Inside: Trying to save money grocery shopping? Check out these 8 tips to stick to your grocery budget. You can easily save time and money!
Thursday Morning is my grocery shopping day. Every Thursday I get ready early and head out to do the grocery shopping. It isn’t exactly one of my favorite chores. I basically spend an hour or two shopping and then get to pay for it at the end. Then after shopping, I get to come home and unload all of the groceries.
Whether grocery shopping is one of your favorite chores or not it’s not always easy to stick to your grocery budget. Groceries are expensive, and not really exciting to buy. However, with a little bit of work, you can easily stick to your grocery budget. No more shocking bills at checkout. Check out these 8 tips to stick to your grocery budget.
Use Cash
One of my favorite tips for sticking to a grocery budget is to use cash. If you have a set amount of cash you can’t spend more than you have. It’s a great way to keep you from overspending. Set a grocery budget and then stick to it by getting it in cash. If you have money left over at the end of the week just save it for later. That way when you see a good deal you can really stock up. We use cash to buy just about everything. You can see how we use the envelope system to stick to our budget.
Go Shopping Less Often
I have found those quick trips to the grocery store can really add up to big bills. You may run in for one or two items but you come out with a dozen. A $2 item that you needed ended up costing you $20.
Staying away from the stores will help you spend less money and stick to your grocery budget. If you currently shop once a week try every other week. When my kiddo was younger I would do every other week to save money and my sanity! You will need to eat fresh fruits and veggies the first week and frozen or canned the second week. It takes a little creative thinking but it can really help you save money.
Use Coupons
You don’t have to be coupon crazy to save some money using coupons. If you see coupons for items that you use just cut them out and put them with your shopping list. Another great way to save is by using digital coupons. I have a Meijer and Kroger App on my phone that has digital coupons. I can “clip” the coupons at home and then they automatically come off at the register. Check your favorite grocery store to see if they offer digital coupons.
Try Discount Stores
If you haven’t tried a discount store I highly recommend it. I love Aldi, it’s my favorite place to shop. The prices are often 50 percent less than the larger grocery stores. If you don’t have an Aldi nearby you can always try another discount grocery store.
Use Money Saving Apps
Money saving apps are an easy way to help you stick to your grocery budget. If you haven’t tried using them yet I highly recommend it. I have a few apps on my phone that offer rebates if I buy certain products. They are all very simple and quick to use. Most of them you can just scan the receipt and once you get $5 you can cash out. I love all of these rebates because they often offer money back on fruits and vegetables which are harder to find coupons for. You can see all my favorite apps here.
Make A List
Making a list is key to sticking to your grocery budget. Make a list of everything you need and plan your weekly meals. If you need some tips on weekly meal planning you can check out my favorite tips here. I have found that if I don’t have a good list I forget something and then I am back at the store spending even more money.
Eat Leftovers
The leftover night is one of my favorite nights at home. Not only do I not have to cook, but I save money too. Usually, a day or two before I go shopping I dig out all the leftovers from the fridge and serve them for dinner. It really helps the grocery budget because I need one less meal for the week. If you don’t always have a lot of leftovers you can serve the leftovers with some soup or sandwiches. It’s an easy thing to do to help stretch your grocery budget.
Shop Online
Every summer I switch to online shopping. It frees up some more time for me when I am busy and it keeps me from dragging my kiddo to the store. Plus, I really think it helps save me money. When you are in the stores you have such a tendency to impulse buy. I can make a list at home and put in an online order for only $5. I really believe that I save the $5 and more by shopping online. If you haven’t tried online shopping yet I highly recommend it, check out the details on how I save while online shopping here. Most grocery stores now have it for around $5. Put in an online order, pick it up at the store, and save. It’s just that easy. If you want to start now Wal-mart will give you $10 off your first $50 order here.
Save yourself some time and money with these easy tips on how to stick to your grocery budget. You will be saving more money in no time at all. What are your tips to stick to your grocery budget?
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[…] 8 Tips To Stick To Your Grocery Budget — It’s not always easy to stick to your grocery list. If you’re prone to impulse buys, consider shopping for groceries online to avoid the temptation. [Frugally Blonde] […]