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7 Innovative Strategies to Save Money On Groceries

Published 2023-06-05, 08:40 p/m
Updated 2023-06-05, 07:16 p/m
7 Innovative Strategies to Save Money On Groceries

7 Innovative Strategies to Save Money On Groceries

Saving Advice - If you’re trying to save money on groceries, you probably already follow a shopping list and meal plan based on what’s on sale at your local supermarket. However, your normal money-saving hacks may not be working as well anymore due to inflation.

From 2021 to 2022, grocery prices rose a whopping 11%. In order to reduce your grocery budget in this high-inflation environment, you may need to get creative and find innovative ways to save money on groceries. Here are seven of our favorite lesser-known tips to get your food spending in check and curb pesky impulse purchases.

7 Smart Ways to Save Money On Groceries

Shop Local Big supermarket chains aren’t the only places to get groceries. Sometimes supporting local farmers can be less expensive than buying food at regular grocery stores.

For example, it’s often cheaper to buy a whole cow or pig from a farmer than to purchase individual cuts of meat from the grocery store. If you don’t have enough freezer space for a whole hog, you can split the meat and cost with a friend or family member.

Farmer’s markets have a reputation for being costly. However, if you visit the market an hour before it closes, you may be able to score a discount on leftover produce. Some vendors may also offer discounts on blemished produce and bulk orders, allowing you to save money on healthy groceries.

Find Discount Stores in Your Area Another way to save money on groceries is to find discount stores in your area. I don’t just mean well-known chains like Aldi or Save a Lot. Depending on where you live, you may have local discount stores such as Amish-run shops, bulk and salvage stores, restaurant supply stores, and bakery thrift stores. Many ethnic markets also offer good deals on items like produce and spices.

I’ve even seen frugal shoppers score deep discounts by forming relationships with local bulk food suppliers and buying their damaged or expiring items. If you do your research and ask friends and family, you’ll be able to find lesser-known discount stores in your area and save money on groceries.

Contact Companies for Coupons Newspapers and deal websites like the Krazy Coupon Lady are great places to look for coupons. However, if you can’t find coupons for your favorite products online, don’t hesitate to email the company directly. Brands will often send loyal customers who compliment their products coupons in the mail.

These coupons are usually high-value and better than the ones you’ll find online and in circulars. Sometimes you may even receive vouchers for free products or company swag like stickers. If you have some free time, it’s definitely worth emailing the makers of your favorite products to see if they’ll send you some coupons as a reward for being a long-time customer.

Combine Multiple Offers to Score Bigger Discounts Speaking of deal websites, they can teach you how to combine multiple offers to score better deals. Learning how to stack manufacturer coupons, store sales, and rebates from grocery apps like Ibotta can help you maximize your savings at the supermarket.

The Krazy Coupon Lady publishes extreme couponing articles that highlight the best grocery deals and show you how to take advantage of them. You can sometimes score free or nearly free products by following the instructions and stacking the right sales and coupons. I also search “grocery deals” on Instagram and follow YouTubers such as Ohio Valley Couponer and Saving With Christina for more money-saving inspo.

Try Out Meal Kits Let’s face it—meal prepping and planning takes a lot of time and energy. If you’re feeling burnt out and need a break, you can test out a few new meal kits at an introductory rate.

Most meal kit companies offer substantial discounts of up to 70% off to first-time customers. Plus, these offers usually have no strings attached. If you don’t want to continue the service at regular price, you can typically unsubscribe when the deal ends. This makes testing out new meal kits a pretty frugal way to take some time off from grocery shopping and save money on food.

Don’t Buy the First Product You See Grocery stores are sneaky and often stock their shelves in a way that encourages consumers to pick up the most expensive version of a product. Merchandisers know that people are most likely to grab items at eye level, so they place pricier products there.

Scanning the entire shelf can help you locate cheaper generic versions that offer a better value. Make sure to compare the unit prices of all the available options so you get the best deal possible.

Play Upbeat Music in Your Ear This last tip may sound a little weird, but wearing earbuds and listening to loud upbeat music could actually help you save money on groceries.

Supermarkets usually play chill tunes with slow beats to distract from any negative emotions shoppers are feeling and increase the amount of time consumers spend in the store. Consumers are more likely to linger in a store and pick up extra products if there’s relaxing music playing. Apparently one grocery store saw a 38% increase in sales just by playing music with a slow tempo!

Conversely, loud upbeat music makes customers rush through their shopping trip and leave the store sooner. The less time you spend in the supermarket, the less likely you are to deviate from your list and make costly impulse purchases. So wearing headphones and playing fast-paced music could motivate you to get your shopping done quickly and help you save money on groceries.

What are some of your favorite innovative ways to save money on groceries? Share your tips in the comments!

This article was originally published on Saving Advice

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