How to lower your grocery bill? 5 tips.

General

These are universal tips on lowering your grocery bill. I have used these in several countries. So, I will not mention apps that are country-specific since not everyone can use it. These are tips that have gotten me through all steps of my post-secondary education and they are still being applied.

Now, for the fun bit.

  1. Eat like a Vegetarian. I do not consider myself a vegetarian at all. However, being frugal meant learning to cook mainly vegetarian meals. I realized that meat was the most expensive part of my grocery bill and I hated spending so much on it. So, I decided to only buy when on sale and in bulk to have it in the freezer when needed. In the meantime, I began to eat exclusively like a vegetarian. I have some great vegetarian recipes, my most popular one is the vegetarian lasagna.
  2. Buy generic. This goes without saying but the only time you should buy brand name is when it is on sale and cheaper than the generic. The products are just as good as the brand name and in general, it is the same quality but with uglier packaging. Think about it this way… do you want to pay for pretty packaging or the actual item.
  3. Plan meals according to sales. Depending on your grocery store, most sales are printed out on a weekly basis. Before going shopping create a meal plan according the sales. Of course, only buy what you will eat, not just because it is on sale. Another thing I like to do that is along with buying on sale is buying fresh herbs and then freezing it.
  4. Buy frozen. It is best to stay around the outer aisles for less processed foods. However, buying frozen tends to be better than fresh, since they are flash-frozen very soon after picking. Also, it will last longer and you will be able to save it for when you will use it.
  5. Look closely at the price tag. On most price tags, there usually is, in small print, the unit price. This can be shown as ‘price per ounce.’ Take a look at this to make sure you are getting a good deal. What might seem like a good deal because one item is $5.00 and the other is $6.00, but in reality, the $6.00 item is cheaper because of the unit price.

Try and use these on your next trip and let me know if they work for you!

 

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