Whether you’re looking for a way to help make ends meet or you’d like a little extra cash for Christmas shopping, your grocery budget is a great place to start! I have three ways you can reduce your weekly grocery budget – today.
#1: Budget your groceries, not just your cash!
Budgeting groceries means that you purchase enough food that, combined with what you have on hand, they should be sufficient to feed those in your home until the next planned shopping trip. This requires discipline and some creative problem solving to keep yourself from running back to the store for things you think you need during the week. Click here for three tips that will help you budget your groceries.
#2 Learn how to shop the grocery store sales cycle
You must shop in a traditional grocery store for this to work (not Walmart, Aldi, Costco or Sams Club), but this is the best way to save on name brand products, dairy and convenience foods. As an added bonus, it doesn’t require the use of a single coupon. Grocery store prices don’t remain the same from week to week! They rotate through a 4-6 week cycle, and you need to stock up when the item is at the lowest price in that cycle!
Example: My grocery store sells Kraft shredded cheese anywhere from $1.69 to $3.99 per package. I always buy 3-4 packages at $1.69 so that I have plenty for the week it’s $3.99!
#3 Make leftovers a recurring feature on your weekly menu
If you find that you periodically have leftovers that go to waste, schedule a leftover night on your weekly menu plan! This might mean that everyone eats a little something different that night, but it saves the cost of an additional meal for that week. I like to serve a leftover main dish with different vegetables so that it’s not exactly the same without allowing that dish to go to waste.
If you’ve mastered all of these strategies, here are a few more creative ways to save!
What is your best tip for saving money on groceries?
Come Home For Comfort 
Leftovers are a regular around here! But it’s a good thing, as we often have a big pot of chili or pasta that adds to convenience down the road. Saving money is easy if you hit up the big sales at the store. I love to stock up on dry goods, and Baker’s (Kroger) has super deals! I try to shop by the ad for which usually-expensive fruit is on sale, unless I really have a craving. Freezing some meat that’s on sale helps, too.
LikeLike
My mom and sister shop Krogers, and I’m always hearing about their great deals!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great deals and I love their “Friday Freebies.” I’ve gotten to try a lot of interesting drinks and snacks for free over the past year or so. You just add it to your app/account on Friday and have a week or so to redeem. So fun and easy!
LikeLike
I’ve been making soup on Sunday night and have it for lunch all week long. It’s cheap, it’s quick and simple and it’s tasty. I love love soup so this is the best way for me to cut back on lunch and still enjoy what I’m eating.
LikeLike
That’s a great idea! Soup freezes well too, so I’ll even freeze individual servings to eat on nights when Paul isn’t home for supper.
LikeLike
Great advice! It’s leftover night at my house tonight. I find that my family gets excited about leftovers if I switch up the sides I serve with it and do new ones each time we eat the main dish. Love your tips about the sales cycles. I get so excited to stock up when things go on sale.
LikeLike
I really think that shopping sales cycles is the best way to lower your grocery budget!
LikeLike
I really need to get back to the sale shopping. When the pennies were being pinched more I was so good at it and I’ve gotten lax these days. What’s your favorite way to keep up with the sales?
LikeLike
I use SouthernSavers.com every week! They list the best deals from the grocery store along with the corresponding coupons or rebates (like Ibotta) and you can make your shopping list right from there. It’s such a time AND a brain saver!
LikeLike