Regardless of if you consider yourself someone who is a foodie or not, it is getting harder to save money on groceries! Grocery items have been increasing sooo much the past couple years. Not only that but prior to groceries increasing, they’ve always been a large portion of most peoples expenses anyway. If you feel this way, don’t worry, you’re not the only one!
Whether you’re saving for your dream vacation, wedding, or simply just want to cut down on expenses, there are a handful of ways to do so. So why not start with one of the larger expenses – groceries.
These are all tips and tricks I know work and have even used myself. Therefore, I recommend you also try them out and see what works best for you.
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1. Cash back reward apps
If you are not already using cash back reward apps, you need to get started! I have been using Ibotta for a while now to earn cash back on some of my groceries as well as use coupons from the app itself.
Yes, that’s right. Ibotta also provides grocery store coupons.
Sign up for Ibotta and use code: YCLXMQQ for a $5 welcome offer here!
Ibotta is incredibly legitimate and has even credited over $1.5 BILLION dollars to their users in cash rewards.
With about 184 grocery retailers, you’re able to find coupons or shop with Ibotta for your groceries to get a portion of that money back. Now thats a great way to save money on groceries without limiting yourself.
2. Earn free gift cards to your local grocery store
As I am sure many of you have heard, Swagbucks is legit!
Swagbucks is a FREE app where you can earn gift cards to stores like Walmart and Target. However, if you’re looking for a dinner out somewhere you can earn gift cards for restaurants too.
They have gift card offers for Panera, Olive Garden, Applebee’s and more! All you need to do is answer surveys to earn points towards over 100 gift card options. Nonetheless, just by answering some questions while you watch TV or have some spare time, you can earn yourself some gift cards toward your groceries, food, and other expenses.
Sign up for Swagbucks here!
Lastly, you can even earn cash back points toward gift cards by doing your regular shopping through Swagbucks as well. They have over 7,000 participating stores that you can earn cash back on. It is such a useful site and I recommend it for everyone!
If you’re not already using Swagbucks… what are you doing? This is such a simple way to save money on things like groceries!
Here are some more of the many ways you can earn on Swagbucks:
- Scan your grocery receipt and earn points for cash back or gift cards
- Make money playing games on Swagbucks.
- Earn rewards by using the Swagbucks browser extension.
I can confirm that Swagbucks is legitimate and has paid hundreds of thousands of users to date!
3. Meal prep to save money!
Meal prepping is a great way to save money on groceries for a multitude of reasons. By meal prepping you set yourself into a routine that enforces a budget so to speak. However, it can be easy to break out of your meal prep schedule so it is important you stick to it.
Although meal prepping may seem tedious, it always for you to organize your meals without overspending on excess, unnecessary grocery items. If you’re anything like me I at times may pick up way more grocery items than needed. However, this is an easy cycle to break from simply just planning your meals and sticking to them.
4. Create a budget
Creating a budget is a piece of advice you will see me speak about consistently and it is because it works! Budgeting is a great way to teach yourself discipline when it comes to spending or overspending. Budgeting can be an intimidating word and it can even seem difficult just from the sound of it. However, it’s much easier than you think.
If you’re a beginner looking to learn how to budget, read this blog post for more detail on how to get started in your budgeting strategy.
5. Buy store brands
Buying store brands is an incredibly smart way to shop when it comes to saving money. You can save money by shopping store brands and receive essentially the same thing as what you would have gotten name brand.
Store brand items are usually priced a little lower than the name brand item and again, taste pretty much the exact same. However, if there are store brand items you know are not good quality, maybe avoid them. It will cost you more in the long term due to waste than it would in the present.
6. Don’t go to the grocery store while you are hungry
If you’re anything like me, sometimes you go to the grocery store on an empty stomach and end up buying way more than you need. I admit I do this more often than I should and every time it breaks the bank! When I go to the grocery store while hungry I end up grabbing all the chips, chocolates, cookies, and just things I didn’t need nor plan to buy.
This is not the best way to save money, so I suggest you eat a full meal prior to your grocery store visit so you’re not shopping with your stomach!
7. Simply buy less
One of the more simple tips would be to buy less groceries. Through making a budget and using some of the other tips above you will be able to develop a great structure for shopping. However, before checking out at the grocery store make sure you always take an extra look at your cart to determine what is necessary. Sometimes we put things in there that are not needed and regret it later, so being aware of those items is important!
