8 Ways to Save Money on Groceries
If you’re looking for ways to cut down on your spending, one of the best places to look is at one of your cornerstone expenses: groceries. We’ve got a few simple tips that’ll help your reduce the amount you spend on food and keep more of your hard-earned cash.
1. Skip the gas station snacks
If you’re often on the go, there’s a good chance you’re regularly buying food and drinks while you’re out. This can become a major drain on your bank account if not monitored closely! Small purchases, like coffee or a chocolate bar, don’t seem like much when you’re buying them but add up quickly. Plus, items at gas stations and convenience stores are often marked up considerably, meaning you’re paying a premium just for the convenience of buying at that moment.
Instead, try filling a container with your favourite snacks and taking it with you when you leave the house or keep an emergency stash in your car for when hunger hits you unexpectedly. It may only save a few dollars here and there, but it’ll make a difference over time.
2. Buy generic
This is one of the best, tried-and-true ways to reduce the amount you spend on groceries. Many people are convinced that name brands are better quality than the generic versions of the same items, but in many cases, the generic version is just as good. Particularly when considering pantry staples like sugar, flour or eggs, using generic products aren’t likely to make a major difference in the taste or appeal of a larger meal. Again, this is a strategy that seems to only make a small difference, but the savings add up over time! If you’re used to buying name brands, you can always start slow and make a few switches towards generic items at a time.
3. Make a list and take cash
Grocery stores are meticulously laid out in order to encourage you to pick up more items than you need to as you shop. If you go into a grocery store without a clear idea of what you need, it becomes too easy to justify a ton of extra purchases while you’re there. If you’ve got your credit card in your wallet, covering the cost of those items isn’t a problem in the moment.
Instead, if you go to the store equipped with a shopping list and only enough cash to cover the items on it, you’ll be forced to stick to buying what you need. You won’t be able to buy more than you can afford to, which will help to reduce the amount of food waste you might otherwise create and help you save more money at once.
4. Save while you spend
If you’re regularly spending at the grocery store, why not use it as an opportunity to save? Saving a portion of what you spend each time will help you make progress with your saving goals, but will also encourage you to spend less - if you know you’re going to save a portion of what you spend, you’ll likely be reminded to spend a bit less than you would otherwise.
💡 If you’re looking for an easy way to save while you shop, try setting up a Saving Jar with QUBER! You can easily set up a Saving Rule that’ll move a fixed amount of money or percentage of the total you spend to The Vault every time you make a purchase at your local grocery store. If you’re interested in getting started, you can download QUBER here.
5. Buy in bulk
In most cases, buying larger quantities of grocery items costs less per unit of measure than purchasing a small amount. With some simple math, you can easily do some comparative analysis to see how much you pay per unit of measure in different sizes of a product. So, if there are certain products that you and/or your household use regularly, stock up and buy in bulk! Even if it’s a bit of an investment up front, it’ll pay off in the long run. This is particularly helpful with non-perishable household staples like toilet paper, laundry detergent and other cleaning products.
6. Skip the “convenience” products
There are a number of products designed to make life more convenient - individually boxed drinks, packaged snacks, pre-packaged veggies and so on. While these products can sometimes save you a bit of prep time, they tend to be much more expensive than buying the same item without the extra packaging.
Instead, think about where you rely on pre-packaged goods and try to move towards the less-packaged alternative. For example, if your kids need snacks for their lunch bags, you could buy a box of cookies and package a few in reusable containers instead of buying ones that come pre-wrapped. It’ll cost you less to buy the box, and as an additional bonus, you’ll also be making a more environmentally friendly choice by ditching the extra plastic.
7. Pre-plan your meals for the week
Pre-planning your meals for the week is one of the most effective ways to cut down on the amount you spend on groceries. By using what you have in your pantry to guide you, you can create a list of meals for the week ahead that incorporate what you already have. You can make them as elaborate or as simple as you’d like depending on your work schedule, and can take the time to select new recipes you’d like to try if you’re planning ahead. That way, you minimize the amount you need to purchase each time you go to the store and reduce the amount of food waste you might otherwise create by letting your pantry items spoil. Plus, if you’ve got the ingredients to make meals and you have a plan laid out, you’ll be less likely to opt for takeout in an impulsive moment.
By pre-planning your meals, you can also minimize the number of trips you make to the grocery store. The more often you find yourself grocery shopping, the more often you’ll be tempted to pick up extras you don’t really need.
8. Try to cut down on sugary extras
Finally, if you’re trying to cut down what you’re spending on food, think critically about what’s really essential and what can go. It can be tough to completely cut out sweets (especially if you have a major sweet tooth!), but this is an obvious category where it makes sense to minimize. Sugary snacks aren’t good for your health and are often the items that people toss in their carts at the last minute without thinking. So, do you best to resist the urge to buy desserts and other unhealthy foods. Reducing the amount you spend on these kinds of extras can make a big difference on your grocery bills and your overall wellbeing over time!
