The last few years, prices have been climbing in the grocery stores and we are feeling it! Our food budget just keeps going up in our family and our kids are getting older. This means we are spending more money on food. As a family of seven, we needed to desperately find how to save money on groceries. So, I reverted back to my old days when my family lived on one income. I brought back my original tactics and I wanted to share that with you.

This is possible to do for all moms. It doesn’t matter if you are a stay at home mom, working mom or mom in business. These tips work when done intentionally.

10 Ways to Save Money on Groceries in 2024

Here is how my family of seven saves money on groceries in 2024!

Eat Leftovers

Every time I make a meal, I try to make a little extra. Sometimes it serves for 2 meals for the week and sometimes it’s enough for a few people to grab for lunch the next day. If we have leftovers that are sitting in the fridge for more than three days, I will search on Pinterest how to repurpose leftovers to create a new meal so that all that food can be eaten and nothing then goes to waste.

Grab some ideas what to do with leftovers from Lisa on Retro House Wife Goes Green. This is a very detailed article helping you to understand how to use leftover ingredients and nothing goes to waste.

Shop at Affordable Stores

I know, it feels good to shop at Whole Foods sometimes, but unfortunately the prices are not exactly budget friendly for large families like mine. In the city where we live, we have lots of discount stores and really great ones. They also sell organic foods at very affordable prices. You may not get everything you are looking for, but you can get creative and make a meal out of what you find at that store. Find a local discount store and see what you can create with what the store offers.

Plan Simple Dinners

I love a good steak, mashed potatoes and a Caesar salad. This is not feasible to do every night and can get very expensive. Plan dinners that can be made under 30 minutes and don’t require too many ingredients. The crock pot can be your best friend if you are busy mom or working mom.

When I started my journey over ten years ago to start saving money on groceries, one of my inspirations came from Money Saving Mom and her tips on Cheap Easy Meals. She is the queen of living life frugally and helping families do the same.

Bulk Shopping Doesn’t Always Save You Money

We often think we will save money if we just buy a big box of apples because it is cheaper.  A week later, the box of apples is still half full and the apples are starting to rot away. The smaller bag of apples were twice as cheap and would have been gone by now.

Get the smaller box, unless you have plans to freeze half for later use.

Find The Deals 

We have this awesome text group with my sisters about the local grocery sales deals on meat. Just a few weeks ago, my sister text us about an awesome deal on boneless skinless chicken thighs on sale for $1.69/lb!!! Of course we had to get a 40 lb box to get that deal, but for my family of seven that’s sixteen meals we will have protein available that cost me pennies on the dollar.

Find good deals in the paper, on the store websites, on the store Facebook pages. They post them everywhere. This will save you a lot of money and still allow you to eat a balanced meal.

Pay Attention to Unit Price 

When I shop for yogurt, I always look at the unit price. It’s not about how many containers are in the box, but the price per oz of yogurt in the box. Unit prices will give you a true cost of items when sold in bulk. If you shop online, they are typically stated under the total price of item. If you are shopping in store, read the small print under the price tag on the shelf.

Don’t Shop Hungry

I have made this mistake multiple times. I would start shopping too close to lunch or forget to grab a snack for my shopping adventures. This definitely made a difference in the way I spent my money during that trip to the grocery store. To save money on groceries, don’t forget to eat or grab a snack.

Use Everything You Bought

This is a huge money waster! I had a bad habit to buy something because it was on sale and never end up using it. I still sometimes do that, but it less likely to happen now-a-days.

If you are going to spend the money to buy that spinach, get creative and make good use of it! Don’t let it wilt away in the fridge. Can’t use it all at once? Freeze it. It will be good for smoothies or a spinach fettuccine alfredo dinner (great dinner idea, your welcome).

Go Generic

So many people cringe at the idea of a generic brand, but did you know that some of the generic items on the shelves are made by the same brand name company you love? I dare you to try Great Value cream cheese. It’s half the price and it tastes just as good as the brand name cheese.  Now I get it, not all brands are the same and some taste better than others, but try some generic brands. See if you can save some money by buying store brand item.

Skip Prepackaged Food

Convenience is what we love, especially with such a fast paced lifestyle. But, we have to pay the price for someone else to package the chips into individual bags. Buy the big bag instead and save money every single time. Purchase some reusable sandwich bags and save on bags. This will save you money on groceries for sure!

Conclusion

Now that you’ve learned about some great ideas to save money on groceries, let’s see what kind of changes you can make to your family budget. Have fun with it! Don’t focus on the task as much as the end goal.

If you want to go on a weekend getaway and need a few extra dollars to spend, cut the grocery bill and see if you can put that money away for that trip. No overtime involved here!

You got this mama! Now, go save some money on groceries!