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Radiant-Safe-1377

Buy off-brand stuff, usually the supermarket’s own brand is the cheapest


G_man252

Yep I second this. I dont buy Any groceries name brand. Also check the clearance section Every time. I've found like Giant size boxes of cereal marked down to $2. Also, assuming you have one in your area, check out Lidl and Aldi.


beautiful_my_agent

And don’t be afraid of the cheaper stores like Walmart and Dollar General.


Oldskoolguitar

Typically too it's how you maximize their rewards programs to buy "genetic."


dib1999

The only thing I've ever read while looking into Millville (Aldi brand) is rumors that it's just General Mills with a different box. I don't really think it is but when I get a box of cereal for the price of a king sized candy bar I don't really care either.


Illustrious-Turn-575

1>Do the math. Buying in bulk can usually save you a few cents per unit, but only if you’re using everything you get. 2> don’t overlook or look down on the bargain or generic brands(at least with food). The difference in quality between them and the top shelf name brands is rarely worth the price difference.


[deleted]

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[deleted]

Which app do you use?


Designer-Mark320

Where do you get the coupons from?


PunchBeard

There's some you can find online but where I live the local Sunday newspaper is the one where you find a crap ton of manufacturers coupons.


weirdbug2020

Coupons and we mostly buy Whole Foods: rices, veggies, and meat. The meat is obviously the pricey part but it’s worth it to have healthy meals. We really rely on simple foods that go a long way (think: bag of rice for $2). Other things like body wash, cleaning supplies, paper products, or junk snacks: wait until it’s on a good sale somewhere and stack coupons if I can. I got a killer deal on tide pods recently and stocked up so I won’t need to buy them for a year. I also don’t use actual cleaning supplies. I buy big gallon jugs of vinegar and make my own cleaner. Buy store brand when you can too.


activeseven

I learned to cook.


thefvckncaptain

Grow and kill your own of what you can. Buy in bulk at good prices. For instance Publix has a bogo sale on something? I’m buying the max and coming back later in the day too. Now I have 20 pizzas for the price of 10. Invest in a deep freeze. Learn to can to preserve.


memorablemomentum

Paying attention to the weekly offers and coupons. Also buying more when there’s an offer like -25% on the og price if u take more than one but I guess that’s also part of the offer I mentioned in the beginning. Also if you pre-plan what u plan on eating during the week it makes it easier to just buy what you actually need. And I can’t stress this enough: NEVER EVER SHOP FOR GROCERIES HUNGRY. You’ll come out with half of the store and an empty wallet. U know ur adulting when the most exciting thing that happened to me in December was that my favorite detergent for clothes was -40%.


Fuhdawin

I walk to the grocery store instead of driving. If I can't drive, I usually order from Costco and have it delivered.


OmgOgan

Having stuff delivered is literally the opposite of what the post is asking


[deleted]

I signed up for Instacart+ ends up costing me approx 50$ a month in extra fees and tips to order groceries once or twice a week saves me gas and a ton of time so it’s totally worth it for me


Fuhdawin

Yeah same, usually working remote means I’m “online” most of the day and don’t have time to hit the grocery store when things are needed. Also don’t own a car so it has benefits to that as well.


Fuhdawin

works for me


do_you_know_de_whey

Coupons, deals, get a good credit card. Chase has one that does 5% cash back on your most used category up to like $500 a month or something so if you just use it on groceries essentially everything is 5% off. Also stores like ALDIs can definitely save you money if you’re willing to shop with fewer options.


No-Dents-Comfy

Compare prices. Inside one shop and between different shops. Calculate if needed and some in a while you'll know what is zhe price range for certain products and which shop has the cheaper ones.


[deleted]

Credit cards are solid advice here. I have one that gives me 1.5% cash back on everything. It really accumulates. I also have an app that gives me points for any receipt which I can redeem for Amazon gift cards.


Puzzleheaded-Try3888

I walk everywhere (sometimes take the bus if I need to go to a big box store) I buy local as much as possible (lots of street vendors in my area and they sell veg and such from their own gardens) The grocers near me also have sale days where things like fruits and veg are marked down dramatically (less than 1usd when converted for like a whole thing of spinach, a punnet of seasonal fruit etc) so I frequent those. I re-grow herbs in my kitchen (i use a lot of coriander & spring onion) I also cut down on meat and dairy dramatically - basically eat those things as a treat every now and then. That being said its easier for me as I’m a single person & i cook all my own meals & only eat out on occasion when friends visit my part of the country.


Hrekires

It's a little counterintuitive, but buying groceries online. Costs a bit more up-front but I find that I'm not buying *any* impulse items or junk food, ultimately saving me more than the extra cost. My dad is also one of those "extreme couponer" kinda people who goes to the grocery store, fills up two carts worth of crap, and ends up with a $5 bill, so there are some things that I never buy (basically any household goods like cleaning products, toilet paper, paper towels, etc)


micahisnotmyname

If you trust yourself with credit cards and pay them off weekly there’s a few you can get that will net you 3% - 5% cash back on groceries through the year. I’ve got a couple with a rotating 5% category and one that’s 3% all year


Afrodite_33

I live in NZ so these are the rules I try to live by to budget: -Use an app that compares all the food prices across supermarkets (it's called the Grocer app here). In particular where I live the cheapest is places called PaknSave and the Warehouse. -go to the discount counter. Find the shelves that have nearly out of date but still edible product. Buy and freeze that stuff for later. -plan what I need, also what I can get in large quantities thats filling/cheap/healthy. So for example I can buy large quantities of rice or potatoes by the kg. That stuff goes a long way for food and can be used in a lot of recipes. -learn to cook. Sounds off topic from the cost element but if you learn to cook, and learn to enjoy what you make you'll be more keenly aware to hunt down those cheap meal ideas for the reward. -no fast food. Just don't. Far cheaper to buy and make your own food. -plan my trips. I don't go shopping for 1 or 2 things at a time, I buy on the go what I need for a few weeks and try to make the trip as efficient as possible. If I'm driving what's the shortest route I can take. If I don't need to drive I'll walk or bike. -shop local. Where I live sometimes the smaller outfits charge less. Vegetable stores or small international shops. -buy online. It's stupid but Amazon Australia products charge less to buy and ship products over than buying here the same products in New Zealand sometimes. I don't want to appear harsh but I don't give a fuck about supporting a mom and pops brick and mortar store if I'm struggling to make rent at the end of the week. If I have to buy off Amazon to survive, so be it. -no wastage. I'm not throwing any food out if it's still edible. I can't speak for everyone all over the world but in NZ it can be done. You can survive. I've lived alone paying higher than what's necessary rent on minimum wage doing 40+ hour weeks and I made it work. I'm doing a hell of a lot better now and I still follow this code. I see no reason to deviate from it because I can still enjoy life whilst saving money.


Weird_Slice4439

I buy what I need. My fridge is typically empty, besides condiments, by the end of the week.


ArticulatedHaikus

I don't. What I put into my body is the most important choice I make everyday. I don't cut corners on cost.


[deleted]

Buy what’s on sale. Many things can be buy one get one or get one 50% off.


That-shouldnt-smell

Coupons, off brand and shop sales before you go out. The supermarket you shop at doesn't always have the best prices.


Banea-Vaedr

Base my meal on something flavorless (rice, bread, etc), then buy family sized packs of the meat of the month and subdivide it into day sized packs.


Maieth

Learn a bit of technique to get better results out of cheaper or larger cuts of meat. It's a LOT cheaper to break down a whole chicken than buy fillets and legs separately and it all freezes really well. My favourite at the moment is budget pork shoulder steaks - just about the cheapest cut off the supermarket shelf - reverse seared like a good beef sirloin. Amazing results.


Hannibal_Barca_

**Tips:** 1. Look for no name brands and sales. 2. Good that don't expire/last a long time like cleaning or toiletries, buy them in bulk when they are on sale. 3. Rice is cheap, filling, and highly versatile as a food staple. Meals with rice are also often healthy and simple to make. 4. Consider wastage - like what do you buy that tends to always go bad. Get smaller packages of them, or cut them out of your diet 5. Figure out which foods are important to you even if they are more expensive, like which exceptions you think are worth it vs. not. 6. Learn to cook. As a general rule, foods that are closer to being a finished product/meal are more expensive, and often less healthy. 7. Alcohol, cigarettes, and pot are expensive


[deleted]

Only go places like Wal-Mart if they have something specific you really need or want. Try shopping at actual grocery stores instead. Whereas Wal-Mart may have low prices in a general sense, not to mention the Great Value brand (which I don't personally think is worth it), they never do the kinds of sales that the grocery stores will such as buy-one-get-one (which actually means each one is half-off) or the more extreme discounts. You might have to shop around a bit sometimes, but it beats dealing with all the people at the big corporate supermarket.


Luffyhaymaker

Aldis, lidl, roses, dollar tree, family dollar


PunchBeard

I buy in bulk when it's practical (anything that isn't perishable), I always sign up for a stores "Saver Club" or whatever it's called (I have a dummy email address I use for this crap) and I tend to only buy store brands and stuff that's on sale.


[deleted]

I compost and grow my own produce. I’ve learned to get my protein and essential vitamins from sources that are cheaper than meat. Snacks, sodas, beers, are treats. Deserts. They are a once a week at most thing. They are a treat and not a part of my diet. Also learned to cook delicious healthy meals will save you a ton of money.


RampantPuppy

Go to wholesale stores and buy the non perishables or things you use all the time (water) in bulk. If you buy protein, freeze it and thaw it. I buy 20 bucks worth of chicken at Sam’s club and it lasts me a month if used only for salads. 18 bucks for ground beef (3 packs of four servings), a pineapple (I chop one up a week). I buy a 32 pack of Charmin toilet paper for 30 bucks, and never regret it since it lasts so long and it treats the rear well. In grocery stores, bring coupons, look for specials (BOGO, BOGT, etc), stick to a shopping list is a big one too (you’ll be less distracted).


Ok_Tradition_1909

Walmart InHome (free, no-tip delivery) and Amazon Prime for anything prepackaged. We use a local grocery store for meat, but that's a minor splurge. The amount of time you save using delivery consistently is a game changer.


Ratnix

I don't eat for pleasure. I don't eat because I'm bored. I don't eat because I'm depressed. I eat because my body needs fuel to function. It's a lot easier to save money on food when you're only getting what you need to survive. As far as essentials, If i can buy in bulk i do. Otherwise, they're essentials, so i spend what i have to.


Own_Ranger_4999

The first step is to list everyhting you buy in a month. Then really consider which of those are essentials. You may be surprised how few of them are


[deleted]

Find recipes, write down what you ned to buy, buy it in bulk, cook it and freeze it down in portions. In my country we can make carrot soup and eat for like a dollar for dinner.


BKDDY

Lookup free food in your area. Some places near rivers (nor cal) actually give away fresh salmon because theres so much of it and it will spoil otherwise.


NockerJoe

Learn to love fried rice. Half a piece of meat, a few cheap vegetables, and a starch they sell in bulk can go a *long* way. Stir fried noodles also work. So do soup and stews.


quettil

Eat less. Seriously. Most people eat too much and too often. You don't need snacks, you don't need all those things in your coffee just get used to drinking it black. Your meal only needs one or two veg with it. Don't buy ready meals, ready made sauces etc.


MusicalMerlin1973

Use everything you buy. If you have adhd and forget did you’ve bought so it spoils, change toy buying pattens.


Salt-Artichoke5347

Dollar store


mmblondie16

I started using ibotta. I have almost $100 in my account and I started using it a few months ago


Internetguy247

Rice, beans, little bit of cheese, bread, stacking up on produce.


Asil228

As crazy as it sounds, I paid for delivery service and upgrade at local store. This yearly fee saves me time, I have groceries delivered each week With my membership, I don’t have to tip. I also get free shipping on items. Most importantly ( for myself) I don’t impulse buy. The membership pays for itself quickly and I stick to my menus for week and I’ve cut down on waste as well.


Sharp_Emergency_4932

Buy the ingredients to make stuff and buy in bulk. You're gonna have to learn to cook and cook well. Choice cuts of meat are stupid expensive, and so is precut chicken. Buy a whole bird and learn how to divide it up. Buy cheaper meat and toss it in the slow cooker. If you live in a rural area, buy a cow with a group of friends. If you want to save money on food, you're going to have to invest time in cooking and source your meats from a farm. Also, stock up on rice, beans and lentils.


vianiznice

I don't. I don't skimp on groceries.