100 Ways to Save Money on Groceries

These tips will help you reduce your grocery bill by 50% – 65%. I have used most of these tips myself and as a result, I have decreased my grocery bill to $50 a week, which is saving me thousands of dollars a year!

1. Know average prices of foods
2. Use coupons
3. Browse weekly ads
4. Use cash back and rebate apps for groceries like Checkout 51, Ibotta or Walmart’s Savings Catcher
5. Develop budget for groceries
6. Make a meal plan
7. Build your meal plan off weekly sales on meats
8. Stretch meat further by adding it to pastas or rice and serving it with veggies, beans, bread, salad or starches
9. Use a shopping list
10. Grocery shop at ALDI. Prices are 50% less than other grocery stores.
11. Use cloth bags instead of buying new ones (e.g. at ALDI)
12. Buy in bulk (especially for dry goods like oats, pasta and rice)
13. Cook in bulk and freeze the rest for later
14. Shop at Dollar Tree for things like spices and flour tortillas
15. Cook from scratch. Make your own bread, croutons, granola bars, mixes, pasta sauce, salad dressing, and pie crust
16. Buy generic foods
17. Don’t buy convenience and pre-made grocery items. Make your own convenience foods instead.
18. Buy produce that’s in season
19. Only grocery shop once a week or once a month
20. Buy frozen meat
21. Make your own spice blends (e.g. taco and chili seasoning)
22. Have a Meatless Monday
23. Pack your lunch for work and school
24. Don’t waste food or let it go bad
25. Have a leftover night
26. Don’t buy individual portioned foods like cheese sticks, yogurt or small bags of chips
27. Don’t shop hungry
28. Check out your local salvage grocery store
29. Shop the clearance aisles in the grocery store
30. Sign up for loyalty programs
31. Skip the deli
32. Eat breakfast so you won’t overeat at lunch
33. Use your freezer more
34. Divide your meat into portions when you buy in bulk. Portion it a little less than you normally would (3/4 lb. instead of a whole pound) and it will stretch your meat further.
35. Grow your own herbs
36. Don’t buy fresh herbs at the grocery store
37. Grate your own cheese
38. Choose items with less packaging. They will cost less.
39. Have a no grocery week or weekend and just cook what’s in your pantry
40. Use lemon juice to preserve fruits and vegetables (e.g. apples, pears)
41. Make your own yogurt
42. Buy bagged potatoes instead of individual potatoes
43. Know what days to shop to get the manager specials
44. Watch the cashier to reduce pricing errors
45. Buy healthy food instead of junk food. Processed food can be expensive
46. Have breakfast food for dinner. Breakfast food is cheaper.
47. Don’t buy soda or any flavored drinks
48. Buy frozen or canned vegetables when it’s cheaper
49. Substitute inexpensive vegetarian foods such as beans, eggs, tofu, and legumes for more expensive meat
50. Buy a whole chicken instead of just the breasts and use the extra meat to make more meals (ex: chicken salad sandwiches, chicken pot pie)
51. Grow your own fruits and vegetables
52. Use less milk in your cereal, coffee and recipes. Use water as a substitute when you can.
53. Use powdered milk instead of regular milk
54. Make meals from food you already have in your pantry. For example, if you have a lot of canned beans, then think of meals with beans (e.g. chili, bean soup, beans and rice)
55. Pay for groceries with cash. It will make you stick to your budget.
56. Eat produce that will go bad first (like bananas, lettuce and strawberries)
57. Buy frozen fruits for pies and smoothies
58. Buy cheap cuts of meat and make crock pot meals out of them
59. Learn how to can your own fruits and vegetables
60. Cook dried beans instead of canned
61. Use your slow cooker. See my previous post 75 Cheap & Easy Slow Cooker Recipes for some recipe ideas.
62. Shop at specialized stores (e.g. Asian markets, ethnic grocery stores). Items are cheaper there than regular grocery stores.
63. Regrow vegetables (e.g. celery, green onions, romaine lettuce)
64. Stock up on sale items
65. Buy local
66. Avoid impulse buys when shopping
67. Buy produce at farmer’s markets
68. Get a credit card with cash back rewards on groceries. It only helps you save money if you pay it off in full every month
69. Reuse coffee grounds
70. Make your own baby food
71. Make a list of cheap recipes to build your meal plans with
72. Make your coffee at home and take it with you
73. Give up coffee all together, if you can
74. Get a rain check if sale items are sold out
75. Buy bread at bread outlets
76. Use food scraps (bread crust for croutons, apple peels for apple cider vinegar)
77. Buy canned meat and fish
78. Substitute cheap ingredients for expensive ones
79. Time your grocery store trip wisely. Know when the best days and times to go to get special deals.
80. Check unit prices when buying in bulk
81. Do batch freezer cooking
82. Buy a cast iron skillet. It will last you a lifetime.
83. Cook with frugal foods (e.g. beans, lentils, soups, oats)
84. Don’t automatically throw out food that is past its best buy date. It doesn’t necessarily mean its bad.
85. Save bacon grease to use for cooking oil
86. Store food properly to make it last longer
87. Freeze foods to keep them from getting stale or going bad
88. Keep snacks in the car to avoid buying snacks while you are out
89. Drink water
90. Make your own flavored water
91. Don’t buy bottled water
92. Buy a whole ham and get it sliced for cheaper lunch meat
93. Get a reusable bottle for water when you are on the go
94. Install a sink filter
95. Know when to skip organic
96. Join a warehouse club
97. Pay attention to expiration dates
98. Join a co-op
99. Pick your own fruits from an orchard
100. Consider buying a deep freezer to store bulk items for an extended period
101. Don’t eat out or eat out less often
102. Keep an inventory of your pantry so you know what you have and what you need
103. If you buy cereal, buy it bagged instead of in a box. Bagged cereal cost a lot less.