Grocery shopping is a necessity, but can sometimes lead to unnecessary spending.
You can start saving money by using our Top 5 ways to save at the grocery store:
- Menu planning
- Money-saving apps
- Loyalty cards
- Price matching
- DIY
How many times have you walked into the grocery store and bought something that when you got home you realized you already had?
Menu planning is just one of the top 5 ways to save money at the grocery store, and organize your family meals for the week.
“We definitely have a plan for the week. That’s kind of part of my role in the family- to keep things on track budget-wise,” said April Kerwood on shopping for her family of six.
Kerwood plans her menu and sticks to the list - not wasting time trying to hunt down things for free.
“I don’t have a lot of time to do that so I come in, I look for a good price, and then I try to stock up if I can on that,” Kerwood said.
Money saving expert Alison McFadden agrees with this.
“I haven’t bought toilet paper in two years, or shampoo in two years,” Mcfadden said.
Along with planning ahead of time, she also says the best way to stock up at the grocery store is to download money-saving apps on your phone.
“One app is giving $2 back, and another one is giving a dollar back,” McFadden said. “You’re actually going to get $3 back.”
By simply scanning the item and the receipt on your phone, the money saved goes into your account.
“If you also take the sales ad and a coupon, and stack it in with the money-saving app, you’re saving even more,” McFadden said.
She also says to use loyalty cards to get products downloaded and then redeemed. Stores will track your habits, and send you coupons based on your previous purchases.
Price matching items from different stores is another great way to save. Most stores will accept the better price you’ve found somewhere else.
When deciding between buying prepared or pre-packaged foods and cutting it up yourself, consider this -
“You’re going to be paying for the person who’s actually cutting up the product for you,” McFadden said. So, do-it-yourself and save.
When following these money saving guidelines, Kerwood feels empowered by knowing she got the most for her money.
“If you can save on the things that you have to have,” Kerwood said, “Then you can have more for the things that you want.”
Who knows, the money you save could buy you a new outfit, dinner out, or even a vacation. By menu planning, preparing the food yourself, stacking and stocking through apps, using loyalty cards and price-matching everything you can, your savings might surprise you.
