Multiple people have asked me “how can I reduce my monthly food cost” and “how can I make healthy meals on a budget!” Fortunately, I can answer those questions in many ways, which is why I thought it would be a good time to start a series of blog posts called More Bangin’ Food for Your Buck!

Today’s blog post will begin with how to shop more wisely! But first I want to say, the two key behaviors to saving money and eating healthier are cooking your own meals & planning what you eat ahead of time! If you are not good at cooking and/or planning your meals, you can always start learning now! Trust me, you will be happier in the end!

So are YOU trying to spend less money on your grocery bills? 

Below are a multiple ways you can save some moolah! A few bucks can add up and by the end of the year you may be surprised at how much money you actually can save just by shopping with little bit of strategy! You can choose one, two, three, or all ways to reduce your food cost, but the more ways you choose, the more money you will save! Remember it all adds up!

How to Save Money at Your Next Trip to the Grocery Store

1. Know what you want to buy before going into the grocery store: Make a shopping list! This is a key step, but this means you have to plan ahead! Plan your meals for the week every Sunday including a shopping list for ingredients you don’t have on hand already.
2. Do not go to store when you are hungry! This will decrease impulsive buying, which is usually unhealthy food anyways!
3. Buy generic/store brands rather than name brands. You save money and their nutritional value is the same…who knew!
4. Buy foods in bulk.
   • Examples:
     1. Purchase bagged fruits (apples, oranges, etc.): A few bruises are fine! Again, bags are cheaper and they have the same nutritional content as buying multiple individual fruit.
     2. Freeze individual portions of meat that you are not going to use for the meal you planning for.
     3. Freeze summer berries for the winter months.
     4. Store grains/spices in air tight container and freeze/refrigerate nuts and seeds to keep them fresh longer.
     5. Make your own individual/100 calorie snack bags.
        • Buy a large box/bag and put one serving size (or 100 calorie worth) into snack size bags instead of purchasing the already pre-packaged 100 kcal snacks. This is  a big money saver!
5. Stop buying beverages (soda, sports drinks, bottled water, juice boxes, etc.):
   • Drink tap water..it’s free!
   • If you need to buy 100% juice or milk, buy in them in large containers instead of individual servings.
6. Stick to seasonal fruits/vegetables and eat frozen non-seasonal fruits/vegetables.
7. Select the standard colors and sizes of fruits and vegetables
   • Examples:
     • Green peppers rather than red/orange/yellow
     • Red tomatoes rather than green/yellow
     • Red Delicious rather than Honey Crisp
     • Buy whole produce not already chopped/sliced/cubed
8. Shop on Wednesdays and specifically at 8 pm:
   • The stores are get their shipments in on Monday and Tuesday with fresh and discounted foods out on the shelves on Wednesdays!
9. Grow your own vegetables, herbs, and spices: In your windowsill or outdoor pots/garden!
10. Shop at the farmers markets! Go with a list and while shopping think how you will use the vegetables/fruit within a few days before they get too ripe or spoiled.
    • Examples of how to use your fruits/vegetables in bulk, fast and more wisely:
    1. Soup/Stews
    2. Quiche/Egg Casserole
    3. Fruit Salad
    4. Fruit and/or vegetable smoothies!
    5. Freeze chopped fruits/vegetables that you don’t think you will use before they go bad.
11. And of course, save your COUPONS and keep your eyes open for SALES!

(Information from my nerdy brain and a few helpful resources 1,2, 3)

Did you learn something new from this post?!?!

If you did and want to learn more, look for the next blog post in this series!

Please share any more tips you follow to reduce your monthly grocery bill!

We all can learn something new to make your lives easier!