Grocery shopping can be a very costly undertaking, no matter what the size of your family may be. Would you believe me if I told you, that I have 15 proven ways that I personally use to lower my grocery bill, without using a single coupon?
Well, it’s true!
Although, I have nothing against using coupons while shopping, I do understand that not everyone likes to put in the extra work that it takes to use them.
With that in mind, I compiled a list of 15 tips to help you lower your grocery bill is very easy, yet doable steps.
Check out my video explaining each step below.
15 Ways to Lower Your Grocery Bill without Coupons
Price Match
Stores such as Walmart and Target will allow you to bring in competitors ad’s and they’ll match the price. This alleviates you having to go to multiple stores to wheel in the savings.
Phone Apps
Most people carry a smartphone in their pocket or purse. Now, you can use it to save money on just about everything you purchase. Here are a few of our favorite apps to use while shopping:
- Ibotta– Ibotta pays you to shop! We show you a step by step tutorial in the video above on just how easy it is to use. *For a limited time, Ibotta is giving new users an opportunity to receive a special $10 bonus. Check out their site for full details. Click here to sign up.
- Checkout 51– I love to use this app to get cash back on produce. Whereas Aldi is not an approved store for cash back offers through Ibotta, it is for Checkout 51. What’s cool about this app is that I can choose between a group of products that I can get cash back on. Offers to update every Thursday, which allows me to take advantage of different cash back offers every week.
Shop What’s on Hand
Our kitchen cabinets, refrigerator, and freezer are usually stocked to the brim with items that get overlooked and not used. Try choosing a month where you shop your own kitchen. Get creative and put meals together with what you have. You’ll be surprised at the amount of money that you’ll save, along with less food that is being wasted. We spent $83 this month for our family of 5, on groceries after shopping what we had on hand!
Front and Back of Ads
Stores put some of their best deals, on the front and back of their sales ad. The purpose of doing so is to get you into their store so that you can purchase more items from them. To avoid going to multiple stores, I follow this tip up with tip #1 and price match certain products at one store.
Meal Plan
Creating a meal plan not only saves you time but money too! Write down your meals for the month. Then, shop your kitchen to see what you have on hand. Afterward, make a list of the items that you need to purchase to complete each meal. Most times, people are buying duplicates of items that they already have on hand simply because they forgot about it. Doing this extra step will keep your grocery bill down.
Use Cash
If you only take cash to the store, you will be sure not to go over budget. All too many times it is very easy to go over budget and overspend by using cards as payment. Cash will avoid all of this!
Shop Seasonal
Prepare your meals around whatever foods are in season at the time. In your summer months, you can usually find great deals on berries and such. In your warmer months items such as sweet potatoes, squash and potatoes are on sale for rock bottom prices. So, come up with meals that will compliment seasonal items to get the most bang for your buck.
Buy Store Brand
Most store brands are made by the same manufacturer, as some of the name brand products. Believe it or not, you can’t even taste the difference in most cases. Studies have proven that store brands pass the test when compared to the name brand leaders.
Make a List
Never leave home without a list. If you go to the store with a mental list and not a physical list that is written down, you are more likely to waste money and not buy what you actually need. Taking a list to the store helps to keep us focused and on track, with our goal of staying within budget each and every time!
Look for Clearance
Yes, grocery stores have clearance items! We have two videos over on our YouTube channel sharing with you tips on how you can save on meat at Target and Aldi. Target and Aldi.
Shop at Non-Grocery Stores
Stores such as Dollar Tree and Family Dollar, sell groceries and household items that are sometimes cheaper than grocery stores. Dollar Tree sells name brand bread for $1, that will usually cost almost $2 at a grocery store.
Before I started making my own garlic bread, I would buy it from Dollar Tree because it was cost effective than buying it at other stores. I love to buy household items such as dish detergent at Family Dollar because it is usually cheaper than other grocery stores. So think outside of the box when shopping at stores like this.
Look Up & Down the Aisle/Shelves
Shelf space is a big money maker for grocery stores. So, your items that probably cost the most will be at eye level. They want you to buy the first item that you usually see without having to do any extra work. But, if you take the time to look up and down the shelf, you will more than likely be able to save your pennies.
Eat Breakfast
It is a known fact that breakfast is usually the cheapest meal of the day. So, why not eat it for dinner! My kids love a great country breakfast from time to time and so does my wallet.
Meatless Meals
Incorporate meals that do not involve meat in your regimen. Meat usually takes a huge chunk out of your budget. You can substitute meat in a lot of your meals by using beans and vegetables.
Use their Pharmacy
We have gotten $25 gift cards and special rewards and coupons for using our store’s pharmacy. Target gives out a 5% off reward card that you can use on any day of your choice, to save an extra 5% off of your purchase, after you fill 5 prescriptions.
Kmart also has a rewards program where they will give you a $10 coupon to use in the store after you fill 5 prescriptions. So, you definitely want to consider switching pharmacies to get the most bang for your buck!
There you have it! 15 surefire strategies, that you can employ to save yourself plenty of cash when you are grocery shopping. Take these tips and put them into action, in order to free up some cash to throw at your debt, or build up your savings.
