Want to make the most of your grocery budget? We can show you how to save a TON of money on groceries. Keep on reading for simple tips and tricks that will make a big difference!

family shopping for groceries, from Shelf Cooking

If you've read some of our other posts about budgeting for groceries, then you probably know our general rules. Around here, we spend $100 per family, per month on groceries. And typically, the newbies balk at that number (at least a little bit).

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We don't blame you for being skeptical, but we're here to tell you that you CAN feed your family on a tight budget! These money-saving tips will make it a whole lot easier, so get ready to take notes. Here we go!

HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON GROCERIES: STORAGE & INVENTORY TIPS

free Kitchen inventory printable, from Shelf Cooking

You might be expecting us to kick off this post with a tip about couponing, but the real secret to saving serious cash on your groceries is changing what you do with them when you bring them home. So, here's what you should do:

  • Store Your Food Properly – Wasting food is like throwing money down the drain. Unfortunately, if you don't store your food properly it can go bad before you even know it! Take a few extra minutes to store your fruit and vegetables the right way, and they'll last a heck of a lot longer.
  • Inventory What You Have – If you haven't grabbed our FREE food inventory printables, go do that now. We'll wait! Okay, now start using these worksheets when you bring home your groceries. Write down everything you bought, when it will expire, etc. This will help you a TON when you start meal planning. (More on that in a bit!)
  • Freeze What You Won't Use Immediately – Once you've taken stock of everything you have, go ahead and freeze anything you know you won't use before it expires. There's nothing more heartbreaking than having to throw away meat because you forgot to put it in the freezer! We have a ton of tips for preventing freezer burn, so check those out, too.

These three tips alone will save you money, but we're not done. Remember how we mentioned meal planning? Well, let's talk about it for a bit!

HOW MEAL PLANNING CAN HELP YOU SAVE MONEY ON GROCERIES

learn how to save money on groceries by meal planning, from Shelf Cooking

Wait, another tip that has nothing to do with coupons? Yup! Quick little PSA, you guys. You do not have to spend hours scouring the newspapers and clipping coupons to save money. If you invest your time doing just one thing, meal planning will give you the biggest bang for your buck. Follow these tips:

  • Plan Meals Using What You Have – The next time you make your shopping list, use that food inventory printable to determine what you really need to buy. Planning meals based on ingredients you already have will help you slash your grocery budget in half!
  • Embrace Batch Cooking – We have a pretty simple rule around here. If a meal is freezer-friendly, we make one for now and one to freeze for later. Since you're already cooking, it doesn't take much extra effort to make one more portion. You'll save time on cleanup and prep, and having a ready to heat meal in the freezer will prevent you from spending money on fast food. Read up on creative batch cooking tips for more helpful advice!
  • Cook Meals That Stretch Your Meat – You know how we save money buying meat? We use it sparingly! By making ahead big batches of shredded chicken, pork, or beef, we almost always have something ready to grab from the freezer. And instead of serving a whole piece of chicken per person, we'll use our chicken in recipes like quesadillas, nachos, or pasta. It goes a WHOLE lot farther that way.

Oh, and one more game-changing piece of advice! We add beans to our ground beef. No one even notices; it tastes just as good and makes that beef go way further. Hey, hey, taco Tuesday!

A FEW MORE MONEY-SAVING TIPS

woman washing and prepping fresh veggies, from Shelf Cooking

Okay, we're in the home stretch now, but there are a few more things we need to cover! Follow these final three steps and watch your bank account start to grow. Seriously. You will save money!

PREPARE THE MEALS YOU PLANNED

Maybe you're thinking to yourself, “duh.” Yeah, it sounds mind-numbingly obvious, but you can't save money on groceries if you don't actually use all that food you buy. Cooking your own meals and being strategic when planning is the best way to stick to your budget.

If you start following the advice we shared about planning your meals and keeping a food inventory, then you'll be set up for success. But it's up to you to follow through and execute the plan. Remember to use up what you have available in your fridge, freezer, and pantry first!

BUY IN-SEASON

Did you know that fruits and vegetables cost less when they're in season? They sure do! We wrote a whole post about buying produce in season, so give it a quick read, bookmark it, and use it as your buying guide for fresh fruits and veggies.

If you want to build up your freezer stock, buy a few extra portions of your favorite vegetables when they're in-season. You can chop, prep, and store them for later. Frozen fruit and veggies are perfect for making smoothies, too!

SHOP THE FRONT & BACK OF THE GROCERY SALES FLYER

Don't toss that sales flyer when it comes in the mail! The next time you sit down to plan your meals for the week, take a quick peek at the front and back page and shop the sales. (You can skip the rest. All the good stuff is on the outside.)

Focus on building out meals using ingredients you already have and supplementing with items that are marked down. Oh, and if you spot a killer deal, buy one for now and two for later. Jordan's been teaching this principle for years, and it is a game-changer. Try it and see for yourself!

DO YOU HAVE TIPS TO SHARE?

There you go, you guys! We didn't have you clip a single coupon, but we did show you how to save money on your monthly grocery bill. All these tips are practical and easy to implement; they just take commitment. Trust us; it's worth it.

One last thing! If you haven't signed up for Fetch Rewards, do it. Every time you shop, you'll earn points that you can redeem for gift cards. Use those gift cards to lower your next grocery bill or treat your honey to a fun date night. It's a no-brainer!

Tell us, how do you save money on groceries? Drop a comment below and share your best advice.

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