Weekly grocery shopping trips can turn into money pits and disasters if a family does not plan ahead of time each week. The following advice and quick tips will help families reduce their grocery bill.
Plan Meals and Make a Grocery List
Don’t walk aimlessly down grocery store aisles attempting to plan meals in the store. The most important step in saving money on groceries is making a list before leaving the house. Plan out breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks for the week and check to see what items are already available at home. To make this easier, keep a list of the family’s favorite breakfast foods, lunch items, dinners, and snacks in the kitchen. Also, shave time off making weekly grocery lists by keeping recipes of these meals and new meals that the family wants to try in an easy to reach location in the kitchen.
Try to make two or more meals for the week that include the same perishable item. Try to incorporate leftovers into the week’s meals. If the family is going to have a meal that includes chicken one night, they could buy a whole chicken to roast and use the extra meat in chicken salad for lunches that week. Get creative with ways to use the same ingredients in different dishes.
Stop Buying on Impulse
Try to leave the children at home, because they usually want items that aren’t on the list. If parents need to take their children to the grocery store with them, make sure to feed the children before you go. This doesn’t just apply to the children. Everyone should eat before they go grocery shopping. People buy more food and make more impulse purchases when they go to the grocery store hungry. Stick to the list each week to save money.
Five More Quick Grocery Shopping Tips
- Buy bulk items when they’re on sale but only if you know you’ll be able to use all of it.
- Don’t buy individually packaged snacks. It takes more time to separate a bag of pretzels or box of crackers into individual Ziploc bags but it might be worth the savings.
- When produce is in season, it’s much cheaper. Buy the family’s fruits and vegetables at the local farmer’s market to get fresh produce that’s in season.
- Use a water filter system or pitcher instead of buying bottled water.
- Look for sales in the meat section and then buy in bulk. If chicken is on sale, purchase two or three extra servings and pop them into the freezer for later.
To save money on groceries families should plan a weekly food list, stop buying impulse items, eat before shopping, and use the quick tips listed above.
Related Reading
For more articles related to saving money on groceries, read How to Save Money on Milk and Vegetables, Save Money in the Kitchen, and How to Save Money on Meat and Bread.
