How to Save Money on Groceries - Kindness and Cooking

We’re all on a mission to save money on groceries and I have finally compiled a list of nine tried and true tricks on how to save hundreds on our groceries each month and I am so excited to share them with you.

I have another post here on the blog about how we saved hundred of dollars a month but while I was writing it, I realized that it was becoming way too long so this is part two, the food edition.

1. Be aware of what you spend on groceries

I used to think that as long as you weren’t shopping at the most expensive grocery store in town, that you were saving as much money on groceries that you could. Nope! I started surveying all the stores in town and I realized that I was throwing money away! Right when I moved out at 18, I was getting almost all of my groceries at Target. ( I know… you naturally frugal ones out there are probably rolling your eyes and clutching your pearls right now, but cut me some slack!) But then I discovered the magical world of the 99 cent store! *Aladin and Jasmine begin to sing: “Its a Whole New World”* They literally have just about everything! But of course there’s plenty of things they don’t have so that’s what Walmart and Trader Joe’s are for! Also, if you have read “Part 1” of this money saving series, I mentioned that I have a notebook where I keep track of every penny I spend. That is how I found out I was spending way more money than necessary on groceries.

2. Coupon

I will totally admit that this one took some getting used to. I never thought I would have the discipline and the patience to actually do it but when push comes to shove, here we are! There’s a few different ways to make couponing a little easier. I think blogs like Krazy Coupon Lady make it much easier and more fun. Also, websites like coupon.com make it easy because they now have an app you can download on your phone so you don’t have to print any coupons anymore. You just save them to your profile and you can use them at checkout. Also, if you like the old fashioned way of couponing, I suggest investing in some organization tools. Get a notebook and a little mini coupon box and some scissors and your set! Not too big of an investment, right? 😉

3. Stop Eating Out

Every “Money Saving” post always includes this… I know. Even I’ve mentioned this in another finance post here on Kindness and Cooking. But there’s a pretty big reason why. Its so painfully true but so painfully hard to stick to sometimes! My biggest tip is to research “copycat recipes” to your favorite restaurant meals. This will satisfy your wallet and your cravings.

4. Meal Planning

This trick helped much more than I thought it would. We have a white board weekly calendar in the kitchen so I will write out what we will eat each day, breakfast lunch and dinner. And if I’m feeling extra fancy, I will list our snacks as well. (This also helps us to eat healthier and snack on junk food less) That way, when I am at the grocery store, I can only get what I absolutely need and I don’t waste nearly as much food as I used to. Also, with this technique, you can bunch together all of your ingredients to create similar recipes so that there is minimal food waste. Its good for your bank account and the environment!

Here are a few great products to help you with your meal planning

5. Research Different “Money Back” apps/websites

I have tried a few of these websites/ apps and I finally found a few that are worth it and aren’t at all “scammy”. So far, my favorite is ibotta. All you have to do is scan your receipt and scan the items that have “money back” and it goes directly into your biota account and then after you collect, $20, you get all that money! Another fun one is ebates. This one wont help you save money on food but if you like online shopping, you can get anywhere from 1%-10+% cash back when you shop through their website. And honest to goodness, there’s no catch! How cool is that? And the latest one I found is called lozo.com. This is so cool y’all! All you do is enter your grocery list onto their website and the website searches all over the internet to find the coupons you need. I know right? So cool!

6. Stick to Water

This one is a double wammy! This way you save money and you can be a little healthier. We have never been huge soda or juice drinkers so this one wasn’t too hard. Also, so we don’t have to buy water bottles, we invested in a water filter and some fun and super cute reusable water bottles. (I say “invested” very lightly because these were all super cheap aka on sale!) The only beverage I buy now is milk for Jaxon.

Here’s the water filtration system that I’ve been using for a while now that I love:

7. Invest In New Tupperware

Do you find yourself throwing away the last half of your bag of veggies because they went bad before you could put them to good use? You might as well take a few dollar bills and throw it in the garbage with it. Because I work mainly the night shift, I don’t get to make dinner very often so I would buy veggies for a meal and then not be able to use the rest because I would be gone for the rest of the week. Then I discovered Rubbermaid Fresh Works Produce Saver. Whoa! They keep your fruit and veggies 80% longer. I have noticed a huge difference in how long my food stays fresh and how I don’t have to buy veggies as often.

You can find it here:

8. Have a Backyard? Or a Patio? Or Just a Few Windows?

All you need is a little sunlight and a little water and you can grow your own herbs and vegetables. We’ve always grown our own herbs and they are so easy! Most veggies are a little harder to grow (compared to herbs) but with a little practice, you may not have to buy veggies at the grocery store anymore. An added bonus: you know exactly what you are putting in your body. When you grow your own, there are no chemicals involved and its completely natural and so good for you.

I saw this on Amazon and fell in love!! Its an herb box on wheels! This is perfect for apartments that don’t have much (or any) patio space. You can wheel this guy anywhere outside or even in your kitchen! I’m obsessed.. and its on sale RIGHT NOW!

If you’re looking for something a little smaller that can fit on your windowsill, I suggest something like these below. They are pretty small and can fit just about anywhere and of course, super cute.

9. Scour the Ads

This tip goes along with couponing and money back websites but this one is probably the easiest out of the bunch. You know all that junk mail they throw in your mailbox? Stop throwing that out! There are great ads for deals at your local grocery stores. Especially if you’re a meat eating family. I always see tons of deals for the meat and seafood departments.

Thanks for reading my tried and true tips on how our family has saved hundreds of dollars a month on food, groceries etc. Head on over to How We Save Hundreds a Month Part 1 if you haven’t been there already! https://kindnessandcooking.com/how-to-save-money-each-month-part-1/