Now here is a topic that is just not going away anytime soon – saving money on your weekly groceries! Now, I say ‘weekly’ groceries, because many of us still do one large shop a week and perhaps top up with a few needed items – I’m looking at you milk and bread – throughout the week. But, more of us than ever are shopping in a different way – truly shopping all of the loss leaders at a few different stores. Overall, that helps us to keep our grocery bills a bit lower.
If you’re looking for inspiration on how to save money on food, then I hope these five ideas will help you right away!
1. Grocery shop online instead
I’ve found one grocery store that I really love shopping online with. Their grocery pickers are amazing, and you can clearly state what (if any) substitutions you’ll accept if your original item is not in stock. If you’re a shopper who is easy swayed by extra goodies, then having one large shop with necessary items might be the best option for you.
You may sometimes need to pay a small fee for pickup, or a larger fee for delivery of the groceries right to your home. The grocery store I love – Save On (I know, I know – people think it’s the priciest one! But that hasn’t been my experience…) charges $1.95 for pickup and between $5.95 and $9.95 for delivery. But, with Save On at least you can use your More Reward points to get free pickup or delivery. And even paying $1.95 – so under two bucks! – for someone to do all my grocery shopping and have it ready for me seems like an absolute bargain!
2. When grocery shopping online – Check for unpublished sales
I’ve found this one tip helps us save a LOT of money every week on our groceries! Anytime I’m doing an online grocery order, I go through all my ‘past purchases’ and check for sales items that have not been published ahead of time in the supermarket’s flyer. Not every single sale price is a published one, and sometimes there are even clearance items in this ‘past purchases’ category too.
I view this one tip as a secret way to save extra money! And instead of having to wander through an entire large grocery store to do it, you can simply scan for the secret savings on your phone. To be honest, it’s almost become a bit of a hobby to me! hahaha
3. Find a good bulk food store
Some people are fans of bulk food stores, and some people simply aren’t. I like them! And, even supermarkets usually have a bulk food section. If your favorite store does, then you might not even need to venture any further than the bulk food aisles.
I’ve found that even bulk food items go on sale. Pricey purchases – such as nuts – can be marked down to half price or better! So, I try to wait for sales to purchase those items, even in bulk.
Here in Canada, Bulk Barn is the most recognizable bulk food store. They have weekly flyers, so you can check to see when your favorite foods go on sale. But, more than that they also have an initiative called ‘Sustainable Sundays’ when you can save an extra 15% off your purchases when you use your own reusuable bags or containers. (I also found out that on Wednesdays Seniors and Students can also get 15% off! Seniors need to be age 65+ and students will need to show ID.)
Other items like cocoa powder – which we are sort of obsessed with, as we love making homemade hot cocoa practically every day – have really increased in price lately. So, I’m definitely keeping an eye out for sales anywhere I can, including the bulk food stores like Bulk Barn.
4. Coupons for items you love and use
Coupons aren’t as huge a thing for most of us as they have been in the past. There aren’t as many of them available, but there’s still some! I find it really helpful to keep my eyes open when in the supermarket for coupons on the store shelves. And when I find a coupon for something we actually love and use all the time, then I grab a few. (Nothing radical here folks – I literally just take about four. I make sure to leave plenty for everyone else who needs them.)
And then of course there is the old tested and true technique of holding onto those coupons until the item – let’s say Greek yogurt – goes on sale. Let’s say the regular price is $6.99, but you find a coupon for $1.00 off. Wait until the yogurt goes on sale for $4.99 and then use the coupon, and suddenly you’re only paying $3.99.
You can also check out local Facebook groups for coupon collectors. If you find a group in your area, you can swap coupons – if that’s your thing. 🙂
5. Get creative in using up the food you already have
Rather than rigidly sticking to a recipe, get creative with it! Use what you have in the pantry or in the fridge or freezer to MAKE DO, rather than worry about MAKING IT PERFECT. This can mean using different veggies or fruits in recipes, or just tossing together what you already have and calling it a meal!
Soup is one of the best ways to use up lingering bits of vegetables – just add some stock and perhaps some leftover meat or rice or noodles, and you have a hearty vegetable soup that also reduced your food waste. Leftover roasted meats can become SUB NIGHT! Or, definitely make for delicious sandwiches for lunch the next few days. (Need further lunch inspiration? I came up with 5 Easy and Frugal Lunches in this article. Or, use a Sweet potato as the basis of an awesome meal!)
Conclusion
Getting more creative with our habits definitely helps to save money on groceries, and these five ways are just the beginning of how to do it! Please keep an eye open for more tips coming up AND weekly flyer overviews in the Calgary area of the BEST grocery prices.