How to Save $ at the Grocery Store when Groceries are Dang Expensive

What's your weekly grocery budget? I'm willing to bet it's grown by about 50% in the past two years or so. Mine certainly has. And despite having a "budget" (more of a target really), I find myself unpacking groceries and asking myself, "is that all I got?" It's brutal.

I've come up with a few money saving tips for myself and wanted to share them with you. Other than buying what's on sale and working your meal plan around those items, here are a few things that I hope can help you prioritize healthy eating without completely breaking the bank.

Tip 1: Shop in season

Shop in season, and shop locally as much as possible. The least expensive produce can be found at the farmer's market. Buy your produce there every week that the markets run (where I live, that's from May to October). If you cannot shop at the farmer's market, try your hardest to find a grocery store that stocks local produce. This will be less expensive and plentiful, often on sale or even discounted, as well as the exact type of food your body is needing and craving. Examples of seasonal produce include leafy greens in spring (think asparagus, spinach, dandelion greens, etc); berries, lettuces, and tons of fruits and veggies in the summer; squash and corn in the Fall; and onions and potatoes throughout the winter. Mother Nature provides exactly what our bodies need, when we need it - trust this wisdom.

As I mentioned, find a smaller grocery store that stocks local produce year round. This is not usually the larger grocery stores. A smaller grocery store that values local businesses will stock local produce, and have great prices on that produce. Shop there most of the time, and use the larger grocery stores to fill out some of the pantry staples that you need. The bonus here is that a smaller grocery store won't have a ton of options for processed food, so this may help you stay on the path of whole foods.

Tip 2: Stock your freezer with frozen vegetables

Especially in the winter, do this. When on sale, buy these to use in stews, soups and stir fries. Yes, the texture of frozen vegetables will be different - but you're likely not having them raw anyways. Have things like spinach, green beans, broccoli, butternut squash, peppers, etc. ready to go in your freezer so that you can add these to many recipes. The bonus is that they are usually blanched, which greatly speeds up cooking time, as well as pre-peeled and chopped into bite-size chunks. Win-win!

Tip 3: Variety is key

If you have different types of foods that your family will eat, you have more freedom at the grocery store to buy what is on sale / what has the best price. Is quinoa on sale this week? Great, buy a bag and serve that instead of rice tonight. Try different vegetables that you've maybe never served before, if they are a better price per pound. You will reap the benefits of a varied diet with money savings and your gut will thank you for the variety.

Along the lines of variety, teach your kids that foods have seasons, and that you eat according to the seasons. So while they may not get lots of berries in the winter, they can still have lots of delicious fruits like apples and pears. I do NOT buy fresh berries in the winter months (way too expensive, and they go bad so quickly because they're not at all local), although I do have some frozen berries that I will take out and thaw if desired.

Photo by Maria Lin Kim on unsplash.com

Tip 4: Fill out your Meals

Use things like rice, beans, and even bread to fill out your meals if needed. Invest in something like a rice cooker, an instant pot, a bread maker, etc. It will help you fill out the meal a little bit, while also not breaking the bank and adding extra nutrients and fibre to your family's meal. Figure out what your family likes that will be inexpensive, easy and make your meal more satisfying. I use our rice cooker a couple of times per week. You can also heat up a can of black beans (BPA free can!) to which you add some spices. The easiest weeknight meal for us is something like baked fish or rotisserie chicken, roasted vegetables and some brown rice. Easy, quick to prepare, healthy, and not as expensive.

Tip 5: Aim to have a nearly empty fridge

My fridge is honestly so tidy, so we don’t waste very much. The fuller the fridge is, the less interest we actually have in what’s in it. It sounds weird, but we constantly forget about foods in the fridge and stuff goes to waste. Keep your fridge really tidy and aim to mostly empty it every single week. This means you aren’t wasting anything at all. Same goes for the cupboards. You'll know what's in there, and you'll save money by not wasting food that you previously purchased. My freezer is much more full - but I am constantly trying to keep it organized as well so that I keep track of what's in there.

Tip 6: Buy things on sale, especially meat

Look for less expensive cuts of meat, like whole chicken. I almost never buy chicken "parts" - ex. a tray of chicken breasts or thighs, even if a recipe calls for it. Whole chicken on sale is usually a fantastic price, no matter where you shop, so consider buying a whole chicken, going to the meat counter, and asking them to actually cut it and separate it for you (or do it at home yourself). You’ll have the chicken cut into its parts – wings, drumsticks, breasts, etc. This way you can make whatever meal you want using these different parts, or make a giant soup or stew with it. I used to use a whole chicken in a soup, but I now use half and I fill the rest of the soup with more produce and things like grains and beans. I’m getting more variety anyways, so it’s really win-win.

When meat is on sale, consider buying extra, labelling and freezing it for the future. This means that you'll need to make a mental note though, so that you don't forget about it! It should keep for 4-6 months in the freezer if stored properly.

Tip 7: Soups and stews

These are probably the best meals that you can make that are both inexpensive and healthy. The possibilities are endless and you can use up whatever produce you have left in your fridge or on your counter. You can venture into the pantry and see which grains or beans you want to use up - things like rice, quinoa, lentils, canned beans, etc.

For example, if you buy rotisserie chicken for dinner one night, and there’s a good amount of chicken left, make a soup out of it. Remove the rest of the meat from the bones, and slow cook the bones for 12-24 hours. Use a variety of different vegetables in your fridge and freezer to fill out this meal, and add more protein using something like quinoa. 

Tip 8: Buy the right things in bulk

A lot of people are doing this already, but ask yourself what you actually eat a lot of before you start buying in bulk. Things like grains are great for this because they keep for so long. I never buy produce in bulk - it just doesn't get eaten quickly enough. It might work for you if you have a large family, but I find it goes bad too quickly. Luckily, I have two dogs that eat a homemade diet so there is far less waste, but I still aim to only buy the things in bulk that will keep for a long time. Frozen produce is a great thing to buy in bulk, and I often separate it into smaller portions in freezer bags when I get home.

A Few More Thoughts/Tips

• Some affordable foods that go really far are whole foods like eggs. Instead of buying a box of granola bars, buy a club pack of eggs and hard boil a bunch, and keep them in the fridge for a few days. It’s a way more nutrient-dense, blood-sugar-loving snack than a granola bar, and will just generally go farther in your meal plan. Other whole foods with a lot of bang-for-your-buck include carrots for munching, apples, canned fish, and popcorn (instead of chips).

• In my experience, I have found that eating healthy is actually less expensive than eating processed food. A lot of processed food is quite expensive now - even a box of kraft dinner is like $3 now! Cereal is another great example. You can buy a box of cereal for $8 and get maybe 6 bowls out of it, or you can buy a large bag of oatmeal and get many bowls out of it, for the same price or less. And it's a win-win: oatmeal is way healthier. :) Then you can use those oats in your smoothies and baking, so it's more versatile.

• Meat can be pretty expensive, so consider adding in vegetarian dishes a few times per week. Make sure, however, that you are combining foods to make complete proteins. Beans are not a complete protein, for example, and need to be paired with grains (ex. rice). Use the following combinations to ensure your body is getting enough protein:

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Do you have any money saving tips? Please comment below; let's share and help each other out!

#groceries #budgeting #mealplanning #shopseason #shoplocal #budgetfriendly