7 Ways To Cut Costs At The Grocery Store

A grocery store can be one of the more fun places to go to as an adult because you get the chance to check out the newest and wackiest foods that are getting released on the market. However, the grocery store can also be one of the worst places to go to as an adult because you’re constantly met with high prices, questioning why everything gets moved each time you visit the store and worried about your total at the cash register. 

It happens, and everyone has had to deal with that at least once. So what can you do? How exactly can you save on food without skipping on meals? How can you cut down costs when you’re at the grocery store? These are some helpful tips you can use for your next visit!

Consider getting a rewards card

There are grocery rewards cards out there and they can be a major benefit. The grocery chain Kroger’s has one and they offer plenty of exclusive deals to their cardholders. This can include discounts on gas, coupons, and using your rewards card to cut down the price of your grocery bills. While not every grocery store offers these, you should hunt around to see which one does as this may be worth your while.

Alternatively, if you have a credit card, there is a chance that you can earn up to 2% cashback on your grocery-related purchases. Credit cards such as the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express are great examples of a card that offers this. But if you opt into getting a credit card, make sure you use it wisely.

Plan out what you want ahead of time

Some shoppers have a grocery list and will go straight towards what they need. Others will just shop around and buy what they want. You’re significantly better off buying what you need rather than what you want. Giving yourself the chance to plan all of this ahead will let you plan out the meals such as an easy brioche bread recipe, and the whole meal planning for yourself and for the family for the week as well. In general, when it comes to shopping, especially at a store (rather than online) if you have a clear plan and make yourself stick to that plan you can save money.

Clip coupons

Clipping coupons is hands-down the best way you can get items for cheap or even free. A lot of grocery stores will have a bin filled with coupons right as you enter the store. You can look through these (though they tend to be expired), but there are other things you can try as well to get coupons. If there are any free samples at the grocery store, it usually comes with a coupon. Some aisles will have coupons next to their products.

While these are a couple of ways you can get coupons, these aren’t the only ways. Local newspapers, especially the Sunday paper will be loaded with coupons. Weekly folders for grocery stores tend to have some coupons. You can check food brands such as Kellogg’s or Barilla for coupons as well. But there are plenty of websites online that are completely dedicated to free samples, freebies, and coupons in general. You can check these out or even just sign up for newsletters too. Just get a bit creative when it comes to coupon hunting. This little way to get cheaper groceries could spiral into a full-blown hobby.

Check out different stores

If you live in an area where all the grocery stores are fairly close by, you could compare prices. This will give you an idea of what’s on sale, what the usual costs are. One grocery store may have cheaper dairy products compared to another store.

Be open to shopping with the little guy

This can include checking out your local Ma and Pap store, or even farmers market. You’ll be surprised how cheap you can get certain items. Veggies tend to be fairly pricey at most grocery stores, but you’re essentially cutting out the middle man when visiting a farmers market.

Look into rebate apps

There are plenty of rebate apps on the market and you can save a bit of money by switching to these. Apps like Ibotta will give you rebates. You can stack these rebates on top of credit card and loyalty memberships giving you the ultimate savings.

But generic

Some foods seem to taste better if they’re name brand, but a big portion of the time, name brand and generic are made from the exact same factory. Generic brand isn’t only cheaper but they tend to have fewer sugars, fats, and salts as well.