I get asked all the time to tell people how to cut their grocery bill down to pennies on the dollar. What brings a smile to my face is that most people are hoping I can tell them in about 20 seconds or less. Sadly it does take more time then that to really learn how to very effectively use coupons. If you have the time and inclination you can save a ton of money. The key here is time and inclination because it really does take time to cut and organize coupons, plan shopping trips, follow the deals from blogs (like mine) and you might not always find the products that you really like.
But if you are interested in taking a little less intense route and trying to cut 30-50% off that grocery bill with the least amount of effort… well you came to the right place! (If you want to really pursue couponing to cut your grocery bill even lower I have lots of resources for you below to learn more!)
Tip #1 The first thing to understand is that it isn’t just coupons that save you money. In fact you can still save and not use a single coupon. The most important thing really is following a sales cycle. We do this all the time with other purchases but for some reason it doesn’t always click when it comes to groceries.
For example, let’s say we need new winter coats for the family. Do you just walk into any store you happen past on the first day of fall (when winter clothing is available) and grab whatever looks nice and head up to pay? Probably not. For most of us we might look around a bit and wait for a sale or a coupon so we can get a better price.
Effectively shopping at the grocery store is exactly the same thing! You just want to focus on the things that your family buys most frequently and buy a little extra when that product is on sale. So if you eat a box of Cheerios per week, don’t buy one box at $3.50, the next week a second box at $2.00, the third week a box at $2.75… the prices really can jump all over the place. You want to sit tight and when the price drops on the Cheerios (say for example buy 4 boxes and get them for $1.49 each)- well now is the time to grab 8 boxes.
You don’t have to do this for every single thing you could ever want and you don’t have to convert your garage into a storage center. Just pick the stuff you buy week after week- especially that stuff that tends to be the bulk of our grocery money. For proteins like chicken and beef I just buy extra when it goes on sale and portion it out and then freeze. Convenient and saves a lot of money!
The trick is not to get carried away- you will actually spend a lot more money overall trying to stock up on everything you could ever need– and to focus on the things you will eat very regularly. If your family eats one box of Cheerios per month there is no need to get 8 boxes in one trip.
TIP #2 The next thing is to really look at where you shop.
Some people feel like the cheapest place to shop is a store like Walmart. I actually never shop at Walmart. For the items I buy, they tend to be much more expensive (believe it or not) at Walmart. I look at the sales flyers each week and I typically buy the bulk of my groceries at the stores that have the best prices on what I want.
So you don’t have to run all over town but why not just glance through the grocery ads and just see what each store is offering? I tend to buy the majority of my produce and meat at Sprouts Famer’s Market, I buy a lot of pantry items at Target and bulk items at Costco. That is about 90% of my grocery shopping with a few things here and there at Trader Joe’s or Safeway.
I do suggest shopping at two stores if it isn’t to much trouble. For the most part, either a big store (like Target or Walmart) or a drugstore will have better overall prices on personal care and cleaning products. My favorite deodorant for example is regularly on sale at Walgreens for $.99 and I have seen it as high as $3.99 at my grocery store.
TIP #3 The next easy step is menu planning. This is for sure not my favorite task but it can really save a lot of money and time to just get a rough plan of what you want to make.
Many people just sort of head into the store with no plan and then start piling up the cart. By making a plan, making a shopping list (and sticking to it) you can save time and money.
Make a list of what you want to make and try to arrange it around what is on sale or what you already have on hand. By creating a list you can avoid buying unnessary items (that might wind up tossed out) and start the week with a plan to avoid the 5pm what’s for dinner panic.
PLUS who really wants to spend half the day wandering around a grocery store? Get a menu plan and a list together and your shopping trip will be much more efficient.
(Note: If you are a club store shopper this is especially important. I certainly love Costco but you can spend a FORTUNE in these types of stores without a plan. I usually make a list of the things I need and allow for one or two other impulse buys. Yes you can get great deals at these warehouse clubs but you can also kill your budget if you don’t have a plan.)
Tip #4 Avoid the stores! The best way to save money is to avoid hitting the stores. Especially if you have little ones (or big ones) that might be grabbing for a million things.
If you don’t have a plan and shopping list, that can lead to lots of extra little trips during the week. Those trips to just grab milk can easily turn into $40 and when you multiply that by an extra trip (or two or three) per week- well it really adds up!
The nice thing is that once you start buying a little extra of the stuff you use most, hopefully you will have enough on hand to pull something together on the fly. We always have a few bags of frozen veggies, proteins in the freezer, a few boxes of pasta and rice etc… so I can always put some sort of quick meal on the table. (The emergency go to around here is actually Eggs or Omlettes, fruit and toast. My kids love breakfast for dinner and you can get dinner on the table in minutes.)
Tip #5 Minimize the snack items.
So a common misconception is that people that bargain shop or use coupons just buy junk. Not true! In fact I would encourage you to really look at how many convenience and snack foods you buy. The next time you do a big shopping trip why not spread out the groceries when you get home and really take a look at what you buy. How much of what you buy is real food and how much is convenience stuff?
Now I like cookies as much as the next guy (ok I probably like cookies more than the next guy) but I have found the more junk food and snacky things I buy, the more I tend to eat. (Darn if those Doritos don’t call to me from the pantry!) I also see lots of kiddos that take lunches to my daughter’s school and I am often so surprised at what I see. One little boy always has a lunch of Gatorade, a packaged sandwich (Uncrustable), single serve chips, applesauce pouches and usually some sort of treat (like Jello cups).
That family must spend a fortune on all those snack packs- yes it makes for tossing together lunches quickly but skipping all those convenience items can save so much money. (Plus you will probably find what you are eating is much better for you too!)
So those are my tips to start shaving away at that grocery bill. Hopefully by following these tips you can start cutting back and saving a nice bit of money at the store.
And if you are interested in learning more about saving at the grocery store, here are a few articles:
Whitney says
Thank you, Charlene! Great tips.
Charlene says
LOL Whitney- did you read all that? I am trying to EDIT, EDIT because that is a looooonnng post.
Amy says
Well said! The only thing that I would add is that under menu planning, and in part due to the monthly lists that you put out, we’ve increased our fresh produce consumption on the same budget by buying in season! In our area, especially thanks to our brand new Sprouts, $1 or less is a great rule of thumb for fruits and veggies! Better nutrition, better value, and it keeps mealtime from being boring!
TJ says
Very sound advise. Wish I’d heard it 20 years ago, lol. My weakness is menu planning and sometimes I do feel like I’ve blown the budget at Costco, and can’t think of what to make out of what I bought! 🙂 This month’s goal will be menu planning!
Charlene says
TJ- To me hearing “menu planning” is like when people tell you diet and exercise is the key to weight loss. I just hear blah, blah, blah…. 😛 It is really the simple truth though. You want to lose weight- just get off the couch and eat good stuff. You want to save $$ and you really have to menu plan. Sad but true 🙂
Stephanie says
Didn’t you have a post with lunch making ideas? I’m going to search for it now because I’ve been meaning to. 🙂 My oldest starts Kindergarten in August but the plan is for him to start attending the school’s afterschool program next month. No more preschool with lunch included. I need some good inspiration. Thanks for this wonderful post!!!
Charlene says
Stephanie- Yup!! You know the secret to finding my posts is to check my pinterest pages- I always put them there.
Here ya go:
http://myfrugaladventures.com/2012/08/back-to-school-kids-snack-ideas/
http://myfrugaladventures.com/2012/08/back-to-school-lunchbox-ideas-tips-and-tricks/
There are more little ideas and some cute lunchbox notes here:
http://pinterest.com/frugaladventure/back-to-school/
Also one thing with my little tootsie is that she goes until 12.15 and has a lunch time that I pack for and a snack provided by her teacher. She went through this huge growth spurt or something because I literally doubled the size of her lunches. Plus she comes straight home and has more lunch! Those cute little containers don’t cut it anymore :). The Ziploc ones I mentioned there somewhere are $2.50 at Target and I have used those daily for like a year now. Great investment.
Endcapps says
re: Menu Planning
I’m ashamed to say that my planning begins w/looking in the fridge to see what’s going to expire (spoil) imminently. That item is the #1 candidate for dinner that day. I go to allrecipes dot com and use Ingredient Search for inspirational recipes.
re: Tip 5 & “Take a Look at What You Really Buy”
It’s very revealing to look at my Personalized Deals in the Safeway J4U. Supposedly it tracks products I buy most often, and gives me a special price for them–so that list is revealing & educational, in a way for me to take notice of buying too many snacks or convenience foods.
Thx Charlene, I like these type of posts 🙂
franki says
I’m with EC, my menu starts with looking in the frig, freezer & pantry, seeing what needs to be used and going from there. I find it simpler than trying to pull menus out of the air.
I don’t like to shop- I guess its because of making decisions- and coupon-ing & going in with a plan has actually made it less stressful. Menu planning further simplifies it. We’re having chicken? Better find a deal on broccoli (or vice versa).
I grow what I can. Gardens are good for the kiddos, soul & budget too.
So you don’t go to W-mart either Charlene! I’m sometimes tempted when I read about Qs found there, but San Jose doesn’t have many W-marts & I never found Qs when I went in..what.. 2007 ? 🙂
MAtoCA says
great post. Thanks for the ideas, and for the back to basics reminders. I think as with all things, we need to figure out what’s really important. And then let our choices reflect that.
karen hiebert says
Great tips! Im already applying several of them! I also don’t go to walmart mainly b/c it just makes me feel…squeamish to go in there. I’d rather to go target where I know and trust the store to provide good quality items w/o looking just…ick. And usually the sales clerks there are zero help(or even in the aisles)……I don’t know how walmart is supposed to be cheaper if other places are cheaper than walmart. 🙁
sathya priya says
great post charlene.I use many of ur tips .That comes with experiance right ?.Def worth reading .
Charlene says
Thank you Sathya!