.
2. Preference for Stores With Reward Cards
Another tip on how to save money on groceries is to either make payments through cards that offer discounts for your grocery store or try to shop from the supermarket that offers discounts through their Loyalty cards to offset the grocery bill.
The Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express is one good option for earning 6% cash back on groceries. Another annual fee-free option is the Blue Cash Card from American Express, which helps you earn 3% cash back on grocery bills. The Cash Sapphire Preferred Card is a great option for buying groceries online, as you can earn 3X points on each purchase, along with discounts on Instacart.
Some grocery supermarkets offer clip coupons. To get the best deals, install grocery apps, keep tabs on discount offers, and download digital coupons to get the discount automatically at the checkout. But the deal for securing the discount is to stick to the list and the needed items; otherwise, you will end up spending more by buying items just because they are on promotion. Besides, some rebate apps like Ibotta and Rakuten offer cash back when buying groceries.
3. Shop on Wednesdays
According to research, one way how to save money on groceries is to plan groceries on Wednesday evening as the supermarket is less crowded on Wednesday with the result you will feel less flustered and tend to buy more wisely.
4. Avoid Impulse Purchase
To ensure how to save money on groceries, try not to visit the store when you are hungry as it might lead to impulse purchases. Hunger can make you hungry and distracted, so much so that you might buy fancy items like packaged and processed food.
5. Buy Ugly Produce
One interesting trick on how to save money on groceries is to look for items close to the expiration rate or the ones that are a bit ugly on the outlook, as these items are usually placed on discount counters. You can save quite an amount by purchasing these items and using them on a priority basis before the expiration date exceeds.
6. Shop grocery Once a Month Only
More frequent visits to the grocery store might increase the budget for food items. Always try to buy groceries in bulk for at least one month’s need to make it cost-effective.
7. Prefer to Buy Whole Items
Usually packaged, canned, or frozen, pre-cut veggies, cheese, and meat are more expensive than fresh and whole items; buying fresh and whole items is recommended to save a few bucks. Also, seasonal fruits and vegetables are always tastier and far less costly than off-season frozen items.
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8. Buying items from Generic Brands or Store brands
How to save money on groceries is also possible by preferring to buy items from cost-effective store brands or other generic brands that sell the same quality items at considerably lower prices.
How to save money on groceries only requires a careful and strategic approach without minimizing items on the grocery list.