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How to Save Time and Money with Grocery Shopping

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As a mom, saving time and money on groceries is important. Who wants to go to the store and spend never-ending amounts of money? There are ways to save time and money with your groceries, you just need to know-how. I’d love to share some of my favorite tips with you!

Save Time and Money with Grocery Shopping

It’s amazing how grocery shopping is supposed to save us money rather than eating out. Sometimes it ends up costing us more money than we expect, if you’re not careful.

A good example would be grocery shopping without a plan and just looking at items randomly and then buying them.

While my tips are not perfect, they do help you to see a few small ways in which you can save time and money with grocery shopping. 

1. Make a Shopping List

Let’s face it, when you go to the grocery store without a plan, that is bad news. If you’re anything like me and go shopping without a plan, you will wander through the grocery store picking up what looks good at the time and not necessarily what will match your weekly menu plan.

Grocery Shopping List

Grocery List from Food Storage Moms

Although you may have a good game plan in your head, it may not come out like that when you go to check out and pay for the stuff in your shopping cart.

Although a shopping list may seem old school, it truly is one of the best ways to save time and money with your groceries. You’ll be glad that you took the time to write down the groceries that you need to pick up from the store.

2. Shop in Bulk When You Can

I know it can be expensive to shop in bulk, but if you can, then do it. There are several items that I enjoy shopping for in bulk because it’s much easier. Buying toiletries in bulk is a way to save a lot of time and money. 

You don’t always have to go to a big box store to buy in bulk. You can look at discount stores in your area to see if they are offering anything in bulk.

Read More of My Articles  55 Money Saving Tips

You can check your local grocery stores too because sometimes they sell in bulk.

I have found that bulk prices can truly be cheaper in the long run than buying one pound or a small box of something. When it comes to saving time and money, shopping in bulk may be a good solution to achieving your goals. 

3. Download All the Grocery Store Apps

I don’t know if you realize that most grocery stores have some sort of grocery app available. With these apps, you’re able to clip coupons, grab additional savings, and sometimes see the ad! 

If you’re looking to save time and money with your groceries, then make sure you download all the grocery store apps that you can get your hands on for those stores you visit most often.

You can always delete the app if you decide you don’t like it. I always say that it’s better to try it than just ignore it and possibly miss out on a good thing. 

4. Try Ordering Groceries Online

There I said it. It’s time to take advantage of technology and order your groceries online. By ordering your groceries online you’re saving yourself so much time and money. I used Walmart.com and it was awesome.

One of my favorite reasons for ordering groceries online is that I don’t have to go into the store. Here are a few reasons I like ordering my groceries online. 

I can look at the sales. 

One perk of ordering groceries online is that you can look at the sales. It’s amazing how much clearer the sales are when you take your time to look at them. You can scan through the ad online, see what the best deals are, and then go ahead and order. I use this one: Coupon Keeper

I can “meal plan” better.

When you start an online grocery order, I feel as though it makes meal planning better. I can look at my list and order what I need to. I can also do a few checks on my list to make sure I didn’t forget anything. It also eliminates the chance you might be tempted to buy something you really don’t need.

I can follow my budget thoroughly.

Let’s be honest, when I’m shopping inside the store, it’s much easier to go over budget. When I’m shopping online, I can stay on budget.

I’m also able to look at the prices better and make sure I’m not spending more than I need to. How is that for saving money?

I can pick up my groceries.

In terms of saving time, the easiest time saver is going to pick up my groceries. If you’re wanting to save time, you can have your groceries delivered. While this isn’t necessarily a money saver, it is a time saver. 

Read More of My Articles  How to Live on a Minimalist Budget

5. Use What’s in Your Pantry

You may not have thought about this tip but it’s a good one to keep in mind. Use what’s in your pantry. If you don’t take the time to look in your pantry, you may not even know what’s in there. 

Your pantry may have a few items you can use in your meals, but also check in your fridge and freezer. This is also a good time to clean out the fridge and the freezer. Get rid of items you’re no longer going to use or the item has reached its expiration date! 

6. Shop Fresh When You Can

How to Save Time and Money With Grocery Shopping

Have you heard of the tip to shop fresh? When you go to the grocery store, shopping on the outside of the aisles is smart, that is generally where you find the “non-processed” foods. You will also come into contact with the many of the items that you need instead of the items you don’t need. 

Shopping fresh can save you time because you’re staying on the outskirts of the store. Shopping fresh can save you money because you’re able to stick to items that you need and not spontaneously shopping. 

7. Know When the Sales Are Happening

Piggy Bank and calculator

You are going to save so much more money if you shop when the sales are happening. It’s truly amazing to me how much money you can save shopping on a Friday and Saturday than you can a Monday or a Tuesday,

8. Skip Shopping When Your Stomach is Empty

If you have been doing the grocery shopping for a few years, then you know this tip can save you a ton of money. When you shop while you’re hungry, all bets are off. You will buy items that may not make any sense when you get home and start putting things away. 

9. Round-Up While You Shop

While I”m shopping, I round up. I take the price of the item and round it to the nearest dollar. When you do this, you have a good estimate of how much something costs. 

10. Don’t Be Afraid to Shop Around

Let’s be honest, you love your favorite grocery store. Am I right? However, that grocery store doesn’t always have the best deals. Make sure you shop around from time to time, you’ll be glad that you did!

I’m not saying you should go to a million different stores, but don’t be afraid to shop around at other stores for the best price, particularly those items you buy most often. 

Also, try out the store brand rather than always picking up the name brands. You will generally save a ton of money, and my experience has been the quality is often just as good.

Final Word

You’re going to save so much money and time by following these tips. Now that I’ve shared some of my favorite tips with you, what are some tips you’d like to share with me?

Let me know how you save time and money with grocery shopping. Please keep prepping, even if it’s one can a week. May God bless this world, Linda

Copyright Images: Vegetables Deposit photos_49996913_s-2019, Calculator Deposit photos_11673934_s-2019, Piggy Bank Depositphotos_200799572_s-2019, Grocery Stores Depositphotos_214479322_s-2019

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6 Comments

  1. Great post, Linda ~
    A couple of other things to think about:
    1) find out what day of the week or month the store has “senior” or “military” discount days. I have come to know those days at all of my favorite stores and a 10% discount just for being old is great! Also, one of my favorite stores has a lot of home goods as well and I can combine my 10% discount with their home goods coupon of 15% off if I need things like sheets, blankets, storage containers, etc. If I plan ahead on those things, I make sure to take advantage of the double discount!
    2) It takes a bit of time but make a written inventory of your pantry: list all the items in the pantry, how many cans/boxes/bags you have and leave a check off box so that when you use something, you check one off. Then you can tell exactly how many of something you have. When you check something off, add it to your grocery shopping list.

    A few years ago, I decided to clean out my freezer. I removed everything and made an inventory of the meat and other frozen items. I decided to eat from the freezer before adding anything else to it! I did go to the grocery store for fresh items but at that time, I was only spending perhaps $35 a week for a family of 3. Saved tons of $$. Knowing what I had on hand in both the freezer and pantry allowed me to plan meals from my own “in home grocery store”!!! When things were pretty well cleaned out, my hubs and I invested our saved grocery money on meat and veggies for the freezer to stock up as well as canned goods for the pantry. I continued that method.

    I have slipped out of that habit because I am single now but during this quarantine, I am doing it again! I did a pantry challenge that included taking EVERYTHING out of my cupboards, cleaning the cupboards and creating an inventory. I made a pact with myself to eat out of my freezer first and save the non-perishables in my pantry for later! I am still in that process of eating what I have on hand and only purchasing fresh items: veggies, fruit and dairy. During this quarantine, I have saved so much even though I have been baking like a mad woman!

    1. Oh Leanne, I hear you on the baking like a mad woman! Oh my gosh, I got the giggles when I read that! It’s so true! I told Mark whatever meat we have right now in the freezer is the meat we will eat. Based on what I’m reading or seeing on TV it’s going to go through the roof in price. Luckily my garden is doing well. Great tips! Linda

  2. Check your stores marked down area. I went shopping a few days ago and there was a 50oz
    Tide for $2.99. I bought 2. My brother was with me too and bought 2. Another time we bought
    a big huge bag of cashews for 2.99 also I got a huge bag of mixed nuts. Wish I had remembered
    to write down the size of the bag. But check down the mark down aisle. I also got bread for
    25 cents because it was going out of date in 2 or 3 days. I brought it home and put in the freezer.

  3. Dear Linda,
    I want to convey a big “thank you!” in general for the positive attitude you convey while helping educate people on the importance of prepping, learning needed skills, & finding joy in homemaking & family life. Though I have been very thankful for our country & the many freedoms we enjoy, I do not want to turn over personal responsibility for government to take care of us. You share so much good information & encouragement to be prepared & responsible to care for ourselves & our families. Prepping is worth it, if only from the aspect of being able to avoid multiple runs to the stores to try to find supplies like toilet paper, flour, & yeast, when they have all been bought out. Instead of wasting time trying to find these things, I was able to share them, out of our supplies, with others who had needs. (Loaning a few TBPS of yeast enabled someone to make their traditional Easter bread when yeast was not available in the stores.) I follow your advice to keep rotating supplies and we frequently eat out of our storage so food is not wasted. Blessings & Thank you!! Please continue your wonderful outreach!

    1. Hi Jan, thank you for your kind words! It’s people like you who keep me going. Isn’t it wonderful that you had planned ahead and you were able to share some yeast so a family could make Easter bread, I LOVE this! Great comment!! I totally agree with you on being able to take care of ourselves. We can do this, Linda

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