How To Save Money On Groceries for Your Family
Today I am sharing some tips for saving money on groceries for your family.
I’m sure you’ve noticed - groceries are expensive these days. What you might have spent for a week of groceries a year ago is significantly different now. Of course, we can’t avoid buying groceries, and if you are feeding a family you know how quickly the costs add up. The kid snacks alone - I can't bear to look at my receipt.
I’ve spent some time reading up on ways to save at the grocery store, including what to do before you even start your shopping. Here are some of the best tips for how to save money on groceries for your family.
How to Save Money on Groceries: At Home
When you are trying to save money on groceries for your family, you need to start before you even get to the store.
ONE: Take stock of what you have. Before you make your grocery list each week, take stock of what you already have. What needs to get eaten? What can you make with what you already have? Maybe you have some frozen ground beef in the back of your freezer, or some beans that have been on your pantry shelf for a while. Put those to use first. You may be able to make more meals than you think. (Check out this post with simple pantry meals for some ideas!)
TIP: Relish those leftovers! I like to have a night where I tell my kids to 'choose their own adventure.' They can eat any leftovers they want, we just clean out the fridge!
TWO: Plan ahead. Make a simple meal plan each week. I know this can be tedious at times, but I find it to be essential in order to save time and money during the week. It can also help you eat healthier and avoid ordering out during the week. I like to list out dinners for 4-5 nights, then plan for leftovers one night and ordering out another. Even if I end up changing things up, having the plan takes some of the mental load off during the week and it makes grocery shopping easier, more efficient, and more cost-effective.
THREE: Make a list. This seems so simple, but it really can save you money. Plan your meals for the week, make a list of what you need, and stick to that list. You'll have a better idea of what you'll be spending and it will prevent mindlessly grabbing food and then trying to figure out meals later. That almost never works out for me. I also find myself forgetting things when I don't have a list, which leads me to going back to the store!
TIP: Along the same lines as planning and making a list, plan for some meals to do double or triple-duty. A batch of soup, sauce and meatballs, grilled chicken - make enough for dinner, lunch leftovers, and maybe even some extra to freeze for another night. The more food you have prepared, the less likely you'll have the need to head to the store mid-week.
FOUR: Keep Your Grocery Store Visits to a Minimum. Trying to avoid making several trips to the store each week is key for me when trying to save money on groceries. I used to run there several times a week, picking up things we ran out of, more produce for meals, or even just a sweet treat for the night. But let's face it - I always left with way more than I planned. Now I just try to remind myself that every meal does not need to have several components, and that most likely I can pull something together with what I have. I actually have come to love the empty fridge on Friday nights, because that means we used all of our food. And I always have staple foods, so if scrambled eggs or grilled cheese is dinner, that works for us.
How To Save Money on Groceries: At the Store
Now it's time to shop. Try some of these tips to save money on groceries for your family once you are at the store.
ONE: Stick to your list. We already discussed the importance of the list. If you are one who tends to impulse buy at the grocery store, try to challenge yourself to stick to your list. And a pretty common tip - don't go to the store hungry. It just leads to grabbing ALLL the things - because you're hungry and it all looks good!
TWO: Eat seasonally. Produce that is in season is not only fresher, it's less expensive. That container of organic strawberries can break the bank in January (not to mention they're not always great), but in June the price is much better and so is the quality. Make your meal plan and list based on what is in season. You can definitely save money by eating this way.
THREE: Buy in bulk. Try a discount store like Costco or BJs. I joined Costco about a year ago, and have been pretty impressed with how much money I've saved on snacks for my kids, fresh food items, and household supplies like paper towels, tissues, etc. The biggest money-saver for me, however, is that I am not heading to the grocery store or Target as much for small things that I've run out of.
FOUR: Order your groceries. I only do this one once in a while, because I actually like to grocery shop. However, we've had busy weekends where I can't get to the store. I order ahead at our favorite grocery store and pick up curbside. When you order ahead you can see your total as you add to cart, and this can help you stay within a budget. It's also much less likely that you will add in impulse buys when you are adding items online. I always save money on curbside orders.
Those are my best tips for how to save money on groceries for your family. I hope this is helpful, and I'd love to hear any tips you have to help save money on groceries. Leave a comment below!
For more on meal prep and planning, check out this post on how to get started with meal prep and this post on how to meal prep when you really don't want to!
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