Easy Ways to Save at the Grocery Store

I love going to the grocery store.  I pop in my headphones, put on a podcast and use my carefully curated list that is organized by aisle.  I’ve added coupons that apply to what’s on my list and already have a meal plan mapped for the week.  I’m your coolest friend, right?

But seriously, it took a long time to get here!  I used to go into the store with absolutely no plan, buy whatever sounded good and ended up wasting a lot of food, which wasted my money.  Here are some things I’ve learned that make grocery shopping a nice, pleasant experience and help save money.

Go store brand, baby!

You’ll typically see a lower grocery bill when buying generic.  The store brand items mostly taste exactly the same (although, you ketchup people know there’s no sub for Heinz), you can sometimes get a larger container for the same price, and the store brand will occasionally give you a deal when purchasing more than one of that product.  You’re really only paying for the brand name and the jingle, so why not try the generic version?

Peep that price tag!

When you’re looking at a price tag for an item, there are 2 prices.  The main price of the item in big numbers and then a little tiny number, sometimes in a box, that will say the amount per ounce/per item/per count, etc.  If you’re really serious about saving a few pennies at the store and are deciding between two different brands or sizes, go for the one with the lower price per ounce/item/count, etc.

Join the (non-credit card) rewards or gas program!

As long as you don’t need to get a credit card or enter your SSN anywhere, sign up for the rewards!  You’ll usually get deals in your inbox, mailbox, or an app and can shop according to what coupons are hot that week.  Take care that you’re not buying things just for the coupon like on Extreme Couponing.  You don’t need 20 deodorants, but the 50% off milk is probably useful.

Make a plan!

Try to make a meal plan for the week (breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks).  Get all those ingredients on a list and do not deviate from the list!  Impulse buying and shopping when you’re hungry are two easy ways to spend more than you planned, so try to get to the store 1-2 times per week instead of going shopping randomly and have a snack before you go.   

Stay away from bulk store traps!

I know we all love the samples and the food court and the fun new snacks at our favorite bulk store.  However, I know from personal experience that if you go in there, you will get distracted and spend about 3x more than you had planned.  These stores are designed to do this to you!  If you must go, bring a list with you and stick to it!