The cost of food can make up a large portion of your budget. It is so easy to overspend on groceries and even easier to eat out. Having a grocery budget is an important step towards controlling your finances as it will save you both time and money.
Here are 15 ways to help you save time and stay on budget with your groceries:
Planning at home:
1.Grocery budget: The first step is to come up with an amount that you are willing to spend on groceries per month. Don’t forget to include miscellaneous housing items such as toiletries, cleaning supplies etc.) See Budgeting 101 on how to create an overall budget.
2. Budget by the week: Take your monthly grocery budget and divide it by 4 to get the amount you can spend weekly on groceries. (Or divide it by the number of times you wish to shop for groceries per month.)
For example, a family of 4 has a food budget of $600/month. They can spend $150/week on groceries. By breaking the grocery budget down, it is much easier to keep track of how much is spent on food.
For the first few months, keep a tally of how much you spend on groceries to make sure you are staying on budget.
3. Meal planning: After coming up with a grocery budget, meal planning is the next important part of maintaining a grocery budget. Meal planning will help you be organized so you don’t have to resort to going out to eat. It will also help you plan out healthy meals. See 9 Steps to Effective Meal Planning
4. Package your own treats and snacks. Buy a large package of snacks and re-package them into smaller portions. Buying items in bulk can often save you money.
5. Make your own cookies, muffins, waffles, pancakes and bread.
6. Batch prep and cook. Instead of making one meal, double up the ingredients and make 2 orders. You can either freeze the second meal or eat it again for the next meal. This is a great way to save time!
Planning your trip to the store:
7. Grocery shop only once a week or less. Less trips to the store will save you both time and money. Be organized with tips from #3.
8. Create an effective grocery list: It is so much easier to shop when you organize the items on your grocery list. This will make your shopping trip efficient, reduces the chances of missing an item and having to go back to the store again.
Think of the layout of your favorite grocery store. Create your grocery list in the order of the departments that you will walk through the store.
Stick to the list! Try to avoid buying miscellaneous items that aren’t on your list
Keep an ongoing grocery list that you add to during the week when you notice that you are running low on an item. This will save you time when you need to come up with your grocery list for the next trip.
9. Shop with a calculator and add up things as you put them in the cart. After a while you will get an idea of what your total will be and won’t need to add up everything everytime.
10. Buy your main and basic items in bulk – especially when it’s on sale and stock up! (Watch for expiry dates)
11. Don’t shop on an empty stomach. Everything looks delicious when you are hungry!
12. Check to see if you can price match a cheaper item from another store at your regular store. Price matching will save you time from having to go to the other store.
13. Use coupons. Where to find coupons:
At the grocery store – some may have a coupon board at their front entrance
Online websites like save.ca or websaver.ca have coupons that you can print or have mailed to you
Flyers, newspapers, magazines
Apps like Checkout 51
14. Online grocery shopping: What a great option for those who have busy lives and also for families! You basically order the groceries online and then go to the store to pick it up. Here are 4 reasons why you should try out online grocery shopping:
You can shop in the comfort of your own home
You don’t have to bring the kids with you to shop
It’s a great way to compare prices between items
Lastly, you know how much money you will spend before checking out. A great way to stay on budget!
15. Use cash to pay for groceries. At the beginning of the month take out the amount of your grocery budget in cash. Use the cash to pay for your groceries and if it runs out before the end of the month – you will just have to make do with what is leftover in your kitchen.
What other tips do you use to stay on budget with your groceries?
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I love using coupons!
These are great ideas and will be very helpful. I am always looking for Extra ways to save. Have you tried the app Ibotta? It’s kinda fun and gives you a little bit of cash back on groceries.
I agree with creating your own snack size treats. I also buy large bags and place them into smaller containers for lunches and snacks. It saves a lot of money!
Thanks for your comment Colleen. Batching snacks also saves me time during the week when packing lunches/snacks the next day.