A registered dietitian has revealed her five hacks for saving money at the grocery store — without having to cut coupons or buy in bulk. 

Steph Grasso, 28, from Virginia, has more than 2.2 million followers on TikTok, where shares shopping tips and recipes for meals that are both healthy and budget friendly. 

The influencer recently posted a video of herself shopping for food while detailing her top money-saving strategies. 

‘You’ll be surprised how much these tips actually make a difference,’ Grasso wrote in the caption. 

Dietitian Steph Grasso, 28, from Virginia, revealed her five tips for saving money at the grocery store in a recent TikTok video 

The influencer, who has more than 2.2 million followers, advised only buying foods that are on sale and shopping on the day that your local grocery store discounts items that aren’t selling 

Only buy items that are on sale

Many people plan their meals in advance and have their shopping lists in their hands when they head to the grocery store, especially when they are watching their diet.

But Grasso said there are some benefits to walking up and down the aisles to see what is on sale and coming up with meals based on those items.

‘Figuring out what to make in real time can actually help you become a better cook,’ she explained.

She added in the caption that ‘it’s a fun way to get creative in the kitchen,’ but she doesn’t recommend the tip for beginner cooks.

Grocery shop on sale days

Grasso advised figuring out which day of the week your local grocery store marks down items and go shopping then.

‘Wednesdays are when many grocery stores discount items that aren’t selling quickly, yet they still honor sales from the previous week,’ she explained.

Grasso noted in the caption that she said ‘many’ and not ‘all’ stores.

‘If your store differs from this trend, try shopping on Tuesday or Thursday,’ she suggested.

Grasso explained that grocery store stockers ‘tend to place the most expensive options at eye level,’ so she always checks the top and bottom shelves for cheaper items 

‘Similar to buying frozen veggies, frozen seafood will not only save you money, but it’s just as nutritious,’ she said 

Grasso added that people should also be checking if it’s cheaper to buy two small containers of an item versus one large one

Scan the top and bottom shelves for cheaper items

Grasso explained that grocery store stockers know how tall the average person is and ‘tend to place the most expensive options at eye level.’

The dietitian actually brought her own portable step stool with her so she could easily grab items that were on higher shelves.

‘Look above and below those [eye-level] options, and you’ll often find equivalent choices at 20-40 per cent lower prices,’ she added in the caption.

Buy frozen fish

Grasso breezed past the seafood section and went straight to the freezer aisle to pick up her fish filets during her shopping trip.

‘Fish is always frozen when it arrives at the supermarket, and then it’s thawed out and presented on ice,’ she explained.

‘Similar to buying frozen veggies, frozen seafood will not only save you money, but it’s just as nutritious.’

Check unit prices

Grasso added that people should also be checking if it’s cheaper to buy two small containers of an item versus one large one.  

When she was picking up diced tomatoes, she made sure to compare how much a 30-ounce can costs versus two 15-ounce cans. 

‘You might be surprised by how many times it’s actually cheaper to buy multiple smaller items than to get one larger one,’ she said.