Economy & LaborFEB 17, 2024

“I Tend To Save $30-$60 On Every Purchase”: 35 Frugal Hacks To Help Reduce Your Grocery Bill

These past few years have hit many people’s wallets in a very noticeable way. Rising product costs and shrinkflation mean that you’re sometimes left standing completely dumbfounded at the grocery store checkout counter. You only bought a handful of things. How come they cost so much?!

In a viral online thread, some personal finance-savvy and frugal-minded redditors shared their top tips on getting your grocery budget to go further. We’ve collected some of their best pieces of advice to share with you. You’ll find them as you read on.

We wanted to get to grips with saving more money at the grocery store, so we got in touch with Rick Orford, a well-known personal finance expert and the author of the bestseller, 'The Financially Independent Millennial.' Read on for the advice he shared with Bored Panda.

#1

“I Tend To Save $30-$60 On Every Purchase”: 35 Frugal Hacks To Help Reduce Your Grocery Bill

Our local food bank has been extremely helpful when our budget has been tight.

They not only provide food but they have diapers and pull ups for my kids as well as free menstrual products and a large selection of books for both kids and adults.

At our food bank we are provided with a cart and allowed to go “shopping”; fresh fruits and vegetables are always available as are eggs, breads, rolls, biscuits, milk, some type of meat (ground beef, chicken, etc), frozen foods (usually frozen pizzas or different types of fish) and then random stuff in a cooler that you can pick items out of, as well as baked goods (pies, donuts, cookies, cakes, etc).

This week, they had bouquets of flowers they were giving out to each family; it may sound silly, but being able to brighten my kitchen up with flowers that I normally wouldn’t have been able to purchase has been very mood boosting.

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47points

Personal finance expert Orford opened up to Bored Panda that saving money at the grocery store is as important to him today as ever.

"To maximize savings, I find it's always best to start with a weekly meal plan. Planning for breakfasts, lunches, and dinners—and then reconciling that with my budget sets the foundation for good planning," he explained to us in an email.

"I like to watch what's on sale this week and plan meals around that. Doing so allows me to have a variety of meals while saving money," Orford said.

#2

There are lots of other great tips in this thread and similar threads, but honestly, the best way to cut down on grocery cost is to plan your meals (planning to eliminate all waste-- if you don't use all broccoli in one meal, plan another meal with broccoli), create a shopping list, and stick with the list. Most people with huge grocery bills are impulse shoppers without a plan and have high waste for perishables.

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44points

#3

I’ve found just buying store brand/generic is usually cheaper than even using a coupon.

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36points

"For example, this week, whole chickens are on sale, so I'll buy 2 or 3 and make different meals with them to eat in the next few days or freeze them for another time."

One slightly counterintuitive-sounding tactic that Orford uses is shopping at not more than 2 or 3 grocery stores.

"Doing so allows me to leverage the grocery store loyalty programs while watching for pricing. One store might be great for bulk meats, while another may have a better loyalty program. Others might be better for 'store brands,'" he explained his reasoning to Bored Panda.

#4

I have been able to keep my grocery costs down by only buying what is on sale in the weekly ad or for which there is a digital coupon available. This is especially handy for produce—this week there were great deals on oranges and apples but not grapes, so that’s what I bought. I can’t always get what I *want* each week, but if I am patient then it will eventually go on sale.

I also make a lot of stuff from scratch like breads and pizza and cookies, which saves a ton of money.

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32points

#5

A great tip is to ONLY allow yourself to shop once a week. This forces you to plan, forces you to make and eat what you planned, and plus if you run out well… just make something out of what you’ve got. There is always something there. Finally… we stopped drinking. That helps a LOT. 2 adults, 1 kid, $600/mo average, HCOL area.

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28points

#6

1. Buy a whole purple cabbage. Goes in everything and lasts for months. 2. Wrap veggies in paper towel and put in a dry and clean plastic bag. First removing any ties and dead/old bits. No part of the veg should touch the plastic.

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24points

"For example, no-name brands are often (not always) just as good as the big labels—yet cost significantly less. Trust me, no-name rice and beans will taste the same as something with a fancy name and box," Orford pointed out.

"And lastly, if there's a particularly good sale on nonperishables or supplies (think toiletries, cleaning supplies, etc.), don't hesitate to buy 6 months or 1 year's worth! If my usual bath soap costs $3.99 and it's on sale for $1.99, why not buy 12?" the personal finance expert urged customers to consider buying discounted goods in bulk.

#7

“Breakfast for dinner” is a thing in my house. Pancakes and hash browns fill you up pretty well.

supergalactic

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24points

#8

We pay $1000 a month for family of seven.
It does help that when school is in session, my kids' schools provide lunches on school days. Occasionally my kids pack their lunches.

Generally, I do the following:

I meal plan every week. I cook from scratch almost every night. I online shop at Walmart to save time. I do not buy premade anything. Vegetables and fruits are fresh or frozen. No desserts premade. No smoothie mixes, no chips, no sodas, no prepackaged snack foods. Very rarely do I buy sandwich meat.

I refuse to buy name brand. I compare price per ounce on everything (easy to do on Walmart's website). I don't buy the expensive cuts of meat. We eat a lot of meatless dishes. We eat leftovers. We eat breakfast for supper.

From time to time when I'm motivated, I meal prep a couple meals over the weekend to save time. Sometimes I make a double batch and freeze half (tonight we're having lentil chili from the freezer that I made three weeks ago).

Once the week's money is spent, it's spent, and we make do with what we have.

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20points

#9

Be mindful of waste.

Use your freezer. One or two portions left of that dinner from 2 nights ago? Freeze it. Easy, free dinner when you don’t feel like cooking. Look up how to make things stay fresh. Herbs and vegetables are things you should never throw out! Celery and carrots for example, I almost never use up the 1lb bags they come in. Properly washing, trimming, and storing in water that you change out every so often will keep them fresh for weeks. Average household food waste is crazy high. Most households can save 20% just from that.

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20points

USA Today reports that the average American household spends over $1,000 per month on groceries. Inflation, supply-chain issues, and increased demand are to blame. However, food costs also depend quite a bit on the size of the household, as well as what part of the US someone lives in.

For example, the average American family spends $270 per week (around $1,080 per month) on groceries. Meanwhile, families with kids spend around $331 per week (more than $1,324 per month) at the grocery store.

#10

You gotta shop around. A lot of people in my area keep shopping at the most expensive stores simply due to habit or convenience. Learn which stores are best for each category. I have a staples store (Aldi), a meat and produce store (local market), a candy store (dollar tree), and I'll head to the expensive store if there is a specialty item I need or I want seafood.

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18points

#11

My partner and I are vegetarian and budget $480-500/month for groceries (specifically food). We shop at Aldi. We eat a lot of dishes with beans (both canned and dried). The instant pot is a super easy way to make healthy food easily and on a budget. I make a huge pot of soup or sweet potato and black bean chili on Sundays and when we are in a hurry or too lazy to cook dinner during the week, we have that. I have found some amazing recipes on NY Times Cooking. We wash and cut fruit and vegetables. We do not buy bottled water or other packaged drinks.

Ok-Apple-3812

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17points

#12

I spend about 800-1000 a month for a family of 4.
Start with eliminating any beverages. Water is enough. Buy no frills store brands. Don’t buy precut fruit. Cut it yourself. Don’t buy premade meals. Use the store app and upload coupons beforehand. Each week shop the sales and stock up on items that way.

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15points

Meanwhile, if you live in pricier states, your grocery bill is also going to look bigger. For instance, the Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey for October 18-30, 2023, showed that the average California household buys groceries for around $297 every week (roughly $1,188 per month). Americans living in Nevada aren’t far behind: they spend $294 per week ($1,176+ per month).

However, if you live in Iowa, Nebraska, Michigan, or Indiana, you’re probably spending less than $240 per week (around $960 per month) at your local grocery store.

#13

Get a freezer. It eliminates waste and when you find things marked down put them in there. Make breakfast for dinner sometimes. Buy store brands. Go to the dollar stores for paper goods. Buy food that’s high in protein. Eliminate all snacks. You need snacks, a bag of store brand pretzels is usually less expensive than any potato chips and less caloric. Again dollar store for razors, toothpaste, etc. Beans, rice, peanut butter. 2 adults in our household and we barely spend $150 a month for the both of us. Stock up on canned goods or any other staple when it’s marked down.

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15points

#14

Some months we can get it down to around $600 family of 3. Many of our staple meals can be made for dollars. Also takes some planning with shopping with a weekly menu in mind. We factor in days for leftovers which we usually have 2-3 nights a week. I then try and group in similar item meals those weeks. Like if we make Haliuski one night, we’ll have some unused cabbage… which goes well mixed in a stir fry, or I have some chicken broth left over from a meal, that is great to cook quinoa in.. etc. It takes work but it’s worth it.

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15points

#15

Go through your receipts and look for patterns. Packaged foods, treats, impulse buys, etc. Keep notes of your food waste. Gather all the food clutter in your home and eat your way through it. By the end of these you'll know exactly what your non-frugal food habits are.

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14points

Naturally, everyone wants to put food on the table for their family. Ideally, that food is going to be fresh, nutritious, healthy, and cheap. However, high-quality ingredients can be quite expensive. So, you need to hunt for in-season groceries to keep the costs down. Buying food in bulk and then freezing it can also help keep your wallet happier.

If you find yourself really hard-pressed budget-wise, you need to take a detailed look at your expenses. Analyze what types of food items you’re spending the most money on. For example, you might find that you’re a huge meat-eater. However, quality red meat can be pricey. So going meatless even for one additional day every week can make your grocery budget go further.

Similarly, you might realize that you’re spending large chunks of your hard-earned cash on snacks, sodas, and processed food. Everyone needs a tasty little treat to reward themselves every now and then. But if you’re rewarding yourself all the time, it might mean that you’re stretching your budget to its limit. Not to mention that overindulging in junk food is going to wreck your health.

#16

Pick 3-5 recipes for the week. Pick recipes that vary but all share similar ingredients. Use any leftovers before cooking a new meal. Eat what is due to go off first to reduce food waste. Make one day per week a fridge clean out day, this should be the day before grocery shopping.

Shop food in season or frozen. You don't need four punnets of berries for your smoothies, buy a packet of frozen mixed berries. Use up your vegetables before buying more - nothing is allowed to be pushed to the back of the fridge. Soup is your friend. Add bread, potatoes or rice to your soup to make it filling while getting carbs.

No more separate meals, your partner can add their dairy or eggs to their food separately but cooking separate meals all the time adds up.

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14points

#17

Search out ethnic supermarkets. Asian, Persian, Mexican… Fruits and vegetables are not as pretty but just as good and cheap.

Steelrules75

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14points

#18

Then there are things of habit - using a hand towel instead of paper towel for drying off clean things can cut your usage to a fraction. Say, $5/mo. Same with ziplocks - the volume of these I use for dry goods like open bags of chips, bread, etc is so high. I just rinse & reuse? Saving probably $5/mo. Switching from Lysol wipes to a spray bottle is another $5.

Buying the larger size of things and portioning yourself is a big one, too. Snack size bags of nuts? Bag ‘em up yourself for half the price.

harriedhag

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14points

Going for a cheeky fast food meal is getting more expensive, too. CNN Business’ Allison Morrow reports that many Americans are disappointed by the constantly rising prices at McDonald’s. Grocery prices rose 1.3% in 2023. However, they were dwarfed by the rising costs of dining out, which rose 5.2% that same year.

The CEO of McDonald’s, Chris Kempczinski, recently pointed out that “eating at home has become more affordable.” Things have gotten so bad that customers have taken to social media and TikTok to voice their concerns. Some people have gone viral for calling out McDonald’s for serving $3 hash browns in some of its locations. Food prices vary a lot depending on what restaurant you visit.

In this context, cooking at home using cheaper ingredients that are in season sounds like a far better alternative than relying on fast food.

#19

Do a kitchen inventory!! Once I realized I didn’t need to buy new almond flour and random things bc I had them already, that cut down on a lot of random things that were either being thrown out and just wasteful, and helped me get more creative with what I already have! Best advice I heard on a frugal podcast was “shop for who you are, not who you want to be”!

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12points

#20

Buy minimally processed food. I cook all my beans from dry. I bake my own bread (it’s not great, but it’s not $7). I rely a lot on other whole grains like rice and barley which are a lot cheaper. I only buy veggies from independent grocery stores which are actually competitively priced, unlike NoFrills or Superstore or any of the major chains. I buy what’s in season. No arugula in the winter. No radicchio in the summer.

Edit: I live in a HCOL city (Vancouver, BC) and my husband and I spend about $800 a month on groceries (excluding personal care items). We eat meat and dairy, although we eat a lot of vegetarian/vegan meals due to rising cost of animal products.

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12points