Saving Money on Groceries | Cleveland Bradley County Teachers Federal Credit Union

“Hey Mom…we’re out of milk again!” The dreaded words no one wants to hear that can only mean one thing—it’s time to go grocery shopping. With prices these days, that can be a scary prospect.

The good news is whether you are shopping for a family of five or just yourself, there are things you can do to save some money every trip. Groceries are an unavoidable part of life, so we might as well make them as economical as possible.

3 Simple Tips

While grocery prices might be hard to fathom right now, eating at home is still the healthier and cheaper choice when it comes to your regular meals. With the right strategies, you can get the foods you want and keep costs down. And you can do it without store hopping…because no one has time for that!

These three tips are some simple things you can easily incorporate into your trips to help lower your monthly bill.

1. Make a list and stick to it. This may feel obvious, but there are so many of us who skip making a list for the “I’m just running in for one thing” trips. Be intentional about checking your cabinets before you go and only getting the things you need in order to avoid throwing out overstocked and outdated items later.

2. Check the sales ad. Every store runs weekly or special sales. Grab a sales ad from the Sunday paper or look it up online and jot down items on your list that are going to be at a lower price during your next trip. This is a great way to get a little backstock on nonperishables.

3. Skip pre-packaged convenience items. It may be tempting to skip cleaning and cutting up all your favorite fruits, but prepackaged items are always marked up. Other convenience items should be skipped as well: If the kids love lunchables at school, you will save a good deal by making them yourself rather than buying the single-serve options.

Hidden Ways to Save

There are lots of ways to incorporate savings into your grocery trips, but some of them may be less widely known. Seeking out these additional sources of savings can do a great deal though, making them worth investigating.

Consider a grocery reward card that is specifically designed to earn a higher percentage when you check out. Once you have established enough rewards, plan to use those on groceries as well in order to give your bank account a break every few months.

Sign up for in store loyalty programs when they are offered. While some grocery stores only offer their sale prices if you are enrolled in their program, others offer incentives that could save you on other areas, such as gas. Many cards also offer you the opportunity to add electronic coupons directly from their website, which can save you money without having to remember to bring the coupon book with you.

We will never stop needing groceries, but when you are intentional about cutting costs you may not fear the “Hey Mom, we’re out of…” anymore.

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