Want to feed your family well without busting your grocery budget? Read on to learn how to eat great without spending a ton of money!
The average grocery shopping trip can cost anywhere between $165 to $345 in America. Sticking to a budget is one of the biggest stressors in day-to-day life when you’re trying to provide for the family and keep them healthy at the same time.
If these costs are adding up for you, you may be thinking it’s time for a grocery budget. Here’s how to make one.
Setting a Grocery Budget
The first step is to start setting a grocery budget for you and your family. Take into account how much you are actively spending on groceries that go to waste. Then take into account how much you are spending when going out to eat.
By doing this, you are putting a true monetary value on food. Most individuals tend to go out to eat and forget or even refuse to budget for it. A budget can help influence where you want to make cuts and where to allocate money.
Most individuals have different tactics for how to create a grocery budget. This can be a monthly grocery budget, bi-weekly, or even weekly. Everyone has a different approach to the budget due to pay cycles.
Plan Ahead of Time
Going to the grocery store on an empty stomach with no game plan can be damaging for both the budget and your health. When we are hungry and have no idea what to buy, we will pick the most impulsive options. This can lead to overspending and unhealthier purchasing decisions.
By planning the meals and which food to buy ahead of time, you are going in prepared. The shopping trip may even go by quicker thanks to your prewritten list.
Plan for meals that are commonplace in the household already. If spaghetti and meatballs are a staple in the home, don’t eliminate it. Instead, focus on cutting out the meals that are rarely eaten and typically go to waste.
Go Generic When Possible
The generic brand is almost always one of the best options for grocery shopping on a budget. Store brands will often be cheaper. This is because the name brand and the store brand are generally made by the same producer.
The best way to tell if the store brand and generic brand are made by the same producer is to see if the packaging is identical. If they sound extremely similar, have the same packaging, and list the same ingredients, it is a safe bet that it is the same thing.
By going generic, you are also decreasing the amount you will have to spend on specific items. Doing this can increase the amount of food you were going to get or decrease the amount you were originally going to spend. Both outcomes are positive.
Take Advantage of Deals
Grocery stores will often run deals on popular products. It is easy to find two-for-one or BOGOs. This can also decrease the amount you were going to spend over time.
The best place to find these is through the weekly specials that companies put out. There are Kroger weekly specials that directly list everything that will be on sale in the coming days and weeks. This can make planning even easier.
The only downside to this is that it might require you to diverge from your normal food choices. This may require going with brands you are unfamiliar with, but there is rarely any harm in trying something new.
Buy in Bulk
Buying in bulk is a common strategy for making the most of your budget. If you live in a household that goes through a dozen eggs in three days, it might be worth it to go to bulk stores that provide 2 to 3 dozen eggs for a lower price.
Meats that are bought in bulk are a great way to offset the costs of grocery shopping. They can be easily stored in the freezer thanks to vacuum sealing bags that help keep air out. They can then be thawed whenever you plan on using them.
The freezer is a bulk buyer’s best friend. Keeping things frozen for an indefinite amount of time allows people to take even greater advantage of deals, especially when the grocery budget allows for it.
Buy In-Season
Fruits and veggie availability tends to come and go with the seasons. Here in America, people typically will not notice the coming and going, but their wallets will. There is a tendency to buy these food items out of season, which drastically runs up your grocery bill.
By buying fruits and vegetables that are in season, you will save money by not having to worry about a higher price due to imported transportation. This will also create diversity in the diet and make you excited for when the season comes around. This prevents the grocery trip from being boring and buying the same products repeatedly.
Utilize Coupons
Coupons are another great way to increase the amount of food being purchased along with saving you money. Coupons can be found through a variety of different outlets.
You can look for printable and digital coupons through:
- A grocery store’s website or app
- Coupon apps
- Individual brand’s website or app
- Newsletters
- Mailers
Some coupons will only be available through select outlets. Taking time out of the week or month (depending on your budget plan) ensures there is a payoff.
But don’t go too crazy with couponing. Some people have the habit of blowing their spending budget for things they have coupons for but then never use the product. Try and find coupons for items you already use, rather than adjusting your plan to fit the coupon.
Keep Your Grocery Budget Realistic
While a grocery budget is based around saving money, you should not sacrifice your happiness for it. Going too extreme at the cost of your sanity can only make it harder to maintain your budget. Be realistic and realize that cutting too much too fast can lead to the opposite desired outcome.
Start slow and start planning. The process won’t be easy at first as you learn the ins and outs, but the payoff will be substantial for both your wallet and your health.
Check out our related articles to learn more about meal planning.
