Frugal Living Tips for Grocery Shopping

Frugal living tips for grocery shopping will help you to save more money at the end of every month. Well, grocery shopping is very important for all of us and we can’t skip this task. But surely with a little practical approach by being frugal you can save money on groceries.

Frugality and saving money are my favorite topics. I always try to be resourceful in my life by adapting to frugal living. I’m in my 20s, and without spending big bucks I’m learning to sponsor my dream career.

I feel that money and other resources should be used in a proper way without wasting them. And by being frugal you can also save more money. While doing grocery shopping if you give little attention to your buying behavior then you can surely save money.

Frugal living tips for grocery shopping to save more money

What I feel is- grocery and money both are equally important. So it’s very good to think about being resourceful with groceries. Remember, there are people in the world who struggle even for daily food. So by being resourceful with groceries, we can contribute to a better life of such people.

By saving money on grocery shopping you can use this money on any other things. You may think that you can save only a little money on monthly grocery shopping. But at the end of the year, you will be amazed by your savings. Remember, each single penny counts.

Let me pitch some easy frugal living tips for grocery shopping.

25 Amazing thrifty tips to buy groceries without spending more money

If you think money management on grocery shopping is very difficult then these practical tips will help you. By implementing these simple and practical tips you can handle your money smartly while shopping for groceries. Let me elaborate on these important aspects here which you should consider while grocery shopping to save money.

1. Prepare monthly or weekly grocery list

Preparing the list of groceries is the first basic thing you should follow. Even I make a list of groceries that I need. I say- prepare a monthly in the first week of every month instead of preparing a weekly list.

I personally prefer a monthly list rather than a weekly list. This will help you to save some more extra money. Whenever you buy more quantity, you will get a discount.

And add needy items first. You must know which type of groceries are durable and choose to purchase those items in a bulk quantity. But this does not mean that you should buy each and everything in a bulk quantity to save money! You must give preference to durable groceries here.

2. Check which items are left before preparing your grocery list

While listing your groceries you must check which items are left at your home which you bought last time. Avoid buying those things this time. As a frugal being, you are not allowed to waste any groceries. So go to your kitchen and check which items are still there.

Some people are very lazy that they don’t want to check all this. They take the same list which they had prepared last month while buying groceries. But this is not the right way. This behavior will end up wasting a lot of groceries.

So always check which groceries are left, learn to prioritize this. All these simple acts are part of frugal living. All these simple frugal habits will help you to build wealth.

3. Take advantage of loyalty card

For grocery shopping, I’ve one particular shop. I buy all the groceries from that particular shop. So you must also buy all your groceries from one particular shop. This builds loyalty. This will help you to collect loyalty points and you will get offers, discounts as a loyal customer of that grocery shop.

So don’t visit different shops every time while buying groceries. Look for a good grocery shop in your locality and be a regular loyal customer. All this will help you to build trust between a shopkeeper and customer. And this trust will help you to get more offers and discounts on groceries as a loyal customer.

4. Grow some green-grocers at your own house

Have you tried to grow green-grocers at your home? Well, in my home I’ve curry leaves plats, as I live in South India we use curry leaves in everyday meals. So for curry leaves, I don’t need to go to pay money on a daily basis. I get free and fresh curry leaves. In a small pot, I’ve grown curry leaves, this does not even require a huge separate place.

I’ve other green-grocer plants at my house. Such as Basale soppu (Malabar spinach), this is a leaf vegetable. I can have yummy dishes of Malabar Spinach without spending money on this. The market price of this veggie is around 50 INR, which also depends on the quantity and quality.

And to grow such green-grocers I’ve used small pots. It does not require much maintenance too. So you can also grow green-grocers at your house which will help you to save money.

5. Have a little bit of knowledge of nutrition food

Most of the people think especially youngsters think that to get more proteins they should buy costly and the best food items. But do you know there are some groceries which you can easily get at a low price and which very rich in proteins? For example, soya chunks contain more proteins and this is not a costly grocery.

Even I use soya chunks, you can also add this item in your grocery list to prepare yummy and healthy dishes at a low cost. And also pumpkin seeds are good for health and I love to eat pumpkin seeds. So choose your groceries wisely.

I’m not saying you to compromise on quality or on your health but with a little care, you can add good groceries to your list without spending more money.

6. Buy new items in less quantity to be resourceful

I still remember the day when I tasted oats for the first time and I personally did not like that. Well, when it comes to groceries or any new dishes we all have some likes and dislikes. So whenever you want to try something new then buy it in a very low quantity.

Here you don’t need to buy 1 KG or 2 KG of a packet if you are trying any grocery for the first time. Buy it in a low quantity such as 200gm or 250gm, cook and taste it then you can buy more.

If you are thinking to be frugal then you should be aware that where you are wasting the resources. In this case, you are not supposed to waste groceries. Wasting groceries means wasting your money. So follow these frugal tips on grocery shopping while buying new items.

7. Don’t visit grocery shops when you are hungry

Now again this is very practical thinking. When you are hungry and visit the grocery shop then you will buy more things without thinking. This is a common psychology of human beings. So never go for grocery shopping when you are hungry.

You should not buy unwanted things and should not waste your money. So follow this practical tip to be frugal with your money.

8. Don’t buy ready meals and mixes

Nowadays you can find ready meals and mixes. In South India, people can find instant idli mix, instant dosa mix etc. But I suggest not to buy such instant mixes while shopping for groceries. Such mixes cost you more. So prepare your own mixtures at home to prepare dishes.

Even at my home, we don’t use such instant mixtures to prepare breakfast. This will save a lot of money and even you can have a very healthy and fresh breakfast by using homemade mixtures. So adapt this kind of frugal living where you can save more money. This is how you should be smart with your money.

9. Avoid taking kids for grocery shopping

I think you should not take kids with you while going for grocery shopping. I’m assuming you also agree with my point. Kids always demand unnecessary things like chocolates, noodles, crisps things at grocery shops. I’m not saying that you should not buy anything for kids. But there is a limit.

You can’t fulfil all the demands of kids, right? So to avoid spending money on children’s demands at the grocery store, you should try to not take children with you for grocery shopping.

I’ve seen many parents at grocery stores who faces the tantrum of kids. So just try to avoid such situations. And also teach your kids about frugal living and about the importance of money.

10. Buy green-grocers at a vegetable market

Right in front of my house, there is a grocery shop. I can even get green-grocers there such as tomatoes, potatoes and some fruit. But I don’t buy green-grocers from that grocery shop. Usually, green-grocers at the grocery shops are costly. So I buy green-grocers at a vegetable market where I get green-grocers at a low price.

So I think you should also buy fruits and green-grocers at a vegetable market in your locality rather than buying at a grocery shop. This will help you to save more money on green-grocers and fruits.

11. Don’t opt for home delivery to avoid paying extra money

Some people order groceries on a phone call and take advantage of home delivery. But I feel here you are paying extra money as a service charge. So it’s better to visit a grocery store and shop groceries for yourself rather than paying extra money on home delivery service.

If you really want to be thrifty and avoid wasting money then you should implement these practical tips. Think twice, do you really need a home delivery service for groceries? If not, then I advise you to visit the grocery store. Monthly you can save that extra money if you do so.

12. Don’t get distracted by eye-level products

As I’m a commerce student, I’ve learned some marketing tactics. And unknowingly you may also get trapped into such tactics. Usually, in supermarkets, you might have seen that all the attractive and tempting things are arranged at the eye-level shelves.

So you must be a smart consumer. Avoid getting distracted by such eye-level products that make your pocket empty.

13. Don’t spend money on bags to the groceries

Carry your own bags while shopping for groceries. Don’t spend extra money on bags every time. All these frugal steps are very simple to implement. But in the long run, you will have a great impact on your savings.

14. Check online grocery stores

Sometimes some particular groceries available online at a lower price. So don’t forget to check online grocery stores. Then compare the prices with offline stores and buy those groceries.

15. Always check the expiry date of packed groceries

I advise not to buy packed groceries without checking the expiry date. And also make sure that you can use that product at least for the next 2 months. So that even if that grocer left then you can use that for the next month.

16. Use coupons to save money on groceries

Always check whether you have any coupons with you to save money on groceries. If you have, then don’t forget to use them. Also, check whether you can have any new coupons or offers this time.

17. Plan your meal and buy groceries

Plan your meal and then start to buy groceries. Well, I can understand that you can’t plan 30 days exact menu. But at least have some rough plan. And also buy those grocers which will be a good combination with seasonal veggies.

18. Never let your grocery shopping eat your budget

Always make a realistic budget plan at the beginning of the month. And also stick to your budget plan. Don’t let the bulk shopping eat your budget.

19. Be aware of sales

As I’ve seen that usually there will be great sales at grocer shops in the first week of the month. So grab such opportunities to save money on groceries. keep a tab on such sales. And always try to shop monthly groceries during the first week of the month.

20. Spend some time at grocery stores

Whenever you plan to shop for groceries make sure you have enough time to look at some products and compare prices. Don’t rush to the grocery stores when you can’t spend the proper time to choose the right products.

21. Reduce the number of visits to the grocery stores

When you visit a grocery store those attractive shelves tempt you to buy more products. So try to reduce the number of visits. Make sure you have listed all the groceries in a single list. So that you don’t need to visit stores again and again.

22. Avoid buying canned drinks and junk food

Instead of buying canned drinks buy seasonal fruits and make fresh juice at home. This saves money and also good for your health. And always stay away from junk food as much as possible.

23. Try to stick to basic recipes

Well, at my home we stick to basic south Indian recipes. So you too stick to basic recipes according to food culture in your city. This is good for your pocket as well as good for your health.

You don’t need to delicacy in everyday cooking. Just cook something healthy and tasty as your pocket allows you.

24. Don’t buy flour, buy grains

Usually, we don’t prefer buying ready-made flours. Since my childhood, I’ve seen that my mom buys grains and goes to a flour grind mill. As an Indian, I can find so many such grind mills in my city.

In fact, buying flour will cost you more and quality also differs. So buy the grains and visit grind mill.

25. Don’t buy new items in the last week of the month

Avoid buying any new items in the last week of the month. Just use the groceries which are left. If at all you want to buy then just make your mind to buy only one or two items. That’s it!

Is it necessary to save money on groceries by adapting thrifty tips?

If you are planning to adapt to frugal living then I suggest being frugal with all your daily activities by being resourceful. And groceries are essential for all of us. So implement frugal tips while shopping for groceries. By doing this you can save some extra money at the end of every month.

The concept of frugality can be implemented in any day-to-day activities whether it is grocery shopping or shopping for clothes. So always try to handle your money well.

Well, nowadays joint families are very less. But if you are living in a joint family or if are having a big family then you need more groceries every month. At this time if you adapt frugal living and start to be resourceful, you can save more money every month.

Frugal living tips for grocery shopping will be very useful for you if you implement all these tips practically in your life. Even I enjoy frugality and implement frugal tips in my life. I value each penny. So now it’s your time to adapt these practical ways to be more frugal.