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Do you know how much you spend a month in groceries? Have you set a budget for food spending? If not, read more about 4 Easy Steps to Create your Budget, which might help you set up a budget if you don’t have one.
10 ways to cut your grocery bill
without using coupons. I HATE coupons! I know they work for some people, but this mom, has NO time to figure them out. One of these days… maybe I will. But for now, here are MY 10 ways I cut MY grocery bill.
1. Knowing your shopping habits
How many times a week do you grocery shop? The less you go to the grocery store, the less you will spend. I typically go to the grocery store once each week. Costco once a month. This has cut my grocery bill by not making quick runs to the store to pick up a random item here or there.
2. Figure out where you are shopping.
If you know where you are going to shop, you become familiar with the prices. You know when items are on sale, and what the usual prices are. If something goes up one week, you’re aware of that and know you should be able to get it cheaper the next and you will cut your grocery bill.
Also, shopping at the same store each time prevents you from being tempted to buy “other” items not on your list (since they aren’t at that store, OR you see them every week).
3. Shop on the same day each week.
This is all about habits. Shopping on the same day, same place allows you to get in quick/out quick. Great for moms! Also, this means no snooping around for things you shouldn’t be buying.
Shopping once a week allows you to learn how quickly you go through food. Knowing you go through a bag of lettuce a week, prevents you from buying two and the second bag goes bad. This helps with food waste and will cut your grocery bill.
Another example: You buy three bags of bananas, but they go brown and your kids don’t eat brown bananas. Next week, you only buy 2 bags, which is the perfect amount to eat without bananas going bad.
Shopping on the same day each week saves you trips. You know one bag of oranges lasts 1/2 a week, go ahead and get 2 so you don’t have to make an extra trip for one item.
4. Divide up your food budget.
Lets say your food budget for the month is $250. You go to Walmart each week (4x) and costco once. That’s about $50 for each shopping trip. Now if you tend to buy lots of bulk stuff at Costco, adjust it for $150. In that case each Walmart trip should be $25. Go to the store knowing how much you can spend.
Another scenario: There are five shopping days in a month. You can skip the last week and go a “what’s left in the house week”. OR lower each weeks budget to make up the difference.
5. You forgot something…. Too bad wait till next week.
Harsh, I know. But it’s reality at our house. It’s really hard to leave the store with just that one item you need.
But you really need it?
Then send someone else in the household that will only get that one item (aka: no one in our house). Or take enough cash for that item only.
I understand that you get invited to something last minute and need to bring something… See what you can make do with in your house. If you really need to buy it, go get the one item, but make sure you take that cost out of your budget too!
Limiting your trips to the store will cut your grocery bill… try it! I promise!
6. Try making some food items homemade.
This takes time. Start with one item at a time. To be honest, some months are better than others in my house.
My basic home made recipes are: pancakes, waffles, bread, and bran muffins. If I’m really enthusiastic (aka: not enough money) I make: tortillas, biscuits, vanilla jam/fruit muffins, and more bread…
7. Peanut butter and jelly for lunches…
really goes far. I understand if you get sick of it… I do too, especially when I’m pregnant…
In that case here are some other items to try:
fruit, left over breakfast items waffles/pancakes/muffins, Ramon, bagels (You can get 6 for $2 at Aldis, and strawberry cream cheese for $2 as well that lasts 2-3 packages of bagels), or soup. Recently my hubby’s been taking peanut butter and Nutella for lunch!
My kids…. Well tough luck. I went K-12 on peanut butter and jam sandwiches. Our lunch had variety from fruit, veggies, snack items and cookies. If you want to switch it up a bit try occasional crackers and cheese.
To be completely honest, my sons won’t eat anything else but a sandwich for lunch. Chicken nuggets, mac and cheese? Nope, that’s dinner items in their head. They will not eat it and ask “nicely” for PB and J.
Cut your grocery bill, limit the expensive extravagant lunches. You’ll STILL be a good parent.
8. The less snack options the better.
Really?! You’re telling me to feed my kids PB and J, and NOW, give them less snacks?!
The less snack options at my house = happier mom + happier kids.
Sometimes it can be frustrating for kids to have so many choices, limiting it to 2 or 3, helps a lot, and saves you space in your pantry, and money in your wallet.
Once out of fruit snacks… Too bad. They soon forget and quit asking. Options in my house are Apple/orange/banana, carrots/celery, graham crackers/pretzels/saltines/Ritz. (To make it worse… they are off-brands, but edible)
I’ll let you in on a secret: Alids off brands taste BETTER than Walmart’s!
I do keep some “secret” good snacks around for bribery, long trips, or crazy days.
Cut your grocery bill by limiting your snacks. Prepacked snacks are expensive. Larger variety’s of crackers go stale quick when not eaten quickly. Keeping fresh fruit and veggies are great easy snack options, and forces you to use what you buy.
9. Estimate.
As you shop estimate in your head, or on your phone, how much each item is. And round up to the nearest 50 cent or dollar.
It sounds tricky… especially with kids. I’m not gonna lie, it is tricky, but 100% worth it!
Here’s an example: Bread $1, Cream Cheese $2, Bagels $2, Chips $1.50, ect.
Adding up prices in your head, allows you to know how much you are spending, and helps you stay within budget. It also makes you consciously aware with how much you are spending, and helps you to “cringe” on those high priced items.
Sometimes, when I’m really tight for the month I don’t calculate the cost in my head, but keep thinking “Oh, this is so expensive, I shouldn’t get it…. I”m already over on budget”. Amazing, it works! I come out with spending $10 less!
10. Make basic desserts.
I used to make Pinterest desserts all the time BUT that got really expensive. Now I’ll try out a new recipe once a month as the budget permits. I usually make cookies.
There is a HUGE variety of cookies you can make: cake cookies, chocolate chip, snicker doodles, sugar cookies with homemade frosting. I also make brownies (add Hershey’s syrup and chocolate chips for chocolate-y gooey-ness!) and pudding pie with home made pie crust.
Those are 10 tips that I use all month long to cut my grocery bill! I promise they will help YOU cut your grocery bill to! Give a few a try… or all of them! Let me know much you saved!
What are some tips and tricks you use to save money on your Food Budget?
Further Reading
How to budget for an extra shopping trip
The Ultimate List of Frugal Living Websites
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Thanks for reading!
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