5 Things to Avoid That Will Save You Money on Groceries

We have all been to the grocery stores lately. We know how expensive things are. Even if you aren't struggling I think we can all agree we are trying to be smarter about where our hard earned money is going. One of the biggest areas in our budget that is negotiable is the grocery bill. I wanted to share 5 of my favorite tips for grocery shopping that will help you save money.

These are 5 things you should avoid that will save you money on groceries:

1. Precut Produce-Gone are the days of convenience I feel like. Pre cut food in all shapes is just throwing your money away. This goes for prepackaged. I am not going to say I don't do any of these because that would be lying. I have definitely made a stronger effort to buy large bags of carrots, celery, lettuce, and other items. Not only are they cheaper but you can use them in different ways instead of just their one intended cut up purpose. A large carrot can be cut into carrot sticks, sliced and then roasted, grated and put into soup, and many more things instead of just matchstick carrots for one purpose. Take a minute and get out your cutting board or food chopper and get it done. 

2. No Meal Planning-If you have been here for even one minute you know how much I believe in meal planning. It does not have to be extravagant but it will save you money I promise! I make a simple list of the week and put simple meals on it.  I do maybe a larger or new recipe once a week but I am very flexible with this. Find stuff that works for your family. Have a go to meal or two. Our is breakfast food. If all else fails I know I can make pancakes, french toast, or something similar in a pinch on a busy night. If you need meal ideas you can find some here.

3. Not Checking Sales-Shop sales and find the best pricing. I tend to shop at one or two stores but I love to stock up when there are case lot sales and other things. Also it won't kill you to eat the store brands. Look at the price per serving and if they have an item on sale that you buy often, buy a few of them. This will save you money the next time you need them. I love these sales at Costco but you have to be careful to not just buy stuff you don't need. 

4. Forgetting to Check Your Fridge and Pantry Before Shopping-I do grocery pick up most of the time but if I do to the store I will actually snap a picture of my fridge or pantry or even my food storage down stairs.

This was last weeks photo. I should probably delete all my old ones in my phone.

This helps so when I am at the store and I see something I can know if I need it or not. This is also helpful to plan meals around what you have. I have heard the term shop your pantry before and it is so great because if you use it up that is one less thing you need to buy at the grocery store. The little things add up to big costs.

5. Multiple Shopping Trips-We are all guilty of grabbing that extra carton of ice cream or snack at the store when we are there. When you take less shopping trips that is less money spent impulsively. This also comes back to the planning beforehand. When you plan ahead you will not be tempted to spend more at the store than you need. Also, not to mention, the time and gas going back and forth to the store multiple times. Keep staple food items in your home and like I mentioned before have a back up plan. Also ask a neighbor for the two eggs or can of food if you need. Get them back next time or just be available to help them too. 

I know there are tons of other ways to save money on groceries and I would love to hear what you like to do. More than anything just make small steps to do better. We can all improve and be better at saving money.