Food shopping at grocery stores is an exercise of convenience. While our forebears hunted, gathered, or farmed whatever they could to get access to sustenance, we stroll through conveniently labeled aisles, scan through an abundance of options, and handpick whatever grabs our fancy. But by thoughtlessly leaning into this easy access, many miss out on subtle ways to cut costs. That\u2019s why we\u2019ve decided to share the best hacks (both do\u2019s and don\u2019ts) to save money on food at the store.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In our previous post, Part I: Before Your Grocery Trip<\/a>, we covered a myriad of ways to save money before even leaving home, but now we give you the best practices to save money right there in the trenches \u2026 or well, the aisles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As mentioned in Part I, you should try not to overwhelm yourself with too many money-saving tactics at once. Pick out a few that seem manageable, and work to make them habits. Then when you feel comfortable, add more techniques to your toolbelt! You\u2019ll know how to save tons of money on food in no time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n * The Don\u2019ts of Grocery Shopping<\/a>*<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s pretty much a guarantee that you can find whatever produce and meat you want at your local grocery store. But the truth is that many of these things will be overpriced \u2014 and less nutritious and delicious \u2014 when they\u2019re out of season. Most grocers display what is<\/em> in season quite clearly, and if you start to shop based on the natural optimal time for your food, you\u2019ll save quite a bit! You can also check a seasonal food calendar<\/a> if you want to plan a meal around what\u2019s in season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When it comes to learning how to save money on food, this is a big one. But because unit prices can be so woefully confusing (oftentimes by design), many shoppers lose out on a shining opportunity to save money on pretty much every kind of item at the grocery store. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Luckily, for those who don\u2019t feel like doing the math manually<\/a>, there are some great apps to easily compare unit prices between various brands and packaging (i.e. frozen vs. fresh). With Unit Price Calculator<\/a> for iOS, Unit Price Comparison<\/a> for Android, or this website alternative<\/a>, you can input the price, unit of measurement, and number of units, and you\u2019ll quickly learn which option is giving you the most bang for your buck! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Pro Tip:<\/strong> Do be aware that with some items, manufacturers can artificially increase the weight without adding substance. Look for things like \u201cenhanced with up to 15% broth\u201d or \u201ccontains up to 22% of a solution\u201d on ham and chicken packaging. Then, factor that into your unit price calculations. For example, if the net weight of a package of sliced ham reads \u201c8 oz,\u201d but it mentions it contains 15% broth, you\u2019re actually looking at 6.8 oz of actual meat: 8 oz – (8 oz x 0.15) = 6.8 oz. <\/p><\/p>\n\n\n\n With items that sometimes add sugar (like peanut butter) check if sugar is high on their ingredient list as this is one of the weight-adding tricks companies pull to make it look like they\u2019re delivering more food than they actually are. Buying items without the added artificial sugar will do both your wallet and your health a favor! <\/p><\/p>\n\n\n\n In some cases, the frozen, canned, or dried form of a food is cheaper than fresh \u2014 especially when the fruit, veggie, or meat is out of season. Compare one of these longer lasting versions in your store with the fresh option to make sure you\u2019re getting the best possible unit price (see \u201cDo\u201d #2 for unit price comparison). The added bonus here is that food lasts longer when frozen, canned, and dried, so you\u2019ll be dealing with less food waste (and less wasted money!).<\/p>\n\n\n\n The assumption is often that there are only deluxe, pricy products behind the grocery deli counter, but the opposite can sometimes be true. Compare the unit prices of things like ham and cheese behind the deli counter to those in the designated meat and cheese sections. Because there\u2019s no packaging, the deli counter can sometimes offer up a better deal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ll often find that spices, rice, nuts, lentils, and many other staples are substantially cheaper in your store\u2019s world or ethnic aisle. You\u2019ll also discover some interesting varieties, and open up your culinary world to new, global horizons. Who said shopping couldn\u2019t be an adventure?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Meat can be one of the most expensive parts of your diet. Check out these two ways to save money when you\u2019re feeling carnivorous:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Buying a whole tenderloin, chicken, or pork loin can substantially reduce the price of meat. When you buy smaller portions, you\u2019re paying for the labor of a butcher \u2014 thus the higher price. But by hopping onto YouTube and watching a quick tutorial, you can learn how to cut up all kinds of meats yourself! Once you get home and portion out how much you want to eat now, just freeze the rest for future meals. Make sure to wrap the remaining meat in heavy-duty aluminum foil and a zip lock bag to avoid freezer burn and keep out other smells from your freezer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Some types of meat are simply cheaper than others. Once you have a grasp on which meats are more of a bargain (i.e. brisket instead of steak), opt for those. You can even approach the person behind the deli counter and they\u2019ll likely be happy to direct you to the more affordable \u2014 but tasty \u2014 options. And if you have the time to slow cook these meats, you won\u2019t be sorry. Even the cheapest meats are mouth-wateringly delicious when you\u2019ve cooked them for 6, or in some cases, 12 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019ve just reviewed a few ways to save on meat \u2014 visit the deli counter, buy bigger, buy cheaper \u2014 but you could also save a lot of money just by eating less meat. When you substitute other protein-rich options like eggs, tofu, or legumes into your meals (or even just a half portion of one of these, half of meat), you\u2019ll save a ton. You\u2019ll also find that even organic eggs are supremely affordable. And who doesn\u2019t like breakfast for dinner? <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you tried \u201cDo\u201d #2 (Compare Unit Prices), you\u2019ll already have noticed that generic brands\u2019 unit prices are almost always cheaper than name brand items. You\u2019re generally only paying for the name and eye-catching packaging, and could be saving a lot of money buying an almost identical product with less \u201cshelf appeal.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n There are a few exceptions to the different-but-equal rule, however. You should potentially avoid buying generic brands of these products<\/a> for health and taste reasons \u2014 or at least check the label for their ingredients! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Stores often stock their longest-lasting products (the ones with the \u201cuse by\u201d date furthest out in time) at the back of the shelf. By grabbing one of these instead of the first and most obvious candidate, you\u2019ll be buying food that lasts longer, and saving money by avoiding food waste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re on a mission to discover how to save money on food, you probably already know to look for sales. We revealed how to plan ahead of your grocery trip with sales, offers, and coupons<\/a> in Part I of this series, but a special, optimum kind of sale will only be available right there in the store. You\u2019ll find this type of discount labeled \u201cManager Markdown,\u201d \u201cReduced for Quick Sale,\u201d or something similar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Essentially, these items are approaching their \u201csell by\u201d date and stores are looking to unload them quickly with extreme price reductions \u2014 sometimes as much as 50%. This food is still very much safe to eat as long as you incorporate it into your meals in the next few days or freeze it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Check where your grocery store displays these items. There could be areas both in the produce and meat sections, or a single shelf near the back of the store. A few stores don\u2019t have a special section, and just label those items in their usual locations. If you\u2019re not sure, just ask an employee! They may also be able to let you in on when<\/em> items get marked for quick sale too. That way you\u2019ll know when to come in and snatch them up before other shoppers can get their hands on them. Markdowns can be competitive fare!<\/p>\n\n\n\n While there are plenty of \u201cdo\u2019s\u201d when it comes to ways to save money on food, there\u2019s a few things to watch out for while shopping\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n We mentioned this tip in Part I, but if you do<\/em> find yourself at the store on an empty stomach, quickly buy a snack and eat it while browsing. It\u2019ll save you from some tantalizing but needless purchases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Stores tend to stock their most pricey items at eye-level. Make sure you\u2019re scanning from top to bottom to avoid falling into this trap!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Avoid \u201ctopping up,\u201d or going to the store to replenish a couple items. It\u2019s just too tempting to add more to the cart! If you do find yourself making these kinds of trips, make note of what you tend to run out of, and buy more of this when you do your next full shopping trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s hard to resist when your kid begs for those oh-so-tasty Lucky Charms, Oreos, or [insert your kid\u2019s temptation here]. You may even end up adding items to the cart just to avoid a full-on public meltdown. Add to that the trickiness of doing price comparisons and markdown-hunting while you\u2019re dealing with child care, and it\u2019s a no-brainer to leave the youngins behind. If you can\u2019t afford to do this, enforce a strict \u201cone extra item\u201d rule. Hopefully they don\u2019t choose filet mignon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Do\u2019s of Grocery Shopping<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n1. Buy What\u2019s in Season<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
2. Compare Unit Prices<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
3. Consider Frozen, Canned, and Dried Food<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
4. Check Out the Deli Counter<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
5. Shop the World or Ethnic Aisle<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
6. Buy Bigger, Cheaper Cuts of Meat<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Bigger<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Cheaper<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
7. Buy Less Meat<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
8. Buy Generic<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
9. Look for the Latest \u201cUse By\u201d Date<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
10. Look for Manager Markdowns<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nThe Don\u2019ts of Grocery Shopping<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Don\u2019t Shop Hungry<\/strong> <\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Don\u2019t Shop at Eye-level<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Don\u2019t Shop for 2 or 3 Things<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Don\u2019t Bring Your Kids<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Don\u2019t Buy\u2026<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n