Saving money on groceries is a great way to make the most out of your money.
Whether you are supporting children, need help on your budget, or just want to save a few bucks, cutting back on your grocery budget can be a great way to save a little money each month and keep a little more for yourself.
Some stores are known for their price matches, while others can help you out with sales prices. Today we will be discussing 8 great ways to save money on your groceries and hopefully will be helping you make the most of your grocery budget.
Finding stores that can help you save money on your groceries can help you save money in the long run and make the most of your budget each month.
Whether you want to stretch your dollars to be able to afford more, or just want to keep a little more for yourself, saving money on your groceries is a great way to maximize your income.
Following are 8 ways to save money on your groceries:
1. Make The Most Of The Places That Price Match:
A lot of stores will price match their competitors, and you can take advantage of that. Most of the time, all you need to do is bring in the competitions ad and you will get that same price instead of having to drive to multiple locations.
That can save you in gas, money, and time if you make your list ahead of time and bring in competitors ad, you can get the best prices from the same store. If you don’t forget to compare prices before you shop, you can save money on several different items.
In order to properly price compare, you need to make sure to make your list ahead of time and check the local retailers to find the best options. Then you take the ads to the store that price matches and get the best prices.
2. Shop At Stores That Offer Online Ordering And In Store Pickup:
Shopping at stores that offer online ordering and in store pick up can save you both time and money (especially if they price match). If you’re lucky, you may even find a retailer who has a better price online than in store and can save by ordering it online.
Then you can set it to pick it up in store, and end up paying less than if you just got it from the store to begin with. Talk about price hacking!
3. Download The Store Apps And Use The Savings Finders On Them:
Many major retailers have their own savings apps that you can download from your app store. These apps can be great because they provide in store offer, store coupons, and can show you specials that you may not see anywhere else.
When you combine that with the price matching and possible online ordering savings, you can potentially be saving a load of cash (as compared to just walking in the store and purchasing what you needed).
Some apps even allow you to check availability and sift through weekly ads for deals also, saving you time and money on every purchase you make.
4. Check For Clearance Items In Each Store For Bargains:
When retailers have a hard time getting rid of merchandise, have replacement merchandise come in, or want to move something fast, they will typically put a clearance price on it to get it out of the store.
These valuable clearance prices can save you a ton of money, even up to 80% of what you would have spent on the original price.
Always check the clearance racks for deals that would not be in the weekly ads or in the apps to see if you have any of the items on your list as a hot bargain! Make sure you familiarize yourself on where all of your favorite stores keep their clearance items.
Remember that some of them have several clearance racks, not just one!
5. Use Coupons For The Store And From Manufacturers:
Both stores and manufacturers have coupons. Sometimes you can stack both types of coupons on top of one another to save double on one product! You can find coupons online, in store, and even the newspaper!
Never turn up a good coupon just because you are shopping at a place that has low prices! Save even more by putting a coupon on top of that great price! Your money will go much further if you use coupons and spend wisely when you shop!
Remember that you can typically use coupons on top of sale prices also! This is great to keep in mind if your necessities are on sale and you have clipped a coupon out of Sunday’s paper to apply to your order.
6. Shop Early:
Early shoppers get the best deals on perishable items such as meat and milk. If you are able to go early, some stores will be marking down the items that are close to their ‘sell by’ dates in the morning.
Getting in on these deals will allow you to save money if you get something that has to be used in only a couple of days!
If you purchase something that is close to the ‘sell by’ date, remember that you can freeze most of it to preserve it if you aren’t going to use it right away.
Check with the managers to see when they mark down the items that are getting close, so you can make sure to get there early enough to snag a deal.
7. Buy Previous Days’ Baked Goods:
Another great place to find a deal on some things is the bakery. In the morning, yesterday’s baked goods will typically be found marked down for quick sale (so they don’t have to throw it away).
There is nothing wrong with bread items that are only 1-2 days old, and just like the other perishables you can freeze whatever you don’t use right away. You can save 10-30% on bakery items that were from yesterday’s stock!
8. Take Advantage Of Rebate Programs:
One more way that you can save some money on what you purchase at the store is to take advantage of programs that give you rebates. There are apps that take a picture of your receipt and pay you back for items that you purchased anyway!
These apps give you money just for showing them that you purchased certain things! Yes, I am serious! Some of the things that you purchased are good for cash back from apps like Ibotta!
Download the app from your app store and create a log in for instructions and lists of things you will get money back on!
How To Save Money Grocery Shopping Summary
All of these are great ways to make your dollar go further at your local grocery store. The more you save, the more you are able to make of your income and stretch your dollars to the max!