3 Tips for How To Stick To a Grocery Budget

Now that you know how much money you should spend. If you don’t, go to this post first to learn all about how to start a grocery budget. *welcome back* It’s time to start figuring out what to buy, right? Learning how to stick to a grocery budget is almost as easy as learning how to start a grocery budget.

By the way, if you aren’t sure how much money you should be spending on groceries, I show you a really easy way to find out in this post. You really might want to start there, seriously. Moving on..

How to save money on groceries?

One: shop your house, first.

My number one tip for how to stick to a grocery budget is: shop your house. Plan your meals and grocery list around the foods you already have in your house.

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Related: How to Simplify Your Time in the Kitchen! There are free printables here to help you get started meal planning! One of my other secrets for how I stick to a grocery budget!

This is the way my mother (and probably yours too) cooked. Always trying to make meals out of what was already in the kitchen and pantry instead of buying all the ingredients for a new recipe she found in her cookbook.

Families have been shopping and cooking this way for years. But, Jordan Page coined this technique, shelf cooking and it makes total sense. Thanks, Mama J!

Listen, Pinterest is amazing, I love it so much. It’s a vital part of my business, too. But it can be bad if your goal is to stick to a grocery budget, or really any budget for that matter. All those pretty things can be pretty distracting, right?

Browsing all these incredible images of these delicious recipes is great. But, if you’re constantly planning your meals around new recipes, you’re going to run into a problem with your budget.

So, shop your house first. Found a new recipe you want to try? See if you have most of the ingredients on hand before adding it to your menu. If not, consider what other meals you could make using what you have already.

Much like the rest of finances, it’s about priorities. Sure, you can make that new recipe even if you have to buy all the ingredients for it. To stay on budget, however, that might mean sacrifices elsewhere in the budget.

That’s ok, too. Sacrifices are a part of sticking to any budget. The point here is to get into the habit of looking around your kitchen and pantry before buying groceries. It will be much easier to stick to a grocery budget if you’re utilizing the resources you already have, instead of buying new.

What groceries should I buy on a tight budget?

Two: Find a sale and run!

Ok, not literally, run. But, take a moment to browse the sales in your area, then pick the store with the best sales and plan the rest of your list from there.

Maybe it’s the store with the best meat prices, maybe it’s the store with the best produce prices. Maybe it’s a killer deal on laundry soap or diapers.

Mind blowing fact: my grocery budget includes all consumables.

Yes, I said it, my grocery budget includes all consumables and not just food products alone. Food, laundry supplies, cleaning supplies, bathroom supplies, pet supplies (if we had one) all included.

Basically, if you can buy it at Walmart or Target and it’s not an electronic, clothing, or decorative product, it’s included in my budget. Why? Because I like simplicity.

While this way of budgeting may not work for everyone, it’s super easy to maintain in the long run. If you’re struggling to keep track of your budget, consider simplifying. It will be far easier to stick to a grocery budget if it is simplified versus trying to juggle several budgets at once.

Losing money, but can’t figure out where it’s going? Making your budget as effortless as possible seems like the right answer, yes? Forget keeping track of several categories, group those categories together.

If you’re in a metro area, browsing sales first is a good way to ensure you’re getting the best deals. Plus, most grocery stores put their ads online these days, so it’s easier than ever to see what’s on sale.

*side note: focus on the front page of the ad and the back page. That’s where the “real” deals usually hide.

Here’s how I handle sales living in rural Nebraska: because my grocery budget includes all consumables, Walmart is almost always cheaper than my local grocery stores. So, it’s not worth it for me to go anywhere else.

Plus, grocery pickup is life at this point, you feel me? Pickup allows me to easily maintain that tight budget while grocery shopping.

How can I not spend so much money on groceries?

Three: one trip to the store!

Do not step foot into a grocery store more than once per week! Don’t do it. Just don’t. I know you may be thinking, but I just need one or two things! mhmmm. When is the last time you walked into a store for one thing and walked out with just that thing? Do you see where I’m going with this?

How can you expect yourself to stick to a grocery budget if you’re constantly running to the store for ingredients? Companies hire these brilliant marketing teams to convince you that you need things you actually had no intentions of purchasing. (genius for them, dangerous for you)

Resist the temptations and avoid the store. It’s one of the best ways to ensure you can stick to a grocery budget.

Do your weekly shopping and be done until the next week. Seriously, if you’re confused each month about where your money is going, pay attention to those small, $1, $2, $5 purchases. Those tiny bits really make the biggest difference!

Productivity tip: it’s much easier to manage little bits at a time versus the whole dang month at once. Apply this theory to your cleaning routine, and watch the magic happen.

Related: How to Get More out of Your Day!

Why is my grocery bill so high?

If you’ve been choosing recipes and buying the ingredients instead of choosing ingredients in your house and finding recipes, prepare to be amazed. Shopping your house first, planning around the best deals, and only going to the store once each week will bring down your grocery bill.

To see what kind of meals I make for my family after grocery shopping on a budget, head to my Instagram!

You might be surprised with how easy it is to stick to a grocery budget when you implement the tips above. It doesn’t have to be complicated. It doesn’t have to happen all at once.

Start by changing one thing at a time. Remember, little bits versus the whole dang thang, ok? Challenge yourself. Get creative. You can do it!

Stay courageous,