How To Save Money on Groceries Without Coupons

Food is essential. But, groceries are expensive. Good thing there are numerous ways to cut costs at the store. I promise, it is possible to learn how to save money on groceries without clipping coupons.

Save your hard earned money for something more fun.. like the electric bill. hehe But before we can get into how to save money on groceries, let’s talk about how much you should be spending on groceries each month.

After all, in order to know if you’re saving, you have to know what you’re spending, right?

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How much do you spend a month on food?

I go into more detail about this here. But, in a nutshell, take the number of people in your family times $100. That’s a great place to start for your monthly grocery budget.

Related: How to Start a Grocery Budget

However, because one of my number one savings tips is limiting how often you’re at the store, I break that monthly budget down farther, into weeks. So take that number you just calculated, and divide by four.

Related: 3 Tips for How to Stick to a Grocery Budget

Perfect, now you have your budget, let me show you how to save money on groceries. There are several ways to make the most of your budget. But first, you need a meal plan and grocery list.

1. Check out the bulk size.

For example, instead of buying the standard size spaghetti sauce, buy the one that has two or three jars in one. Then, either incorporate that into your meal plan for the week, or freeze the excess. Yes, it will freeze, just fine.

Related: How to Meal Plan on a Budget.

Wait! Don’t put that giant container of spaghetti sauce in your cart just yet, you have to look closer, first.

2. Pay attention to the price breakdown

Calculate how the price breaks down to the price per pound, per ounce, per unit. Sometimes, similar products are packaged in different sized packages by different brands. So, it’s important to be mindful of how the price breaks down.

The cheaper item upfront is not always the cheapest option, overall. Apply this tip when buying bulk, especially, but also when comparing prices of different brands or looking at a sale item.

Buying the bigger size is often a great idea! However, there are times when the standard sized items are actually cheaper per ounce than the larger quantity. So, be mindful, and pay attention to those price breakdowns.

What is the cheapest way to grocery shop?

This next tip was one of the first ways I learned how to save money on groceries. So for me, it has always been a no-brainer. It wasn’t until I went grocery shopping with friends as a teenager that I discovered that this is not how everyone shops.

3. Buy generic as often as possible.

Store brand, or off-brand products, are often just as good, if not better than the name brand stuff. I think this has become even more true over the last several years: generic products for the win!

side note: Um, have you tried Walmart’s version of Chik-fil-a sauce? So, so good! It’s their Chicken Dipping Sauce, find it in the ketchup/dressing aisle.

Why should you buy generic products?

When you buy a name brand product, part of what you’re paying for is that brand. Companies typically have marketing and other administrative costs tied up in the brand, so they charge more for the product to cover those costs.

Whereas with a generic product, you’re mostly paying for the product because you aren’t going to a see a commercial for Great Value Ketchup. Makes sense, right?

Don’t forget to check out the price breakdown per unit, though, occasionally you’ll find a cheaper name brand item. Do this especially when there’s a sale on the name brand product. Compare to how the sale price breaks down versus the regular generic price.

4. Stop buying one use only ingredients.

So you found a recipe that looks amazing but it has a few ingredients you know you likely wouldn’t use in any other recipe. Find a substitute, omit it, or skip it altogether.

You can learn how to save money on groceries while still enjoying your meals, you just might have to get creative. If it’s a recipe you really want to try, find a substitute or see about just omitting that ingredient.

A quick Google search could produce several substitutes that are just as good. Try to find something that you have on-hand already or at least will use again in other recipes.

Sometimes, it’s ok to just not include an ingredient. This is often the case when the not-so-typical ingredient is a spice. Don’t buy an entire jar of some off the wall spice for one recipe. The recipe will likely still taste great without it!

How do I get better at grocery shopping?

If you’re unsure how you keep overspending, this next tip may be your trick to learning how to save money on groceries. Humans are creatures of habit, let’s make sure you learn some helpful habits, ok?

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5. Buy in-season produce

Shopping in-season can save so much money. When produce is in season, it is naturally cheaper because the supply is greater. Supply vs. demand, high school economics class anyone? *cringe*

Take a look at the guide, then plan your meals around the fruits and vegetables that are currently in season. When that’s not feasible, try this next tip for learning how to save money on groceries.

6. Supplement fresh produce with frozen.

Opt for frozen produce, especially in the off-season. I know, nothing beats fresh produce. But, in the off-season, it can be so much more expensive.

It’s best to spend wisely on produce. For dishes where the produce isn’t the star, frozen is usually a fine substitute. Save your money for dishes where produce is the star, or the main focus, of the recipe. Or save that recipe for a time when that particular produce is on sale.

7. Do the prep work yourself.

Do your best to set aside an hour or two for prep work for the week. Chop, slice, dice, and make your own foods. Apply this to produce and deli items, especially, but also be mindful of individually wrapped foods, too. Do you really need those granola bars?

I know, you’re busy. Listen, I had four kids in less than eight years and two of them require a little extra from me. Believe me, I get it.

So this is going to come down to what you’re willing to give up in any given week. Focus on doing your best with whatever you’re given. Make the best of it, that’s what they say, right?

Just try to be mindful of how you’re spending your time and money. If you have a really busy week coming up, maybe opting for more convenience foods is necessary. On the contrary, if you have a slow week, avoid the convenience foods and do more of the prep work yourself.

If you’re sending lunches to school with the kids or taking a lunch yourself, invest in some decent to-go containers to avoid overspending every week on individually wrapped snacks, especially the fresh foods. This applies to drinks, too.

This tip also goes back to buying in bulk and paying attention to the price breakdown. Individually packaged items like applesauce, fruit cups, yogurts, cookies, or chips are probably cheaper in bigger size packages. So opt to divide the portions up yourself whenever possible.

Want to be super healthy? Skip the pre-packaged stuff, most of the time. But that’s a story for another day.

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How can I spend less money on food?

8. Buy two for now, one for later.

I know, you’re trying to learn how to save money on groceries, and I’m teaching you how to spend more. But listen, just hear me out, ok?

Shelf cooking, using what you already have in your kitchen or pantry, is one of the best ways to reduce your food costs. But, it’s impossible to do that if your shelves are bare, right?

Related: What Is Shelf Cooking? How Can It Help You?

So, when you find a good deal, buy two for now and one for later, if your budget allows that week. This is a great way to stock up on items you use frequently. Even if you keep a small stockpile, you can save more money on groceries over time.

Related: 3 Tips for How to Stick to a Grocery Budget

Pay close attention to sales around holidays. Oftentimes, stores will have some of their best sales before a holiday when people are spending more to prepare for holiday parties or events.

Take advantage of those deals and save the extra for later. Plus, if you’re like me, and you like to do shelf cooking challenges a few times a year, having a decent stockpile makes it SO much easier!

Related: Shelftember 2019

9. Cut the meat.

If you’re a meat eater, I’m guessing that a large percentage of your food bill goes towards meat purchases. Don’t worry, mine does, too.

However, in discovering how to save money on groceries, it’s important to think outside the box a little bit. So, I present to you, Meatless Monday.

Or whatever day of the week you like, but the point is to try to cut out meat for at least one day of the week. Doing so will save you quite a bit of money on groceries.

Remember just a second ago when I said to pay attention to sales around the holidays? This tip especially applies to meat. Think about Thanksgiving or Christmas and the meats that people typically purchase: ham or turkey. What about Memorial Day or the Fourth of July, steaks, hamburgers, hotdogs anyone?

You can find great deals on meats and it will all freeze and be as good as fresh months after the holidays have passed.

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How can I get groceries for less?

10. Look to the top and bottom shelves.

Don’t shop at eye level. The products on the shelves at eye level are likely the more expensive items. To avoid over paying for the same products, look to the top shelves or down to the bottom shelves and avoid the middle.

Remember that tip about buying generic? The cheapest generic items are typically at the very top or very bottom. Look there first.

11. Shop the perimeter.

The middle aisles of the grocery store are typically full of prepackaged, processed foods that can be detrimental to your budget. While outer edges of the grocery section are usually reserved for produce, meat, dairy, and the bakery.

Most of the time, shopping the perimeter of the grocery section will help you save money on food. That’s if, of course, you utilize one of the earlier tips about doing the prep work yourself. Put back the bag of chopped lettuce and buy the head, ok?

12. Browse the clearance shelves and day old bakery rack.

While you’re browsing the bakery section on the outer edge of the store, check out the day old rack. This is a great place to get clearance bakery goods that are much cheaper than the fresh bakery items.

Sometimes the clearance breads are even cheaper than the breads typically found in the bread aisle.

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Bonus tips for how to save money on groceries

1. Order online and use grocery pickup

For me, it’s Walmart because I live in the middle of nowhere. But where you live, it could be another store. Browse the weekly deals of your local stores and choose the one with the best deals. Then, order online and pickup at the store to avoid those unnecessary purchases that may catch your eye.

This is one of my favorite tips for how to save money on groceries. I know, I may say “one of my favorite” excessively, but I’m indecisive. There’s just too many extremely helpful tips and tricks for saving money. I’m a frugal nerd, ok?

2. Utilize cashback and deal apps

–Ibotta is my very favorite grocery shopping app. When I actually go into the store, I check it beforehand to see if there are any good rebates to use. One year, I was able to pay for airline tickets to Florida for our family of five’s (at the time) family vacation just from my Ibotta earnings alone. It has expanded tremendously since I first started using it years ago. Now, you can use it to pay for your purchases both in store and online and earn cash back as a result. They have a browser extension now, too! Which means you can easily use it to save even more when you use a grocery pickup service!

–Fetch Rewards is one of my favorites because it’s so simple and flexible. You earn points by uploading a picture of your receipt or linking your email to get credit for digital receipts. That’s it. Just shop as usual and take a picture of your receipt. Then, redeem your points for one of the numerous rewards. You can even donate your earnings to a charity listed on the rewards page.

–Drop. This is another cash rewards app. You can link your card and redeem points automatically when you shop at a retailer they’ve partnered with. Or shop through the app and earn points, too. Then, you can redeem your rewards for gift cards. While this isn’t my favorite for grocery shopping, I’ve included it because of the amount of stores and brands they’re partnered with. They tend to have pretty valuable bonuses, too. So it’s worth checking out, especially if you’re a frequent shopper and/or traveler.

–Dosh. This one is really similar to Drop. You can link you cards/accounts to your account and earn automatically when you shop at places they’ve partnered with. Again, not my favorite for grocery shopping, but they are partnered with so many popular brands, it’s worth the mention.

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So, there you have it, some of my favorite tips for how to save money on groceries. These are tips that I use every single time I buy groceries. They’re just engrained in my brain at this point. Head on over to my Facebook or Instagram and tell me your favorite way to save on groceries!

Until next time,
Stay courageous,