Want to know the secrets to saving more money on food? (Spoiler–It’s not always using coupons!) We’ll share how to cut your grocery bill in half.
Let’s face it–food is expensive. The average family spends just over 10% of their household income buying groceries–over $6,000 a year–and even while average wages have gone down, the price of food keeps going up. When you are just trying to feed your family, that is a pretty scary prospect.
That said, as more and more people are beginning to realize, coupons can be a great way to save money on food. If you’ve ever watched TLC’s Extreme Couponing, you probably already know that sometimes those savings can be quite dramatic. The problem is that those dramatic savings often come from seasoned coupon users who have spent countless hours clipping & sorting coupons and searching for the very best deals.
Quite frankly, who has time for that?
A few weeks ago I was asked by the nice people at WINK News to share some tips for saving on groceries. They tagged along as I prepared for one of my own shopping trips, and then as I shopped with Kristen, a single mom of 4 who had never used coupons before and was looking for some practical ways to cut her food budget in half.
For Kristen and probably every other average mom (or dad) who is just trying to save some money on groceries, the idea of all that time and energy on a single shopping trip was not only overwhelming, it was unrealistic. However, as I explained to Kristen, it IS possible to cut your grocery bill in half without spending all your time clipping coupons. In fact, even if you never clip a single coupon, you can still save significant money on your grocery bill just by changing the way that you shop.
Like anything in life, you have to find the right balance. That balance won’t be exactly the same for everyone, but there are 5 tips I shared with both Kristen and WINK that everyone should know:
I’m going to let you in on a little secret that the producers of TLC’s Extreme Couponing (and every food company and grocery store chain out there) don’t really want you to know: Extreme grocery savings do NOT, for the most part, come from the coupons. The bulk of your savings will come from the store sales. The better the promotion, the bigger the savings, so the FIRST step in saving money on your grocery bill is to SHOP THE SALES.
Always, always, always buy food when it is on sale or at its rock bottom price. And by this I mean really on sale, as in 30-50% off the regular price, not one of those “Surprising Low Price” items. (The surprise is that it’s not really on sale!) Compare the store sale ads in your area to find out which stores have the best sale prices, and keep an ongoing price list so that you KNOW when something is a good price.
This does NOT mean that you should buy food just because it is on sale, but instead be on the lookout for sale prices on the food your family normally buys, whether it be all whole foods, organic, or gluten free. Almost everything goes on sale eventually.
Don’t assume you know which store has the best deals until you’ve actually checked–you may be surprised at what you find. Here in Florida, for example, many people assume Publix is the “expensive” store, but when you compare sale ads you will find that Publix consistently has the best sales week after week. Many people also automatically assume that Walmart has the best prices, but most sale prices at a traditional grocery store will beat Walmart’s “everyday low price.” While it has not yet come to my area, I have also heard amazing things about Aldi, so if you are lucky enough to have one in your area, definitely take the time to check it out and compare prices. Because in the end, it is all about the price you pay.
Thus, your goal from now on is to only EVER buy an item when it is at its lowest price. Period.
In order to only ever buy an item at its lowest price, you must buy enough of it while it is on sale to last until it goes on sale again. This is key. Most items go on sale every 6-8 weeks, which means you need to buy enough to last your family that long. If you buy only a weeks worth, you will be forced to pay more the next time you need it because you didn’t buy enough.
Let me make it more clear with an example. Say your family eats 2 boxes of Honey Nut Cheerios every week. The regular price for Honey Nut Cheerios is $4.50 a box, but when you go to the store this week, you see it is on sale for only $1.99 a box–more than 50% off the regular price! Instead of buying only 2 boxes like you normally would for your weekly shopping trip, you buy 12 boxes–enough to last your family for the next 6 weeks at less than half the price you would normally pay.
At first it may seem counterintuitive to be buying more than you normally would instead of less. However, because you are shopping the sales each week, you will be buying a larger quantity of a smaller variety of items, which means your overall grocery bill will still go down. The goal is to build up your own mini-grocery store in your pantry which you can then use to plan your family’s meals.
Remember that a well-varied stockpile does NOT have to take up a whole room of your house, and you do NOT need to accumulate a whole year’s worth of food. Sale cycles generally run about 6-8 weeks, which means your stockpile should contain about 6-8 weeks worth of a nice variety of food. It also means that it will take about 6-8 weeks before you’ve built up a nice varied stockpile and will start to see the most dramatic savings in your grocery bill.
Furthermore, stockpiling does not mean your family has to only eat a diet of processed food. There are plenty of healthy options for stockpiling, including beans, rice, whole grain pastas, whole grain cereals, frozen vegetables, cheese & other dairy products, canned tomatoes, & more.
Going vegetarian just a couple times a week could save you as much as $1,000 a year. Meat costs usually account for a significant portion of people’s grocery bills, so cutting out even a little will make a big difference over time. One of the ways my own family has kept our grocery bill to around $200-300 a month is by eating very little meat and honestly I am shocked at the prices whenever I do buy meat!
I have personally been a vegetarian for almost twenty years, which makes it a little easier for me to come up with creative meat-free meals. However, since the rest of my family is NOT vegetarian, I do make an effort to cook meatless meals that even my meat-loving husband and kids can enjoy.
Here are some of our favorite family-friendly meat-free recipes:
I realize that not everyone wants to become a vegetarian, so when you do buy your chicken, beef, or pork, remember to stick to the principles above–buy only what is on sale, and stock up if it is a great deal. Be sure to also check out these ideas for more great ways to save on meat.
If you normally wing it when it comes to meal planning, running to the store several times a week for last-minute dinner items, this step won’t be as painful as you might think. Instead of running to the store for your dinner supplies you’ll be able to run to your stockpile–a ready-made grocery store right in your own home. You may even find that maintaining a nice, varied stockpile by shopping the sales once a week saves you a whole lot of time, in addition to saving you from the expensive impulse and last-minute buys.
For those of you who normally plan your meals then make your shopping list based on that plan, this adjustment may be a little harder. However, you can still make it work if you get into the habit of planning your meals around what’s on sale and around what items you already have on hand in your stockpile. By minimizing the number of non-sale items you need to buy each week you will find that you can plan your meals in advance and still cut your grocery bill in half.
One great meal-planning resource that I have been really impressed with E-Meals. For as little as $5 a month you can receive a customized weekly meal plan based on your own store’s weekly sale ad. The simple recipes are delicious and family friendly, and although the service isn’t free, it does take a lot of the stress out of trying to plan meals around what’s on sale. They even have a great new app that allows you to get your shopping list, meal plan, & recipes right on your phone or tablet. You can also try it for FREE for two weeks!
It is not by accident that using coupons is the last item on this list and not the first. Coupons can and do save you a ton of money on your grocery bill, but only if you follow these other steps first. When and if you make these changes in the way you shop–getting into the habit of shopping for only what’s on sale, buying enough to last your family 6-8 weeks, eating less meat, and planning your meals around your stockpile and what’s on sale–you will see a dramatic drop in your grocery bill, even without clipping a single coupon.
When you begin to match coupons to the things that are already on sale you will see savings that are even more dramatic–50 to 60% off your grocery bill or more! Doing this consistently, week after week, you can literally cut your grocery bill in half.
Learning to match coupons to store sales is not nearly as confusing or intimidating as it might sound. Two years ago I wrote a very easy-to-follow 8 week series called The Beginner’s Guide to Coupons that has since taught thousands of people how to do it, from the very first step of just getting started to making your first shopping list to building a stockpile. It breaks down the whole process into manageable “baby steps,” complete with assignments to get you going, and it is completely free.
One of the most common complaints I hear about coupons is that they are all for unhealthy processed food. While this is to some degree true, there ARE coupons available for healthier food options too. There are almost always coupons available for things like yogurt, cheese, soy or almond milk, frozen vegetables, oatmeal, coffee & tea, gluten-free foods, cereal, and basic pantry staples such as pasta, canned tomatoes, and rice. There are also plenty of coupons available for non-food items such as shampoo, toilet paper, paper towels, cleaning supplies, and over-the-counter medicine.
The important thing to remember is that coupons come last, not first. Don’t buy something just because you have a coupon–manufacturer’s count on that! Wait for the sale, then use the coupon. Changing old patterns and shopping habits is never easy, but with these simple changes you really can cut your grocery bill in half.
Just think of what you could do with an extra $75 a week!
If you love this resource, be sure to check out our digital library of helpful tools and resources for cleaning faster, taking control of your budget, organizing your schedule, and getting food on the table easier than ever before.
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This is fine if you can go shopping once a week and have the extra money to stockpile on just a few items each time. I don't. I live in the country about twenty miles from the nearest grocery store so gas alone would break me! I garden and put my food up by canning, drying, and freezing. This is our big savings. I also cook completely from scratch. Much better than convenience foods made by some factory. Just the thought of what "might" be in their scares the hell out of me!
As far as meat goes...we go shopping once a month and stock up on each stores sales. I make up menus with these meats throughout the month (or even longer)
Eggs...I have my own chickens for those and the taste difference is amazing as well as healthier.
I think your ideas are fine if you have a large budget for food and can afford to stock up like that, but not everyone can do this.
We do the same thing...grow our own food and then can, freeze and dehydrate it. We shop the same too. Buy what is on sale in terms of meat and meal plan around that and what I have in the pantry. We eat leftovers or create "leftovers makeovers." We cook everything from scratch including bread and hamburger/hot dog buns and sub rolls. Processed foods taste terrible to us now. I use coupons but mostly on personal hygiene products. We make our own laundry soap and fabric softener. It is a busy lifestyle but a rewarding one and I wouldn't trade it for anything in this world.
Deborah, your country life sounds amazing! My husband and I dream of buying land far out in the country someday, and when or if we ever do, we will definitely raise our own chickens and make a lot more of our food from scratch. It sound like your money-saving tips are working great for your family, and I congratulate you on that!
I have found that for us "city-dwellers" these strategies I shared do work really well. Surprisingly, stocking up on sale items actually ends up costing LESS than simply buying what is on your list regardless of what is on sale. In fact when I shopped with Kristen she was blown away by how much more she was able to buy for much LESS than she normally spent.
In the long run I don't think it is a savings to buy processed boxed and canned foods on sale. These foods deteriorate the health of the family and cost more money in the long run. Unfortunately healthy foods are not always on sale. Your overall points are helpful though. Thanks
This is really great information. I appeciate the NONemphasis on coupons since I have a hard time with keeping up with coupons sometimes. So glad I found you from Fieldstone Hill Design (looking forward to the monthly design series you all are doing!) and now following you through Pinterest. Sharon
These are really great tips! Although it would be hard for me to get started on this. Our grocery budget is a little strict, so in order to stockpile some stuff, we would have to go without other things. I already do it in baby steps though - I don't buy 6-8 weeks worth of sale stuff, but I do buy at least one more than I normally would.
One thing I did that helped was to keep track for a month of what I threw out. Yikes! It helped me realize a few things. 1. I needed to cook half-batches of things - I wasn't eating leftovers. 2. I needed to be more cognizant of the amount of produce I purchased and 3. I needed to better organize my refrigerator so that things weren't getting lost in the back.
One of the best soups I ever ate was from a neighbor who put all leftovers in a container in the freezer. Anything mashed potatoes veg. beans rice meat you name it. She would dump it in a crock pot and add whatever she decided it would need. I had never even heard of the spice summer savory but that was the spice she used that day. I use her idea but will never forget that first taste of her soup.
My mom always made left over soup growing up too. Her budget for food was $50 a week on a one income salary, but a family of four. Impossible these days I'm sure. I had never heard or thought to put them in a container to freeze before, then dump into the soup. I love that idea. If soup doesn't happen, not all is a waste. Thank you! ...My husbands lunch is always left overs, & I've started sending my 92yr old grandpa left overs from time to time also when a meal is worthy enough. Now i can also not feel guilty about any other waste.
That's a great idea. I've had a jar of summer savory for...I think since 1993, ha ha. Never used it. I make what I call a Vegetable Bin soup every once in a while, take whatever's in the bin at the end of the week before it goes bad and put it in the slow cooker with a box of diced tomatoes and some rice and/or beans. Sometimes I go hog wild and make dumplings too, yum yum. If it wasn't 95 degrees outside I might make some right now! :-)
I am so glad I found you. After watching TLC's extreme couponing I wanted to learn how to coupon. I just don't get it. But After reading your blog I'm sure I can start to save money. I lost my job and my daughter is in transition from graduating college and changing jobs. I am also starting college at age 51. I really need to get a handle on our food budget. To thanks again for caring enough to share.
Hi! I love that you said you have to find the balance that works for you. We have found that it works best to stick to the 2 stores that have the best prices on our basics overall. We will hit another store if there is something we use regularly on sale- really on sale. As far as stockpile, it's been difficult in our home. I have 3 kids, 2 are teenage boys that have a lot of friends coming by. Anything that is in the cabinet is at risk of being eaten as soon as it gets in the house.
Here is a suggestion... "this is not a self serve kitchen!" You will be fed, you will never "starve". A lock on the pantry works wonders, then when you need something, look at the inventory of what you have and *go shopping* in your own pantry :) perfect. Also I don't suggest spending as little as possible, because I noticed that it causes people to eat a little more unhealthy. What I like to do is when I go to the grocery store I usually skip certain isles. I go in the dairy section, but not the frozen section. I buy a LOT of produce and freeze it...I buy the produce for instance that is on sale because the apples are a little bruised or the banannas are too ripe, I cut them and freeze them and then later make banana bread or apple crisp/pie. Today I found 3 apples for 75 cents in a package nicely wrapped by the produce department. perfect. I also buy cheese and butter and ice cream when it is on sale and freeze it all. most of what I buy is store brand to save money also, but that is changing since I am going to start shopping sales more.
Thank you for sharing these great tips. I really need to shop the sales. Living on one income is becoming much more difficult because of the high cost of everything. I am a home schoolers, too and as you know anything can become a lesson, especially these all important life lessons. my teenage daughter already shops with coupons and looks through sales.
Ruth
Thanks, Ruth! I'm so thankful that I found your site about a year and a half ago; you remain one of my all-time favorite bloggers. I love the tools you provide to empower and inspire us. :)
Well, you know OUR story and how we (actually The Husband) found you through your couponing videos 17 months ago. Changed our lives and we will always be thankful. I am sure to link to you again and again (as you know). :) Love seeing a new post about it and going to watch your WINK news clips. I love those!! :)
Happy November. I semi-survived my 31 Days! lol
- Claire
Thanks for the great article Ruth!