15 of the Best Tactics to Save Money at the Grocery Store

Brought to you by FreshCo. & TheCO. 

As a stay at home mom on a tight family budget, I know how difficult it can sometimes be to find healthy, fresh food at a low and reasonable price.

The good news is that if you follow some simple money saving tips and tactics, you won't have to settle for anything less than top quality when you shop for groceries!

For this post, I'm super excited to work with one of my favorite discount grocery stores, FreshCo to bring you the tactics I actually use to save money at the grocery store. 

Start using these money saving tactics right away! Let's get started!

15 of the Best Tactics to Save Money at the Grocery Store

1. You've probably heard this before but I'm going to say it again – Don't shop while hungry! Shopping while your tummy is growling is a sure fire way to end up overspending. Your belly is going to trick your brain into buying all the things!

2. Take 10 – 15 minutes to plan your family's meals for the week and put together your grocery list based on this. Make sure to include any staples like milk, bread, etc.  Once you make your list stick to it!

3. Grocery shopping during weekdays is typically best since weekends tend to be busier. Going during a weekday will allow you the best selections and save time by helping to avoid a potentially long checkout line.

4. Try to avoid buying convenience food that's already been sliced, diced, chopped, etc. In addition to paying for the product itself, you'll be paying for the labor that went into chopping it up! For example, in my family we tend to purchase blocks of cheese and shred it ourselves rather than get the pre-shredded kind.

5. When you think of discount grocery stores, do you automatically assume you'll receive lower quality, not so fresh products and produce? If that's what you've been thinking all along, think again!

Discount grocery stores like FreshCo have a great variety of fresh produce, bakery items and meat – quality is never compromised, even with their low prices. I mean really, just look at those big tasty red peppers below! I've seen red peppers cost as much as $3.75/lb in some stores. At FreshCo during their sales, you can get some super quality peppers for as low as $1/lb!

6. Shop for seasonal foods. Food and produce that are out of season will cost more so try to buy what's currently in season and incorporate them into your meal plan.

7. Take advantage of discount coupons found in store flyers and online. The savings will add up, especially when you use a coupon with something that's also on sale! Only use coupons with items you will actually use though (see tip #10).

8. Before you head out to the grocery store, make sure you take a peek at the sales and specials in the weekly flyer. Take into account the flyer deals and specials when putting together your meal plan and shopping list. I just love how FreshCo is committed to everyday low pricing and also has some AH-mazing flyer deals!

9. Choose generic and store brand products – they're less expensive than name brand products and are often made by the same company – just with a different label!

10. Don't buy something just because it's on sale. If you buy something that you don't really use or need, you're wasting money!

11. Produce will spoil faster if they're not stored properly at home. Pay attention to how the produce you buy is stored in the grocery store – is it refrigerated or not? Do what they do!

Items such as peppers, green onions, lettuce, etc. should be kept in the fridge. Produce such as tomatoes, bananas, onions, etc. should be stored in a cool dry place on your counter at home. Save money and stop throwing it away!

12. Have you taken advantage of your grocery stores price match policy? Taking advantage of this will save you time and money. I love how FreshCo has a “Cheaper Guarantee” where they'll beat the price of any competitor – you won't need to go anywhere else!

13. Many grocery stores will have a discount rack of items reduced for quick sale (such as produce). Don't ignore the clearance/reduced price rack – seriously – the last time I took a peek, I found a 3lb bag of perfectly immaculate lemons for less and $1 – there was nothing wrong with them!

Guess what I turned those lemons into… lemon meringue pie! mmmmmm….

14. When your items are being scanned at the checkout, keep an eye on the price that comes up at the register. Human error does happen sometimes – something might accidentally get scanned twice or even come to the wrong price. Take a quick look at your receipt and if something doesn't look right, let the cashier know – it's no biggie!

15. Save money by purchasing different cuts of meat.  For example, instead of buying pork chops I like to buy a nicely sized pork loin and cut it into chops myself. When pork loins are on sale for only $1.88/lb when compared to almost $4/lb for pre-cut chops – that's crazy good!

I hope you enjoyed this post and learned some new ways to start saving money when you shop for your family's groceries!

If you haven't yet stopped by your local FreshCo in Ontario to start saving money with their everyday low prices, you're missing out!

FreshCo is an awesome grocery store that promises to offer prices as low or even lower than anyone in the market while offering fresh products that exceed expectations. FreshCo is truly Discount Done Right!

What's your Best Tactic to Save Money at the Grocery Store? 

I'd love to hear from you so please leave a comment in the comment section below! 😀