Six Clever Tips for Saving Money at Grocery Stores

The rising cost of groceries has been a hot topic lately. A decent loaf of bread costs $5.00, raw meat is silly expensive, and don’t even get me started on eggs. 

According to The Washington Post, groceries have jumped up 25% in the past four years (article). There are a lot of factors that have contributed to the rising prices. Some of these factors include labor shortages, supply chain problems, and natural issues (like the avian flu and droughts). 

I’ve definitely noticed that my weekly grocery bill has slowly crept up the past few years. The hubs and I had to break down recently and raise our grocery budget. I’ve had to be savvy with how I shop each week. In this blog, I share six clever tips to help lower your grocery bill and save money. 

Please note: I live in the PNW (specifically Spokane, WA) and will discuss the stores in my area. I mostly shop at Fred Meyer and Costco. I believe you can use some or all of these tips wherever you live. 

1. Eat Before You Go Shopping!

Seriously, this is one of my top tips for keeping your grocery bill down. I once went to Costco hungry and this was a terrible choice because everything looked delicious. So much junk and random things made it into my cart. 

Make sure to eat a meal or snack before shopping anywhere that sells food. Your tummy will be full and you’ll hopefully do less impulse shopping. 

2. Make a List & Shop with a Plan

Making a list isn’t just for Santa Claus. Each week I go through our fridge, pantry, and cupboards, write down what items we need, and make a plan for the week. This helps to avoid impulse shopping and buying anything that looks good. You’re also less likely to forget something and won’t need to do multiple trips to the store. 

3. Sale Items & Digital Coupons

After I create my grocery list, I will skim through the advertisements. I find these on the store's website or mobile app. I’ll look for foods that are on sale and see if I can create a meal with them. Most stores now have digital coupons on their app. I also quickly scroll through those and see if anything is on my list. I’ll add coupons to my online account that is connected to my loyalty card. 

I typically shop at Fred Meyer for weekly groceries and also use their gas pumps for our vehicles. With your Fred Meyer card, they offer fuel points for shopping there. The digital coupons often have deals where you can earn double or quadruple fuel points on certain days. I make sure to save those deals to my account whenever I see them. 

4. Freeze Food

Although I love Fred Meyer, the hubs and I have found better prices on meat at Costco. We do a Costco run every several weeks and purchase chicken breast, ground beef, hot dogs, and steaks. After we get home, we put these items in the freezer. The chicken, ground beef, and hot dogs come in sealed packages ready to be frozen. We put the steaks in plastic ziplock freezer bags and then place them in the freezer. 

It honestly feels like we’re spending a lot of money on meat when we’re at the register. However, buying in bulk and freezing saves us money in the long run. 

Also, I wait for sales on bread and chocolate and freeze them. The bread that I like has significantly gone up in price. When it is on sale, I’ll buy a couple of loaves and freeze them. As for sweets, the days after any holiday have the best prices for seasonal candy. If you toss them in the freezer, you can have candy for months!

5. Check Out the Discounted Section

At the back of almost every grocery store, there is a little section of heavily discounted food. It is usually a hodgepodge of things that are close to their expiration date. You can sometimes find some gems in this area.

My favorite items have been whole bean coffee and bakery goodies. I always swing through this section. Some days it is a bust, but other days I totally score.

6. Shop at Stores with Cheaper Prices

Okay… so let’s say you’re doing all the things I shared above and you’re still wanting (maybe needing) to lower your grocery bill. 

My suggestion would be to check out stores that have lower prices. In the Spokane area, I’ve found that Walmart, Winco, and Grocery Outlet have some of the cheapest prices on food. When I was digging myself out of debt, I would shop at Walmart at 8:00am on Sundays to avoid the crowds. My grocery bill was noticeably lower and I was able to purchase organic produce at a decent price.

Unfortunately we can’t avoid rising prices of grocery items. With the exception of the last tip, I practice the tips listed above every week. The extra effort makes a difference in my monthly grocery bill.

There is some good news though. According to Nerdwallet.com, the grocery prices planed off in April 2024 (article). Hopefully that will be the trend for the rest of 2024. 

What do you do to save money at the grocery store? Share in the comments!