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50+ Clever Shopping Tips That Will Save You Money At The Grocery Store

Updated: Aug 3, 2022By Daniel RosenblatHomepage
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For most people, the weekly trip to the grocery store is far from the highlight of the week. The place is full of agitated people who don’t want to be there, it has weird smells, and no matter how hard you try, you always spend more money than you had planned.

If you’re tired of having your wallet gauged every time you go to buy food for the week and are looking for a way to save a few bucks here or there, these hacks should help. You might not like them all, but if the hacks are performed correctly, you’ll save enough for a trip to Disney World in no time.

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1. Skip The Bottled Water

Est. Savings: $20 Weekly*
Where To Find The Discount: Amazon
Shopper Reviews: Environmentally Friendly

The average person should be drinking the equivalent of six to eight bottles of water every day. Assuming each bottle costs about a buck, and most people consume about a third of the water they should, the average person would therefore spend about $20 a week buying bottled water.

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Switching to a reusable water bottle can save you $1,000 or more every year. Amazon has some great options to choose from for under $20. That means the price of the bottle will be paid covered after just one week of use.

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2. Shop In The Freezer Section

Est. Savings: $50+ Monthly*
Where To Find The Discount: Freezer Section
Shopper Reviews: Happy With Product Shelf-Life

Having fresh food around is great, but some of it is bound to be wasted if there’s too much. If you’re one of the healthy ones who enjoys a daily smoothie, leave the fresh fruit from the farmers’ market for eating, and have a look at the freezer section of the local grocery store for bags of frozen fruit to toss in the blender.

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The freezer section hack works for meats as well. Compared to a few days in the fridge, frozen meat has a shelf-life of 6-12 months. You’ll save tens of dollars every month (and lots of meat) by using the freezer for its intended purpose. 

3. Do Your Shopping Late At Night

Est. Savings: $15-$50 Per Visit*
Where To Find The Discount: At Night
Shopper Reviews: There Are Less Shoppers At Night As Well

Most grocery stores are equipped with their own bakeries, delis, and prepared food aisles these days. Each section contains items that have rather sensitive ‘best before dates. As the day turns to evening and the evening tonight, the expiration dates of the products draw nearer.

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An hour or two before the grocery store closes is the perfect time to take advantage of these quickly approaching deadlines because that’s when the perishable items get marked down for clearance. Don’t forget to grab some clearance ground beef and a (made this morning) baguette on the way home from work so you can whip up some spaghetti bolognese for you and your partner to enjoy while watching Netflix and chilling later tonight.

4. Only Shop The Outside Aisles Of The Grocery Store

Est. Savings: $100+ Monthly*
Where To Find The Discount: The Perimeter Of The Store
Shopper Reviews: Spending Less On Needed Snacks

Looking around a grocery store, one might notice that the healthier and fresher foods, like dairy products, meats, and produce, are kept around the store’s perimeter. Alternatively, most of the ‘cheat’ foods are found in the center aisles of a grocery store, along with the cleaning supplies and household items.

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Keeping the layout in mind and sticking to the outside aisles while pursuing the grocery store will undoubtedly save shoppers time and money with every trip. When something is needed from one of the ‘forbidden’ aisles, be sure you know exactly where to find it, and get out of there as soon as you can — temptation can only be resisted for so long.

5. Buy Store Or No-Name Brands

Est. Savings: 5%+ Per Item
Where To Find The Discount: Throughout The Store
Shopper Reviews: You Can Barely Tell The Difference

Thanks to aggressive marketing campaigns, shoppers are drawn to brand-name products instinctively, like moths to a flame. However, this unintentional attraction to popular products costs shoppers their hard-earned money. For every brand product, a cheaper ‘no-name’ version of it exists as well.

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Shopping in the middle of the grocery store shelves will inevitably lead you back to the more expensive brand products you’re trying to avoid. Try shifting focus a little higher up or a little lower down, and you’ll come across cheaper alternatives to all the products you buy — and they won’t taste all that different.

6. Use A Smaller Cart

Est. Savings: Depends On The Size Of The Cart
Where To Find The Discount: The Front Of The Store
Shopper Reviews: Very Handy Hack

Limiting oneself to only purchasing the items on the shopping list that were prepared before leaving home is easier said than done, especially when there’s still so much room left in the cart. An extra bag of chips from that aisle and a few large bottles of soda from this one will fill the empty space nicely.

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Stop yourself from buying unneeded junk food and discount items by switching to a smaller cart while grocery shopping. When the smaller cart is full, the grocery trip is over. It might be time to re-think those bottles of Coke in favor of food for the family.

7. Order Baked Goods From The Bakery

Est. Savings: 10%+*
Where To Find The Discount: The Bakery Section
Shopper Reviews: Fresher And Cheaper

Ordering a cake from the bakery a few days before an event (instead of picking one on the day of) will improve the quality of the dessert. Let’s face it, baked goods that have been specially prepared for someone usually be better than whatever has been sitting in the display case all day (or week). 

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Paying the same amount of money for something of better quality is essentially equal to saving money. Loblaws cake-lovers out there need to remember that, believe it or not, the much-beloved cake is even more delicious with this hack.

8. Shake Off Your Produce

Est. Savings: $20+ Weekly*
Where To Find The Discount: The Produce Section
Shopper Reviews: Pay For The Produce, Not Its Water

Most grocery stores either have employees who walk around the produce section watering the items that need periodic moistening or built-in timer-activated sprinkler systems that handle all the indoor gardening needs. As wonderful as this service is, and as fresh as it keeps the lettuce and cilantro, it doesn’t come without a price. The added water will be weighed with the rest of the produce unless shaken off. 

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In some grocery stores paying for added water would be the least of your worries. Over the years, shoppers have reported finding venomous spiders amongst bananas bunches and grapes. Don’t take a chance to pay extra or find an uninvited friend — shake it off.

9. Choose Bagged Greens With Less Air

Est. Savings: $20+ Monthly*
Where To Find The Discount: Fresh Bags Of Greens
Shopper Reviews: Tastes Fresher

Energy and willingness to cook are usually reasonably low after a long day of work. For this reason, among others, shoppers generally lean towards purchasing pre-bagged salad instead of taking the time to cut it themselves. As much of a money waster as buying pre-bagged salads is, this is about the air inside those bags. 

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As greens age, they emit gas. So, if a bag of salad from Target looks a little puffy, it’s probably from the previous week’s shipment. Switch it out for one of the more deflated bags to get the most extended life possible from the greens you buy. 

10. Download Cash Back Apps

Est. Savings: $5-$10 Per Purchase*
Where To Find The Discount: App Store / Google Store
Shopper Reviews: Love The Free Money

Apps exist for just about everything these days. However, many of them cost money and don’t give much back to shoppers. The same cannot be said for cash back apps. They’re free to download and designed to benefit shoppers by earning them money on select purchases. 

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Receiving cashback through apps like Ibotta is as easy as scanning the barcode of select items and sending a snapshot of that week’s grocery bill (to prove it’s been purchased). Signing up for every loyalty plan possible is another way for shoppers to earn while spending. Loyalty cardholders are privy to added discounts as well as special promotions. 

11. Bring Reusable Grocery Bags

Est. Savings: $0.10 Per Bag*
Where To Find The Discount: At The Register
Shopper Reviews: Reusable Bags Carry More And Are Of Better Quality 

“Paper or plastic?” “How many do you need?” These are the questions shoppers have been asked for decades. However, with the environment finally beginning to take center stage (in some respects), those questions have become redundant in some cities. Some grocery stores don’t even offer bags anymore, unless they’re reusable bags.

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A reusable bag will cost a dollar or two. They’re bigger than plastic grocery bags and exponentially stronger than the plastic and paper options. Ask the cashier to add a reusable bag to your bill and stop worrying about how many jars of Bick’s Pickles your bag will support. A torn plastic bag will no longer be a problem.

12. Take Photos Of Your Fridge And Pantry Beforehand

Est. Savings: $100 Monthly*
Where To Find The Discount: In Your Phone’s Photo Gallery
Shopper Reviews: Prevents Needless Spending

Taking a quick scan of the fridge and pantry is something that everyone should do before going grocery shopping, but few do. When you’re in a hurry, take pictures on your phone and use them as reference points for your shopping excursion.

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If you want to take grocery store prep to another level, do a complete check of both instead of taking a photo. During this time, rearrange the space in anticipation of the incoming groceries. Throw away anything spoiled, and move leftovers further forward, so they’re not forgotten about.

13. Ask When The Clearance Sale Will Be

Est. Savings: 50%+ Per Product*
Where To Find The Discount: Ask The Manager
Shopper Reviews: Massive Savings!

There is no better time to shop than when your favorite products have gone on sale. However, knowing when those items have been marked down can be kind of tricky. The next time you’re buying groceries find one of the managers and ask them when you can expect sales to occur.

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Alternatively, shoppers can always enquire by calling the store. Now, clearance items are on sale for a reason. Always double-check everything you find on the discount rack. And don’t forget to check the bakery sections towards the end of the day. The price of the bread and pastries are usually cut in half.

14. Shop With Cash

Est. Savings: $50-$100 Per Trip*
Where To Find The Discount: Your Wallet
Shopper Reviews: Only Spending On What You Need

Setting a budget for yourself with cash is easier to do than with a credit card. Leave the plastic at home when you go to the grocery store and only take the amount of cash you’re willing to spend that day. To not leave yourself high and dry in the case of an underestimation of what’s needed, try and give yourself a little wiggle room by taking a few dollars more than you think you might need.

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If you have a couple of bucks left over at the end of the outing, you can either put the difference in a cup in the bedroom drawer for a rainy day or stop by Starbucks and grab a cheeky ‘Frap’ for the ride home.

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