25 Simple Methods: How to Save on Groceries

In short, to save money on groceries, you need a plan, rely on tricks to shop successfully, and make some routine changes. Ranging from meal-planning tips to store-brand swaps, loyalty programs, and seasonal buying—the tricks in this post can honestly reduce your grocery bill by 20–40% without jeopardizing quality on what lands on your dining table.

Groceries are among the few expenses that most households can truly manage yet still overpay for each week. In the United States, the average American household spends more than $5,700 on groceries every year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023). Pretty outrageous; that's approximately $475 a month, a good portion of which goes towards impulse purchases.

The good news? Shrinking that total figure doesn't mean giving up on couponing or living off ramen noodles. Tiny, sustainable changes in shopping, food storage, and meal planning can add up to hundreds of dollars in savings a year.

Here we have 25 practical, real-world tips for shrinking your grocery bill—including meal planning, choosing the right stores, timing your shops, and cutting food waste. Whether your funds are limited or you want to spend smarter, there is something for everybody.

Why Do Most People Go Over Budget on Grocery Shopping?

It is helpful to understand the problem before we look at solutions. Overspending at the grocery store is seldom a luxury extravagance. More often, it stems from:

• Impulse purchasing by shopping without a list

• Purchasing excessive and wasted food

• Skipping unit prices, therefore spending more per ounce without your knowledge.

• And hungry shopping, long known as an overspending driver

• Brand loyalty, when store-brand comparable items are virtually identical

An American Journal of Agricultural Economics study in 2022 found that shoppers without a grocery list paid as much as 23% more on average per trip than those who arrived with a plan. That number alone is enough to keep you reading.

25 Tips to Save Money on Groceries That Actually Work

Start with a weekly meal plan.

Of all the grocery habits, meal planning is the most effective. You get what you need to know each week because you have specific knowledge of what you're cooking—it's neither too much nor too little.

Keep it simple: organize five dinners and let lunch be leftovers (most of the time). To generate your list, build it directly off the plan. You can speed up this process with apps like Mealime and Plan to Eat.

Make a shopping list (and 8 ways to stick to it)

Another memory tool — but also a budget tool. List everything down before you step out for groceries, preferably sorted by section. You train on what's on that list. What you are going to buy, and then stick to only that.

Compare Unit Prices, Not Shelf Prices

Shelf price tells you what things cost. The per-unit price tells you exactly what you are purchasing for that particular amount. While the 16 oz. The bottle looks less expensive at first glance; the $9.99 per 32 oz of olive oil is actually cheaper per ounce than the $5.99 per 16 oz bottle of the same product!

If you have looked at grocery store shelves in this decade, the tag is most often a unit price. Develop a habit of checking them, particularly for staples.

Store Brands Over Name Brands

Generic and store-brand products are regulated and undergo the same testing procedures as name brands, and many generic or lower-cost store-brand items are manufactured by the very manufacturers that produce name brands. Consumer Reports (2023) explains that replacing brand-name products with store-brand equivalents, such as for pasta, canned goods, dairy, and cleaning products, can bring your bill down 25–30%.

Use Grocery Store Loyalty Programs

Many of the major grocery chains have loyalty or rewards programs that charge nothing to sign up. Membership includes member-only pricing, digital coupons, and points that can be applied to discounts. Overall, Kroger's loyalty program, for instance, is said to save members $576 a year on average, straight from Kroger itself.

Enroll in the program at all shops where you regularly do business. It requires 5 minutes and is free of charge.

BUCKS Powered by FOCUS — Digital Coupons Walk-In Download Store Apps

This protocol for physical coupon clipping is practically dead. Grocery store apps can offer some of the same—or even greater—savings. Apps such as the Kroger App, Safeway App, and Target Circle let you clip digital discounts before you shop, so they apply automatically at checkout.

Fire up the coupons available right before you plan a trip; five minutes will do that. Combine them with sales for the biggest savings!

Shop Smart — Build a cycle meal plan

Sometimes, turn the meal-planning process on its head. Look to your shop's weekly circular first, then build the rest of the meal plan around what is on sale. If chicken thighs are on sale, use them to plan two dinners. This strategy can drastically reduce your weekly spend.

Buy In Bulk—But With A Very Big Caveat

Buying in bulk saves you dollars on nonperishable items and frequently used products. Ideal bulk buys: toilet paper, canned goods, rice, oats, frozen proteins, and cleaning supplies.

Perishables are a different story. Getting five avocados when you are only going to eat two is money in the bin. Before buying in bulk, be honest about what your household actually consumes.

Shop at Multiple Stores Strategically

Other categories feature real-world cost advantages at other retailers. Aldi and Lidl have consistently kept prices lower on produce and dairy. For bulk staples, Costco and Sam's Club take home the gold. In fact, traditional grocery stores often offer the best loyalty deals. Farmers ' markets are also winners for local, seasonal produce.

You do not have to go shopping at five shops every single week. Choose two or three that work well together, and switch between them as they sell out and the seasons change.

Embrace Frozen Produce

Frozen fruits and vegetables, for example, are picked at the height of ripeness and flash-frozen, preserving most of their nutritional content. In fact, a 2017 study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that while fresh produce can lose significant amounts of certain vitamins when stored for several days, frozen produce often has higher levels of these vitamins.

They are significantly cheaper than fresh and have a longer shelf life — two big wins for your budget.

Buy Seasonal Produce

Off-season produce is also much more expensive because it has to be grown in less-than-ideal climates and shipped over long distances. Local produce is in season and therefore plentiful and cheap.

In December, strawberries are three times more expensive than in June. Butternut squash is cheaper in October than in March. Find out what is in season where you are, and buy accordingly.

Eat Less Meat (Or rethink How You Buy it)

Meat is usually the single biggest item in a grocery cart. Two straightforward strategies help here:

Choose the cheaper cuts: Chicken thighs are less expensive than chicken breasts and offer more flavor. Cuts like pork shoulder and beef chuck are a fraction of the price of tenderloin or ribeye, but they shine in slow-cooked preparations.

Include meatless meals: Just one or two meat-free dinners a week—like lentil soup, bean tacos or vegetable stir-fry—can significantly lower your food bill.

Don't Shop Hungry

Put simply, shopping hungry is one of the most statistically proven causes of grocery overspending. An investigation published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine also found that hungry people buy far more high-calorie impulse products than non-hungry shoppers.

Eat before you go. Here is one of the simplest and most effective grocery-saving tips out there.

Use cashback apps.

So there are lots like Ibotta, Fetch Rewards, and Checkout 51 where you get cash back on certain grocery purchases. You scan your receipt and accrue rebates built in the background. These won't change your finances, but they accumulate a non-negligible rebate every year with next to no effort.

Reduce Food Waste

According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, an average U.S. family wastes food valued at about $1,800 annually. One of the least-recognized grocery-saving hacks is waste reduction.

Practical ways to cut waste:

• Store food properly for longer shelf life

• Make sure to use "first in, first out" rotation for your fridge and pantry

• Use overlapping ingredients to plan meals

• Don't let food sit in the refrigerator

• Get Familiar with Some Batch Cooking Basics

Cook agrains, of Grains, proteins, or soups on the weekend. You do this to stretch your dollars for the week and avoid takeout. For example, a pot of chicken and rice, a tray of roasted veggies, or a huge soup can do three to four meals in one.

The price for two takeout meals typically ranges from $30 to $50. For those same two people, a home-batch meal costs $10–$15.

Price Match When Possible

Most grocery chains will honor a rival's sale price if you bring proof of the advertisement. For example, Walmart is famous for its price-matching policy. Other stores let you flash a competitor's app or ad on your phone at checkout.

Before your next shop, see if your go-to store has a price-matching policy: it requires only a couple of minutes and will save you money without changing up where you shop.

Steer Clear of Pre-Cut, Pre-Washed, and Pre-Portioned Convenience Foods

The convenience premium is also visible in pre-cut veg, shredded cheese, peeled garlic, or single-serve portions. Buying a head of broccoli is always cheaper than buying broccoli florets in a bag. This means that a block of cheddar costs less per ounce than a bag containing shredded cheddar.

Of course, this all comes with an additional few minutes of prep time. When you have staple items that you purchase regularly, it can be worthwhile.

Check the section on

Many supermarkets now have a reduced/manager's special section near products with an early expiration date. These items are generally half off or more and totally safe to purchase if you eat them that day or freeze them immediately.

The most common markdown finds are bread, meat, dairy, and produce.

Grow a Small Herb Garden

That herb is too damned expensive for how little you get. At the grocery store, you can find a small bunch of basil or cilantro for $2–$4, but it goes limp and browns within days. Herb Plant: A herb plant that you can buy for around $3 keeps producing in a sunny window for months.

Herbs are low-maintenance and require no gardening skills, making it a breeze to start with basil, chives, mint, or parsley.

Create a Price Book for Your Most Frequently Sold Items

A price book is simply a record of the normal and sale prices for the things you purchase regularly. Having one—even in a simple spreadsheet—enables you to identify real sales versus phony "regular" prices and indicates when to stock up.

That sounds boring, but a couple shopping excursions will give you a great benchmark on what constitutes the bulk of your bill.

Avoid Eye-Level Shelves

For example, grocery stores find that the highest-margin products are placed at eye level because most shoppers scan for food at eye level before they bother to look down. The best deals tend to be on the top and bottom shelves. Remember to look at the entire shelf before you reach for the first thing you see.

Consider a wholesale club membership.

Costco or Sam's Club membership: around $50-$65 per year. This membership nearly pays for itself right away (after two or three visits) with cheap meat, produce, pantry staples, and household goods such as toilet paper if you're a bulk-buying household.

For smaller households, you might want to share a membership with a friend or family member.

Plan for Leftovers Intentionally

Leftovers are not only more convenient but also a great way to save money! You roast a chicken for dinner, and now you've got chicken sandwiches and chicken salad for the next two days. You make a big pot of soup that lasts all week long. Having intentional leftovers can significantly reduce your cost per meal.

Audit Your Cart Before Checkout

Before you go to the register, take a minute to check out what's in your cart. Are there any impulse additions? Things you forget to have in a home? Over the course of a year, taking out as little as one or two unnecessary items per trip can really add up.

How to Cut Down Your Grocery Bill in the Quickest Manner Possible

For rapid results, Ezra recommends three changes: create a menu plan, go with a grocery list, and substitute five name-brand items for store-brand versions. These three activities alone could realistically cut your weekly outlay between $30–$60, or $1,500–$3,000 for a year—even without changing the quality of what you consume.

And the other 22 strategies on this list compound those savings. You don't have to apply all of them at once. Choose two or three that align with your habits now, get comfortable incorporating those in, then add another.

Grocery savings aren't about deprivation. Excerpt from "The Thomas J. Julino Group | Money: That Thing You All," 3rd March, 2020: "They're about making sure you spend on purpose and keeping more of your own money for things that are important to you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Grocery Savings (How much can I actually save a month on groceries)

Most households can cut their grocery budget by 20–40% with regular planning and improved buying habits, saving $80–$200 per month if they spend $400–$500 per month on groceries.

But is it really worth the effort to meal plan?

Yes. Meal planning consistently ranks among the most impactful grocery-saving strategies. Shoppers unencumbered by a plan will spend as much as 23% more per trip than those who show up with a list and a meal plan (American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 2022).

Is a store brand the same as a name brand?

Store-brand quality is on par with name-brand quality for most staple categories—canned goods, dairy, pasta, cooking oils, and household products. In fact, store brands often come from the same factories. Consumer Reports testing frequently shows that generics perform just as well as or better than name-brand products.

So when is it worth purchasing in bulk?

Of course, it pays off to bulk-buy non-perishables you use a lot—rice, oats, canned goods, toilet paper, and frozen proteins. Unless you plan to consume these perishables before they rot, it wouldn't be worth it.

What is the best grocery cashback app?

Ibotta is frequently singled out as the best cash-back app for groceries thanks to its massive array of offers and low payout threshold. Fetch Rewards offers you an easier way to earn points on any receipt without needing to preselect deals beforehand.

How to minimize food waste at home?

Events have shown that you can implement the most effective systems to combat food waste in four key strategies: plan your meals before going to the shop, properly store edibles (thereby prolonging their life), rotate your fridge and pantry using a "first in, first out" rule, and freeze items instead of letting them stand until they run out.

Grocery Savings: Are Costs Worth Joining Costco?

Costco memberships generally offer value to households with three or more people who buy regularly in bulk. Bulk purchases often lead to wasted food when made in larger quantities for single- or two-person households. An alternative middle-ground solution is to share a membership with another household.

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