It's a party that you fo' sho' don't want to miss out on! Click HERE to watch the video over how much to spend on grocerie s online , or keep scrolling to see my most recent grocery shopping tips and tricks:.

Alright, here's a recap to discuss all things groceries, shopping, meal planning, and more! PLUS we're linking you to some of our other resources to help you become a grocery shopping PRO in no time!

We've all heard of Extreme Couponing. It might look fine and good, but they don't paint a clear picture of the investment couponing requires. I have done lots of research on couponing, including attending classes.

Now, let's be fair here, I know many people love couponing and consider it a hobby and well worth their time. In that case, I say go for it! But I will argue until the day I die that it's not the quickest, cheapest, nor healthiest way to shop for your family.

The truth is, you can pay half price for quality groceries without clipping a single coupon! And it's actually quite simple.

So you want to up your grocery shopping game? Good news! We've got all the tips you need to help you cut your grocery bill and still provide your family with healthy and delicious meals.

The very first step you need to take is to figure out how much you should be spending on groceries per month. Here's the magic principle: Set a budget per person in your household. Add it up and then you have your monthly budget. Here's the magic: Now divide it by the number of weeks in the month!

Now you have a WEEKLY grocery budget. This includes anything you can get at a typical grocery store — food and produce, on down to basic cleaning supplies, pharmacy goods, baby items, and even pet food. I bet you still have a million questions, so check out our Grocery Budget post that explains everything in detail!

Have more questions about setting up a budget? Watch this video or check out our Simplest Budgeting System EVER post.

Next, you need a method to track your grocery budget. My simple no-fail trick? Track your budget weekly instead of monthly! See the budgeting video above for a detailed explanation of this.

I believe in buying everything with an electronic card instead of cash, so debit or credit cards are fine based on your level of self-control. Tracking cash is a nightmare for me, so I don't even attempt that. But you do you if that works for you!

Here's probably the most important rule when it comes to sticking to your grocery budget… Are you ready for it? No joke. This is the 1 single most important trick on the whole planet of grocery-ness. If you follow no other rules, follow this one. Plan ahead, make it count, and then never step foot back in the store for six more days!

Use Sunday or just pick the best day for YOU to plan your meals for the week. Plan your meals first around what you have in your fridge, pantry, and freezer aka shelf cooking , and second around what's on sale more about this below.

Then choose a day to go shopping. If you run out of milk and it's an emergency, send your spouse. But if they will walk out with more than one gallon of milk only, borrow some from a neighbor instead.

Keep powdered milk on-hand. Eat toast instead of cereal. But do NOT step foot back in that store! Just trust me on this one.

Six days is not that long, you can do it! I recommend keeping a grocery list of things you need in your phone because we take our phones everywhere.

I separate my list by the two stores I shop at Walmart and Costco and the things I typically buy there. A basic rule of smart grocery shopping — never go to the store without a list!!

Making a meal plan BEFORE shopping is key, so you know what you need to pick up to complete any recipes and meals. Remember to start with what you have on hand so you only have to buy a few supplemental ingredients and you don't let anything go to waste 😉.

This is the crux of this whole operation! All you need to do is be aware of what the good deals are for the week, and buy those! How do you know?

Now that you have your shopping budget, list, and meal plan, it's time to hit the store! Here are a few tried and true posts to give you some tips, tricks, and actually see how I grocery shop!

Here's the summary to the BIG question! How much should you actually be spending on groceries. We break it all down for you right here, right now.

I've got some tricks, tips, and hacks if you're grocery shopping on a budget. And you totally should be! Get some insider knowledge of the grocery store and save some serious money with some of these shopping hacks that will help you in the store!

Here's a sneak peek into one of my most recent grocery hauls and how I used it to plan meals for the week. There are plenty on this site EverydayCheapskate. Search sites like AllRecipes. com where you can input the ingredients you have to find recipes that use those items.

You pay a big premium for packaged items like salad kits, meals in a bag, fruit snacks, chips, pre-sliced produce, or vegetables that come in a steam bag. Anything that has been processed and packaged comes with an additional markup. Peeling potatoes, slicing apples, and chopping lettuce might take extra time, but you will be rewarded well for the effort.

Cut up fruit and vegetables at the beginning of each week, divide into single portions, and store. Ground coffee can be marked up to 30 percent higher than whole bean versions. It really is worth your while to grind your own coffee at home.

Not to mention the superior taste. If you do not have a grinder consider investing in a good basic blade grinder. At least three times each week, make your dinner meal meatless. Think eggs, cheese, and vegetables. Try breakfast for dinner with pancakes, waffles, potatoes, and so on.

Not only that, they are more packed with vitamins and nutrients also due to less required travel and storage time and they taste better, too.

Check out this handy list of fresh fruits and vegetables by the month. It will engage your brain in a way that will help you make reasonable and frugal food choices. We do not know what is ahead. What I know is that we need to be prepared. One of the best gifts you will ever give yourself is to learn the fine art of frugality.

Starting with food is a very good place to start. Learning to live the life you love on less will change your life. Sometimes it takes a seriously painful wake-up call to get us onto a new path—words I speak from experience and with a heart of gratitude.

Everyday Cheapskate participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon affiliated sites.

Caught yourself reading all the way 'til the end? Why not share with a friend. For example, double the beans in your favorite chili recipe or add a bit of crumbled sausage to lentil soup.

Simmer a chicken carcass for a flavorful broth and then bulk it up with a lot of veggies. Curries and stir fries can be mostly vegetables too. For the best value, cook your own dried beans: place two cups of dried pinto beans washed but not soaked and six cups of boiling water into a 6-quart slow cooker.

Turn the slow cooker on high and come back in two hours for perfectly cooked beans. Use the same measurements and procedure for black beans and chickpeas, but let them cook about two and a half hours. I freeze those small amounts of meat and vegetables that often feed the garbage disposal.

Then, when I have enough, I make a pot of soup. Free meal!! Just use coupons, sales,shop different places for different things,get a part time job at Walmart they will give you discount on your food as I bet other places will that sell food. Buy in bulk meat.

There is this place that keeps e-mailing me and they even throw in the freezer if you buy from them. The most important way to save money at the grocery store is to know the cost per serving of a grocery store item. is not an inexpensive choice.

If two hindquarters of chicken two drumsticks and two thighs will feed your family, you will need about two pounds of chicken. Making a weekly menu and a grocery list with that information, will help you have an idea if you will be able to stay within your budget.

While we are one of those that never run a credit card up more than we can pay off that month, we still are frugal about the expense of many of the things we buy. We shop the soon expire meats as well as sale items that are regular occurrences.

We also shop the sales for the food pantry directly. Canned vegetables seem to be the thing they need the most. They also have an egg source that sends amounts that must be repackaged so we recycle our egg cartons there. Eat the leftovers. I put left-over single portions in divided containers from previous takeout when.

The best thing I ever did is invest in a food vacuum sealer. I buy more than I need when I find a good sale, vacuum seal it and freeze it.

I buy ground beef and chicken breasts on sale. I have a vacuum sealer and can divide packages into what is convenient for us and freeze them.

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The decisions to continue with the easy-way-out—such as paying for all these meals, delivery fees plus overly generous gratuities with credit—are going to come back to bite you hard.

You cannot continue to opt for that feeling of entitlement even if you believe that things will be back to normal soon. Life is uncertain. Yes, cook at home. The closer you can get to cooking with raw ingredients rather than pre-made packaged items, the less money you will spend.

When you need groceries, arrive at the store with cash only. However, cash remains one of the best ways to make a severe grocery budget work, as unsanitary as cash may be the new excuse for never using cash again.

Sanitize it if you must. Visit the ATM on your way to the store. Get the amount you can afford to spend on food, then take only that amount and not a penny more to the store. You might have an odd menu for a few days, and so what?

Use your plastic. Just know that you are in a clear minority in that regard. Find recipes that fit your budget—yes recipes, as in cooking and preparing meals from ingredients. With very little cooking background, anyone can learn to make great soups and casseroles.

Deciding on recipes and planning meals in advance will become your financial lifesaver. Find recipes online. There are plenty on this site EverydayCheapskate.

Search sites like AllRecipes. com where you can input the ingredients you have to find recipes that use those items. You pay a big premium for packaged items like salad kits, meals in a bag, fruit snacks, chips, pre-sliced produce, or vegetables that come in a steam bag.

Anything that has been processed and packaged comes with an additional markup. Peeling potatoes, slicing apples, and chopping lettuce might take extra time, but you will be rewarded well for the effort. Cut up fruit and vegetables at the beginning of each week, divide into single portions, and store.

Ground coffee can be marked up to 30 percent higher than whole bean versions. It really is worth your while to grind your own coffee at home. Not to mention the superior taste. If you do not have a grinder consider investing in a good basic blade grinder. At least three times each week, make your dinner meal meatless.

Think eggs, cheese, and vegetables. Try breakfast for dinner with pancakes, waffles, potatoes, and so on. Not only that, they are more packed with vitamins and nutrients also due to less required travel and storage time and they taste better, too.

Check out this handy list of fresh fruits and vegetables by the month. It will engage your brain in a way that will help you make reasonable and frugal food choices. We do not know what is ahead. What I know is that we need to be prepared. One of the best gifts you will ever give yourself is to learn the fine art of frugality.

Starting with food is a very good place to start. Learning to live the life you love on less will change your life. Sometimes it takes a seriously painful wake-up call to get us onto a new path—words I speak from experience and with a heart of gratitude. Everyday Cheapskate participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon affiliated sites.

Caught yourself reading all the way 'til the end? Why not share with a friend. For example, double the beans in your favorite chili recipe or add a bit of crumbled sausage to lentil soup. Simmer a chicken carcass for a flavorful broth and then bulk it up with a lot of veggies.

Curries and stir fries can be mostly vegetables too. For the best value, cook your own dried beans: place two cups of dried pinto beans washed but not soaked and six cups of boiling water into a 6-quart slow cooker.

Turn the slow cooker on high and come back in two hours for perfectly cooked beans. Use the same measurements and procedure for black beans and chickpeas, but let them cook about two and a half hours. I freeze those small amounts of meat and vegetables that often feed the garbage disposal.

Then, when I have enough, I make a pot of soup. Free meal!!

If you follow no other rules, follow this one. Plan ahead, make it count, and then never step foot back in the store for six more days! Use Sunday or just pick the best day for YOU to plan your meals for the week.

Plan your meals first around what you have in your fridge, pantry, and freezer aka shelf cooking , and second around what's on sale more about this below.

Then choose a day to go shopping. If you run out of milk and it's an emergency, send your spouse. But if they will walk out with more than one gallon of milk only, borrow some from a neighbor instead.

Keep powdered milk on-hand. Eat toast instead of cereal. But do NOT step foot back in that store! Just trust me on this one. Six days is not that long, you can do it! I recommend keeping a grocery list of things you need in your phone because we take our phones everywhere.

I separate my list by the two stores I shop at Walmart and Costco and the things I typically buy there. A basic rule of smart grocery shopping — never go to the store without a list!!

Making a meal plan BEFORE shopping is key, so you know what you need to pick up to complete any recipes and meals. Remember to start with what you have on hand so you only have to buy a few supplemental ingredients and you don't let anything go to waste 😉.

This is the crux of this whole operation! All you need to do is be aware of what the good deals are for the week, and buy those!

How do you know? Now that you have your shopping budget, list, and meal plan, it's time to hit the store! Here are a few tried and true posts to give you some tips, tricks, and actually see how I grocery shop!

Here's the summary to the BIG question! How much should you actually be spending on groceries. We break it all down for you right here, right now. I've got some tricks, tips, and hacks if you're grocery shopping on a budget.

And you totally should be! Get some insider knowledge of the grocery store and save some serious money with some of these shopping hacks that will help you in the store! Here's a sneak peek into one of my most recent grocery hauls and how I used it to plan meals for the week.

I have a WHOLE PAGE full of tips for grocery shopping at Costco: How to make the most of your membership, what the best deals are that will save you money, how to work it into your budget. Plus, an insider look at how I shop for my family.

Just in case you haven't heard this already. NEVER SHOP HUNGRY!! Common knowledge… right? Part of saving money on groceries is cooking your own meals and being super smart and strategic about it.

Again, don't forget to use up what you have available in your fridge first! Here are our best posts to help you get started on your own shelf cooking, grocery shopping, and money-saving journey. Having a few staples on hand is the key to being able to shelf cook.

Stock up on key ingredients when they are on sale. Check out my fridge, freezer, and pantry! Some people HATE leftovers, but there are so many ways to repurpose them and make them BRAND NEW!!

Check out how! cabbage — Cabbage is one of the longer lasting vegetables. Whether you buy it shredded or whole, make sure cabbage is on your budget grocery list. bananas — A nutrient-dense food, bananas are great for snacking, for homemade baby food, for baking, and for smoothies.

carrots — Another long lasting vegetable that is generally affordable, carrots are a staple to keep on hand for snacks, roasting, baking, and soup-making.

They generally last long and can be used in so many dishes. celery — One of the main components in stir-fries, veggie platters, and mirepoix, celery is typically a good cheap eat that will last you awhile in the fridge.

onions — Onions are a building block of almost any savory recipe. Buy them in bulk, and load up when you see a sale. garlic — Garlic packs a lot of flavor for a small price.

It comes in a number of forms. Compare prices to see what works best for you. Even garlic powder can come in handy. fresh citrus — Prices of citrus will vary throughout the year, but having a lime, lemon, or orange on hand can add acidic flavor to any number of dishes.

Watch prices and when you see them on sale, enjoy! fresh green chiles — Buy your chiles fresh instead of canned to add heat to your cooking while spending less money. Focus on in-season, on-sale vegetables whenever possible. Green peppers are usually cheaper than red or yellow, but you may see sales on a regular basis.

Watch for marked down produce as well. frozen vegetables — In lieu of fresh, on sale veg, stock up on frozen vegetables. They are generally just as nutritious as fresh and the prep work is already done for you!

applesauce cups — Apples have become rather pricey of late, and while homemade applesauce is the better item, it can be expensive. canned pumpkin — Available all year round, canned pumpkin can be used in sweet and savory.

potted herbs — Fresh herbs can elevate a dish like nothing else. Growing your own herbs is a great way to do it!

Cooking at home is often the best thing you can do to save money on food. Having a pantry stocked with basic staples will make it easier for you to cook at home. If you just need a few teaspoons, head to a natural foods store and buy just what you need from their bulk jars.

neutral cooking oil — While olive oil adds great flavor to sautes and salads, it does bring some flavor with it. vinegar — Vinegar brings much needed acid to sauces, dressings, and marinades. ketchup — Keep to the standards when it comes to condiments, like ketchup. You can make spicy ketchup yourself.

And as a former ketchup snob, I can verify that generic tastes just fine! mustard — The same goes for mustard. Choose regular and maybe Dijon. Then dress them up with seasonings or honey as your whim suits you. Prioritize which is important to you, buy them whole, and then slice, spear, or chop them yourself.

Skip the flavored varieties and make your own Homemade Chipotle Mayo or Herbed Mayonnaise. soy sauce — Soy sauce is another budget food condiment that brings a lot of flavor to the table.

It can be used to doctor up a number of sauces and dressings, eliminating the need to buy the pricier commercial bottles. honey — Honey is a tasty sweetener for drinks as well as baked goods and morning oatmeal. Be sure to buy it in a size you will easily use to avoid its crystallizing too much before you can use it.

The dairy department can hold some great deals. Be sure to watch the sales and stock up with you see a good price on your favorite brands. butter — Butter knows how to bring the flavor to baked goods, especially Chocolate Butterhorn Pastry. Avoid paying full price which can get really high.

plain yogurt — Plain yogurt is a budget food that can double for sour cream and buttermilk in recipes, but is also so much cheaper than the flavored varieties at the store. Buying a larger tub will also be more budget-friendly than the single serve cups. evaporated milk — If the price of fresh milk is giving you sticker shock, consider using evaporated milk.

It can be diluted to use as milk or used straight from the can as a substitute for cream. cottage cheese — Cottage cheese is a protein-rich budget food that you can include in baking, smoothies, casseroles, and for snacking.

And it will melt better, too. Parmesan — A little goes a long way to add flavor when it comes to Parmesan.

Buy it in a block to grate yourself or get the green can variety for the biggest bang for your buck. dry milk powder — Dry milk comes in handy when the price of fresh milk is out of sight.

Sodas and booze will drive your grocery bill sky-high. Same with bottled drinks and Starbies. Avoid the extra cost by making your favorite beverages yourself. tea — Tea is one of the most budget foods when it comes to drinks you can make yourself. So, listen to the pros when it comes to how to save money on groceries.

Every rotten cucumber and moldy peach is like a little stack of cash going right into the trash. Remember: If you buy the bananas, have the kids eat the bananas. Waste less and save more every month by being super intentional here.

But if you like supporting local farmers and buying fresh foods, shop at the end of the day. When ingredients are overflowing at the farmers market or in your garden , buy in bulk and preserve them for the winter.

You might spend more during the summer with the extra produce and canning jars. But think of it as an investment for a meal a few months ahead. In the winter, you can buy a box of pasta for a couple of bucks and pull a container of your homemade tomato sauce off the shelf.

Mix it all up and you have a super cheap, homemade dinner on your hands. Shop the outer edges of the store to find fresh fruits and vegetables, grains and beans. Your food budget will thank you later. A prepackaged bag of lettuce with a dressing packet and fixings will cost double what a head of lettuce with some simple homemade dressing would.

Go for the unpackaged fruits and veggies whenever you can. A word to the wise—if you find that your kids are the culprits of adding all those not-on-the-list items to your cart, you might want to leave them at home.

Or you! Everyone else—Stay. A few new habits can help you lower your monthly grocery bill, stick to your budget, and meet your money goals faster. By the way, I keep talking about having a budget. You should really check out EveryDollar. This is the budgeting app my family uses to plan our spending for groceries and everything else in life.

And you can download EveryDollar today for free! Okay, now you know how to save money on groceries. Making a few changes can add up to big savings, so start going through this list. Like, now! Get EveryDollar: the free app that makes creating—and keeping—a budget simple.

Yes, please. Rachel Cruze is a 1 New York Times bestselling author, financial expert, and host of The Rachel Cruze Show. Rachel writes and speaks on personal finances, budgeting, investing and money trends. Through her shows, books, syndicated columns and speaking events, Rachel shares fun, practical ways to take control of your money and create a life you love.

Learn More. What is a budget? But why do people do it? And why do you need to do it? You can do both. Try these 21 ways to eat healthy on a budget and make it happen. Trusted Services. Free Tools. Sign In Get Started.