Creative Ways To Save Money On Groceries

Inside: Want to spend less money when grocery shopping? Check out these creative ways to save money on groceries and start saving today!

Anyone who knows my son knows he can really eat. He's a 17-year-old athlete that can plow through the largest meals in what seems like seconds. Luckily breakfast is eaten at swim practice and lunch at school so all I have to shop for is his snacks and dinner.

I have also found some ways to save money on food over the years. Some are easy and some take a little more time. If you are looking to lower your grocery bills check out these creative ways to save money on groceries.

Shop At Discount Stores

One easy and quick way to save money is to shop at discount stores. I personally love Aldi as a great way to save some money. Their food is priced lower than most of the grocery stores around me and for the most part, the quality of food is good too. You can see my favorite foods to buy at Aldi here.

You can also save money by shopping at grocery outlets. We have an Entenmann's Outlet near us that has great prices on foods. It's not just donuts, they sell bread, buns, bagels, and some other foods. During the summer when we are eating lots of sandwiches I will go there about once a month. Take a few minutes to find a grocery outlet nearby, you might be surprised at what you find.

Leave Everyone At Home

I love having my husband come with me grocery shopping, but he makes the trip more expensive. Not only does he buy things that aren't on the list, but he also sometimes encourages me to buy the extra things I would probably skip. Our grocery bill is usually $30 higher when he comes with me.

Skip the Middle Shelf

This one is a weird one, but skip the middle shelf in the grocery store. Brands actually pay for placement in the grocery store shelves. The eye-level shelves are the most expensive shelves. Brands will pay more to get the middle shelves and charge you more for their products too. Look for the generic and cheaper foods on the lower shelves to easily save some money on groceries.

Use Cash

I love using cash to do the grocery shopping. It's a great way to save money on groceries. If you are going to use cash at the store then you are limited to how much you bring to the store. Make sure you have enough cash with you to buy everything you need, but not a lot extra so you aren't tempted to throw in a bunch of extras.

I recommend you have a little extra just in case you see a really good unexpected deal or find something you regularly use on clearance. You can see how we use the cash envelope here.

Price Match

Want all the deals without jumping from store to store? Try price matching. Some stores will allow you to price match groceries and household items. Just take in the circular for another store with the deal and you could possibly have the deal matched.

What's the catch? Target does this, however, I haven't had a lot of luck. Some people swear by the Target price matching. Wal-mart did away with price matching at every store a couple of years ago, however, some stores still do it. If price matching sounds like an easy way to save money check to see if a local store allows it. You can see a list of Wal-Marts that allow it here.

Make A List

Never go to the store without a list. Without a list, you will tend to buy more foods you don't need and forget foods you do need. I like to have a detailed list of everything I need to make sure I don't have to make a second trip. There is nothing worse than getting started on a meal only to realize you forget to buy something.

You can start out by planning your meals for the week and then check what you have and what you need to buy. It doesn't always need to take a lot of time, but can really save you money. Want to start meal planning? Grab my free meal planning printable.

Use Cash Back Apps

I love using cash back apps to save a little money when I am grocery shopping. Depending on where you shop you can use Ibotta to save some money. Sign up for Ibotta if you aren’t already signed up with them, you can get $10 just for signing up and buying one thing. Ibotta is pretty much a rebate app for groceries. If you buy something that is on their list you get money deposited in your account. It’s super easy to get money back on fruits, veggies, and milk. I can usually make around $100-$200 in Amazon gift cards a year with Ibotta.

I also am in love with the new Fetch App. It’s an easy way to earn gift cards quickly and easily. You just download the app and enter my referral code, RP6FG, during sign up and you’ll get 2,000 Fetch Points. Every 1000 points will get you a $1 Amazon gift card. You can enter receipts and get around 200 points per receipt. You can see some other ways I earn free gift cards here.

Buy In Bulk

Buying in bulk is a great way to save money and time. I like to buy the big 5-10 pound containers of ground beef and then separate it when I get home. You can buy the biggest containers of meat to really save you money. The same with foods like eggs, cheese, and breakfast foods. It's an easy way to save money on groceries.

Shop Online & Pick It Up

This is a little trick I use often in the summer. We tend to get busy and I like to enjoy my time with my kiddo instead of spending time shopping. I use Kroger which usually has a $5 fee to do online shopping, however, I found I easily save the $5 since I don't impulse buy. Plus, I don't have my kiddo with me which can really make the prices go up.

Lots of stores have the order online and pick it up for around $5. If you want to save a little money and some time, check out some of my favorite tips for online grocery shopping.

With a little time and creativity, you can save money on groceries and still eat the meals your family loves. Want some more easy money saving tips? Check out these meal planning services that will save you time and money.