How To Save Money On Your Grocery Bill

#1 Shop by the flyers. Every week major grocery stores publish sale flyers. You probably get them in your mail each week and throw them out or use them to line the birdcage! Take a look at them first and see if there’s anything on sale that you and your family would normally purchase. Make notes of what’s on sale, then go ahead and line that birdcage.

#2 Use coupons. Manufacturers publish coupons online and via many website publications. Grocers also publish and give away coupons. Collect coupons for products you use or might use. Store them in a handy pocket organizer that lets you sort by expiration month that way you know which coupons are pending expiration.

#3 Shop by what’s in season. Have you ever tried to buy strawberries in February? They’re astronomically expensive! However, citrus in February is usually a good deal. Shop by what’s in season and you’ll save good money on your grocery bill.

#4 Meal planning. “What’s for dinner mom?” How familiar is that question. Instead of saying, “I have no idea,” you can create a menu for the week and do your shopping according to that menu. This works well for money savings because you only buy what you need rather than haphazardly shopping by what looks good at the moment.

And by only purchasing what you need, you can plan your menu around the store specials and the coupons you have on hand. For example, if you noticed that whole chickens are on sale, you can plan chicken into at least one of your dinners, and you can also purchase a few extras on sale to freeze until a later date.

#5 Stick to your list. The whole idea of creating a meal plan, sticking to the flyers and coupons and making a list is to save money. When you’re at the store, stick to your list. This is essential to saving money. If you allow for any deviation, plan it. Tell your kids, if you take them shopping with you, that they can choose one item off the list for their snacks or lunches, and keep them to that limit.

#6 Price compare. It may take a few more minutes of your time however, it pays to compare prices on brands. Don’t be reluctant to buy store brands as they’ve drastically improved in quality in recent years. A name brand bag of frozen corn compared to a store brand may save you as much as .50 and over the course of your entire grocery list those dimes add up into dollars quite quickly.

#7 Join loyalty programs. Many major grocery chains offer loyalty programs. You get a card for the store, use it at checkout, and save money on selected items in the grocery store. You can save a bundle with these programs, particularly if you shop with the store promoted items in mind.

Saving money on your grocery bill is easy with a few key strategies. Plan ahead, buy what’s in season and what’s on sale and watch your savings grow.