Although inflation has cooled down, your grocery trips can still make up a large portion of your monthly spending. In October 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that an average family of four on the “thrifty” food plan spent $975.30 monthly. You can easily spend much more, especially if you buy a lot of meat and name brands.
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The personal finance expert Rachel Cruze is known for her money-saving tips for shoppers. In this recent YouTube video, she suggested the following 12 ways to potentially cut your grocery bill in half.
Check Out Grocery Store Apps
Before heading out, check the apps of local grocery stores so you know which sales they’re having and if there are any coupons available. You can use the apps to do price comparisons, plan your shopping list and decide where to buy specific goods. Cruze just cautioned viewers against potentially costly grocery delivery services.
Plan Your Meals
Keeping your budget in mind, consider taking a weekend day to plan cheap, healthy meals for the week. This will guide your shipping list and avoid the stress of figuring out what you’ll cook after a tiring workday. Plus, you may save more cash when meal planning leads to fewer restaurant trips.
Buy Generics
Cruze suggested picking store brands over name brands for various grocery items. Even if the money saved right away isn’t much, you’ll see bigger effects over time. You can check customer reviews if you’re concerned about quality and read about store return policies.
Shop for Inexpensive Protein Sources
Since meat can get expensive, look for chances to get it in bulk at Sam’s Club, Costco and similar stores. You can just keep the extra meat in the freezer. Cruze also recommended finding out when your grocery store discounts meat products so you can take advantage.
Avoid Buying Unnecessary Grocery Items
Cruze discussed the importance of only getting what’s on your grocery list. This includes not buying extra items that just happen to be on sale or choosing new foods when you don’t have the extra money in your budget. Focus only on your needs to resist impulse buys.
Get In-Season Produce Items
Whenever possible, choose in-season produce items since these will be better for your budget. If you do want out-of-season items, prepare for the higher costs in your food plan. Cruze said you can research online when different veggies and fruits are in season.
Take Advantage of Breakfast Foods
Getting creative with breakfast foods can reduce your grocery budget and be something different for your family. Since you can find plenty of inexpensive breakfast items, Cruze suggested ideas such as having a bacon and pancakes dinner or choosing oatmeal for a snack.
Save With Bulk Items
While you’ll need to factor in yearly membership fees, warehouse stores sell many bulk items that can save you cash and reduce your shopping trips. Just know your needs so you don’t get so much that you end up having to throw out items later. Plus, consider the per-unit prices to ensure you get a good deal.
Freeze Your Extra Food
If you’re willing to cook bigger batches, you could stretch your dishes over multiple days or meals. This can both cut your grocery bill and cooking time. Just put the extra food in the freezer so you can simply heat it up when you need it.
Consider Meatless Meals
Besides buying cheaper products, consider cutting back on how much meat you eat. This could look like avoiding meat completely for a while or just replacing it with a different protein source once or twice per week. Cruze explained, “It will save you money because, on average, people can save around $1,200 a year by cutting meat from your diet.”
Use What’s in Your Kitchen
Before buying more food, check what you already have in the kitchen so you don’t pick up duplicates. Creatively incorporate those existing items into your meals so you reduce waste and save cash. Be sure to use food items with the earliest expiration dates before they spoil.
Try the EveryDollar App
Cruze recommended using the EveryDollar app, which can help you budget for food and other key expenses. Available from Ramsey Solutions, the app is good for setting a food spending limit and watching your grocery spending trends over time. You can use the data to plan for months when your food budget may be higher than usual.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Rachel Cruze: 12 Ways To Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half
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