We cut our grocery bill by $100 a week without giving up healthy, good food. We started meal planning each week, made a shopping list, and stuck to it. Buying store brands and shopping sales made a big difference. We also cooked more at home and used leftovers for lunches. This way, our meals stayed fresh, and nothing went to waste. Give these tips a try and see how much you can save.
1. Meal plan
After some brainstorming, I realized meal planning didn’t have to be strict. I wrote down seven dinners my family likes, but didn’t assign each one to a set night. This way, I could cook what sounded good that day. Most weeks, we’d eat leftovers once, so I’d move a meal to the next week. Once I knew what I’d cook, making a grocery list was easy. I shopped for what we needed, spent less, and wasted almost no food.
2. Use an online grocery service
Using the Walmart grocery app, I picked out what I needed for the week and saw the cost as I added items to my cart. I skipped the usual impulse buys since I wasn’t wandering through the store. If I needed to cut back, I just deleted a few things with one tap. Shopping this way made it simple to stick to my budget and skip the stress at checkout.
3. Set a budget
I made it my goal to cut my grocery bill from $200 a week to $100 without feeling like I was missing out. I started checking every weekly sale and kept a list of every food purchase. Each week, I always knew where I stood with my spending. If I hit my limit, I stopped buying more. Sticking to the plan took willpower and a few habit changes, but I never felt deprived. Smart planning meant we always had what we needed at home, which made the process much easier.
4. Selectively buy organic
I wanted our family to eat healthy, but the cost of organic food added up fast. So, I started looking for ways to save without giving up on better choices. That’s when I found the “Dirty Dozen” and “Clean Fifteen” lists. These lists show which fruits and veggies have the most pesticides and which have the least. Now, I buy the Dirty Dozen organic and grab the Clean Fifteen from the regular produce section. This simple switch helps us eat clean while keeping our grocery bill in check. If you’re trying to save on groceries but still want healthy food, these lists can make things easier.
5. Cook more
Over the last couple of months, I’ve learned that cooking at home really does save a lot of money. I always knew eating out was pricey, but I didn’t realize how much a simple meal out could add up. When I saw a $14 salad on a menu, it clicked. For that same amount, I can make dinner for our family of four—and still have leftovers for the next day. The savings add up fast, and the homemade meals taste better, too. Give home cooking a try and watch your food budget stretch further.
6. When you run out of something, wait until grocery day to restock it
Breaking the habit of dashing to the store as soon as we run out of something hasn’t been easy, but it’s paid off. Now, when we run low on food, I make do with what’s in the kitchen. Sometimes that means leftovers for breakfast, but we still eat well and waste less. After two months of planning grocery trips and using what we have, I’m seeing real savings. I spend less time shopping and feel less stress at mealtime since I already have what I need on hand. The effort has been worth it.
Decide you can do it, and you will. And why not start today? Your bank account will thank you.
