


When it comes to frugal living, groceries are the first place to start. In America, the average grocery budget can soar upwards of a thousand dollars for a family of four. (Don’t believe me? Check out this chart!)

It is so easy to overspend at the store and blow your grocery budget. It’s even easier to skip the hassle altogether and just order pizza. But don’t you want to make the most of the money you have?

Lowering your grocery spending each month can be simple and convenient with just a bit of planning. These are my tried and true tips that make it so that my family of five eats on $200 a month!

1. Create a Meal Plan

How can you avoid food waste and impulse buying? By creating a plan and sticking to your list!

Meal planning and writing down what you need to buy for the meals that you choose each week is essential to lowering your grocery bill! Not only will it provide convenience while shopping because you have given yourself step-by-step instructions, but it also means that you visit the store fewer times overall. This will save you money on gas and splurges.

I prefer to use a digital planning system. If you want to give my method a try, you can grab my Google Sheets meal planning template from the Freebies Library. The Sheet gives you a basic understanding of my process!

If meal planning is something that you struggle to make time for, I recommend trying MyFreezEasy. It will eliminate the overwhelming aspect of looking for recipes and the meals are all made with a budget in mind.

Even though the service isn’t free, the membership fee is so small that you will easily cover it with the amount of money that you save. 

However, the creator Erin Chase is running a workshop that will get you a free trial meal plan, so there is no risk. Give it a shot!



2. Substitute Recipe Ingredients

Sometimes when I am browsing through my recipes, I come across ingredients where the expense is just unnecessary. Think pancetta versus bacon, or buying sharp cheddar when you already have a block of medium in the fridge.

There is nothing wrong with substituting a cheaper ingredient, or something that you already have on hand. Take a look in your pantry and fridge before heading to the store, and cross off anything that you can substitute. Remember that recipes are a guideline, not a rule!

This post on Allrecipes has a great table of common ingredient substitutions. 

3. Skip Convenience Food

If you are trying to live on a budget, being frugal when buying groceries is essential. Learn more about how to spend less money on groceries.

It’s no secret that buying pre-made convenience food is more expensive than cooking from scratch. Unless you are willing to coupon for savings, try a few simple recipes for your favorites instead of buying them prepared.

Even the items like rice mixes and hamburger helper are costing you more than you think because the serving portions are so small!

4. Shop the Sales

When you are making your meal plan, pay attention to what is on sale at your favorite stores. Choose meals that will use those ingredients if you can. (After checking your cabinets and fridge of course. No money spent is even better than less money spent!)

While you are shopping, check the meat, produce, bakery, and dairy sections first. Buy anything on your list that is marked down for quick sale or that could be substituted for an item that you have on your list. This strategy works even when you are using a meal planning service.

5. Shop Discount Grocery Stores

Saving money on groceries can be tough! Learn how to be frugal while grocery shopping with these simple tips.

Every once in a while, a brand will have an overstock of food, or discontinue an item, but they need to move leftover inventory somehow. Rather than take their losses, they often sell the food at a discount to certain stores. That is how discount grocery stores get such low prices.

You’ll have to pay attention to the expiration dates and beware of inflated prices on other items. However, if you pay attention you can snag some incredible deals on groceries.

These discount stores will vary by region, but they are a great way to save some money. The store that I frequent in my area is Grocery Outlet. Google  to see what you have access to!

6. Shop Case Lot Sales

Many grocery stores have sales where you can buy canned and dried goods in bulk for a lower price. This is one of my favorite ways to save on groceries! Every fall we stock up on staples for the entire year.

I never go for convenience food, only staple ingredients we use often like diced tomatoes and pasta. Because of this, I spend about $300 a year on our stockpile by setting aside $25 of my food budget each month. 

Having most of my ingredients on hand is amazing, and saves me a lot of money and time at the store.

You can grab a cheat sheet of what I buy and why in the freebies library. (Still need the password?)

7. Compare Pricing By The Ounce

Sometimes it can be difficult to compare pricing between brands. The jars are different sizes, or the bottles aren’t shaped the same. The trick is to take a look at the price per ounce. Most of the time, you can find it right on the price tag! This tip alone will save you a ton.

8. Buy Ingredients From The Bulk Section

Buying in bulk is almost always cheaper, but it doesn’t always mean you have to buy a ton of an item at a time. Some stores have a bulk section where there are big barrels full of ingredients like pasta, beans, and cereal just waiting to be portioned into bags.

I love visiting the bulk section in my local Winco because I can get the exact amount of whatever I need. I always buy my spices this way for just pennies.

9. Plan For Convenience, or Stop Eating Out

This seems obvious, but sometimes it just feels good to eat out, right? And sometimes, the effort that making an easy dinner takes is still too much. I mean, how many times have you decided to go grocery shopping and ended up buying pizza on the way home? Don’t worry, I’ve done it too!

The thing is unless we have planned and budgeted for that splurge, we are ruining our hard work! If you know that you will have a night where there is no way to make dinner, plan a fast and easy dinner and budget the cost into your plan. Eating is eating, no matter who prepares it.

Related: The Best Kitchen Essentials to Save You Time & Energy

10. Don’t Go Shopping While Hungry

This is the age-old adage, but it’s worth repeating! Do everything in your power to eat before you go grocery shopping. Even if you are not consciously making decisions to buy more food, it is likely that you will. Everything just looks more delicious when you are hungry!

11. Shop The Right Shelf

When you go into the grocery store, it is like one big walking ad. The store is literally set up to trick you into buying more. Did you know that the most expensive items are placed at eye level, and impulse items are at the end caps and checkout?

Look high and low, and pay attention to those price stickers that we talked about before grabbing what you need. 

In order to avoid overspending, make a commitment to not buy into their marketing tactics. Keep your eyes on that list you made earlier.

12. Don’t Take Your Kids Shopping

I don’t know about you, but I cannot say no to a treat for my kids after a long shopping trip. I quickly realized that I was wasting money, whether at the store or on the way home by taking my kids with me. Now, I avoid taking my kids to the store any time I can.

Instead of letting my children impulse shop, I ask my six-year-old if he has any requests before I go and pick up a few favorites. That way they still get a treat, but it is controlled and on the list!

I know that in theory this makes perfect sense, but what if you just can’t make it happen? Give Walmart Grocery Pick-uo a try. Their prices are usually very close to the lowest I can find, and being able to stay in the car with the kids is AMAZING! 


13. Freeze Perishables

Portion and freeze perishables that are on sale. This is probably the best tip that I could ever give.

Having a large chest freezer enables me to buy meat, cheese, produce, and dairy in bulk. Then I can either use it for my planned freezer meals or portion the ingredients into Ziploc baggies so that I can use it in the future. It’s amazing what can be frozen without a problem. 

I highly recommend buying a freezer. It will pay for itself time and again!

14. Plan to Freezer Cook

Saving money on groceries can be simple with these tips and tricks from a mother of three!

Shopping in bulk means that you will have a lot of the same ingredients at once. I mentioned freezing perishables, but I want to go one step further and tell you to actually start your meals so that these ingredients are convenient. 

I used to have my stockpile, and then just wing it at dinnertime. Now that our lives are more hectic, I don’t have the time to cook on schedule every night. I would get frustrated, and run to the store to get something easy(and expensive!). 

Now, instead of always scrambling, I have started to prep meals, ingredients, and sides ahead of time. It gives me an option that is cheaper than convenience food or take-out, but just as fast and easy! 

I know I mentioned it earlier, but I wouldn’t have been able to make this shift without MyFreezEasy. The service really is that good. 

Bonus: when freezer cooking, dinner clean-up is almost non-existent!

15. Remember The Plan

Make sure that you actually use the ingredients you have! Whether that means freezer cooking, cooking a planned meal every night, or simply snacking on whole peppers, anything that goes to waste is essentially wasted money.

Get into a routine that will help you remember to follow your plan. I like to pull my recipe for the next day out before I head to bed. It gives the food a chance to soften a bit overight, and if I forget, I still have the chance to pull it out in the morning. 

You can also try a visual cue to help you remember:

  • Put a post-it note on your fridge
  • Use a meal planning board
  • Set an alarm on your phone
  • Write it in your planner

16. Use Rebate and Receipt Rewards Apps

The really great thing about using rebate and receipt apps is that all of the effort comes after the shopping trip, unlike with traditional coupons. Don’t miss this simple opportunity to put money back in your pocket.

Ibotta is the most popular rebate app, and for good reason. It offers high rewards and bonuses when you use it, so the cashback can be pretty lucrative. Join Ibotta now for a $10 bonus.

Related: How To Use Ibotta With Walmart Pay

For a receipt rewards app, I really like Fetch Rewards because they track my spending when I scan my receipts. It has helped me a get a hold on my expenses while earning a bit of moolah for snapping a picture. They are accepting new users right now. If you want to give it a shot, you will get a few thousand bonus points by using the code PJ5ME during sign-up. Click here to get started. 

Frugal Living: Groceries

If you follow these tips, you will definitely make an impact on your frugal living grocery budget while still eating delicious and healthy food.

Free up your cash-flow by saving money on groceries and see what a difference some planning can make to your financial goals!

Did you want that Meal Planning Template or Grocery Cheat Sheet? Then Don’t forget to grab the password for the Freebies Library:

Make sure to save this article to reference later! Pin it to your favorite money-saving board on Pinterest:

Did you know that saving money on groceries is one of the easiest money management tips to implement? Stop letting your budget get eaten up by food with these actionable tips! Grocery List on a budget | Money Saving Tips | Budgeting #frugalliving #frugallivingtips #grocerylist #grocerybudget #groceries
Try these easy but effective tips to purchase your grocery list on a budget! Save money on groceries | Save Money Tips | Save Money Ideas | Budget | Frugal Living | Meal Planning on a Budget #frugalliving #frugalivingtips #groceryshopping #groceries #grocerylist
If you are living on a budget or trying to save money, cutting back your grocery cost is the easiest way to get started. Learn how to save money on groceries without couponing.
If you are trying to purchase your grocery list on a budget, then save money with these practical tips.

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