The cost of filling your grocery cart seems to be going up every week, but a little planning before heading to the store could lead to big savings.
Andrea Woroch, a money-savings expert, said having a shopping list is essential. Her biggest recommendation to save money at the grocery store is to plan the meals for the week; Know which ones will be eaten at home, and which ones you already plan to eat out of the home. She recommends choosing recipes with overlapping ingredients to stretch your food and dollars further, and always shop in your kitchen before going to the store.
“What do you have in your fridge that’s nearing its expiration date that needs to be used?” Woroch said. “Then look for recipes that use those ingredients.”
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Woroch suggests looking for manager markdowns at the grocery store.
“This would be any meat, chicken, fish or even dairy that’s nearing its expiration date where you can save anywhere from 50 percent to 70 percent off the market prices,” Woroch said. “Just keep in mind that they may be going bad within a few days, so you want to cook it and eat it right away, or freeze it for later.”
Also consider that sometimes it’s better to pay more money for convenience items that are ready to eat. An example, Woroch said, is buying pre-packaged lettuce that’s already cut up versus the head of lettuce.
“I would buy a head of lettuce, and my plan is to eat salad throughout the week to eat healthier. But the time it takes me to chop up my lettuce and vegetables, sometimes I would just push it to the side and save it for the next day, and then realize a few days have passed, and now that food has gone bad,” Woroch said. “Sometimes, it’s better to pay a little bit more and get that bag of lettuce that’s already cut up to find that chopped vegetable if that means you’re going to cook it and you’re going to eat it.”
The Flipp app is a good tool for shoppers, as it puts all the grocery store fliers in one place to help you find the cheapest prices.
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