Grocery Shoppers Are Sharing Their Best Money-Saving Habits, And This Should Be Required Reading Right Now

It’s, unfortunately, far too easy to spend one million dollars a week on groceries these days, so I’m always on the lookout for good money-saving ideas. Recently, I was poking around on Quora and came across some grocery shopping tips that are too good not to share. Here are some of the best ones:

1.“Anything in the center aisles of the store I usually skip, except for a few exceptions, such as the baking and spice aisle, the tuna fish, the peanut butter, rice and beans. Shop mostly along the walls of the grocery store. That’s where the produce, meats, dairy, and eggs are.”

—Angel Nowack

2.“If you have trouble with impulse spending, shop with cash. Going in with only $25 or $50 to spend on the next three days keeps you from buying unnecessary things.”

—Andrea McCurdy

3.“Be organized in your fridge. Sometimes, I tend to buy lots of food just to shove it into the back of the fridge and forget its existence. When I remember it, it’s already expired. A huge waste every time.”

—Minh Nguyen

4.“My grocery offers delivery. For a modest yearly sum, the delivery is at no additional charge. I buy nearly all my groceries this way. The prices are the same as in the store. I don’t do any impulse buying, saving quite a bit. I don’t have to spend time grocery shopping, either. My car doesn’t spend time in a parking lot getting dinged, and I save on gas. Tipping is not permitted. It’s a win-win!”

—Wendy M.

5.“I never go to the store without a list. This might seem obvious, but it’s a lifesaver! I plan my meals for the week, check what I already have in the pantry and fridge, and then write down only what I need. It helps me avoid those impulse buys that always seem to sneak into my cart. Another thing I do is look for sales and discounts. I check the weekly flyers and clip coupons when I have time. Sometimes, I even use those store apps that offer digital coupons and personalized deals. It takes a little extra effort, but it’s worth it to save a few bucks here and there.”

—Yaci

6.“Choose one or two stores near you with generally good prices, and use them for most of your shopping. Don’t go all over town. Space permitting, make fewer, larger trips.”

—Betsy Megas

7.“Eat before you go to the store. When you’re hungry, everything is tempting!”

—Timothy Kiser

8.“Plan ahead. If you need cream for one dish, find another dish that will use up the rest of the cream within a few days.”

—Lynn E. 

9.“Look for the store brand or in-house brand items. Many stores, supermarkets, and online shops sell groceries and food items of their own brands. The price of these items is often less than that of other competing brands.”

—Kushal Parsa

10.“Partially prepare your meals in advance. Try to do some preparations like marination, chopping the vegetables, mixing the spices required for cooking, and other things that can help you speed up your cooking time. When cooking gets easier and quicker, you are less tempted to buy from outside.”

—Kushal Parsa

11.“I always make a list, and I check my list against the weekly sales flyer. Sometimes, if non-essentials are not on sale, but I know it will be soon, I’ll hold off on buying that item. If pantry items go on sale and I know I’m low but not out, I’ll stock up. I always check the expiration date and see if I will use the item by that date.”

—Cali A Taylor

12.“I check the cost per ounce. The items on sale aren’t always the cheapest price.”

—Cali A Taylor

13.“Shop your pantry first. Take a few things out of your cupboard, fridge, and freezer. What do you need to make these meals?”

—Andrea McCurdy

14.“At least half of what we buy is on sale! Our local grocer has weekly sales that come out on Wednesday through the following Monday. I’m there on Wednesday, shopping for the stuff that’s just been marked down.”

—Jan Steinman

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15.“Meal plan based on what will spoil first. For example, if you bought fresh strawberries, you should include them in every meal until they are gone.”

—Andrea McCurdy

16.“In the US, it seems there is a fair amount of produce that is rejected by large grocery stores for aesthetic reasons, e.g., a bell pepper that is half green and half red, and this produce is still often sold at small independent grocery stores. In both California and Maryland, I’ve found Mexican groceries where the produce is half as much as Safeway.”

—Mark Eichenlaub

17.“Buy in bulk when it makes sense, such as for non-perishable items you use frequently.”

—Jerry Tan

18.“I’ve observed many friends who will purchase bulk items at stores like Costco, Sam’s Clubs, and the like but will buy twice as much as they would normally use. So if an item like a super large bag of broccoli is $5 a bag, but you throw away half of it because it wasn’t used quickly enough because it’s just the two of you. Well, realistically, you paid $10 a bag for what you used. Poor purchasing habits.”

—Jim Connolly

19.“Look high and low – not in the middle. The most expensive items are usually put on the shelves where you can easily see and reach them. Some of the less expensive items may be on the higher or lower shelves.”

—Ganesh Sharma

20.“Use a rewards card if your store offers them. By engaging in weekly deals and point bonuses, you can receive anywhere from $5 to $10 in credit toward future purchases. Just be careful with this approach. If you are spending an extra $10+ on items that you don’t need to save $10, then you’re not actually saving money. Only follow this if you are going to spend that amount anyway or if you are using the bulk buy approach.”

—Bradley Dalli

21.“Invest in herbs and spices. These will make food, no matter how cheap, more exciting.”

—Joe Geronimo Martinez

22.“If something goes off in a shop, it’s their problem; if it goes off in your house, it’s yours. Don’t buy food you are going to throw away. It’s fairly easy to judge what you ate all of the previous week. For instance, no one throws away bacon or steak, but perishables and impulse buys ‘that might be a good idea’ do get thrown away.”

—Joe Geronimo Martinez

23.“Use the 60/30/10 grocery rule and spend 60% of your budget on fruits and veggies and 30% on protein such as dairy, fish, and meat. The remaining 10% can be used on snacks and extra stuff that you might need.”

—Avinash Bangera

24.“If you live in a city, go to ethnic neighborhoods and shop in the markets there. A plucked chicken will naturally cost more than one you pluck yourself (I’m not kidding!), but in general, the produce and meat will be MUCH lower-priced than at the big chains.”

—Albert Cornelius Doyle

25.“Use leftovers so nothing goes to waste. You can make four meals from one skinny chicken. Growing up, it went like this: baked chicken on Sunday, chicken and dumplings on Monday, chicken soup on Tuesday, and chicken gravy on toast on Wednesday.”

—Craig

26.“Fruits and vegetables in season are usually cheaper and fresher than those not in season. Try to plan your meals around seasonal produce.”

—Zarita Lopez

27.“Eat more vegetarian meals. Lentils and beans are way less expensive than meat.”

—Jim Estill

28.“If you see something on sale but the grocer is out of stock, ask for a rain check. They are sometimes good for 30 days. Rain checks are given out as an incentive for you to return to the store for more purchases.”

—Howard Hirsch

29.“Use a calculator. Stick to your list and use a calculator as you shop to stay under budget.”

—Rhi Storer

30.“On Tuesday, I saved over $65 on my grocery bill by using coupons. The total bill was $253, I paid $185. Totally sold on coupons and using the online system for my favorite grocery store to have additional coupons on their online system and using their frequent customer options.”

—Susan Zook

31.“Create a menu that revolves around inexpensive ingredients like rice or pasta, for example. If you are unsure of what the costs of food are, visit the grocery store, walk the aisles, and take note of all the food that interests you and what they cost. Then, determine what is inexpensive to you and set a budget for the entirety of the menu or just one dish.”

—Chef John Politte

32.“If you eat meat, buy what’s on special this week and freeze it. Then, plan meals around it for next week.”

—Evelyn Jane Saungikar

33.“Save leftovers and make soup. Even bones that have been gnawed on by family members (maybe not the dog) can be boiled up for trendy ‘bone broth,’ otherwise known as stock. Chop and brown onion, chop up the random odds and ends from the fridge and freezer, and toss them in with water to cover. Make some garlic bread on the side, or even just buttered toast.”

—Evelyn Jane Saungikar

34.“I keep a supply of pantry staples bought in bulk, like several varieties of rice, dried beans, cornmeal, flour, nuts, condiments, and dried fruits. When I make a pot of beans, rice, or polenta, I make enough for three or four meals and freeze in meal-size portions.”

—Pearl York

35.And finally, “Share with friends. You can save by buying in bulk at warehouse stores or at sale prices. You can go a step further and share these bargains with friends. If I buy a three-pack of toothpaste at Costco, I sometimes arrange to share the cost with my children. I do the same with other bulk items. My wife and I have friends over for dinner often and our friends invite us for dinner too. Cooking for a larger group is cheaper, and eating with friends is fun.”

—Jim Watkins

What do you do to save money on groceries? Share your favorite tip or trick in the comments!