Americans continue to spend more on food each year. Cooking at home can help your hard-earned dollars go further, but as you’ve probably noticed, grocery store prices are climbing, too. In fact, the cost of food prepared at home rose by 8.4% in 2022.
Luckily, food spending doesn’t have to take a major bite out of your budget—especially if you know how to save money on groceries using the savviest tips and tricks.
Here, we’ve put together a smorgasbord of 13 grocery shopping hacks that will have your wallet just as well-fed as your family.
Have trouble sticking to your weekly grocery budget? Try going to the store with only that amount of cash in hand. Prefer the convenience of a card? Try purchasing a reloadable gift card for the exact amount you want to spend.
Pair this strategy with a RaiseRight gift card fundraising program. Whenever you purchase a gift card for your favorite grocery store chain or delivery service through a RaiseRight program, you’ll instantly earn money back towards your cause or organization.
Learn more about how RaiseRight works or check out all the grocery brands available on our platform.
These days, modern shoppers can use technology to get the edge over ballooning grocery prices. Some apps can help with every aspect of cost-effective grocery shopping, including:
You might assume that the convenience of curbside pickup and home delivery would cost more, but savvy shoppers may find they can save on food without leaving home.
If your grocery store offers free online ordering and pickup, you can put your order together at home and check each item’s current price against competitors to be sure it’s a good deal. Best of all, shopping from home lets you avoid all those tempting impulse buys.
The savings you rack up by shopping this way may even cover the delivery cost—check your local store’s fee to be sure.
Planning meals in advance lets you sidestep unnecessary purchases while ensuring nothing goes to waste. Meal planning also encourages you to skip eating out or getting takeout, which leads to big cost savings over time.
To plan your meals efficiently:
You may not clip them out of the Sunday paper anymore, but couponing is still one of the best ways to save serious coin.
Wondering how to save money on groceries with coupons? Here are a few tips:
Most major retailers, as well as online brands, offer loyalty programs or discounts when you sign up for their mailing lists. It may seem gimmicky, but those members-only offers can add up over time.
However, there is a catch: you can’t let discounts tempt you into buying items you don’t need or won’t use.
Most major retailers offer member-only coupons and deals via their proprietary apps. A few that are known for offering big savings this way include:
When learning how to shop for groceries on a budget, remember that many generic or store-brand items are identical to the name brand. In some cases, generic items are processed in exactly the same plants as their name-brand cousins, and only the labels differ.
Just how much can you save buying a generic version? One financial advising firm found that using generic items for three dinners a week could save more than $500 a year for a family of four.
Financial experts and eco-conscious shoppers alike champion this tip for being both cost-effective and sustainable. Seasonal produce tends to be more affordable, better tasting, and closer to peak freshness.
Tip: Look for farmer’s markets or local groceries that buy from regional farmers—it’s often cheaper because transportation costs are lower.
Buying in bulk can help you save by reducing the per-unit cost and minimizing the frequency of your shopping trips. Items that are likely to be cheaper in large quantities include:
While convenient, prepared foods are nearly always more expensive (and often less fresh) than preparing foods at home. Prepped foods that can bloat your bottom line include:
You know what we’re talking about: Chips to eat in the car, a quick sugary beverage, and day-old cookies at a can’t-beat-it price. Here are some tricks to avoid the dreaded impulse buy:
Don’t lose money by immediately disposing of food past its sell-by or best-by date. Per the USDA, these dates are “for quality, not for safety.” As long as you handle the food safely, it should be safe to consume if you don’t see or smell signs of spoilage.
The one exception? Infant formula. After its use-by date, baby formula may not contain adequate nutrients for infant health.
By incorporating these helpful tips, you can effectively expand your grocery budget without compromising taste or nutrition.
To elevate your savings game and make even wiser financial choices, be sure to use RaiseRight gift cards for all your grocery needs.
After determining your weekly or monthly grocery budget, buy a grocery gift card via RaiseRight that matches your estimated total grocery cost. Commit to using that specific gift card for your purchases so you can manage your budget seamlessly.
This not only ensures efficient budgeting but also allows you to contribute funds towards your child's school, sports team, music program, or support your chosen church or nonprofit organization!
Here are some next steps to get the ball rolling:
If you're already part of an organization that uses RaiseRight, you just need your enrollment code to create an account and begin earning right away.