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11 Grocery Hacks for Moms to Save Money
Looking for ways to save money on groceries? You’ve come to the right place! Below you’ll find my top 11 grocery hacks for Moms on a budget.
I thought I was a frugal Mom but … when I added up my grocery expenses for August they totaled $938! OUCH!
Granted, we are a family of 5 (including 3 voraciously hungry boys). But this Summer we spent WAY more money on food than I could afford.
So I started researching ways to save money on groceries. That’s where I came up with these awesome grocery hacks! If you’re anything like me, you also struggle keeping your budget in check.
Good news is – there are dozens of ways to save money on groceries. I reduced my grocery bill by 38% in September + it’s only getting better as I use more hacks.
Try these grocery hacks for yourself – you could literally save HUNDREDS!
1. Plan Your Meals
If you’re a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of girl like I am, just hearing the word “meal plan” makes you cringe. Talking to all you Type B’s out there, you know who you are! 😉
I get it. Meal planning doesn’t sound like fun at all. But once I started actually making a plan before heading to the grocery, everything changed. It’s probably the #1 reason I saved over $300 last month.
Why not take an hour or so on Sunday to look at the circulars? See what’s on sale. Think about your go-to recipes your family loves and check to see what’s already in your pantry. Then just go from there.
Totally overwhelmed with meal planning?
It isn’t nearly as scary (or tedious) as it sounds.
BUT – if just the idea of it makes you want to bang your head against the wall, why not try out a meal planning service?
The $5 meal plan from Erin Chase is a total game changer.
She helps you plan the meals you will eat for each week, including easy recipes to prepare them. She also sends a detailed grocery list of ingredients you’ll need to buy.
Erin basically does all the planning for you. Ahh … no more headaches!
Try the $5 Meal Plan free for 14 days!
2. Use Money Saving Apps
Ibotta
If you’ve never used Ibotta before, you’re missing out on some huge savings! Ibotta is a cash back app. It’s better than using coupons because you get instant cash.
Open the Ibotta app before heading to the grocery to see which cash back offers are available. When you get home, take a photo of your receipt to redeem the cash instantly.
You can even combine Ibotta cash back with store coupons to double up on the savings!
Even better, Ibotta will give you $20 Free Cash instantly, just for trying their app!
Grab your $20 bonus for trying Ibotta here!
Rakuten (formerly Ebates)
Rakuten can help you save up to 40% cash back at over 2,500 stores! I love to use their app at Walmart and Target – where many Moms buy their groceries.
The best way to save on groceries is to order them online and then choose in-store pick up. You’ll still earn the cash back. Then you just need to drive to the store to pick up your order.
Not only is this a huge time saver, but you’ll also avoid having to go IN the store and be tempted to buy more than you really need.
Get a $30 bonus when you join Rakuten for free!
Fetch Rewards
Did you know that you can earn free gift cards just for taking a photo of your grocery receipts? Use the Fetch Rewards app to earn points towards gift cards or get cash via PayPal.
Free gift cards can be redeemed online and in stores at Amazon, Walmart, Target, many more! Your rewards are delivered immediately via email.
Get a $2 Cash Bonus for Joining Fetch Rewards! (use code: Q8NJV)
Shopkick
Shopkick is one of my favorite money saving apps. It’s super fun (and easy) to earn free gift cards with Shopkick. Redeem cash rewards starting from $5 up to $100!
The easiest way to earn “kicks” is by simply walking into a store. That’s right, just WALK IN and you’ll earn kicks.
HINT: I’ve been known to drive up near the store entrance and get my kicks, without even getting out of the car. Shh … don’t tell. 😉
Another way to earn kicks is by scanning the bar codes on items you find at the store. You’ll earn more kicks if you actually purchase the items, but you don’t have to.
What I like the most about Shopkick is that you can redeem your reward instantly. Just scan your phone at checkout. It works like a digital coupon – the discount is applied to your order immediately.
I’ve been able to quickly earn enough kicks to redeem several $10 gift cards at Kroger, Walmart, Target and CVS using Shopkick.
So easy … and FUN too! Oh, and did I mention it’s 100% FREE to join?
Get 250 free points + earn cash rewards with Shopkick.
Grocery Store Apps
Chances are, your local grocery store has an app you can download to your phone. Store apps are a great way to save money grocery shopping since they offer exclusive coupons and deals.
For example, my local Kroger has a Freebie Friday deal. Each week on Friday they offer a product that’s completely free. I just tap the digital coupon and the item is automatically deducted from my bill.
Pretty cool, huh?
Check to see if your local grocery store has their own app or a loyalty card for exclusive coupons and savings!
RELATED: 17 Best Money Saving Apps for 2019
3. Leave the Kids at Home
Momma, you know how it goes …
“Who put 3 bags of Kit Kits in the cart?
“We don’t need a super soaker today”
“Stop bugging your sister”
… all kinds of craziness! So whenever you can, why not leave the kids at home with your hubby?
It will definitely save you money … and maybe your sanity too! 😉
4. Shop the Sales + Stock Up
This probably seems like a no-brainer but stocking up on a good sale can make a really big difference!
Many stores follow cycles where they have the same items on a sale rotation about every 6-8 weeks. If you shop at the same store, you’ll notice a pattern.
The trick is to stock up on these items when they’re on sale and try to make them last until the next time they’re on sale again.
No need to have a huge pantry to stockpile a bunch of goodies. Just make a little extra room in a cupboard for your pantry staples.
5. Use Coupons Wisely
I’m NOT talking extreme couponing here but something much, much simpler.
First of all – don’t buy an item just because you have a coupon. That kind of defeats the purpose, amIright?
Instead, only use coupons for items you’ll actually USE or products you regularly stock up on.
Take a quick look at Coupons.com to see if there are any printable coupons available before heading to the store.
Save the hassle with digital coupons
Printable coupons are great and all, but they’re kind of a pain in the butt.
First of all, you actually NEED to have a printer. With ink in it. And it actually has to WORK, lol
(Side note: Using a printer can be kind of dicey for me. My printer is very moody and is usually on the fritz.) Ugh!
So I prefer using digital coupons. They’re basically instant cash.
No need to mess with your printer or spend hours cutting coupons out of the Sunday paper.
Just take a second to “clip” them digitally. SO much easier!
My favorite digital coupon apps are Ibotta and Checkout51.
So try your best to stick to your grocery list, but if you have a coupon you can use – well that’s just gravy!
6. Buy Store Brand
A very simple way to save money on groceries is to buy the store brand whenever possible. Most times you can’t even tell the difference in taste or quality.
In fact, many products are made in the same factory – they’re just labeled with the local store name. You’ll save lots of money just by making this simple switch.
7. Where’s the Beef?
Typically, meat is the most expensive part of your meals. Some families cut costs by having “Meatless Mondays.” Think pasta dishes, stir fry, veggie pizza, bean and cheese burritos, etc.
If you can’t go meatless, just make sure to only buy meat when it’s on sale. You can typically buy a whole chicken for less than $1/ lb. Sometimes you’ll get a buy 1 get 1 free sale which can make meat more affordable.
Choose cheaper cuts of meat the majority of the time and save the more expensive cuts ($3/lb and higher) for special occasions.
PRO TIP: Use a slow cooker or Instant Pot for cheaper cuts of meats. Not only will the meats turn out very tender, you’ll save oodles of time in the kitchen.
Here’s the Instant Pot I use at least 3 – 4 times every week. Such a HUGE time saver!
And here’s the crockpot I’ve had for 15+ years. It’s still cranking out cheap, delicious meals! 😋
8. Skip Multiple Trips
Ever find yourself in the middle of making a recipe and suddenly realizing that you’re missing just ONE ingredient? Ugh, don’t you just HATE that?
Before I started actually planning my meals, that would happen to me ALL. THE. TIME. So I’d ask my hubby to make a quick run to the store.
BTW, he LOVES going to the grocery (yuck, not me)! Problem was “just one thing” usually turned into an extra bag or two of goodies I hadn’t planned on.
Which usually meant spending an extra $20 or more. This happened more often than I care to admit.
Even small purchases a couple extra times per week really adds up! So try your best to stick to your list and only go shopping once a week.
9. Pay with Cash
As we all know, buying groceries on credit cards can add up very quickly and might get you into trouble. I suggest leaving your credit card at home and pay for your groceries in CASH.
Ever hear of the cash envelope system from Dave Ramsey? It’s pretty simple. Basically you determine your average monthly expenses and put money in envelopes for each category.
For example, set aside money in separate envelopes for expenses like food, gas, clothes, etc. So when you go shopping for groceries, just pay for your food with the cash that’s inside that envelope.
By only spending what’s in the envelope, you’re more likely to stick to your budget. When cash is your ONLY option, it basically forces you to spend the cash instead of racking up debt on your credit card.
Believe it or not this method really works and it will save you a lot of money!
I recommend this book from Dave Ramsey.
Not only does is teach you the cash envelope system, you’ll also learn lots about budgeting, increasing your savings, and how to get out of debt.
10. Buy Groceries Online for BIG Savings
Amazon
Buy groceries and pantry items in bulk and save 20% with Amazon’s Subscribe & Save. It’s a free service for Prime members and they offer free one-day shipping!
Don’t have an Amazon account? Sign up here to get a free 30 day trial here.
Or try Amazon Fresh, Amazon’s grocery delivery service if it’s available in your area. Your groceries will be delivered straight to your door for a flat fee of only $14.99/ month!
Think of all the gas money you’ll save without having to run all around town!
See how much you can save with Amazon here!
Peapod
Peapod is the largest online grocery shop and delivery service in the U.S. It’s currently in 24 markets and growing fast.
New members save $20 off their first order plus delivery is FREE. Enter promo code: 60DAYSFREE at checkout.
Get $20 off your first order + free delivery from Peapod!
Target
Target also has a subscription service similar to Amazon. Save an extra 5% with your Target REDcard AND get free shipping – what a deal!
Don’t have a Target REDcard?
Sign up here to get $25 off your next purchase of $100 at Target!
Walmart
Have you tried Walmart Grocery Pickup yet? If not, you’re missing out.
Walmart Grocery Pickup is seriously a life-changer! You order fresh groceries, Walmart does the shopping and loads your car for FREE.
How easy is that? Here’s $10 to try it.
You can thank me later. 😉
Get $10 FREE just for trying Walmart Pickup!
Not only does buying groceries online save you money, it’s also a HUGE time saver.
And time is MONEY, right?
Not to mention, ordering groceries online and having them delivered is just SO incredibly convenient!
BONUS: Free $30 Gift Card to Amazon, Walmart or Target
11. Eat at Home = Save $1000’s!
Eat at Home
It’s no secret that cooking at home instead of eating out is the #1 way to save money to feed your family.
I was shocked to learn that the average American ages 25-34 spends $3,416 a month eating out! Gen Xers tend to spend even more – over $4,000 / month at restaurants and takeout.
Holy Schnikes! 😲
That’s a TON of money going right down the toilet. Literally. lol
No time to cook?
Take the Eat at Home Tonight Challenge and get 5 Free Recipes you can make in less than 15 minutes!
Double Up!
Another great tip is to double the recipe when you cook a meal. Eat half of it today and then freeze the rest for another day.
It’s saves SO much time and makes for an easy dinner on hectic nights!
Freeze!
Another fantastic way to save on food (+ a huge time saver) is to make freezer meals. I made 21 meals in just one 3 hour cooking session!
The hardest part for me was figuring out what recipes I could prepare that would be EASY and CHEAP.
That’s where MyFreeEasy came in and made it so much SIMPLER for me.
New to Freezer Cooking? Don’t Know Where to Start?
Erin from MyFreezEasy will teach you everything you need to know – and she even makes it FUN!
Sign up for Erin’s Free Freezer Cooking 101 Online Workshop and download your free freezer meal plan!
If you set aside just a few hours this weekend, you could make a whole MONTH of meals!
Yes, it does take some work but it’s SO worth it. Trust me.
BONUS TIP: Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half!
This course not only teaches you how to use coupons, but it shares awesome shopping tips and tricks to save up to 50% off your grocery bill! You’ll also learn how to cook cheap, delicious meals that won’t blow your budget.
Students of the Grocery Budget Makeover reported an average reduction of 40%. Join the countless Moms who are saving literally thousands on groceries.
You’ve gotta check it out – your pocketbook will thank you. 😃
Learn more about the Grocery Budget Makeover here.
I hope you found some great tips for saving money on groceries. Which one are you going try? Let me know in the comments.
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