One of the best pieces of financial advice I ever received was don’t live beyond your means. Lately paying for day to day expenses has many people doing exactly that. Buying groceries and everyday essential items should not put people over budget or in debt. Sadly that’s exactly what it is doing. We want to make it easier for you to cut these expenses. We are happy to bring you ways to cut your grocery bill.

Before you shop

There a few things you can do before even leaving for the grocery store!

Know your prices. Marketing departments know one of the best ways to get your attention is to advertise a sale. Often times this does not result in the best price. By knowing your prices you will be able to pick out the real deals. This will also tell you when something is a stock up deal.

Know what you have on hand. Knowing what you have in your pantry and freezer is important. This prevents you repeatedly buying the same things. It’s also extremely helpful in meal planning.

Check your flyers. Whether you do this with digital flyers on an app (such as flipp, Reebee or flyerify) or by looking at paper flyers is completely up to you. Either way knowing the current sales will save you from over spending on items.

Check your cashback apps and websites. Cashback programs such as Checkout 51, Caddle, Eclipsa, Gocoupons and websaver can help to cut your cost. Cashback programs offer money back on set out items. Each program has unique offers. Most of them require you to reach a 20.00 balance before you will be able to cash out so try to remember this is not an instant payout program.

Check points programs. Programs such as PC Optimum and Airmiles can help you to spread your shopping dollars a little further. Be sure not to overspend to earn these points.

Prepare a meal plan. Knowing what you will be having will help you to know what you need. Meal planning does not have to be this great big ordeal. If you’re looking for ways to make one check out our article on creating meal plans HERE!

Make a list. Even if you forget it at home (which we sure hope you don’t) you are more likely to remember what you needed. There is some studies that show we are more likely to remember things we have written. On my list I include the following: item, store to price match, coupons available, cashback and points offers.

Toss spoiled food from fridge. This one will help you to know what you need to restock while giving you space for new groceries. You would hate to think you have something only to discover its bad and you need to go back to the store.

Eat before you leave. Never shop while you are hungry. Hunger leads to impulse buys. Impulse buys mean extra spending and we don’t want that.

When you are actually shopping.

There are a few things to help you while you are actually in the store.

Look for coupons. Coupons can be found all through a lot of stores. There are boards at the front of some stores. Some have them on displays in the center and ends of aisles. Also be sure to check down aisles for tearpad coupons that may be hanging. Want to know more about where to find coupons in Canada look HERE!

Use a calculator. Things can add up pretty quickly if you are not paying attention. Calculating your total as you go can help you to watch your spending.

Look for unadvertised clearance. Most stores display their clearance in a certain section of the store. With that being said I have found lots of hidden clearance on shelves as well. It’s not always easily seen but if you keep your eye out a lot can be found especially at seasonal turn around times.

Watch your prices. Not everything you’re going to buy is going to have a sale unfortunately. By watching your prices you can ensure that you don’t end up over paying for those items.

Buy in season fruits and vegetables. These are cheapest when in season. Another alternative is canned or frozen. I feel like canned and frozen produce often gets a bad rep. These can be a healthy alternative.

Don’t impulse buy. Impulse purchases are often the reason we leave the store overspending. Stores know just how to get you do that. From the light settings to the smells everything is geared towards making you spend as much as possible. So stick to your list.

Watch item placement. Most stores place the higher priced items at eye level knowing we tend to focus on what is right in front of us. Spend some time looking to be sure you are getting the best price.

Scan your rewards cards. Sounds so simple but so many people forget to do this. People often get overwhelmed at the check out and forget or don’t think it’s worth it if they don’t have offers. Since most programs give offers based on your tracked shopping it’s always a good idea to scan your card.

Have your coupons ready. I always organize my items to be price matched and items with coupons at the end of the belt. This way I remember to do them all. You will figure out what works for you as you go.

Check your receipt. Before leaving the store check that everything on your receipt is correct. Mistakes happen. I have been charged for more of things than I have bought. I have had items scan higher than the advertised price. I have had missing points. The list goes on and on. Checking your receipt will give you peace of mind that you have not overpaid or missed anything.

After your shop

Believe it or not your efforts after shopping will help just as much as those you are using before or during shopping.

Submit your receipts for cashback. Doing this as soon as you leave the store is usually a good idea. There a couple of reasons I do this. It makes it less likely I will forget or lose the receipt. The offers can go fairly quickly so I tend to want to submit right away.

Store foods properly. There are some great tips on getting the most life out of your produce. If we put them away properly foods will spoil less quickly and we can enjoy what we bought instead of throwing it away.

Set up your ideal meal prep. Whether this is full on cooking your meals ahead of time or simply cutting veggies and preseasoning meats. Having prepared stuff makes us more likely to not just grab what is easy and more expensive. You can find more about meal prep HERE!

Follow your meal plan. This sounds so simple but it really can be hard to do. We are aware it has its struggles but you will be thankful you did.

With all that being said groceries are expensive we want to help you save where you can for more information on ways to save on groceries and other life essentials check out some of our other great information HERE!