When we went from being a family of two to a family of three and then again to a family of four, the first place in our budget that had to change was groceries. Typically, our highest variable cost is groceries, so it only makes sense that when we are trying to rein in our budgets that we look to saving money on groceries.
These four quick grocery saving tips will help you figure out simple ways to slash your grocery bill and save more money.
1. Meal Planning
This is the easiest and one of the most cost-effective ways to saving money on your grocery bill – meal planning. However, if you have never tried meal planning before, it can be a little overwhelming to figure out where to start. These are some easy tips to help you get started:
Start with dinner – plan out at least five dinner ideas for the week. Once dinner is planned, move on to lunch and breakfast.
Take inventory of what you currently have on hand and add the items that you need for your meal ideas to your list.
Include any staple items that your family uses regularly, like snacks, spaghetti sauce, condiments in order to keep a running supply so you do not run out before the week’s end.
2. Speed Shopping
I discovered this trick by accident. Going grocery shopping to two different stores with two children, ages two years old and under can be a huge hassle. I learned quickly that I needed to shop fast in order to keep toddler meltdowns from happening (okay, and to prevent mommy meltdowns from happening as well). This actually helped me stick to my list and has helped to keep our grocery budget in check because I am no longer wondering the aisles, looking through the clearance section for twenty minutes, and wasting valuable time trying to figure out if I truly need an item or not.
If you do not have little ones to shop with, when you walk into the store, set a timer for twenty minutes on your phone and make it a game to beat the clock. Make sure you have your list and that you are shopping at a store you are familiar with – speed shopping does not work well if you have never been in the store before and are not familiar with where things are located.
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Emily says
Great tips! Aldi is great for speed shopping! I get sidetracked much less and it’s easier to stick to my list than…Target. 🙂
I seriously need to get a start on better meal planning.
Dawn @ Reveal Natural Health says
I have gotten great at maintaining a shopping list and sticking to the list when I go shopping because what’s on my list is what we need. I have done an inventory of what we have and used that to create a spreadsheet of all the regular food and non-food items we use. Each week I go through our cupboards and mark on the spreadsheet I printed which items we need to replenish and take that with me to the store. I get most things at Aldi and fill in with Walmart or Kroger when I need to.
I stink at meal planning though!
Jessi says
That’s awesome that you use a spreadsheet Dawn! I’ll have to try that out!
Rachel says
I definitely need to figure out the balance between stopping and thinking and trying to get out of the grocery store without too much stuff! Thanks for these tips.
Keisha Gardner says
Great tips! I try to do the speed shopping, but without a timer. You’re right, it does save money when you really want to just get it over with to get little ones out! (Stopping by from Fellowship Friday.)
Haley Lillibridge says
Thanks for these great tips!! I don’t always enjoy shopping with my toddler but it does make things fast!
Jessi says
Oh yes, toddlers can be so much *fun* in the grocery store. 😉
Brandi Clevinger says
I thought I was alone in the speed shopping! haha My husband always wonders how I get it done so fast. I told him – I’ve got my list sorted by aisle and I mapped out the store from entrance to exit so I can get everything with one swoop! In and out!
I found your post at #FellowshipFridays with Brittany at Equipping Godly Women!
Jessi says
That’s awesome Brandi! Speed shoppers unite! 🙂
Lauren says
Yes! Meal planning makes a HUGE difference!! Also, I think I speed shop without realizing it. Anytime you have kids with you, it’s just a given 😉 Thanks for the great ideas. I’ll be making a list of our favorites right away.
#SITSBlogging
Amanda @ Grad Girl says
My husband and I have JUST decided to cut down our grocery budget, and meal planning has already helped us save some money. We use an app called MealBoard to keep track of what we have in stock and what needs to go on our grocery list–it’s a lot of work, but absolutely worth it! (Found you via #SITSblogging!)
Jessi says
I’ve never heard of MealBoard! I’ll have to check it out – Thank you so much for letting me know! 🙂
Toni @ Debt Free Divas says
Speed shopping huh? Good idea. Keep my bill down and burn a few extra calories at the same time. Ha! I loathe going into the store with 2 kiddos. Try to avoid it like the plague – and sometimes that catches up with me. LOL!