How to save money grocery shopping with these simple tips

Like a lot of things, the cost of groceries is increasing, which can make your weekly food bill add up fast. If you’re wondering how to save money grocery shopping, here are some tips that will help.

These smart shopping tips cover everything from meal planning, how to purchase more wisely, what to look for when grocery shopping, and so much more.

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Work from a meal plan

A meal plan is where you list down the meals you’ll have over a certain period, for example, a weekly meal plan.

There are many benefits to meal planning, one of them is that it helps you save money on groceries, because you only buy the ingredients you need for your meal plan, meaning fewer impulse buys and food waste.

Here’s some meal planning tips to help you get started:

• Create a meal ideas list with meals you’d like to try, and that your family already loves
• Choose 5 meals from your meal planning list to make for dinner next week
• Check what ingredients you already have, then add what you need to your shopping list

Shop your pantry

Before buying groceries, look at the food you already have, and find meals that you can make that use what you have.

For example, fruit can be part of your children’s upcoming school snacks or school lunches, vegetables you already have can be added to a stir fry, or frozen mince can be defrosted and used for spaghetti.

Create a shopping list

One of the grocery shopping tips that I love is creating a shopping list for the groceries I need, but don’t already have.

Doing this means you only buy what you need, and you won’t waste money buying items you think you’ll use, but don’t.

Keeping a magnetic grocery list on your fridge and adding items to it as soon as they’ve run out, or adding staples like bread, milk, eggs, or butter to it, will decrease the chances of having to visit the grocery store multiple times during the week, saving time and money.

Shop in season

Using seasonal ingredients is another of the smart shopping tips that will help you save money on groceries.

For example, buying berries in summer is cheaper than buying them in winter.

Avoid pre-packaged items

Another one of the shopping tips to save money that I really like is not buying pre-packaged items, such as pre-cut fruit and vegetables, grated cheese, or microwave rice.

It’s cheaper to buy whole fruit and vegetables to cut yourself, or buying a block of cheese and grating it, even buying rice that you need to boil.

Go for frozen

Another great way to save money on produce is to buy frozen instead of fresh.

Frozen produce is picked when their quality is the highest, so you’re still getting their nutritional benefits, but they don’t spoil before you have a chance to use them.

Purchase meat wisely

One of the most expensive food items is meat, to cut costs here, look for cheaper cuts, use recipes that bulk meat out, like stews that bulk meat out with beans and vegetables, or consider having a few meat free meals each week.

Use your freezer

Using your freezer is a great shopping tip to save money, because it allows you to buy items on sale, that you can freeze and use at a later date, and you can freeze leftovers for future meals.

Some food items you can freeze are:

• Chopped vegetables and fruit
• Bread
• Items close to their use by date

Monitor sales

As well as using coupons, a great way to save money on meals is to visit a grocery store’s website and see what products are on sale, then plan your meals using sale items.

When you’re in a grocery store check out the “Reduced to Clear” section, as often there’s heavily reduced prices on ready meals, baked goods, and meat or dairy items.

It’s also worthwhile to note, that just because something’s on sale, it doesn’t mean you have to buy it.

Sale items are tempting, but if something’s on sale and it’s not something you’d usually buy, don’t buy it.

Similarly, if there’s a 3 for 2 offer, or something similar, and you have to think of something to make with the items, or you don’t have enough room in your fridge or freezer for them, then don’t buy them.

Check unit prices

When I ask myself how to save money grocery shopping, the answer is to make sure I check unit prices.

Checking unit prices means looking at the price per unit of a product, and comparing it to similar products to see what offers the best value.

A unit price is an item’s price per gram, kilogram, 100 grams, or any other unit of measurement written on the item’s price tag, or if grocery shopping online, the item’s description.

The item with the lowest price per unit offers the best value.

For example, if an item is £1.00 per 100gm, and another is £1.20 per 100gm, the item that’s £1.00 per 100gm is the better value option, even if it’s smaller in size than the £1.20 per 100gm option.

If you do look at unit prices, make sure you look carefully, because sometimes different products use different unit measurements.

For example, one potato may be priced per kilogram, and another potato may be priced per 100 grams.

Check item locations

Make sure you look at the entire shelf when purchasing a product, as cheaper items are often located on the bottom of the shelf, and dearer items at eye level.

Buy in bulk

Buying items in bulk that you actually use, and that you have space for, can save you money when grocery shopping.

Some things to buy in bulk are:

• Oats
• Pasta
• Rice
• Tinned beans
• Tinned tomatoes
• Dishwasher tablets
• Toilet roll
• Washing powder

Before buying in bulk ask yourself if you’ll be able to consume it before its use by date, if you can’t, don’t buy it.

Don’t shop when hungry

Grocery shopping while hungry is a sure fire way to spend more on groceries, because everything looks so much more delicious, and it’s the time when impulse buys are irresistible.

Be flexible

Being flexible with the brands you buy, and the shops you visit, is another smart shopping tip.

Choosing a cheaper brand, switching to supermarket own brands, or shopping at a different grocery store, can reduce your weekly grocery bill.

Sign up to loyalty programs

Many grocery stores have shopping loyalty programs that you can join for free, that offer reductions on various items.

Many of these programs also offer points that you can exchange for vouchers for cinemas, restaurants, and other entertainment options, that save you money on things aside from groceries.

To see if your supermarket has a loyalty program, look at their website, or download their app.

Take your own bags

Another way to save money on groceries is to take your own bags when shopping, so you don’t have to buy the supermarket’s bags to carry your shopping home.

I use these foldable shopping bags, which are really compact and hold a lot.

Try online grocery shopping

Online grocery shopping can save money on groceries by:

• Helping you not to overspend because you can easily remove items from your basket
• Allowing you to quickly sort products by price
• Making it easy to compare unit prices

When buying groceries online there’s likely to be a delivery cost. However, there are different costs associated with different time slots, so choosing an evening slot during the week is likely to be cheaper than a daytime weekend slot.

To save money on delivery, many supermarkets also offer delivery plans, so you can pay one monthly delivery fee and choose from a variety of different times depending on the plan you choose.

You may also have an option to click and collect, so you can place a grocery order online, then for a small fee collect your order from the supermarket, without having to set foot inside the store.  

How to save money grocery shopping – a recap

Saving money on groceries doesn’t mean spending a lot of time looking for sales, it’s about making small changes to the way you shop.

Some small changes you can make to save money on groceries include planning meals, using what you have, and being flexible with brand and supermarket choices.

Additionally, keeping a shopping list on your fridge, using your freezer, and checking unit prices are things that you can easily do to slash the cost of your weekly grocery bill.

Many of these grocery shopping tips work together. For example, meal planning reduces food waste, shopping in season gives you fresher and cheaper produce, and signing up for loyalty programs provides benefits the whole family can enjoy.

With a little planning, and a few smart swaps, saving money on groceries will be a normal part of your weekly routine.

What’s your biggest expense when it comes to grocery shopping?

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