Hey there, welcome back to Millennial Finance!
Today I’m here to share with you how I save the most money and keep my grocery budget in check each month. Personally, when I take a look at my budget searching for places I can trim, my food budget is the first to cut. Now, typically I spend about $35 give or take at the grocery store each week. Some weeks I spend $50 but some I spend a mere $25. It all depends how flexible I can be with my budget that week and what other expenses I have coming up. I’ll also note, I only go to the grocery store once a week. I don’t supplement throughout the week I simply limit myself to what’s on hand. Now let’s get into it!
Here are my top 4 tips to save you the most money at the grocery store:
- Choose the right grocery store
Growing up I never would have thought I would one day have a favorite grocery store but here we are post-grad and not only do I have a favorite but it has become a highlight of my week. Every Sunday morning I run to Starbucks, windows down and music blaring to treat myself to an iced vanilla coffee with a splash of almond milk and make my way to the holy land – Trader Joe’s. That place is the best thing to have ever happened to me, my very own personal heaven with all my favorite things. Not only do they have an amazing selection of specialty products but as everything is store brand it is all reasonably priced and from my experience, makes healthy eating a breeze financially. You won’t catch me dead inside a Whole Foods for good reason – the same red bell pepper I’d get at TJ’s for $0.99 is $4.00 a pop. Those little price gouges add up fast. Plus – with all their uniquely branded products, the store causes huge temptations that I avoid simply by never stepping foot inside.
Trader Joe’s might not be your little slice of paradise but make sure to shop around your neighborhood grocery stores and find the one you love the most and pay attention to the prices. Find a good mix of quality products and better prices and you’ll hit a gold mine.
- Never shop without a list
This is arguably my most important tip. Aside from not going to the store hungry, shopping with a list will best keep you on track from grabbing all the yummy things you definitely don’t need. I make my list by meals – breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. I normally try to pick-up one fruit/veggie snack and one ‘junk’ for the week. This list also keeps my shopping time to a minimum so I’m left with more time to spend my Sunday doing all my fave activities (bottomless mimosas, anybody?!)
- Shop your pantry
This is something I’ve only recently begun practicing myself and can’t believe I haven’t all this time. As a single, young adult cooking only ever for myself there’s really no reason for me to keep an abundantly stocked pantry and fridge. Each week while making my list I look through to see what I might have leftover, need to use up or what staples I have on hand that I can make into quick and easy meals. This might mean I use the oats I have hidden away to make oatmeal every morning with fresh fruit, or cooking up the leftover pasta with roasted veggies and marinara for a quick dinner. You just have to get creative!
- Don’t be afraid to eat the same thing every day
I know this is boring but once again, as a single, young-adult you just have to make things work sometimes and for me, that means eating the same breakfast and lunch for up to a week at a time. When you find recipes you love, you’ll want to eat them every day too. I normally leave dinner as my treat to switch things up and keep ingredients on hand to make several different, less perishable options so I don’t get bored. It might be a TJ’s freezer meal one or two nights, a homemade ACAI bowl another or my favorite – naan bread personal pizzas. The variety in my dinner holds me over throughout a week of less than exciting lunches.
Hopefully, these tips work for you and save as much money as they have for me over the past few years! I’d love to hear your favorite tips and tricks in the comments below, I’m always looking for ways to save even more!
Till next time,
Ellie
On Top of Your Money 