After having to quit my job, I had to sit down and really look at where our money was going. I had to look for ways on how we can stretch every dollar and trim our monthly household expenses and our grocery bill was a great place to start.
Grocery shopping is probably one of my most favorite errands to run. I was basically considered a ”hoarder” when it comes to grocery shopping. I love creating my own stockpile but the problem was, we were not benefiting from it.
I was not using coupons, I was not buying things that were on sale, I was not even buying things that we really need – I was just buying things that “I thought” we needed and we basically just end up wasting more money.
But now that we were living on one small income, I knew this had to change. This was a bad habit and it’s was just sabotaging our finances.
So, I started to look for ways on how we can cut our grocery bill and I wanted to share these with you too.
That’s why today, I have decided to gather 9 Smart Ways to cut your Grocery Bill.
Whether you want to have more money to add to your emergency funds or if you are on a tight budget, cutting your grocery bills will certainly help you out. So, check them out!
Set a Specific Budget
The key to cutting your grocery bill is goal-setting. You need to be aware of how much money you are willing to spend on groceries every week (or every month).
For instance, what I did was I checked how much money we were spending on our groceries and I try to lower it down by 10-20% each month. Doing this helps us feel more comfortable in cutting our budget for groceries and it helps us stick to it.
Create a list
Always, always make a list. Going to the grocery store without really knowing the things that you need, will only lead to you buying more.
This is what happened to me. I didn’t plan my grocery trips. I went there and just randomly grab things – costing us more money.
So, always make it a habit to sit down and make a list of what you need for the month.
Create a weekly Meal Plan
Creating a weekly Meal Plan will not only spare you the stress of thinking about what you’ll be cooking for dinner, this will also help you save money.
How many times have you had rotten vegetables lying around your fridge? Remember, those rotten vegetables are money wasted.
So, to make sure that no food goes to waste, start creating your weekly meal plan. Saves time and money! Definitely a win-win!
Don’t be afraid to go for Generic
No matter how much we deny it but most of us are very brand specific and sometimes it can be a little difficult to sacrifice that.
And I completely understand however if you want to be able to save more money or if you want to stretch every dollar, you have to be willing to explore and try other options such as store brands. More often than not, you won’t even be able to tell the difference and you’ll be doing your wallet a favor.
So, learn to look beyond the label. Do a little research and find the best deal.
Buy in Bulk (but be smart)
Buying in Bulk has definitely helped me saved a couple dollars. But keep in mind that you just don’t buy things in bulk just because it’s a great deal. You have to make sure that you will use the product before it expires; otherwise, you are just wasting money.
It’s best to go for things that you and you’re family frequently use. Things that you can just pop into the freezer or something that has a long shelf life.
Do a quick inventory
Have you ever experienced buying something that you already have? If so, doing a quick inventory before making a grocery list will be a lifesaver for you.
I can’t even remember how many times this happened to us before. We ended up having more than what we can consume and some of the food just goes to waste.
Doing this helps us keep track of what we still have and keeps us from buying things that we already own.
Learn to DIY
I was never a do-it-yourself kind of girl but after realizing how much money we spend on items that we can just easily create one at home, I did my own little research.
And now, instead of buying cleaning supplies, I learned to create my own. I even create my own air fresheners. They are super easy to create, cheap and chemical free!
Eat Less Meat
Meat is often one of the most expensive items on our grocery lists. So, instead of planning our weekly meals around them or serving them 4-5 times a week, we started looking for other alternatives.
We started looking at other recipes that don’t highlight Meat as the main dish. In that way, we can serve them in smaller portions – helping us save money!
Pay with Cash
Trust me, paying with cash while you’re out grocery shopping is a complete life-saver! This is the best way to be sure that you will stick with your list.
I’ve realized that the more I rely on my credit card to cover for my grocery bill, the harder it is for me to stick with my list and the easier it is for me to give in to temptations.
Paying with cash helps me resist any urge of impulse buying. It helps me weed out my wants and stick with my needs.
Being able to save money, pay off a debt or even achieve financial independence is not impossible. We just have to be willing to change all our bad money habits and tweak our lifestyle.
And learning to trim down our grocery bill is definitely a great place to start. So, try these tips today and let me know how it goes!
What about you? Do you have any tips of your own? Let me know in the comment section below or send me an email, I would love to hear from you!