Grocery Shopping on a Budget

Well, let’s face it, as with everything else, groceries aren’t getting any cheaper. So, I’ve done my research and come up with ways that will help me do my grocery shopping on a budget. I wanted to be able to help you all too, so I hope this information is useful for you!

• Carefully plan out meals and stick to your list, no matter what – We all try to do this but then we see goodies, etc. that we want and end up with a bunch of items we didn’t need.
• Don’t shop hungry – I’m sure we’ve all been guilty of this at one point or another! This doesn’t pair well with grocery shopping on a budget because we end up with items we don’t need, and many times, they aren’t exactly the healthiest foods on the planet…at least for me they’re not.
• Grocery store reward points – This is a no-brainer. If your grocery store offers anything type of reward points, whether it’s a points card or whatever, take advantage of it. It’s basically free money! I have used a points card at my grocery store for years and it has saved me a lot of money, especially when I really focus on the weekly specials on certain foods regarding the amount of points. They’re different each week.
• Coupons – Speaking of free money, coupons are essential with grocery shopping on a budget. What’s really great is when you pair a coupon with an item that’s already on sale in the store. I remember paying $0.50 for a name brand can of shaving cream before because of this. And any money you save, put it towards a debt. It’s a win-win! Here’s a list of five of the best coupon websites:
  1. coupons.com
  2. redplum.com
  3. grocerycouponnetwork.com
  4. smartsource.com
  5. couponmom.com

  *Side note: There are also brand name websites that offer coupons, such as Pillsbury, Betty Crocker, P&G Everyday, Kelloggs, Johnsonville, Farmland Foods and Campbell’s Kitchen to name a few.

• Comparison shop – We all get flyers. As annoying as they are, they can be used to our advantage when grocery shopping on a budget. Some stores also do price matching so flyers are useful for this as well. Remember too, the coupons you have can be used on sale items making them insanely cheap sometimes.
• Brand names – I admit, there are some items where I just have to buy the name brand. There’s just no comparison. But, there are many items where I will buy the comparable item that is not name brand because it is less expensive. It can save a good amount of money if done on most (if not all) items.
• In-store sale items/coupons – Many grocery stores have in-store sales on, meaning that they aren’t in the flyers. Many also have in-store coupons. I know mine has a wall of them right as you walk in, but some have coupons right near the item they’re advertising.

I hope these tips can help you as I know they are going to help me. I’ve already been applying some of them to my grocery shopping on a budget mission. Please share any ideas of your own!