Groceries are often an area where we spend more than we need to – sometimes, without even realizing it. Trimming down this bill can often result in major savings, without impacting your lifestyle too much. Some of the major ways to spend less on groceries are:
1. Buy Less Processed Foods
Processed foods are usually more expensive because the effort of processing them has been priced in. It’s cheaper to just process food at home yourself.
2. Buy Less Meat
Meat is incredibly expensive compared to other foods, so try to plan meals that require less meat, such as chicken salads instead of roast chicken.
3. Try farmer’s markets for fruits and veggies
Farmer’s markets are cheaper and have higher-quality produce. If you have one nearby, it’s worthwhile to frequent it.
4. Butchers are cheaper
I’ve found that meat at the butcher’s is usually cheaper than supermarket meats. This may not be true in your area, but it’s worth exploring.
5. Buy cheaper cuts of meat
This is another meat-related tip! Since meat is one of the most expensive components of a grocery bill, I’ve found it worth paying attention to. Don’t always buy steaks and expensive cuts of meat, try the cheaper mince for hamburgers or diced meats for curries and stews.
6. Coupons are good
Don’t be shy to use them if you have an opportunity to. Here in Australia we don’t usually have too many coupons, but they do help in cutting down the cost of food.
7. Make a list and stick to it
This has been helpful for me on so many levels. Now I no longer run out of staples or forget to buy something. I don’t pop in to buy milk and bread and walk out with a bag of kiwi fruit instead. A list prevents impulse buys and over-shopping.
8. Incorporate sale items
When making the list, try to incorporate items on sale that you really need. For instance, if you need coffee, check if it’s on sale. When choosing which fruits and veggies to buy, if you’re not going to the farmer’s market, buy some that are on sale.
9. Stock up on sale items
If it’s something you eat a lot of (dried apricots for me) and it’s deeply discounted, don’t be shy to buy a lot. As long as it has a fairly long shelf life, you’ll be saving a lot, especially if the item doesn’t go on sale often.
10. Buy less fresh produce
In the same vein, don’t buy too much perishable food. Earlier on, my biggest grocery sin was buying way too many fresh fruit and veggies. I still buy the occasional tub of yoghurt that I can’t finish, but I’ve gotten much better at buying perishable food more frequently and in smaller amounts.
11. Buy generic brands
Don’t be shy to try the supermarket brands. Often they’re just the name brand goods in a different packaging, and usually they’re just as good quality at a much cheaper price.
12. Make your own convenience meals
Instead of buying those expensive microwave meals, make your own. Cook big batches of food, and freeze a few portions for later. Instead of buying microwave rice, cook your own and freeze a few individual servings.
13. Try different shops
Don’t be scared to try different places to see if you can buy something for less. Ethnic shops are often cheaper for certain items – for instance, Indian groceries tend to offer cheaper rice and spices. In Australia we have the Reject Shop and Not Quite Right which sell unpopular or discontinued lines – I’ve picked up cheap Wasabi peas, and a friend has gotten great deals on herbal teas. By law, these foods must be well within the use-by date and of good quality. If there’s a similar store in your area, it’s often worth exploring.
14. Don’t waste food
This is the most important tip of all. Waste leads to bigger bills. Never eat food that’s gone bad, but if you see food that’s about to go bad, cook it up and freeze it. If you realize in time that there’s no way you’ll be able to use up the food, even if you cook and freeze it, give it away to a food bank.
These are the basic ways I try to save money on my grocery bill. In addition to this, I also use the internet to save money on my groceries (I’ll talk about this in my next post).
Most Popular