12 Smart Strategies for Saving Money on Groceries Like a Pro

With so many supermarkets and stores offering competitive discounts, saving any more on groceries might seem impossible. This article shares some interesting secrets that can make your trips to the grocery store even more rewarding by offering opportunities for saving money on groceries.  Read these 12 amazing tips to save money each time you go grocery shopping.

Saving Money on Groceries in 12 Easy Ways

1) Track your Inventory in Real Time:

Saving money on groceries can become a natural part of your routine when you learn to track your inventory in real time. This means that you update you groceries list every other day according to the things you run out of in your kitchen cupboard or fridge. The point is to avoid having a standard monthly groceries list where you end up buying things that you already have in your kitchen.

2) Shop Around for Different Items:

This might seem like a difficult thing to do when you have very little time, but it is a very rewarding tip for saving money on groceries. Look around the shops in your neighborhood to find out the prices for basic grocery items. You will find a shop that sells milk for lower than other shops while a different shop would be selling fruits for a lower price.

3) Get Online Coupons:

Gone are the days of coupon supplements that you had to cut out and save in a box. Nowadays, coupons for saving money on groceries are available online for virtually every kind of purchase. Browse some of the popular coupon websites to find those that offer discounts on groceries in your area. Make sure you avail the discount before the coupon expires.

4) Join a Loyalty Program:

If your local grocery store offers a loyalty program, sign up for it immediately. You won’t realize how those points accumulate and translate into significant savings on groceries. However, you must be certain that the particular store offers all the groceries that you need so that you don’t have to shop around and spend more money shopping in different stores instead of saving money on groceries.

5) Shop Strategically:

This one is important if you shop at a supermarket or other larger stores. Avoid loitering for too long in the aisles because that leads to impulse buying. Another useful tip is to take a small cart or basket instead of a larger one so that you don’t feel compelled to fill it up. Avoid going grocery shopping on an empty stomach since the sights and smells of different foods can make you overestimate your grocery needs, leading to a wasted opportunity for saving money on groceries. Opting for a self-checkout line also takes you away from the enticing shopping displays that lead to irrational impulse buying.

6) Ignore the Middle Shelves:

Learn to think like a supermarket manager to find the products that you need. Often, store managers place brands they want to push to the customer on the middle shelves. But these are not necessarily the brands that you want. Those are placed on the top or bottom shelves. Make an effort to scan the entire rack for your favorite brand instead of taking the first brand that you see.

7) Buy Bigger Servings:

Pre-sliced meats and cheeses look amazingly tempting at the grocery stores. However, they cost much more than what it would cost you to buy a bigger piece and have it sliced later on. These are the small things on which customers end up paying approximately 50 percent more than they should. Buying bigger servings is more economical and leads to saving money on groceries as well as fewer trips to the deli at the grocery store.

8) Buy Seasonal Foods:

Seasonal fruits and vegetables are cheaper and a surefire way of saving money on groceries. Not only that, because they are grown closer to home, they are healthier and support the local economy. Another benefit of buying seasonal produce is that they help your body adapt to the seasonal changes in the environment. Buying fresh seasonal produce instead of frozen alternatives leads to savings as well as more nutritious meals.

9) Grow a Vegetable Garden:

This might not be everyone’s cup of tea but it can really help you save on your groceries budget. A small patch of your front lawn or backyard, or even a kitchen sill can be a good place to start growing your own herbs and vegetables. You will have to spend some time initially as you learn how the different plants respond to the lighting and ventilation in your home, but once you learn the ropes, you will see your grocery bills drop sharply.

10) Shop More Frequently:

Making 2 to 3 trips for your monthly shopping actually helps you discover new deals that can help you save on your total amount. Buy the essentials such as flour and breakfast essentials on the first trip whereas meat and vegetables can be bought separately. This way you can avail discounts that are introduced in the middle of the month, creating more opportunities for saving money on groceries.

11) Do the Math:

It doesn’t hurt to take out a few minutes while shopping to compute the amount you have already spent. Take a calculator along to help you. By doing so, you’ll find out if you’ve made some unplanned purchases that could throw your groceries budget off-balance and jeopardize your mission of saving money on groceries. You’ll also be able to correct the cashier if they overcharge you for anything by mistake.

12) Don’t Buy Everything at the Grocery Store:

Your local grocery store might sell a lot of things but that doesn’t mean it sells them at the best price. Saving money on groceries involves doing some good and thorough research. Milk, for example, is usually sold for cheaper at a convenience store. Produce can be bought for cheaper at the produce market. Depending on how much time you have on hand, these trips can save you money and be a rewarding experience as well.