Easy Grocery Shopping Tips On A Budget

How do you spend less on food and groceries?

If you’re budgeting your money, you’re probably always searching for ways to cut back.

Your grocery budget is one of the EASIEST places to start slashing when you need to reduce your spending.

Through a lot of research and trial and error, these are the tips I’ve used to save on my grocery bill – to actually cut my grocery bill in half!

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How to Save Money on Groceries

1. Create an easy meal plan

Meal planning is difficult!

It’s embarrassing to admit, but I only started cooking in my mid-20’s. I used to eat out a lot. I knew the key to saving money on food is cooking at home.

When I first started out meal planning, it took me hours per week. It would stress me out to the point where I end up going out for 2 days just to de-stress from meal planning and then repeat!

As a parent, things only got busier. Time is precious. Time spent meal planning is time spent away from my kid or doing other things that are going to even more significantly boost my savings!

When I heard about the $5 meal plan, I was ecstatic! It saves time and money! For only $5 A MONTH, I receive a delicious meal plan that only costs $2/person!

That includes recipes for every night AND grocery shopping lists! That’s as easy as it gets!

There’s variety including all types of meats, some meatless, freezer friendly recipes, recipes using the slow cooker etc.

What I love is that they offer a 14 day free trial (approximately 40 recipes) – regular or gluten-free – that you can cancel at any time with no questions asked.

If you’re confident with meal planning (which I eventually became):

2. Use free grocery store cash back apps

I use this cash back app – Checkout51 – to save money on groceries! It’s free to signup and the cash back process is easy!

All you need to do is purchase an item on their grocery list, you can get money back by taking a picture of your receipt and sending it!

After they’ve approved the receipt, they’ll put the money in your Checkout51 account that you can cash out when you reach a minimum of $20.

Sign up here at CheckOut51 to start earning cash back.

3. Get money back through Rakuten

Rakuten (formerly Ebates) pays you cash back for shopping at any of their 2500 partnered companies, which includes grocery stores!

In the U.S., you can even get $10 for free if you sign up at Rakuten now.

You have to spend $25 within 90 days of signing which should be a breeze since Rakuten is affiliated with over 2500 stores including Amazon, eBay, Macy’s, Kohl’s and Target.

In Canada, there is a $5 sign up offer, which is better than nothing.

Check out my full review on Rakuten.

4. Buy discounted grocery store gift cards

There are online gift card marketplaces where you can buy discounted gift cards including grocery store gift cards that other people are selling.

Gift Card Granny and Raise are two such marketplaces in the U.S.

In Canada, you can purchase grocery gift cards at the Rakuten.ca Gift Card store. I’ve seen Loblaw/Superstore/No Frills/Zehrs gift cards for up to 2.5% off.

I’ve also seen discounted gift cards for IGA, Safeway, Longo’s, Sobeys and Fortino’s.

Bonus savings – you can use your credit card to pay for these gift cards so you can still get your credit card points!

5. Buy an Instant Pot

The Instant Pot has changed my life! We missed the Black Friday instant pot deals and thought we could wait until next year and get it.

But then my husband surprised me on Mother’s Day with one.

My baby was around 5 months and I was stressing out because I could barely find time to prepare food, let alone eat it! I was also worried about how I was going to prepare healthy meals for my baby now that she’s going to start solids.

The instant pot has not only been a game-changing time saver.

It has opened my eyes to this whole world of healthy and delicious eating through pressure cooking! Because it’s so easy to cook meals in the Instant Pot, there’s extra incentive to not eat out. I highly recommend getting an Instant Pot.

If you already have an Instant Pot, Instant Pot accessories will help maximize your use – so you’re saving the most money and time! Here are some of my favorites:

Extra cooking pot: The extra cooking pot comes in handy if you’re cooking multiple recipes or bigger portions like when you’re meal prepping.

There’s the original stainless steel version, but more recently, a non-stick version for sauces, soups, chili, rice cooking, slow cooking etc. I love how the non-stick makes for easier clean-up!

Extra Sealing Rings: If you’ve made both savory dinners and sweet desserts in the Instant Pot, you know how the smell and flavor can stay on the sealing ring and possibly transfer to your other recipe!

I love curry dishes, but I hate it when you make cheesecake with an unintended hint of curry.

If you have extra sealing rings, you can designate one ring for savory dishes and the other ring for sweet dishes.

Instant Pot Accessories Bundle: As an Instant Pot fan, this Instant Pot accessories bundle is exciting! I’ve gotten pieces of this bundle separately. It would have been cheaper to get this bundle instead.

6. Cook extra

I try to make an effort to do this for every single dinner meal. It saves me time and money by providing leftovers for lunch the next day or freezer meals for convenience.

One important aspect to cooking extra is storage.

I’ve purchased plastic and glass containers, brands ranging from Pyrex to Anchor, and different sizes.

I’ve experienced lids breaking after pro-longed use (and they don’t sell replacement lids!). The odor from foods have seeped into the container and even stained it.

In the end, what’s been the best long-term value – what we still use today and haven’t had to replace – are these mason jars and rectangular glass containers.

I use the mason jars to store fruits, vegetables and snacks in the fridge and freezer. I use the rectangular glass containers to store larger quantities of food and meals.

What I love about them is that they’re BPA free. they’re airtight and leakproof, and the lids just easily snap or screw on. The rectangular containers can be used in the oven, microwave, freezer, fridge and dishwasher.

7. Get the best price using Flipp

Flipp is an app that gives you access to all of the weekly flyers and you can search for items to view the best price!

For places that price match, Flipp makes price matching easy! Flipp also has coupons!

8. Plan around what’s on sale

When I became comfortable with meal planning and had many go-to recipes, I started buying based on what’s on sale.

That doesn’t just include what’s listed in the flyer, but also what’s expiring and naturally imperfect.

When I go to the grocery store, I first hit the areas with food that is about to expire. The food item is usually marked between 25-50% off.

Every perishable food section (produce, meat, bread, dairy and ready-made food) either has an expiring area (whether it’s a standalone cart or a designated spot with a label) or the expiring food is in its usual spot among the other food.

Each grocery store is different. Some have more expiring food and some are better at managing inventory and have less.

Sometimes I leave the grocery store buying only expiring food and it is awesome seeing all the 50% off symbols! 

I also buy the naturally imperfect food.

Naturally imperfect food is usually misshapen or discolored, but completely edible and offered at a discounted price.

Some grocery stores actually label the product as naturally imperfect while others have them in an area similar to where the expiring food would be. 

9. Eat meatless a few days a week

Meat is often the most expensive part of the meal.

Using a substitute protein source (e.g. quinoa, beans, lentils etc.) saves a lot of money. For beans and lentils, you can compound those savings by buying dry and in bulk.

Related: Here are 40 vegetarian meal prep recipes you could try out! This list includes breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes to suit different tastes!

10. Organize your food

There was a time when we wasted 25% of the food we bought. What helped us was to organize our food in our fridge, freezer and pantry.

We have sections for milk, cheese, grains, meat, vegetables, fruits, condiments, meals etc.

We use labels for some areas. Being able to clearly visualize what we have has helped us quickly determine what we need to purchase.

At some point, we were contemplating buying a second freezer. Second freezers can be a useful tool depending on your circumstances.

A second freezer means using more electricity. It also provides more space for stocking up and meal planning. If your fridge breaks down, you have a place to put your food so there’s no wastage.

With our growing family and fridges not lasting as long as they used to, we decided to get one. It’s been very handy!

When deciding on a separate freezer, I highly recommend going with an upright freezer as opposed to a chest freezer. It’s easier to organize and see what you have. You won’t have to dig through piles of food to get to the bottom.

11. Grow your own food

Since we’ve owned our house, we’ve had a vegetable garden.

Each year, the vegetable garden has grown and we learn better practices on how to plant and harvest.

Gardening is an art. It’s also a huge money saver. And it’s healthy – you know where those vegetables came from and how they were grown.

Before this garden, I knew nothing about growing vegetables. I hadn’t even owned a plant.

Take it from a newbie like me, just start. Even if it’s just one plant like a basil plant. Once you start, you realize the benefits. 1 basil plant will become 2.

Some of these strategies might not work for your lifestyle. If you try a few out and make them into a habit, you’ll see significant savings.

12. Buy cheap food

To make a big impact on your grocery budget, you can also look for cheap foods to add to your grocery list.

There are many cheap foods that will stretch your budget like:

• Beans
• Rice
• Potatoes

Here’s a list of 27 of the best cheap foods to buy when you’re on a budget.

All of this food is healthy. They’re staples in my household.

Don’t feel like you have to be completely broke to consider buying cheap food! These cheap foods are great for budget-friendly shoppers hoping to spend less on food for their family.

13. Use a meal box or meal kit service

I’m sure I’m not the first person to tell you that meal boxes and meal kits are usually not worth the money!

I’ve tried Chef’s Plate, Good Food, and HelloFresh.

When you open up the meal kit, you usually get a recipe card and a very small serving of protein, vegetables and carbs that supposedly equals a 2 person or 4 person serving, depending on what you ordered.

7 times out of 10, I have to supplement the meals with extra fruit, rice or a salad.

All that said, I do think a meal box service is worth it for the initial promo.

For example, currently, Chef’s Plate has a promo of getting $80 off your first order.

Just remember to make a note to cancel the subscription service before you get charged for the next order.

Bonus cheap food hack: When you cancel, indicate that the reason is because of budget constraints or because the meal kit is too expensive – whatever their wording is that says the meal kit is too costly.

I find that when you do this, every now and then, you’ll get a worthwhile coupon code to reactivate your plan.

When you reactivate it and apply the coupon code, just make sure that you make another note to cancel the service before getting charged for the subsequent order.

14. Make a grocery list

Making a grocery list can save you money because it helps you plan ahead and avoid making impulsive purchases.

When you have a list, you are more likely to stick to it and only buy the items that you need. This can prevent you from making unnecessary purchases or buying items that you already have at home.

Having a list can also help you avoid multiple trips to the store. By planning ahead and buying everything you need in one trip, you can save money on gas and reduce the chance of making unnecessary purchases.

Overall, making a grocery list can help you be more organized and intentional with your shopping, which can ultimately save you money.

If you’d like to use a ready-made grocery list, but still be able to customize the food and household items to reflect your needs, here’s a grocery list editable PDF template.

If you’re in a family of 2, here are tips to create a grocery list for 2 on a budget.

Summary of the Best Cheap Food Hacks

1. Create an easy meal plan through $5 meal plan
2. Use free grocery store cash back app: Checkout51
3. Get money back through Rakuten.com (U.S.) or Rakuten.ca (Canada)
4. Buy discounted grocery store gift cards
   • U.S.: Raise and Gift Card Granny
   • Canada: Rakuten.ca Gift Card store
5. Buy an Instant Pot
6. Cook extra and use quality containers like these mason jars and rectangular glass containers
7. Get the best price using Flipp
8. Plan around what’s on sale
9. Eat meatless a few days a week
10. Organize your food
11. Grow your own food
12. Buy cheap food
13. Use a meal box or meal kit service
14. Make a grocery list

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