10 Easy Tips for Shopping for Groceries on a Budget
Food is one of most people’s top monthly expenses and learning to shop for groceries on a budget can save you hundreds (or thousands) of dollars every year. Discover the top tips to saving money on groceries while stocking up on delicious, high-quality food!
Ever since my husband and I got married, we’ve looked for ways to reduce our grocery budget without sacrificing the quality of the foods we eat. Fast forward 5 years, add a couple of kids, and transition to being a single-income family, we’ve learned to shop for groceries on a budget while also prioritizing high-quality, healthy food.
Learn how we make it work and how you can shop for groceries on a budget too!
Stop Buying Already-Prepared Convenience Foods
It’s so much cheaper (and often healthier) to do the work yourself! Here are some of the top convenience foods that cost too much and some easy alternatives.
Precut fruits and vegetables – Buy whole or frozen fruit and vegetables instead.
Frozen meals – Cooking meals from scratch is cheaper and healthier. When you have freezer-friendly leftovers, you can freeze them in individual portions for quick, homemade meals when you’re in a hurry.
Frozen pizza – Homemade pizza is cheaper and healthier. If you love the convenience of frozen pizza, check out this simple freezer pizza dough!
Meat patties – Unless you find something on sale, it’s always going to be cheaper to make meat into patties yourself.
Frozen prepared meats – Everything from Asian chicken to chicken nuggets is so much cheaper when you make it at home. If you’re not into complicated recipes, swap foods like chicken nuggets for baked chicken breast.
Deli meat – It’s so convenient, but it comes at a high price per pound. For quick sandwiches, I love using homemade shredded chicken breast or shredded beef.
Premade snacks – They’re fun and tasty, but they use up so much of the grocery budget. Try making snacks yourself, and you’ll be amazed at how much you can save!
Anything individually packaged – Whether it’s cheese sticks, yogurt cups, or mini nut pouches, you’re paying extra for the packaging. Buying the same foods in the larger size and dividing them yourself will save so much money.
Shop In Season
Produce is usually cheaper and better quality while it’s in season, so do your best to only buy fresh fruits and vegetables when they’re in season. You can find when each type of produce is in season on the Seasonal Food Guide.
Use Cheap Cuts of Meat
You can spend a fortune trying to get a variety of cuts of meat! If you’re selective about which cuts you buy, you’ll save so much money. Here are some of the cheapest cuts you can get:
Ground beef – Choose 85% lean instead of 90% to save even more money.
Beef stew meat – It’s usually a little more expensive than ground beef, but if you want to mix things up, it’s significantly more affordable than roast or steak.
Chicken breast – Frozen chicken breasts are usually cheaper than fresh.
Whole chickens – Typically extremely affordable, whole chickens are a great choice. You even get the bones which can be used for broth.
Canned fish – Tuna and sardines canned in water or olive oil are cheap and also a great way to add some fish to your diet.
Take Advantage of Frozen Produce
Regardless of the time of year, frozen fruits and vegetables are a great choice! Typically, they’re frozen fresh at peak season, which helps the prices stay low and the nutrition content high.
Cook From Scratch
This is the #1 tip for groceries on a budget that makes the biggest difference for your bank account! The more you can stop buying at the store the more money you will save. In addition to regular meals, here are some things you can make at home that pay off quickly.
Bread – There’s a reason homemade sourdough is so popular these days! Not only is it delicious, but it’s healthy and so much cheaper than bread you could get at the store.
Yogurt – It’s so easy to make homemade yogurt, and the savings are significant.
Broth – Have you noticed how expensive broth is? It’s crazy! You can make bone broth yourself for a fraction of the cost.
Make Fun Drinks at Home
So much is spent on soda, alcohol, sparkling drinks, and other tasty drinks, but you can cross these off your grocery list!
Instead try drinking more water, home-brewed tea and coffee, and other homemade drinks. If you miss fun drinks like soda or alcohol, water kefir is an easy and healthy alternative.
Shop Sales
If one of your family’s food staples is on sale, stock up! If it’s not shelf-stable, you try to buy extra to freeze.
You can also plan your meals around sales to take full advantage of the discounts.
Compare Prices
These days there are so many places you can buy groceries and the prices can differ significantly. Make sure you’re checking around for the best prices for the foods you eat the most.
It’s smart to compare prices with local farmers too. One place we lived, I was able to get fresh eggs for $2 a dozen. You’ll never know what good deals you might find unless you look!
For non-perishables and non-food grocery store items, you can sometimes even find great deals on Amazon.
This post contains affiliate links which means I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.
Buy in Bulk
If it’s something you know you’ll use, you should try to buy it in a larger size! Buying in bulk saves so much money overtime, and, as a bonus, it reduces the amount of times you need to go to the grocery store.
Even if you have to pay for a membership to a store such as Costco or Sam’s Club, it usually pays off. Because of rewards, each year we get a check from Costco for at least double our membership cost.
Azure Standard is my favorite website to buy in bulk! They have no membership fee, great prices, and extremely high-quality food. You can read my full Azure Standard review for more details on how it works.
Select Budget-Friendly Foods
Grocery stores have so many food options these days, and some are much more affordable than others. For example, no matter the time of year, bananas are almost always the cheapest fruit you can buy.
Make sure you’re comparing prices on produce and other foods before making your selection!
Enter your email address to get the full list of
My Family’s Favorite Budget Grocery Items
How to Shop for Groceries on a Budget – Conclusion
Eating on a budget doesn’t have to be boring! By following these for tips groceries on a budget you’ll save so much money while still eating delicious food.
If it all seems overwhelming, start small! Choose to start comparing prices next time you shop and then implement more of these tips over time.
After a while, when you look back, you’ll be amazed at how far you’ve come!
What are your favorite tips for grocery shopping on a budget? Let me know in the comments!
More Money-Saving Tips
10 Foods You Should Make from Scratch to Save Money
Are Cloth Diapers Worth It? – My Honest Thoughts on Cloth Diapers
The Best Easy Ways to Eat Healthy on a Budget
Azure Standard Review – Comprehensive Review From a Normal Family
