Saving Money at the Grocery Store Without Using Coupons

I’ve received a few questions about how I was able to reduce our grocery bill by $200 in the month of January (and February!).  I’m by no means an expert on this topic, but I do have a few thoughts to share on how to save money at the grocery store without using coupons.  Now, I’ve got nothing against coupons.  In fact, I do use them….for some things.  I rarely bought diapers without a coupon, for instance.  I used to be a faithful coupon clipper and Grocery Game subscriber, but now I choose not to.  I’ve found other ways to save money at the grocery store:

Go Less Often: Instead of going every 7 days, I stretch it out to 10 or 14 days.  Yes, every once in a while I’ll need to run in for produce, but I try to stay out of the store if at all possible.  If you’re at the store, even just for one or two things, you inevitably make impulse purchases that add up over time.

Menu Plan: Don’t wait until 4pm to figure out what’s for dinner, and then have to run to the store or get takeout.  Plan ahead, and you can go to the store less often.  In fact, this might be the single most important tip for saving money on groceries without using coupons.  Plan your dinners (main dish, sides), and don’t forget about lunch, breakfast, snacks, and any special occasions.

Buy meat on sale and stock up: I buy whatever meat is on sale that week, and stock up.  This week, I bought tilapia, boneless skinless chicken breast, and pork chops.  I portion out everything into ziplocks (2 or 4 servings per bag), then freeze it.  I start each meal planning session by checking my freezer to see what meat I’ve got on hand.

Stop buying processed food: This is what I’m working on now, and some weeks are better than others.  I’m trying to cut out the chips, crackers, cereals, snack-y junk.  The Picky Apple isn’t on board with this step at all, and The Littlest Apple is troublesome as well since these are some of the only foods he eats.  I’ve reduced the processed food we bring home, but a few things still sneak in to my cart each week (graham crackers, tortilla chips).  But let’s face it, most of the processed food is without much redeeming nutritional value, so why spend money on it?

Make it yourself: I know not everyone loves being in the kitchen as much as I do.  Many of you may not have the desire or ability to spend time making your own food from scratch.  But maybe you can just start with one thing.  Tortillas would be a great place to start if you cook Mexican food at home often.  Pita Bread and Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread are great to have on hand, too.  If those things sound too complicated, how about making your own pasta sauce?  Or oatmeal, instead of buying the instant packets?  Or shredding your own cheese instead of buying the pre-shredded kind (no cooking required!!)?  Any of those would save you a couple of bucks each week at the grocery store!  I’m planning to make my own yogurt sometime soon, as well as ice cream for The Littlest Apple.

Drink water instead of soft drinks or juice: It seems like the cost of soft drinks has skyrocketed in the last 5 years or so.  They used to always be on sale somewhere, and now it seems that soft drinks are hardly ever on sale (nor are the sales as good as they used to be).  I’ve stopped drinking soft drinks completely.  (Though I definitely still crave them from time to time).  The Picky Apple has cut back his consumption considerably, too.  I still buy apple juice for The Littlest Apple, but we aren’t big juice drinkers at our house.  I drink water, with the occasional cup of (decaf) coffee.  And this probably goes without saying, but I don’t buy bottled water either.  (I’m a recovering Fiji Water addict, I confess).  We keep a large Brita pitcher in the fridge, and everyone in the family has their own water bottles to refill throughout the day.

Buy what’s in season: Similar to “buy what’s on sale,” since what’s in season is usually on sale.  I try to only buy the fruits and veggies that are in season.  I’m not buying strawberries and watermelon for $4-5 a pint in the middle of winter.  I buy blueberries and strawberries in the spring and summer, citrus and apples in the winter.  This is another thing I stock up on and freeze for later.

Buy what’s on sale: I’ve kind of already touched on this, but if there is something on sale that my family eats-meat, produce, canned goods-then I buy it, even if I don’t need it right away.  I stockpile or freeze it for later.

Eat less meat: This is another area I’m working on right now.  I’m trying to serve one or two meatless meals each week.  If you’re not already doing much vegetarian cooking, pasta dishes are an excellent place to start!

Buy store brand: Most people instinctively reach for the name brand products while shopping.  Over time, I’ve gradually switched to store brand.  Now I almost ALWAYS reach for store brand at my HEB, when it is available.  There are very few times when I can actually tell the difference, and the prices are consistently lower.

Be choosy about your organic purchases: I’m certainly not one of those people who buys organic everything.  I know organic is good, but it also gets expensive.  I buy organic milk, and I use the Dirty Dozen/Clean 15 List as a guide for buying organic produce.  Otherwise, I just wash my fruits and veggies thoroughly.  Also, just because the box says “organic” doesn’t mean it is healthy.  With a few exceptions, if it is in a box, then it’s probably still junk food.  There is an increasing amount of “junk” food labeled organic.

Create a monthly grocery budget, and STICK TO IT!! If you create a monthly budget, but never actually look at it, then does it really count?  NO!  (I speak from experience here.)  You have to be tallying and adding your grocery store purchases as the month goes on, so you can adjust your menu planning and purchases accordingly.

Do you have any additional tips on saving money at the grocery store without using coupons?