Let's Save Some Money on Groceries!

We are continuing with Part 3 in our series on saving money on grocery shopping. Here are 6 more simple tips to help you save tons of money and bring that estimated $1,000 a month on groceries way down.

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1. Use Coupons…

Nowadays it seems like you can find coupons just about everywhere you turn. Unfortunately, at least half of the coupons I find now are expired but still out there to be found.

Now the question isn't “Where can I find coupons?”, but rather “Where can I find savings that are valid now?”

There are a few great sources of coupons that are updated regularly: the weekly circular in the paper (if you still get the paper, lol), coupons.com, redplum.com, and smartsource.com

After that, I recommend checking each store you visit to see if they have an app (and usually special savings through that app). Ideas of places to check:

King Soopers/City Market/Kroger

Target/Super Target

Costco

Walmart/Super Walmart

Sams Club

Trader Joes

Natural Grocers

Sprouts

Whole Foods

Publix

Earth Fare

Lowes Foods

Any other favorite stores

Pro Tip: Be sure to check for an app as well as for online coupons (sometimes they are not the same) to your favorite store for more savings!

2. …Strategically

Most people want to use coupons right away.

However, to save the most money, pair coupon savings with store sales. SouthernSavers.com is a fantastic resource for finding store sales (to most major grocery store chains) and matching them up with coupon offers.

And remember, stores have sales on regular rotations! If you want to keep track of your favorite items to see how often/what time of year they go on sale, grab our grocery price check sheet!

3. Buy fish frozen and in bulk

At the counter, you will likely find seafood products with very small print saying “previously frozen”. Surprising, isn't it? These seafood products are put on display in such a way as to make you think that you are buying authentic fresh, never frozen, food.

That mirage costs money which gets passed down to you.

Skip these items and buy from the frozen section. You will save up to 40% AND you can thaw the seafood yourself when you are ready to use it.

I even buy my frozen fish and seafood from Costco to buy in bulk so I save even more!

4. Know average prices so you can spot a good deal

If you shop regularly, this might come naturally to you. For example, you might automatically know that a certain favorite salad dressing costs around $3 a bottle, making a sale of $1.99 a good deal or $1.50/bottle a steal.

If, however, you don't normally do the shopping or you shop at a variety of stores (or you just don't naturally remember numbers well), this is where your price comparison sheet will come in handy. Need the sheet? Enter your email below so we know where to send it!

5. Shoot for 1-2 meatless days a week to save money on meat

There are several benefits to having a meatless day or two a week, including saving money on meat.

If you want to save money on your grocery bill each month, experiment with other proteins such as rice, beans, dairy, even tofu. If you spend your money more on rice, beans and vegetables and make a small reduction in how much you spend on meat, you could save up to about $700 a year. What?! Yup.

6. Take advantage of free samples

If you are like me, free stuff always tastes better!

Plus, indulging in a few free samples will help curb your appetite so you are much less likely to impulse shop and overspend. It is way easier to stick to your list AND your budget when you aren't shopping with an empty stomach!

If you haven't read our other post full of tips for saving money on groceries, check it out!

By combining these tips together or mixing and matching what works for you, you can save hundreds of dollars each year (or even each month!) just on groceries! All it takes is a little bit of time and experimenting to see which tips work to help YOU save the most!

We want to hear from you! Comment below: What was your biggest takeaway from these tips?

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