Continuing with ways to battle inflation, today I’ll cover food shopping. It is a super exciting topic, I know. But seriously, we all have to eat, so why not make an effort to save a little on your food bill? Don’t worry, I’m not going to suggest Ramen every night. Well, then again, I do live in Japan now, so the Ramen is delicious! Eating packaged Ramen may save you a lot of money, but it would probably be pretty terrible for your overall health. If you just go to the store and buy what you want, when you want, you’re probably spending a lot more on food than you need to. I know food shopping is not an exciting topic, but it is one that could easily save you a few hundred dollars per year, if not more.
Let’s get to it. A lot of money can be saved on groceries by simply being a ‘smart shopper.’ It’s easy to become a smarter shopper and save on groceries. Here are a few easy ways to save while shopping without buying less food, just spending less on it:
- Plan out your trip
Yes, make a list when you go food shopping, and STICK TO IT! If you tend to buy a bunch of items you don’t normally get or need at the store, then this may be one for you. If you stick to your list, you won’t spend money on extra items you don’t need. It is fine to go off your list once in a while, but it should be to try new items or the occasional thing you left off your list that you do need, not the soda or candy bar in the checkout aisle (or other impulse buys). - Picking out and buying produce
Growing up, I was fortunate enough to learn how to pick out produce, but this is still a skill anyone can learn at any time! By picking out better produce, it should last a little longer and you shouldn’t be throwing out as much. Take a look at this list of YouTube videos for tips on picking out produce. - Stock up on your regular items when on sale
Do you have kids? Do they have favorite snacks? Do you have favorite foods or snacks? So why not buy those foods when they are on sale? As long as you can afford to buy some extra and have the space to store it at home, getting a few extra boxes, jars, or cans of different items when they are on sale may make sense. Before moving to Japan, I used to buy pasta sauces, frozen pizzas, canned goods, and boxes of kid snacks to tuck away when they are on sale. - Compare Prices
There are some items that many of us buy at least weekly, or sometimes even more than once per week, like fruits, vegetables, milk, eggs, yogurt, and meats. Knowing which grocer sells those staples for the lowest prices can save you quite a bit of money over the course of a year. Before moving to Japan, one example for us was milk – with two little kids, we went through about two gallons of whole milk per week. Among the local grocery stores I shopped at, a gallon of whole milk was $3.89 at one and $3.29 at the other. So over the course of a year, I can save over $60 just by buying milk at one grocer over the other, and that is for only ONE item. - Coupons
If you are a regular shopper, you probably have at least a couple of store discount cards for grocery stores. Most companies have shifted their coupons to being digital, so you’ll need their app to find the coupons you want/need.
I also use Ibotta, which is a coupon and discount app. You can use it for groceries and lots of online shopping and other types of retailers as well. It works a little differently than regular coupons. Your discounts and coupon redemptions get build up into an account, and once you reach $20, you can get a gift card or get a cash redemption through PayPal or a bank account. - Don’t Shop When You Are Hungry
You’ve likely heard that you shouldn’t shop on an empty stomach. Research has shown that you are more likely to buy more food and more unhealthy food if you shop when you are hungry.
What ways do you save on groceries?
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