Have you ever tallied up your food bill at the end of the month? It was shocking to find out that we were spending over $1,000 on food every month; Yikes! Here are the best money-saving tips to cut your grocery bill in half.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you.
How We Budget $500 A Month For 2 People
1. Only Shop Once A Week
Yep, you heard it, only once a week, and to make things even crazier, I just started grocery shopping once every 2 weeks. This alone has drastically cut our food bill down because we are intentional with our grocery list since it forces us to plan our meals so that food is not wasted.
2. Buy Frozen Food
No, not just chicken nuggets, although I love chicken nuggets, I’m talking about vegetables and fruit. This will not only save your food from rotting but it is also much cheaper to buy frozen veggies and fruit when than fresh produce.
3. Buy Meat On Sale
Once a month we will go through the flyers and find all the meat that is on sale. We choose what we want for that specific month and plan meals accordingly. Meat can really add up so if you can find meat on sale then you will save a ton of money.
**Steak Hack** Buy a tenderloin, when it is on sale, cut it into 10-13 steaks, put them in the freezer and you now have plenty of steak for $5 apiece.
4. Freeze Leftovers
Making bulk meals and freezing leftovers not only stops you from running for take-out when you’re feeling lazy but it’s also a much healthier option. During the winter, I love to make a large batch of pasta or chili and freeze it for later. This also means that you don’t have to eat the same meal every day in order to save money.
5. Create A Take-Out Budget
Give yourself a take-out budget for the month and stick to it! We give ourselves a small budget every month and we divide it however we want but once the money is gone, it’s gone. We are typically very frugal when it comes to food so this wasn’t too hard for us since we never eat at restaurants or go to pubs, which can be quite expensive.
6. Buy Kitchen Staples On Sale Or In Bulk
For any food staples that don’t expire quickly, like rice, beans, and oatmeal, stock up when they are on sale or buy in bulk so that you aren’t wasting your money on smaller packages.
7. Don’t Buy Individually Packaged Meals
Stop buying 2-minute microwavable rice or snack packs for work lunches. Yes, they are cheaper than eating take-out but they are usually 3 times more expensive. Save your money and cook your meals at home.
8. Buy Vegetables and Fruit In Season
Have you ever noticed how expensive fruit is in the wintertime?? I live in Canada and we can’t grow anything other than potatoes past October so I buy frozen fruit during the winter months and look forward to the day when I can buy fresh berries again in the summertime.
9. Cook From Scratch
I don’t care what you make or how you make it, just make it yourself and it will be much healthier and cheaper than buying premade food. You can also cook a little extra and stash it in the freezer for another day.
10. Keep It Simple
You don’t have to be a gourmet chef to eat at home, keep your meals quick and easy so that you don’t end up resorting to take-out.
I hope these money-saving tips help you cut your grocery bill in half!
Recommendations:
How To Budget: Budgeting For Beginners
