Do you have any great tips for saving money on groceries?

My wife plays this game and it has made a huge difference in our grocery bill.

coupons. my momma always cuts them out sunday afternoon.

Make a list and don’t shop when you are hungry. Buy certain items (brown rice, paper goods,etc) in bulk and try to get the store brand. Is there a Food Coop near you that you can join?

I look at the circulars for good buys. Then I try to craft meal plans that incorporate those items. From that, I make my list for shopping. Coupons work if they are for products you would otherwise buy anyway.

It is much cheaper not to buy prepared foods and frozen foods. It is healthier too. Cook when you can. If you have time problems, have a cooking marathon one weekend day and freeze into meal-sized portions.

Whole chickens you cut up yourself are cheaper than parts. We are only two people, but we buy family-sized packages of pork chops or other meat, and then break them down into meals and freeze that way.

Don’t buy for five if you are only one, or two. Buy less than you need, not more.
Get a smaller frig—or imagine you have one.

@srfinkel I respectfully disagree with that as a philosophy for cutting costs (as noted in my post above 3rd graph).

@all good ideas, Marina. I don’t disagree. There are many ways to do this. I can’t stand coupons, and never look at them or have them. I buy what I want, not what they are trying to get rid of. Although I do go for some sales. I buy vegetables fresh. I just found that when I was alone for the first time after cooking for a big family, I always bought too much. Now I realize that I can buy really very little, and get along just fine. And I am walking distance to the store, so I can always get there easily if I need something.

When I spent a summer in France many years ago, the woman of the house had no frig at all, and cooked everything fresh each day. And what a cook!

@skfinkel I see your point.

Yes, in Europe just take your net bag and get what you need, right? I wish we could do that here.

In Washington, we could buy vegetables in ones and bulk as much as needed. In Florida, the stores tend to package everything. That makes for hustling by me to not waste stuff. I wish they would consider small households.

@richmarshall, cool link. I signed up.

@gailcalled, so true about shopping hungry. Bad move, very bad move.

Specifically at this time of year – Farmer’s Market! Fresh produce, great prices, and if you go towards the end you can bargain like a mofo. Also, depending on your area you can go to U-Pick farms for loads of berries and freeze them for later…

Used to be a rule: stay on the outside perimeter of the supermarket because all the
fresh stuff, dairy, and bakery are there; avoid the inside aisles because that’s where
all the prepared stuff is. But I think they might be onto us.

Sam’s or Costco

Buy less junk, quality food is a bit pricier but well worth it, plan out meals, and don’t buy more than you need.

Look out for the specials! And also, don’t go shopping when you’re hungry, at all….

Last year I got annoyed at how much waste we threw out. So I started to, when cooking mashed potatoes for instance, there are two of us, so instead of cooking just enough, I make a huge pot, then divide into containers and freeze. Then whenever I want to make mash as part of dinner, I don’t have to do it fresh, just pop the container into the microwave for 8 mins and….. lovely fluffy mash :-) likewise, when making lots of other things, like lasange, I’ll make two large lasanges, then use a little for dinner, the rest is sliced and put into individual tubs and frozen. There are so many things that can be made and frozen for later.

Saves in all sorts of way. Saves power, because you’re only cooking, for example, lasange the once but you have enough for lots of dinners stored away. I do this once every 2 weeks or so. It’s cut down the amount of waste, and has helped me too, because I work shifts and I don’t always feel up to cooking when i get home. Also, don’t buy the big brand names. The own label products are just as good and far cheaper.
hugs xx