Do you want to know how to save money at the grocery store? Here are 14 tips on how to save money grocery shopping in 2024.

 

Grocery shopping for a family can be expensive, especially when the price of food keeps going up.

But you can save money on groceries and use that extra money for something else.

Here are 14 tips to help you save money grocery shopping. Many of these tips I apply in my own family of 7, so that we aren’t spending an outrageous amount on food.

 

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1.) Carefully examine produce before deciding what to purchase.

 

 

If you buy items that will ripen more after you bring them home, think about when you’ll use them.

For example, if a recipe you want to use avocado in is in a meal you have planned in a few days from now, get one that is not at its peak ripeness yet, so that it won’t be old by the time you use it.

You also don’t want to buy items that are already old, have bad spots, are starting to mold, etc.

Observe how other items of the same kind look to make sure they aren’t going bad prematurely.

For example, if you want to get a container of strawberries and most of the containers with strawberries have mold, you may want to buy your strawberries someplace else/substitute frozen/get a different fruit instead, etc.

One of the stores I shop at sometimes has this issue with produce, particularly berries. So I always examine not only the container I’m considering buying, but also the surrounding containers to make sure they aren’t starting to mold.

I’m leery of fruit/produce that’s molding without warning when it doesn’t look old enough to go bad yet. Chances are if this is the case, even the ones without mold will get moldy soon, perhaps without warning.

Produce in good condition means your food will last longer, and you’ll save money on groceries.

 

2.) Check best-by dates, and look for items that have later dates.

 

 

In particular, you want to check dates on fresh perishable items (when they have dates on them.)

Some items I personally check dates on are bread, milk, and bags of washed salad or freshly prepped veggies.

Depending on how the store restocks items, you can check the same items behind, next to, or on another level shelf to see if you can find a later best-by date.

The stores might not like me doing this: But I will always opt for a loaf of bread with a use–by date that’s in a week from now instead one that’s tomorrow.

Of course, the use-by/best-by dates are just a guide. They aren’t a guarantee of how long the food will last.

But chances are that the food with later dates will last longer.

When your food lasts longer, you’ll save money with less food waste because you’ll have more time to use it up.

 

3.) Meal plan before you go shopping.

 

 

Meal planning means you know what meals you’re going to make before you purchase groceries.

The meals you plan should always be enough to last you until the next shopping trip after your current trip.

By meal planning, you’ll know exactly what you need to put on your shopping list. So you won’t be buying things you don’t need for your meals, (with the exception of staple items/food you want to stock up on, snacks, etc.)

I am a natural procrastinator. But I came up with a meal plan method that works well enough for me to NOT put it off.

See also: The Top 4 Reasons to Start Meal Planning.

✅ You can get started meal planning with our FREE Printable Flavorful Meal Plan Guide here.

 

Meal planning means you’ll be shopping wisely for items you’ll actually use. And this results in you saving money grocery shopping.

 

4.) Store fresh food in a way that will make it last the longest.

 

 

By storing your food the best way, you’ll find it lasts longer. Some items can be left out, refrigerated, and frozen. Other foods do better in a dry, cool, and/or dark atmosphere.

Did you only need 1/2 an onion for the salad you made? Chop up the rest and freeze it for the next recipe you need cooked onion for!

A lot of frozen items don’t even need to be thawed before they’re cooked.

Did you buy 3 loaves of bread, but you’re only going to use one this week? Pop the other 2 in the freezer until the day / night before you need them. Then let them thaw at room temperature.

I used to be afraid of freezing bread. For some reason, I thought it would taste freezer burned, but that’s never happened. I don’t notice any difference in taste personally.

Just make sure you prep foods & cover them properly no matter how they’re stored.

If you’re not sure how to best store or freeze food, do an online search for how to freeze or store the specific food item you want to preserve.

Granted, there are some foods that really don’t freeze well. But even for those foods, there are often still other ways you can store them to make them last longer.

Food that’s well stored results in food that lasts longer, which means you‘ll save money on groceries.

 

5.) Don’t assume buying ‘in bulk’ is always cheaper.

 

 

Buying in bulk can be cheaper in some cases, but it’s not always.

I‘ve seen way too many times where the larger can of tomatoes, vegetables, etc. actually costs more per unit than the regular-sized one. Or in other words, you’re sometimes better off just getting 2 small cans price-wise.

Be sure to read the details on the price tags. And do your math on the per-unit cost! Some foods save you money buying in bulk, but others will cost you more!

What about membership stores? 

For example, you may shop at Sam’s Club, BJ’s, etc. Like just about any other store, there will be items worth buying for the amount/price, but others will cost you more.

I’ve noticed, at least at the bulk food stores near me, that brand name items are generally cheaper at those stores per unit than elsewhere.

However, for many of the generic brand items, I’ve found I can save money getting them elsewhere in smaller containers.

For perishable food you can save money on buying in bulk, be sure you’ll be able to use it or preserve it until you can use it. Otherwise, buying a larger amount isn’t going to help you save.

Buying in quantities that give you the most bang for your buck will save money on groceries.

 

6.) Make sure you’re not overcharged at the checkout.

 

 

Make a mental, physical, or electronic note of pricing on items you purchase. Then make sure you get charged the displayed price and nothing more. Check your receipt after you go through the checkout.

Sometimes you get rung up for more than you should.

If this is the case, you can be refunded the overcharged amount from the customer service department.

You can also check your local/state/county laws and see if there’s any laws in place that require stores to pay a penalty for overcharging you.

In the county where I live, there is a super refund law where stores are penalized if they charge you a higher price at the register than the displayed price next to the item. 

Where I live, for certain items, stores have to pay you back 10 times the amount they overcharged you. (They have to pay a minimum of $1 to a max of $10, plus the amount you deserve to be refunded for.)

I once got a super refund for $10, plus the $1.86 I was initially overcharged for.

The catch is: You have to know about this, shop in an area where this penalty applies, and specifically request the super refund when you talk to customer service.

Now this is just a local law where I live. But there is at least one other state that has a similar penalty law that I know of.

Make sure you check your local laws to see if there are any pricing penalties/super refund laws in place.

But even if there’s not, if you make sure you aren’t overcharged the advertised price and get your money back if it does happen, this will still save you money. 

Pay special attention to items that have a recently lowered or clearance price. These are more likely to be candidates for items stores will accidentally overcharge you for.

You also want to make sure you aren’t charged for more quantities than you actually purchase.

Not being overcharged for your groceries means you’ll spend less money on groceries.

 

7.) Shop at more than one store and compare sales / prices.

 

 

When I go shopping, I usually go to about 2-3 stores, depending on what I need and which stores have better deals.

This saves me money, because each store has items that are cheapest at that store, versus if I just got everything from one place.

Also, I can’t always find everything on my list at just one place I shop.

Before I go shopping and finalize my planned meals and list, I may also check the local ads for sales.

BUT… keep in mind that just because something is on sale at one place doesn’t mean it’s going to be the cheapest store to get the item at.

This is especially the case for fresh produce that is in season, which may be on sale at multiple stores, and some stores will offer better prices. Not all stores advertise all their deals either.

So pay attention, look around, and compare prices!

Shopping around and comparing prices means you’ll get the best price available on the groceries you buy.

 

8.) Don’t overspend just because there’s a sale or coupon.

 

 

Yes, sales and coupons are great tools to use to save money.

The trick is to take advantage of them when it comes to items you’re going to be needing anyways for your meal plans (or for other household staples/items that you normally use.)

However, if you start buying items you wouldn’t normally get or items that you aren’t going to reasonably use just because it’s on sale, then you aren’t really saving money.

You’re spending more.

Sometimes people also end up paying more per item if they use a coupon, because it’s for a more expensive brand than they’d normally buy.

Even when you find a coupon or sale for foods you need, don’t buy more than you can reasonably use before they go bad.

Using coupons & sales wisely and passing when they aren’t good deals for you, will help you spend less on groceries.

 

9.) Opt for fresh produce that is currently in season.

 

 

When you buy produce that’s in season, it will generally cost less than other times of the year.

Foods that are in season also tend to be in better condition, which means they’ll be more likely to last until you consume them. This eliminates food waste (and in turn a waste of money.)

I’ll sometimes plan meals around foods that are in season. I also normally get fruit each week for snacks and smoothies, so I’ll choose some that are currently in season.

By shopping foods that are in season, you’ll save money on groceries.

 

10.) Take advantage of cash-back apps for grocery items you buy.

 

 

I personally use the Ibotta app to get cash back for grocery items that I would already buy and that we’ll use.

I’ve gotten over $3700 in cash back since I’ve started using Ibotta.

Granted, this is several years worth of savings, and I’m also shopping for a large family. (We currently have a family size of 7, soon to be 8.)

But this is still a pretty decent amount we’ve saved nonetheless.

 

✅ If you don’t already use Ibotta, you can sign up through my referral link.

Currently they have a deal where you’ll get $5 just for signing up and submitting your first receipt.

You can get cash back for certain purchases made online by linking your store account.

Or you can get cash back from purchases in-store by taking a photo of and submitting your receipt.

It’s very easy to use and definitely gives you actual money back when you purchase items listed in their current offers. You just need to make sure you check the offers you’re buying before you make the purchases so you can get the cash back.

Once you reach $20 in cash back, you can transfer it into your account or on a gift card.

There are other grocery cash-back apps, but I currently just use Ibotta, so I can’t speak on which other ones are good to use.

Taking advantage of cash back will help you to save money on groceries you’re already buying.

 

11.) Don’t go grocery shopping when you’re hungry.

 

 

If you go grocery shopping when you’re hungry, you may be tempted to overspend on foods that sound good in the moment but that you don’t really need.

Making sure you already ate before you shop will help you avoid wasting money on snacks or foods that appeal to you when you’re hungry.

 

12.) Always make a budget and shopping list to follow before you start shopping.

 

 

In a survey by Field Agent, 44 percent of shoppers said they believe they spend less when using a shopping list to purchase groceries.

Walking into a store without a list and a plan for what to buy will make you more susceptible to just grabbing things off the shelf that sound good in the moment.

If you don’t have a list, you‘re also more likely to forget to buy staples or food items you need. This means you may waste more gas, money, and time going back to the store for an additional trip.

I also recommend making and following a budget as you make and use your shopping list.

Aiming to stick to both a list and a budget for that list will help you to avoid overspending at the grocery store.

 

13.) If possible, grow some of your own food.

 

 

Even if you don’t have a large yard, you may be able to grow at least 1 or more plants to produce at least some of the food you consume.

Certain herbs can be grown indoors or on a porch, along with other plants.

With herbs specifically, I‘ve noticed that purchasing an herb plant is around the same price as buying them cut.

So it makes more sense to just buy a plant that you can continue to grow, especially for herbs that you regularly use.

 

✅ If you don’t have the space or desire to grow vegetables outdoors, there are also indoor gardening systems you can buy, such as this one sold on Amazon. A lot of people find these easy to use.

Growing at least some of your own food will help you save money on groceries while eating healthy.

 

14.) Take advantage of any local or government programs or resources you qualify for.

 

 

Depending on your location, income level, and family size, you may qualify for government programs or be able to benefit from local resources that offer free or discounted food.

In the United States, there are programs such as SNAP- formerly known as ‘food stamps’- as well as WIC, the latter of which is a program that benefits pregnant and nursing moms and those with young kids.

Some people qualify for these programs based on income and family size. If you genuinely qualify for programs such as these, it allows you to get at least some food for free.

For families/individuals that are in need, there are often other local resources, such as food banks or other organizations, that provide some free food items to people.

The price of food has gone up in many places over the last few years.

There’s no shame in taking advantage of programs or resources if you qualify for them and you’re in a season of life where you need a little extra help.

Just a side note: When you purchase items with your SNAP or WIC card, if they’re items that are current offers on Ibotta, you can still get cash back for them.

As long as you’re purchasing items you/your family plan on consuming/using, it’s legal for you to get cash back from items purchased using an EBT or WIC card.

(What wouldn’t be legal is if you used someone else’s card, sold your card/dollars on your card to someone else, or intentionally purchased items you knew you wouldn’t use, solely for the purpose of getting money back from them. But as long as you’re using your own card for items you’ll consume, it’s okay to use cash-back offers on Ibotta or elsewhere.)

 

So those are 14 smart grocery shopping tips to help you save money on groceries this year.

 

✅ Don’t forget to download our FREE Printable Meal Planning Guide. This will help you plan budget-friendly flavorful meals, the easy way!

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