How to Save Money on Groceries in 2025

It shouldn’t take more than a passing glance at your latest grocery receipt to realize that Americans are spending big bucks at supermarkets. For most households across the nation, food is a huge expense. In fact, an average family spends as much as 32% of their after-tax income on food, including food eaten at home, dining out at restaurants, or ordering takeout. That’s a huge chunk out of your paycheck when you consider the yearly total.

Eating nutritious, tasty food doesn’t need to come at such a heavy price, though. Shopping wisely can help you save big on groceries without changing your lifestyle or penny-pinching on every meal. Follow our money-saving tricks to cut down your grocery bill without sacrificing the quality of your home-cooked meals.

Get More for Less: The Ultimate Guide to Saving Money on Groceries

Prepare Yourself

If you’re smart about your grocery runs, you won't get tempted by things you don’t need. If that means not bringing the kids to the store, then do it. Bring your own bag, too, because some stores give you discounts for that.

Find Your Staples

The first step is to raid your fridge and pantry. List out everything you’re running out of and what you’d need for the next week or two. Try to find a common thread - do you use a lot of rice or potatoes? Identify these as your staples and add a few supplemental ingredients to your grocery list. If you figure out your meals before the next run, it’ll be much easier to avoid extra purchases.

Set a Budget

Once you’ve figured out what you need, do an estimate by looking up prices online, then set a budget. This will leave less room for impulse buys. You can still treat yourself with chips or RiteAid ice cream, so keep that margin, but try not to exceed the limit you set.

Understand ‘Best Before’ & Expiry Dates

We end up wasting a lot of food once it has passed its ‘Best Before’ date. But foods marked with ‘Best Before’ dates are an indication of their quality level, meaning the products may still be safe to consume before this date and still retain their flavor. You can use the FoodKeeper app by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services to confirm how long something will last depending on how it’s stored, from baked goods to meat.

Is anything in your pantry or fridge getting close to its expiration date? Plan your meals before this date to consume your food, rather than tossing it in the trash.

Keep Track of Sale Days

There are many offers during the holidays (namely Christmas, Easter, and Halloween) when food items like candy get cheaper. But your local grocery store may also have sale days during the week. Keep an eye on different grocer’s websites and apps to check for price drops on products and shop when you see a good deal. You can also use flyers from your local grocery store, or ask the sales clerk when different sales will be scheduled.

Compare Prices

Which brands offer the most competitive prices? Does it make sense to drive five minutes extra if you can save more at another grocery store? Compare product prices online on websites and apps, and schedule your grocery runs based on who’s offering better deals. You can also sign up for their newsletters, follow them on social media, and download their app for sales notifications.

Shop Online and Pick It Up Yourself

Delivery charges can be an added expense, but there’s another option with brands like Walmart. You can buy online, go to the store, and pick up your order yourself. Not only does it help you save on delivery charges, but it’s also a great way to stick to your list without getting distracted by other products. With the Walmart app, you can even notify when you’re heading to the store and share your parking spot number, so an employee can deliver your bags to your car faster.

Get Coupon-Savvy

Most local newspapers have coupons in the Sunday edition and it’s a great place to find deals. If newspaper’s not your thing, check out the top grocery coupons on Savings.com for the biggest markdowns on your groceries and produce.

Don’t Shop Hungry

Most people know that you tend to splurge more when you’re hungry. So, have a nice meal before that Albertsons trip and you won’t pick up that bag of chips.

Best Money-Saving Grocery Shopping Practices

It can be hard, but treat your grocery trip like a mission to maximize your savings. Once you get used to the idea of laser-focused shopping on a budget, these hacks will become second nature.

Pick a Smaller Cart

When you walk in, go for a cart that suits the size of what you need, so you don’t try to fill it up with junk food.

Calculate as You Go

Have your list ready to pick up items, but also keep the calculator on your phone open. As you keep stacking products in the cart, keep adding. Once you see you have reached your budget, you may realize you have picked up more than what you needed. Did store discounts help you save some dollars? Go ahead and treat yourself (as long as you stay within your budget).

Check Price Per Unit

The price per package is different from the price per unit or ounce. Say an eight-ounce bottle of vinegar from one brand costs $3 and a 17-ounce bottle from another brand costs $5.  The price per ounce is actually better for the second brand. Some stores like Costco or Vons may list per-unit prices, but you can also make these calculations yourself or use a unit price comparison app to help you out.

Look Around for a Deal

Stores keep expensive items at eye level, while some affordable brands may be up on the shelf or down below. Make sure you also check expiration dates — the ones that are fresher may be at the back of the shelf (this happens a lot with bread).

Buy Staples in Bulk

If you see a bulk deal on one of your staples, stock up on enough to last until the next sale. Stores often have great deals for bulk buys, too. Pasta, rice, potatoes, and proteins make great purchases here, but skip veggies, eggs, and items that expire more quickly.

Don’t Get Tempted by Discounts

Grocery stores may offer deals on mayo, but do you really need five big bottles? Or two dozen eggs? Again, you have to decide if you can use them before they go bad and whether or not you have space to store them. It will be money wasted if you have to dump them. Even if something is selling at a steal, it’s better to stick to the list to avoid impulsive buys.

Try the Store/Generic Brand

For some products, sticking to trusted, loyal brands is important. But for other things, generic brands work just as well and they’re much cheaper. Go for the store-brand pasta, sugar, and salt, and you may not notice any difference.

Buy ‘Ugly’ Produce

If your local grocery stores offer bruised apples or bananas at a lower price, go for it. A few years ago, grocery stores started selling imperfect fruits and veggies at a discounted rate to avoid food waste. Use your damaged produce for pies, banana bread, and other dishes where the produce’s appearance isn’t as important.

In fact, you can also check out services like Misfit Markets and Imperfect Produce, which deliver veggies and fruits to you for a subscription. You can also use TooGoodToGo and other apps to get supermarket bakery products before they’re thrown away at the end of the day.

Pick Seasonal Produce

Buying an out-of-season fruit is going to cost you more because there are additional costs attached to it (sometimes it’s also imported). Buying seasonal fruits and vegetables is a great way to enjoy local produce and save on grocery costs. Plus, it adds variety to your meals.

Frozen is Good, Too

You may think that frozen foods aren't as nutritious as fresh produce, but frozen produce has great nutritional value. In fact, frozen fruit can sometimes be more nutritious than older non-frozen produce because fruits and vegetables can lose vitamin C content due to exposure to heat and sunlight. Stock up on the vegetables and fruits you need for your meals, even if it means picking up frozen goods. Peas, broccoli, corn, and cauliflower are good options if you want to cook them in casseroles or make stir-fry. Just make sure not to buy frozen products that are heavily salted or sauced because of their excessive sodium.

Diversify your diet and get fresh produce in quantities that you’ll be able to eat quickly. Raw dishes (like salads) taste best when topped with fresh fruits and veggies.

Enroll in a Loyalty Program

Being loyal to a brand pays off in multiple ways. At Walmart, for example, you can get same-day delivery for free (at a minimum purchase of $35). Walmart estimates your savings from free grocery deliveries per year to be $1,300 (based on two deliveries per week). The Walmart+ membership costs $98 per year or $12.95 per month, and there are other benefits like free shipping, quicker checkout, and discounted fuel prices.

Some loyalty programs also let you earn points on every purchase that you can redeem once accumulated. You don’t need to stick to just one brand. Pick two and alternate between them based on prices and your requirements — this will also help you snag the best deals.

Don’t Pay for Convenience

You can save a huge amount of money by replacing partially-processed items like pre-sliced veggies or shredded cheese with whole, unprocessed versions of the same product. Time is money, and if you can do the prep work yourself, you’ll see your grocery bill drop in exchange for the extra effort. You’ll also usually have better flavors since pre-sliced and processed foods tend to dry out more quickly.

Use the Right Cards

Using a credit card that gives cash back on groceries is a simple way to save on your bill. Just be sure to pay off your balance before your next billing cycle to avoid paying interest, allowing you to keep all your rewards in your bank.

For example, the American Express Blue Cash Preferred Card has 6% cashback at supermarkets, a $0 annual fee for the first year ($95 after), and cashback on streaming subscriptions and fuel stations. According to CNBC’s calculations, the average American can get up to $360 in cash back every year from shopping at eligible supermarkets with this card.

Look for Offers on Meat

A meat eater knows how expensive steaks are, but you can enjoy your diet without breaking the bank. The trick is knowing when the meat is going on sale (ask the sales staff or keep an eye on the prices) and buying in bulk because family packs are often cheaper than single packs. You can easily freeze meat at home. You can even buy cheaper meat cuts (i.e., chicken leg quarters instead of breast) and look for recipes to experiment with.

Post-Shopping Practices

Once you’re home, you can take a smarter approach to storing and using your groceries in a way that ensures that nothing goes to waste.

Storage is Important

Check how ingredients and produce need to be stored for them to stay consumable for longer—in the pantry or in the fridge. Creating extra storage all around will be better for your annual grocery budget, but make sure not to take the “out of sight, out of mind" approach. If you’re planning on freezing meats, meals, and veggies (along with ice and ice creams), then maybe a stand-alone freezer from trusted brands like Whirlpool and Samsung would suit your needs. A pantry for all your staples is also a good idea. However, even if you don’t have one, start looking for ideas on how to expand minimal spaces at home.

Freeze What You Can

Cooking meals in advance and freezing a portion for lunch the next day is a good option for those who can’t cook every day or buy a sandwich for lunch at work. You can easily freeze veggies such as cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots after blanching, but nothing with high water content like cucumber. You can also freeze meats if your freezer is capable of reaching temperatures of zero degrees Fahrenheit or lower. Use this Good Housekeeping chart to know how long different meats can last in the freezer. Just make sure you have freezer bags to vacuum seal everything and thaw everything properly before use.

Take Meal Planning Seriously

You might be tempted, many times in the week, to order a pizza or pick a hot meal at a food truck. Do your best to resist, though. If you have unplanned meals during the week, it means you’re not using something in the fridge that will go bad, and you’re spending more above and beyond what you’ve already spent on groceries. Instead, schedule takeouts and dine-outs in your plan for the week, so that when you shop, these items are already accounted for.

Use Leftovers

Dedicate one day of the week to finishing off leftovers. Can you repurpose the pasta from last night or rice from two days ago? Look for recipes using whatever you have in the fridge; apps like SuperCook and Magic Chef can help you use ingredients you already have and reduce food waste.

Make Less Frequent Trips

Is it possible to reduce your shopping trips from once a week to maybe twice a week? It will require planning on your part and buying in bulk will come in handy. However, it’s a great way to reduce unnecessary purchases and last-minute trips to the store that cost you money, fuel, and energy.

Also, don't forget to check out our blog post on the best hidden deals, there's usually a few grocery savings and essentials deals to be found.