Cut Your Grocery Bill Every Week: Tips for Saving Money on Your Weekly

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Grocery Budget: You’re going to track how much you spend on groceries for a few weeks before coming up with your budget. These numbers must be as accurate and detailed as possible, so be sure to keep receipts!

Once those two things are done, it’ll be time to set an allowance amount of money per week or month – whatever works best for you. Try not to go over this number when buying food items; otherwise, grocery shopping will just become worse than ever!

For a complete look at how much you should spend on groceries, check out this post here.

Make a GOOD Grocery List– The grocery list is one of the first things to go in a time crunch. But you can save so much money by following this one simple trick! Only buy what’s on sale and avoid impulse buys, which are just trapped in your wallet.

The best part about buying groceries this way is that you’ll save money and fill your pantry. When you stock up on items at their lowest point, you won’t be buying the item next week at the total price.

Check out the popular Amazon meal plan pad with a grocery list everyone on Tiktok Loves!

Take advantage of store discounts: Many stores offer in-store coupons and special promotions to get customers in the door. If you’re paying attention, these deals can add up over time and save you some serious cash!

Use price matching apps: Price matching is all the rage right now with retailers because they know customers are looking for ways to save even more money when shopping for groceries. Download one of these apps to help you save money.

Store Brands -Opt for store brands over name brands, and buy only what you need. Check out this post to show you how much you save shopping this way.

Timing-Don’t go shopping when hungry or tired; this will increase the odds that you’ll make impulse buys of foods with higher prices per serving size.

Meal Prep-If you plan your meals for the week, it will help you know how many servings of each food to buy. For example, buying a big pack of ground beef at once is cheaper than buying smaller packs and cooking it up all Sunday- this way, meal prepping during the workweek becomes much easier! Grab my meal planning bundle here.

No Eating out-Limit eating out for lunch to once per week. When dining out, share entrees with your spouse or children to cut back costs. If you need to save money fast, cut out eating out altogether. Check out how much it actually costs when you eat out weekly here.

Meal Prep-When planning meals, stick to the ‘meat and three’ rule; this will save money on meat since it is usually more expensive per pound than vegetables. Plan for five servings of veggies and two servings of meat. Watch the sale cycles for heart and buy only what is on sale.

When to Make a List-Make a grocery list on the weekend and stick to it when shopping during the week, this will save time, money, and mental energy throughout your day.

Choose Cheaper Stores-Shop at Aldi or Costco for staples like milk, eggs, rice, etc., generally lower. If you are on the east coast, check our BJ’s wholesale club. You can grab a discount Costco membership here. Grab a discount BJ’s membership here.

Generic-Buy generic, store brands over expensive name brands and buy only what you need; this will save a lot of money in the long run.

No Eating out-Limit eating out for lunch to once per week. When dining out, share entrees with your spouse or children to cut back costs. If you need to save money fast, cut out eating out altogether.

Start cooking-If you have a large family, make your lunch to take with you or invest in some Tupperware containers. From Scratch-Cooking at home is cheaper than going out to eat. If you are in the kitchen, cooking for a family of four, just by making one less meal each week can save $40-$60 a month. The more you cook from scratch at home, the less processed foods and pre-packaged items your family will eat.

Check out this post of food to make instead of buy.

Bulk Buys-Buy in bulk. When purchasing groceries, buy items that will last a while, such as flour or dry goods, in larger quantities to save money on your grocery bill every week. Shopping at Costco and BJs is a great way to save on bulk pantry staples. Also, buy sale items in bulk when possible to save on the per-unit cost. If you’re at a store with coupons, don’t buy anything that isn’t on sale unless it’s an item your family needs and will use before it expires.

Grab a Sam’s, Costco, or BJ’s membership deal here.

Leftovers-Plan for leftovers by making enough food at each meal to have some the following day; this saves time during busy weeks and cuts down on cost. If you can’t handle leftovers a day or two after- wrap it up and stick it in the freezer.

–Evaluate your grocery list before heading out the door and make sure you’re packing only what’s on it. Don’t be tempted by flashy sale signs. Instead, check out this post on tips to make a money-saving list.

Don’t Run to Store-If you are out of an item at home, don’t head to the store for it. Instead, plan a quick trip if necessary or make do with what is available until you get into town next time. I always Google a substitute when I run out of an ingredient I need for a recipe. If there is one thing you can do to make grocery shopping more accessible, it is to plan plan plan.

Saving money on groceries doesn’t have to be a chore. If you like the idea of healthier eating but don’t have time or inclination to cook from scratch every day, try these ten tips for saving more and buying less. You’ll save both time and money!

Check out my printables to keep you organized and motivated to save money on groceries this week.