How to Save Money on Groceries During Inflation

Month after month, seemingly, year after year it appears that prices continue to rise across the board.

How can we possibly keep up??

I’m going to share four tips to implement into your home economy to save money on groceries today! Read all the way through for a bonus tip!

The grocery budget can be very easy to work with, even during such an enflamed economy; or if personal finances require you to buckle down, for whatever reason.

1. Buy Whole Foods

Whole foods are items you purchase either in their natural state or are minimally processed..according to Google.

Examples of whole foods are:

Look it like this…whole foods would be what you purchase to make a meal from scratch. Consider the ingredients…in their natural state, unseasoned, uncooked, unprepared. A blank canvas for you to transform into a delicious meal/snack for your family. In doing this, you are eliminating the cost to season, cook, and prepare the food.

2. Don’t Buy Prepared/processed Foods/or Snacks

STAY AWAY FROM THE COOLER/FREEZER/SNACK ISLES WHEN GROCERY SHOPPING!!!

Please hear me…there’s a time for everything. There will be a time when a purchase in this area will be warranted, but it should not at all be showing up on your grocery bill each time you shop.

Bottomline…you end up paying these companies to prepare the products for you, while they throw in many other ingredients (unrecognizable) that in so many cases are proven unhealthy for our bodies, sometimes: toxic.

We really MUST become better stewards, my friends. Take some help from the grocery store when you need it, but not at a constant. If this is a constant, then it’s likely your grocery bill is very high…not even taking into consideration inflation.

You are paying a price for the prepared meals/snacks! Cut this from your grocery budget and see the greatest impact!

3. Buy Foods in Bulk

Buy in bulk whenever or wherever you are able. Typically, you’ll save a small percentage the more of an item you purchase. We see this in your big box stores like Sam’s Club or Costco.

Always do the math before assuming a product is cheaper just because it’s at the big box store. While most of the time I have found it to be true, it hasn’t always been. Be a faithful steward and a diligent shopper.

Depending on the area you live, you may have some Amish stores that offer items in bulk and I’ve found many things cheaper. This will be for those who are enthusiastic about saving money on groceries or for those who are wanting to fine-tuning their grocery spending. This may be a place that requires a bit of research and/or asking around. They are not at marketed like many other grocers. I came across one of these by chance on the way to one of our favorite state parks!

I was able to purchase 10lbs of old fashioned rolled oats for $7!!

4. Cook from Scratch

I’ve alluded to this in the previous tips…Cook from scratch!! Cooking from scratch will save you so much money. No longer are you paying extra for already packaged granola, refrigerated meals, breads, yogurts, dressings, and the like.

All you need to do is to simply buy the ingredients to prepare your desired snack/or meal. You’ll save money…AND…so much more better for you and your family!

If you’re new to cooking from scratch, and don’t know where to start; go to your local library and check out a couple of cookbooks and try out some recipes and keep going to you find something that works best for you and your family. You end up loving the cookbook, go on Ebay and look for a second-hand copy for a fraction of the cost of Amazon.

These tips are not only relevant during times of inflation but also during times of hardship or when it’s necessary to scale back finances.

*BONUS: Stick with A budget & Meal Plan*

For many of you, I realize this goes without saying, but I understand this may not be true for everyone. If this idea of meal planning and budgeting is new to you, please understand that this will help you stay within appropriate guidelines that you set for your home. This WILL help you save money on groceries during times of inflation and out of inflation.

Going to the grocery store (or to the app) with no idea what meals/snacks you’ll prepare over the course of the week and with no set budget, you’re setting yourself up for failure; aka a HIGH grocery bill.

Go through your pantry and your fridge and determine what you’ll need on to produce meals/snacks and start planning what you’ll be making for the week. Once you know what you’ll be preparing, you’ll be better able to determine an appropriate budget to stay within.

It’s easy to spend a lot of money if you haven’t determined an amount (budget) to stay within. Likewise, it’s also easy to over-buy grocery items; processed or not, if you don’t have a meal plan for the week.

This will save you money!!

And this is the path to faithfully stewarding your home, your kitchen, and your finances. Being faithful over every detail, even down to the small details like food.

God bless you friends. I hope and pray this was a blessing and encouragement to you to more faithfully steward your God-given life.

Share with us your tips to saving money at the grocery store below or a nugget of encouragement.

Until next time,

SARAH RENAE