30 Grocery Store Hacks That Might Save You Some Money, As Shared In This Online Thread

According to Jessica, going meatless is a great way to scale back on grocery costs. "If you are looking to cut back on your family grocery budget, consider adding one or two extra meatless days to your existing schedule. Meat, especially red meat, just costs so much more to raise, process, and transport safely compared with alternate sources of protein. Unless you’re dealing with mystery-meat level fast food processed stuff, it’s never going to be able to compete on price," the pie artist and author told us.

While plenty of people suggest buying food in bulk and/or on sale and then freezing it for later use, some wonder if that won't destroy all of the nutrients inside. Bored Panda asked Jessica to enlighten us about the freezing process.

"You can certainly freeze fruits, veggies, and meat to eat later without sacrificing nutritional value," she said. "Just make sure you read up on the correct way to do this to avoid spoilage and freezer burn."

The baking and cooking pro noted that if you're planning on freezing food, you need to get all the air out of the packaging before it's sealed. "Ensure that it is properly double bagged to avoid air leaks in the freezer. Or better yet, invest in a vacuum sealer!" she suggested.

"Buying groceries items in large lots and splitting between multiple families is a great way to take advantage of bulk discounts when your own pay-check doesn’t permit you to go out and invest in 10 lbs of cheddar on your own. Bonus points if you have a friend who is able to buy from restaurant suppliers directly or is part of a co-op!" she said that with a bit of communication, coordination, and flexibility, you can make each dollar do a lot more work.

We also wanted to get Jessica's advice on what to do if you've got an entire food to feed and you're trying to keep everyone happy on a smaller budget.

"I’m a big fan of stir-fry, using whatever happens to be cheap and in season locally. Rice is super inexpensive and filling as a base, a little soy sauce with some thickener goes a long way as cheap sauce, herbs from your garden (or your neighbor’s garden) can add a little flavor, and then just add in whatever veggies and protein is on sale at the store that week," she shared.

The expert also had an additional pro-tip for us: "When you are stir-frying you don’t need to use the 'pretty' vegetables! Ask your grocer if they have any almost dead carrots or celery. Sometimes they’ll even give them to you for free!" she told us, adding that bendy carrots "come back to life" in water.

Inflation surged to 9.1% in the United States in June, the highest number we’ve seen in some 40 years. According to CNN, there have been price jumps in pretty much every category. Gasoline prices were up almost 60% compared to the past year. Electricity and natural gas costs increased by 13.7%. And energy prices as a whole rose by 41.6%.

However, rising costs also spread to food items, too, rising 12.2% overall, compared to 2021. Eggs, for instance, cost a third more than a year ago, for Americans. Buying butter is just over a fifth more expensive. And we hope you like milk that costs 16.4% more. Chicken’s up 18.6% and coffee’s 15.8% more expensive. 

And while it’s barely ever a good idea to compare anything to super-expensive New York, just to see how much of an economic clown world we’re living in, let’s take a peek at the prices there. The average cost of rent in Manhattan in June 2022 was over $5,000. Meanwhile, the median is just over $4,000.

So, to generalize a bit, it’s getting more expensive to drive to the grocery store, buy the food that you want, drive back, cook it, and pay for the roof over your head. (Especially if you happen to be in NYC.)

Things aren’t looking too hot across the pond, either. The BBC reports that more and more Brits have been relying on food banks or food charities to help them eat. Meanwhile, around one in five people said that they skipped meals or cut down on portion sizes just to make ends meet.

Jake Butler, from the ‘Save the Student’ organization, previously explained to Bored Panda that choosing to cook at home instead of eating out or getting takeaways is a major way to save cash. You can eat more cheaply and cook healthier food at home. This doesn’t mean that you have to live a life devoid of flavor, though. There are ways to indulge without breaking the bank.

“The good news is that you can easily recreate your favorites at home for a fraction of the price. It's much healthier this way too. Google is definitely your friend here as you can find fakeaway recipes from a number of sites,” he shared with Bored Panda.

“The good news is that the ingredients for most of these recipes aren't too pricey and you can still hunt for bargains to make the dish cheaper. Buying in bulk is always a winner too when it comes to saving money so it's a great idea to get together with friends and maybe take it in turns to make your favorite fakeaways.”

According to Jake, the most important part of creating a fake takeaway (aka a fakeaway) is getting the seasoning just right. “Salt and pepper won't break the bank, but they can make or break a meal. Don't forget that sugar can take a dish to the next level too,” he suggested what to focus on.