According to the USDA, the average monthly grocery bill for a family of four runs between $568 for the super thrifty to $1,293 for those on a more expansive budget. While cutting coupons is a good way to save money on groceries, it is a time consuming task that requires a considerable amount of effort if you want to realize significant savings. If cutting coupons is not your thing, there are plenty of other ways to save money on groceries without coupons. Here are some popular techniques that can save you a substantial sum.
Plan meals using your grocery store’s weekly ads. By planning your meals around what’s on sale, you can get meals for about half price. Go through your cabinets before heading out to the store to ensure you don’t buy things you already have.
Americans typically throw out about 25 percent of the groceries they purchase. To avoid wasted money, go through your fridge and pantry once a week and place items that are about to expire in a designated space so you use them before they go bad.
Look for for lower-cost alternatives to your most expensive purchases. Consider swapping items like ground turkey for ground beef and choosing store brands over name brands. Subbing out a few items each trip can add up to considerable savings over the course of a year.
Compare items by not just the sticker price but the price per ounce or pound to be sure you’re getting the best deal. Most stores post this number on the label on the shelf. You can generally save more by buying larger quantities of items with long shelf lives.
If a sale item is out of stock, ask the store for a rain check, which grants you the sale price once the item’s back in stock regardless of whether the promotion is still running. Rain checks are not available on all items, but it never hurts to ask.
Use an app to get cash back on your purchases. Apps like Ibotta, SavingsStar, and Checkout51 offer weekly cash-back deals on a range of goods if you take a photo of your receipt showing you bought the item.
Sign up for for loyalty programs at grocery stores and drugstores you go to frequently. Stores often offer special discounts and free items to those enrolled in their loyalty programs. Sign up for email or text alerts as well to be notified when special deals are being offered.
Choose the smaller cart. According to a report by CNBC, doubling the size of a cart makes people buy 40 percent more. Choosing a cart that is only big enough to transport the items on your list cuts down on impulse purchases and purchasing quantities larger than you can reasonably use up in time.
Use the self-checkout line. There is less merchandise for you to pick up around self-checkout stands, and the wait time is typically shorter. A study by IHL Consulting Group found that impulse purchases dropped by 32 percent for women and about 17 percent for men when shoppers used the self-checkout line.
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