Grocery shopping is one of the biggest expenses for most people. That’s why many people are looking for ways to hack their grocery bill and save more money on groceries. In this blog post, I’ll share some tips that will help you cut your grocery costs without sacrificing quality or healthiness.
Compare prices.
This is a no-brainer, but it’s a good starting point for making sure you’re not overpaying for groceries. Make sure to compare prices at different stores, on different brands and sizes of the same product, and online (if possible). The more comparisons you can make with your grocery list in hand, the better off you will be.
Also keep in mind that sometimes prices fluctuate depending on what day of the week or time of day you go shopping. The best way to avoid paying extra for food is by comparing prices regularly so that if there are any price fluctuations within a week or two after shopping at one store versus another store—when it comes time again to buy groceries—you can take advantage by buying from the cheaper store this time around!
Don’t shop when you’re hungry.
If you are hungry when you go to the grocery store, you may be tempted to buy more than is needed. You will also be more likely to purchase items that are not on your list. This can include things like junk food and other items that don’t fall into the category of healthy foods. You may also spend more money on things that aren’t in your budget.
Be flexible with brand names.
Brand names are often the first thing we look at when we’re shopping, but this can be a costly mistake. In fact, one study found that being brand name loyal can cost you up to $4,000 extra in your annual grocery budget.
So how do you avoid overspending on groceries? Be flexible with brand names!
There are many brands that provide high-quality products at very reasonable prices—think cereal and granola bars—and these generic versions will save you money without sacrificing quality. The next time you’re in the store and tempted by those big-name brands, consider choosing something less well known instead! Your wallet will thank you later.
Use coupons.
Coupons are an easy way to save. You can find coupons in the newspaper and online, or you can get them by mail. Some stores will double coupons, which means that you get twice as much off at checkout time. Using coupons to buy items that you normally wouldn’t buy is a great way to stretch your budget even further because it allows you to purchase items on sale at regular price!
Example: I was planning on making chicken stir fry for dinner this week when I received my coupon mailer from City Market yesterday afternoon. There were two coupons inside – one for $1 off any frozen meal (which is good through August 31st), and another for 50 cents off any meat product (good through November 11th). So instead of making the traditional chicken stir fry recipe with rice noodles that usually costs about $3 per serving total cost we decided to try something new – frozen shrimp fajita dinners! These meals usually run about $2 per serving but with our doubled discount we got them for just under $1 each! We also used our extra 50 cents off meat product coupon toward buying pre-marinated steak strips from the meat department so now all together our meal came out costing only about $2 per person!!
Avoid buying in bulk, unless you’re certain you’ll use all of it before it goes bad.
As a general rule, it’s best to buy in bulk only when you know you’ll use all of it before it goes bad. However, there are some exceptions:
- If you have a large family or frequently have guests over for dinner, buying in bulk may be the best option for you.
- If your family is prone to going through food quickly (i.e., if they’re always hungry), buying in bulk might make sense as well.
However, if neither of these circumstances applies to you, then it’s probably safer not to buy this way unless there’s another good reason for doing so (like being able to get items cheaper). The reason why this can be problematic is because when we buy too much at once and end up wasting some of our purchase later on down the line—which is something that happens more often than most people think—we feel like we’ve wasted money since none of those products were used up completely before they expired or went bad.
Look for sales and stock up.
Look for sales on items that you need anyways. The best part about grocery stores is that they often offer BOGO or buy-one-get-one deals, so if there’s an item you usually buy and like to try new recipes with, keep your eyes peeled! If a store offers this kind of deal on something you use frequently and enjoy cooking with, stock up! You’ll likely save money in the long run and can make some delicious meals at home instead of eating out every night.
Look for sales on items that can be used across multiple recipes. Similar to the above tip, if there is a certain ingredient or type of food available at a discounted price when it’s not on sale—but another similar product is—consider buying both from different places instead of just one from one store (if possible). For example: If chicken breasts are being sold cheap at one supermarket but pork chops are being sold cheap at another supermarket nearby then go ahead and buy both! Then later this week when making tacos simply swap out the meat for pork chops instead; no extra work required here because everything else stayed exactly the same!
Organize your pantry so that you can see everything that’s in there.
- Organize your pantry so that you can see everything that’s in there.
- Keep a list of everything you have.
- Keep the pantry clean and organized–it might sound obsessive, but it’ll help prevent wasting food and money because of forgotten items (or worse, mold).
Before you go grocery shopping, plan out your meals for the week and make a list of ingredients accordingly.
Before you go grocery shopping, plan out your meals for the week and make a list of ingredients accordingly.
This will help prevent wasting money by buying too many ingredients or forgetting to pick up one crucial item at the store.
Make sure you have all the right ingredients before heading to the store so you know exactly what needs to be purchased and don’t end up with a bunch of random food items that you’ll never use again!
Planning out meals before going into a supermarket helps save time and money when shopping because it allows people who are on tight budgets (or just like eating healthily) organize their weekly meal plans more efficiently without wasting any food or spending more than necessary on groceries.
Conclusion
By following the tips we have outlined in this article, you should be able to reduce your grocery bill significantly. If you are able to save even just a few hundred dollars per year on groceries, that would go a long way toward helping you achieve financial independence!
Risk Disclosure: Investing involves risk including the potential loss of principal. No investment strategy can guarantee a profit or protect against loss in periods of declining values. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
This material is for information purposes only and is not intended as an offer or solicitation with respect to the purchase or sale of any security. The content is developed from sources believed to be providing accurate information; no warranty, expressed or implied, is made regarding the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability, or usefulness of any information. Consult your financial professional before making any investment decision. For illustrative use only.
Stephen Pease, David W. Smiley and Matt Hoaglin are Investment Advisor Representatives with Dynamic Wealth Advisors dba Oxford Financial Planners. All investment advisory services are offered through Dynamic Wealth Advisors.