How to Save Money on Groceries!

No matter the size of your family grocery bills can surely pile up! Here are some quick tips to help you stay on budget without feeling restricted.

1. Pre plan your meals and grocery list and stick to it. Need more help with planning? Visit tip #10
2. Use store loyalty cards or rewards. I like to shop at Target because I earn money back with every purchase, I can scan all the coupons and discounts they’re offering right from the app on my phone and it’s easy to use.
3. Use wholesale clubs like Costco for staples: Paper towels, toilet paper, school snacks, pasta and other non perishables. Stocking your pantry up just one time will make it easier to only shop for perishable items weekly. TIP: Costco pork products like their bone-in pork chops are usually $7-8 dollars cheaper than other stores. I like to buy the pack and freeze each chop in its own freezer bag.
4. Buy items on sale especially Buy One, Get One FREE
5. Simplify your meals. Not every recipe needs to be complex! For example, in college my roommate wanted to make spaghetti for dinner and she followed the directions exactly, even purchase $4 bunch of parsley to garnish the pasta because she thought without the parsley it wouldn’t taste the same. Her cost went from $5 to over $10. Save yourself the parsley!
6. Use store brands over name brands. I like to compare their ingredients first. In most cases the ingredients are the same and it’s a reasonable substitute.
7. Don’t buy individually wrapped foods. This is often a trap for parents buying snacks for their kids. Instead of buying the pre-portioned carrots and dip buy the carrots and dip separately. Portion the dip into small Tupperware cups and put everything in a Ziploc bag. With just a little more effort you can save about 50% on the total cost.
8. Plan on meatless meals! I know we’re living in a low-carb era but whole grains are good for you. Whole grain pasta dishes are nutritious and filling. Cauliflower tacos, Black bean burgers and Mexican stuffed sweet potatoes are some of the most delicious, affordable and family friendly meatless meals you can make.
9. Use apps like Ibotta to get refunds on the groceries you purchased. It’s really easy to set up your profile and you can deposit the money directly into your account. I have Ibotta linked to my Target account and it automatically refunds my money after each trip.
10. Consider following a meal planning calendar. I recently published my $10 Dinner Meal Calendar and Cook book. You can simply follow the calendar to make a grocery list that’s under $70 per week for a family of 4. For singles or couple I suggest using the leftovers for lunch. You’ll get 2-3 meals out of the same recipe. All the recipes are in the cookbook and there are extra recipes to swap out based off your taste. * To purchase the calendar for $1 and the guide for $14.99 visit my Instagram or TikTok and click the link listed in my Bio.