Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.
Groceries are expensive.
There have been times in the grocery store where I walk in, grab some items that I think that I need, and hustle them to the checkout line. Glancing into my basket or cart, I think that there are maybe 10 items. A decent grocery run, I think to myself. Upon having the items wrung up by the store clerk, my jaw drops open while I try to maintain dignity when I hear that the total is over $85.
“But there are only 10 items” I think to myself. There must be a mistake. The guy ringing up my groceries had to have made a mistake which I will find quickly after scanning the receipt when I leave. Only to find, sitting in my car afterwards, that indeed the guy did not make a mistake but my groceries actually cost that much!
Maybe you’ve felt similar to me at one point in time. Maybe you’re not good with grocery shopping on a budget or you don’t understand how to keep your grocery shopping limited to a budget. Is it even possible to buy food every month without spending a fortune?
Let’s dig through some unique ways to save money where you can with grocery shopping so you can start saving that money or using it in other areas of your life.
How much do people spend on groceries every month?
Average Spend
Before we get into the specifics for tips on how to save money on groceries, let’s take a quick peek at the statistics of grocery shopping. What exactly are people spending on food every month and then what is a “good” budget for buying food every month?
On average, for those who are single, we’re spending $150-$400 per month on food. And this is just an average. For families, every month the average spend sits at $400-$1,200 per month. Just reading those statistics instantly makes me cringe and realize how much food costs and how much I don’t even realize it sometimes. Of course these statistics will vary depending on where you live and how many people are in your family so take that with a grain of salt.
Average Monthly Grocery Budget Guidelines
Okay, so we’ve looked at what the average cost of groceries are by person or family, but now you’re probably wondering (as was I) what amount is actually a “good” amount to be spending every month on groceries. I mean, are those averages too high or too low? Is there even a realistic or helpful marker to follow when you plan your monthly budget?
At the end of the day, it will vary on both your family or self as well as location and salary. But, a good guideline to follow for how much to spend on groceries is as follows. For those who are single or operating out of a one person household (hello!), the average you should spend on groceries sits at $250 per month. For a household of two it would be roughly almost double of that $550. For 4 people you would want to try and keep your expenses to $900 a month.
What will be key here is looking back at some of your bank or credit card statements to figure out what you are currently spending on food and groceries and then create a realistic but affordable grocery budget for your household.
How to Save Money on groceries every month
1. Buy in bulk
Where it makes sense, you should try and bulk up as much as possible. Typical items that are often in my own cart in bulk include: flour, coconut water, almond milk and coffee! Not recommended includes dairy products or items you’ll likely never actually use all that much. Grab a Costco or BJ’s membership and you can save a lot overtime when you aren’t buying in retail over and over again.
2. Learn to meal plan every week
Find a day of the week that works best for you and schedule out your meals. Try to come up with meals that include ingredients you already have on hand first but then add any necessary ingredients to your shopping list for the week. Need help with meal planning on a budget? Check out the $5 Meal Plan for easy, affordable meal ideas to plan out your weeks.
Related: How to stop eating out and save money
3. Vacuum and seal meat and freeze it
This one might not be one you normally see, but if you’re looking to save money on groceries check out a food vacuum to seal and preserve meats longer. Your meats will last a lot longer than what they will if you freeze them alone. Vacuum sealing helps preserve meats in the fridge as well. When meats are sealed they can last 1-2 years in the freezer versus 4-6 months normally or 1-2 weeks in the fridge versus the standard 1-3 days without. The vacuum seal will protects against the growth of mold or fungus and also freezer burn.
It might seem like a costly investment upfront but imagine how much you could save over time (not to mention those insanely priced Ziploc bags).
4. Shop bottom shelves/generic
Stores are very strategic about where they place products. Their goal is to get you to buy the expensive product and also to impulse buy when they’ve placed a product perfectly in your line of sight. Stores typically put brand name or more expensive items at eye level where it’s the first item that you see. Typically you’ll grab this first item without even looking for an alternative. Try looking on lower shelves for cheaper product versions.
5. Plan meals based on what’s actually in your pantry already
When you start meal planning, make sure that you’re planning around the ingredients and food that you already have at home in the pantry. It’s a good rule of thumb to start with what you have and work from there. You’ll waste less and save money as you won’t be buying more than you need.
6. Use small cart or basket
This might be a psychological thing, but it’s actually very helpful. If you walk into a store with only a small basket, you’re far less likely to overbuy at that point. I mean, you can only fit so much into that basket before it gets too exhaustive to carry. Think about the money you could save if you learned to shop for needs only.
7. Shop with a calculator
Next time you’re grocery shopping, whip out that calculator on your phone and start rounding up your purchases to figure out what your total is as you go. You’ll find that you’re a lot less likely to buy on impulse or you’re more likely to find the cheaper option. The rounding up part always helps you calculate more than what you’re actually spending at the register. It’s a good way to gauge what your total is going to be so that you can decide what items you actually need to buy to stay within your food budget.
8. Price compare grocery stores with an app
There’s nothing wrong with comparing prices for specific items that you need at various stores. Actually, I’d say this is an essential budgeting tip you should be doing more often. Take advantage of the deals that certain stores have on items where the same product would be more expensive in another store. Use an app like the Flipp app to start comparing prices on items that you can get at a steep discount.
Also, it goes without saying but if there are cheaper grocery stores to shop at, shop there! Trader Joe’s or Aldi come to mind as great options to get a good price on everyday grocery store items.
9. Make a list & Stick to it
One of the best things you can do for your food budget is to make a grocery list and to stick with it. Don’t go rogue at the store and start buying items that you don’t really need. You made the list for a reason. We always think we need more than what we actually do, but keeping a list that you make in conjunction with meal planning will save you time and money on groceries every month.
10. Clever cookbook
I’m not sure about you but sometimes I just run out of good ideas to try. I swear I’d eat out less or stop ordering out if I had good recipes to tackle on my own at home. Need some inspiration? Check out a cookbook to have on hand. Bonus points that it makes a great coffee table addition.
If you’re looking for a cookbook idea, check out this one called “Clever Cookbook” by Emilie Raffa. She has a ton of time saving shortcuts, make ahead tips, and meals that last the week. Check out the preview on Amazon to get a feel for the cookbook and see if it’s a good fit!
11. Leave kids at home
If you have kids at home, it might be best if you go and do the grocery shopping on your own (if you can, of course). You risk the temptation of buying impulse items like snacks or candy when you’re walking through the grocery store with kids. If you can’t leave the kids at home, try to make a point to let kids know that snacks are “special treats” that you can only get occasionally. If it’s not the kids but someone else in the family that buys a little too much at the store, try to head there without them. If you know, you know.
12. Don’t shop when hungry
If there’s one thing we’ve all heard over and over, it’s to not grocery shop while we’re hungry. And it’s so true, although we’ve all been guilty of it at one time or another. It’s just a bad idea. You’re more likely to buy things you don’t need, and you’ll also be more in a rush that you won’t thoughtfully consider what you’re buying in the moment. Typically I find that I also buy more snack foods when shopping hungry (so I can go and eat them in the car when I get out of the store, is it just me?)
13. Keep track of items you’re about to run out of
Try keeping track of the items that you’re running low on or ones that you know you’re going to run out very soon. The worst thing is having to go to Walgreens, CVS or any other convenience store and purchase $15 toilet paper for 4 rolls. The prices are hiked up so much. If you plan ahead for items you know you’re low on, you can make sure to check out other places like Amazon, Costco, etc. rather than being desperate and needing to rush to the convenience store. This is one of the easiest ways to save money on groceries!
14. Bring only cash to store
Bringing cash only for whatever your budgeted food amount is, is a great tip for ways to save money on groceries. Once you’ve reached your limit for how much to spend, that’s it. You’ll find that you’re a lot more conservative about what you put in your cart as you shop when you’re worried you won’t have enough cash to cover it all.
15. Don’t buy pre-cut foods
It might seem like the easier option in the moment, but shopping those pre-cut foods in the grocery store actually come at quite the premium. The premium is much higher than you might be willing to accept for this convenience. It’s far more expensive to buy the pre-cut items, and mostly unnecessary as it won’t take you long to cut this upfront and have for the rest of the week.
16. Don’t buy bottled water
If there’s one thing in life that I’ve learned, it’s this: bottled water can be pretty expensive when you add it up over time. Whether you’re grabbing water bottles or the jugs of water, it all adds to the bottom line. If you’re willing to try a Brita, a reverse osmosis system or some type of water filtration system at home, you can save a ton of money. Not only that, but it’s much better for the environment to not continue to use all of that plastic. You could save anywhere from $100-$400 per person a year by cutting out water bottles.
17. Shop with the seasons
One of the best rules to follow when you’re looking for ways to save money on groceries is to eat with the seasons. This is a good rule of thumb for any kind of meal planning. Buying out of season will cost you a lot more, and the ingredients might not even be that good! Make sure to shop in season for most of the items that end up in your cart. Also, note the items that are in season all year round like bananas that make great go-to’s at the grocery store.
18. Buy frozen foods rather than the pre-cooked foods
When you’re in need of a convenience meal, try the frozen food section over the pre-cooked meal section of the grocery store. Of course, for health purposes, you might not want to grab frozen foods all of the time as your main forms of a meal, but for those tough days they make a great alternative. Pre-cooked foods are generally a lot more expensive than anything you’ll find in the frozen section. While those foods upfront might smell good and sound tempting, try to ignore and look for a cheaper alternative.
19. Buy yesterday’s baked goods
It might be tempting to grab those freshly baked, delicious smelling goods in the bakery section, it might be best to check out yesterday’s goods. While it might not be as fresh as those breads you smell in the oven at the moment, they usually come at a good discount. Stores typically lower prices on items like breads, pastries, etc. after a certain point. It might feel like a waste of money but bread and other items can last days and still be good!
20. Bagged coffee > K Cups
The convenience of K-cups cannot be denied, I’ll be the first to admit it. But the momentary convenience is most likely not worth the cost of K-cups versus bagged coffee grounds. Per cup, you could be paying about $0.66 per cup with the Keurig versus $0.28 per cup with regular bagged coffee. That adds up, and even more so when you drink a lot of coffee.
21. Avoid impulse purchases
The stores you go to actually go out of their way to make sure you have a hard time avoiding impulse purchases. I mean, you’ve gone in to grab broccoli and you can come out with game-time chips and salsa or strawberries that are 2 for $10. One of the easiest ways to avoid this potential impulse purchase is to shop online and have food delivered to you.
I know it might seem counter-intuitive as you’ll pay to have the food delivered, but I find that this works for me. To make sure that I’m only getting the essentials, as I can easily see the total keep adding up in my shopping cart. Have food delivered to you and never be in a rush or forget what you need while at the grocery store with Instacart or Amazon Pantry/Whole foods.
22. Ditching items last minute is not a crime
It might feel a little uncomfortable in the moment, but ditching items from your cart last minute is NOT a crime. So don’t feel so bad about doing it. There are just times where you realize you don’t actually need something or you grabbed something else later where you don’t need the first item. You don’t have to buy out of coercion or guilt! A little awkwardness in the moment is worth the savings of not buying the thing you don’t need.
23. Find and use discounted gift cards
Why not stretch your dollars and make them count? You can save money by buying discounted gift cards. If you can purchase them at a discount, why wouldn’t you want them? You won’t break the bank from this but it’s a good way to save some money or make your dollars count.
Examples of places where you can find these discounted items include cardpool and gift card granny.
24. Grow your own food
Growing your own food might seem a little scary when you’ve never done it before. Surely, you have to have a green thumb right? Not necessarily but you can work on it! There are a lot of great books and kits to start with out there for growing your own foods and spices that could save you a lot of money over time. Plus, it generally tastes better/fresher and you have more control over it.
25. Budget first
Don’t go to the grocery store if you haven’t set a food budget for yourself yet! Making small trips that seem like small dollars actually do add up over time. It’s good to have a benchmark for what to spend rather than winging it and hoping that you stay within a good spot. Define your budget and have it before you head to the store. I’ve found that you always overspend when you don’t have a budget set in your mind.
26. Carve out time to shop
A huge mistake that people often make when grocery shopping is to not make time for it. It might seem silly or obvious, but often when we’re in a rush we’re more likely to buy things out of convenience or things we don’t really need. Make sure to plan a grocery list and carve out enough time to prevent rushed purchases that could have been avoided.
In Summary…
While it seems that groceries get more and more expensive every year, it’s still possible to find ways to cut back and budget your food costs every month. It might be small habits that you add to your wheelhouse or food plans to reduce waste or random purchases at the store. No matter what methods you employ to start saving, know that being prepared and having a plan will help you find level ground.
Use these habits to stick to your grocery budget and lower your food bill every month. Then, you can use this saved money on other things such as paying off debt, investing or saving money.
If you don’t currently have a grocery budget check out this post for how to create a budget and find a budget that works for you, whether it’s YNAB (You Need a Budget), Mint.com or Excel.
Finding ways to save money on groceries might feel hard at first, but once you get the hang of it you’ll be happy to realize you have extra money to put towards other experiences and other money habits in your life.