How to Save a Lot at the Grocery Store

1. Don’t buy pre-packaged goods

Very often, when people want a quick dessert they will run to the store and buy a box of brownies or cake mix and quickly whip that up.

It’s quick and easy, but the truth is, if you go and make your own cake or brownie mix, you can do it ahead of time and you can do it very simply and affordably.

Another thing I like to do is make my own seasonings. I like to use a lot of taco seasoning. A lot of times people buy those packets of taco seasonings and pour them into their meat.

I have learned that chili powder and cumin, mixed together with a little bit of salt and onion powder or garlic powder, will taste exactly like that taco seasoning that costs $.70, and I do it for a fraction of the price.

If you learn how to do things from scratch you will save money.

2. Grow your own herbs and veggies

It’s really simple to grow your own herbs and vegetables, even indoors. If you don’t have any room to grow things outside like big squash plants or tomato plants, you can still grow your own food indoors. It’s very simple.

I have this rosemary plant. If I’m ever stressed out from a really busy and hectic day, I can come and take a whiff of my rosemary. It’s very calming. Not only is it pretty to look at, and really good for different culinary uses, but it’s also got a calming aspect to the smell. That is a really good plant to have on your windowsill.

Basil is a very easy plant to grow. It’s very aromatic and it just adds a really nice flavor to any Italian meal or chicken dish. In my house, we love to eat pesto sandwiches and basil is the main ingredient. The small store-bought containers of pesto can cost up to $4-$5. With my plant, I can make my own pesto at a fraction of that cost and still have leftovers.

I highly recommend you begin to grow some of your own herbs indoors. I’m starting to grow cilantro on my windowsill. I’m hoping it will grow to a substantial amount of cilantro which is so great to have available in the kitchen. We use cilantro every week, so it will really save money on my grocery budget if I don’t have to buy it at the store.

Last week, we had some romaine lettuce and I kept the stem and put it into a cup of water. In just one week it grew some lettuce. Not enough lettuce for a salad, but enough for sandwiches. And all I did was put the end in some water instead of throwing it away.

3. Say yes to picking produce

Always say yes if someone offers you their fresh-grown vegetables. Growing a garden is a lot of work. When you work that hard you do not want to see any of your food go to waste.

Often people have much more produce coming from their garden than they can eat or preserve. If they offer you some of that harvest, be sure to take them up on their offer.

If they are willing to give you some of their harvest, consider offering to harvest it yourself. Not only will it give them a break, but it will also teach you and your children the responsibility and extra effort it takes to grow food.

There would be so much less food waste if everyone thought about how much work went into getting food on the table.

4. Find cheap substitutes for expensive ingredients

This rule applies especially regarding meat. Sometimes we have meatless meals and those are the cheapest meals to make.

When we do eat meat, to stretch our budget further we do things like add rice or pasta. This helps fill everyone up for less money. Beans are a great substitute for protein if you’re looking for a good meatless meal alternative.

5. Set a limit on going out to eat

We enjoy going out to eat but it is a real budget buster. If we set ourselves a limit of once a week, we save so much money. It is easier to eat out but with a little planning and preparation, it is totally doable.

6. Lengthen stretches between grocery store trips

If you can go one or two more days with food that you have on hand, those savings add up in the long run. If you do that two days each week, by the end of the month you will have gained a whole week of no shopping.

This method also reduces food waste. It forces you to get creative with the food you have on hand without having to spend money.

Save a lot at the grocery store

These grocery shopping tips and tricks have made a huge impact on savings for me and my family. I know you probably have a ton of tips of your own on saving money on groceries.

I hope you leave those in the comments section for me.