These past few months, I’ve gotten buyer’s remorse when I see our weekly grocery receipts. Food prices jumped with inflation the past few years, and then we moved to a higher cost-of-living area where food is more expensive. We’ve spent weeks (years, honestly, as I’ve always been frugal) exploring different hacks to lessen the blow to the budget. Below, discover 10 of our favorite tips and tricks on how to cut down your grocery bill without starving.
How to cut down your grocery bill
1. Cut out all drinks
You heard that right.
No alcohol.
No soda.
No juice.
From the next hot minute, channel your inner Bobby Boucher. For sure, stay away from Gatorade, unless you want to be tackled by Captain Insano.
Drinks are empty calories with a lot of unnecessary sugar you don’t need. Water is cheaper and better for you. Add a couple of nice, refreshing ice cubes, and you’ve got yourself a party.
Be intentional with your water choice, too. Avoid bottled water and the fancy upper crust water of the flavored sparkling variety. Keep it simple and keep it cheap. Tap water or filtered tap will be just fine, depending on where you live.
2. Make Meatless Monday an any day deal
We’ve all complained about beef and bacon prices in recent years. And let’s not forget the great egg epidemic.
You know who wasn’t complaining as much about the rising costs of protein? The rice and beans folks.
Beans are a great source of protein and nutrients at a much cheaper cost than meat. For example, here are the current prices this week for some of our favorite protein sources:
- Frozen cod fillets: $7.96/lb with 17 grams of protein for 4 oz, or $0.12/gram of protein
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts: $2.67/lb with 25 grams of protein for 4 oz, or $0.02/gram of protein
- Bacon: $7.16/lb with 6 grams per two slices, or $0.09/gram of protein
- Ground beef: $6.32/lb with 19 grams of protein for 4 oz, or $0.08/gram of protein
- Black beans: $0.86/432g jar with 8 grams of protein per 130g serving, or $0.03/gram of protein
- Lentils: $1.92/lb with 9 grams of protein per 35g serving, or $0.02/gram of protein
While per gram of protein chicken is on par with black beans and lentils, you can buy 13 servings of lentils for less than $2, while it would cost over $8 for the same number of servings of chicken. Similarly, four servings of black beans are about $1, while 4 servings of chicken are closer to $3.
I’ll be the first to say we’ll never be vegetarian or vegan. I love a good jambalaya and my husband is a sucker for a juicy burger. He’s got a little Ron Swanson in him.
We do, however, try to have at least a few days a week where we focus on plant-based protein and skip the higher priced animal proteins to save money in our weekly budget. I’ve even found some great copycat recipes for veggies burgers.
Check out:
Just crack a window and get some GasX for the adjustment period to having fiber in your diet.
If you aren’t ready to go all-in on a veggie burger yet, you can also opt to cut the amount of meat in a meal in half and double the grain or veggies instead. For example, I love this version of Sloppy Joes with lentils. I also make a mean spicy honey chicken but cut the chicken by half and add more rice and yellow squash instead.
3. Switch from name brand to generic products
You, like me, might love the lavender-scented Snuggle fabric softener, but your budget doesn’t. We traded ours out this month with the Costco lavender generic. It was less than half the cost by volume!
We all have our non-negotiables when it comes to a few choice products (like Oreos and Pop-Tarts, though see #5 below), but you don’t know until you try the knock-off versions. Our pantry is a Great Value showroom and there’s no shame in that game. It helps save a lot on a monthly and an annual basis.
Deep dive into the shopping generic versus name brand on a budget discussion.
4. Consider a warehouse club membership
This one honestly surprised me how much we could save, but the math didn’t lie.
If you have an option (Sam’s Club, Costco, BJ’s, etc.) close by, do a recon trip and look for a coupon for a membership discount. Buying in bulk on non-perishables or for large families can save money, but make sure you price check, because it isn’t always the case. Also avoid overspending, as this has lowered the savings potential for us in the past. Live and learn.
Learn how to determine if memberships to warehouse clubs are worth it for you, and how much we saved.
5. Skip the snack aisle
My hubby hates how much I harp on this one, but the spending hangover isn’t worth it.
Chips, crackers, and other snacks may be handy and trigger that dopamine hit of happiness, but they are low nutrition (and typically highly processed and not healthy for you) at a higher cost than nutrient-dense alternatives.
If you have a sweet spot like me, swap out the Siete Churro strips (my weakness) or Snack Pack for a peanut butter and cinnamon banana with a drizzle of honey. Or make a strawberry banana smoothie without all the added sugar, instead adding the macronutrients berries offer to your diet.
6. Plan meals around the weekly sales ads
While you shouldn’t buy something that’s on sale just to get the sale (I learned this the hard way with BOGOs), meal planning your dinners around the weekly ads can be a great way to save cheddar on taco night.
I love lobster and crab legs, but we almost never get them. The only exception is when they are on steep discount for the weekly sale. We also try to get other seafood like shrimp and tilapia on sale. Tortillas and chicken are on sale? It’s enchilada night this week.
7. Eat your leftovers for lunches
Eating out for lunch can add up quick. Save some of your dinner leftovers and reheat them for lunch the next day instead of calling DoorDash or heading out to grab McDonalds. Many of our dinners, like marinated chicken and pesto pastas, actually taste better the next day when the flavors have had more time to blend.
If you don’t have enough leftovers to feed the entire crew for lunch, consider making a larger batch or opt for cheaper lunch alternatives with a twist, like fruits and sandwiches versus Lunchables. I survived off PB&Js in college, and my husband still enjoys a peanut butter and strawberry jam sandwich for lunch along with jalapeno hummus on bread. A fruit parfait treats him well, too.
8. Limit impulse buying
Rule number one of Budget Club: always talk about Budget Club.
Rule number two: never go to the store hungry. Your eyes will do the shopping for you, and they don’t have to foot the bill.
Rule three: meal plan ahead of time and make a grocery list. Then stick to the list. No substitutions!
9. Choose your store wisely, young grasshopper
Sure, the carts at Target rarely have wheels that lock up because there’s a tangle of hair that’s been there since the Obama administration. And you don’t have to wedge your cart between a shelf and a post on every aisle in Target, but you are paying a premium for that extra maneuvering space.
You can likely get the same groceries much cheaper at alternatives like Aldi or Walmart. We got a shopping hangover after our first and only trip to King Soopers. My southern upbringing was the only thing stopping me from grabbing the cashier’s arm and telling him to STOP RINGING SHIT UP, we’re done. I felt physically ill as the total climbed over $200. I don’t care if their knock-off Sriracha is actually good, I haven’t stepped back in that store since.
We are Walmart people and that’s fine for us and our budget.
10. Mindfully challenge yourself with your budget goals
The real first rule of Budget Club is to make a realistic budget you can stick to and live off of. Don’t try to cut your spending from $1,000 a month to a budget of $100. That will never work.
Instead, intentionally set your budget a little lower every week or month. Limbo that baby down, seeing how low you can go, using the tips above and any others you come up with.
The Final Word with Perd
Did we overlook your favorite grocery savings hack? Please share it in the comments below!
If you’re looking for other ways to save, check out our budgeting station for all our money saving ideas. If you have an area that’s busting your budget that we haven’t covered yet, drop the hive mind a line in our budgeting and personal finance Facebook group.