I don’t know about you, but our grocery budget has skyrocketed since quarantine began. There are lots of reasons for this: eating out less, opting for grocery delivery instead of going to the store, rising prices on some items that were scarce (particularly at the beginning of the pandemic), trying more adventurous recipes, and (if I’m being honest) taking a bit of a “treat yo’self” approach. But I’ve committed to getting this area of our budget under control. Besides the basics (shopping in-season produce, making a list, and never shopping hungry), here are a few tricks I’ve put into practice (or hope to soon) to make this happen:
Check your pantry before you buy: Anybody else guilty of putting something on their grocery list only to discover later it was already in their house? Oops! Over the past few months I’ve forced myself to get up and check my fridge, freezer, and pantry before adding an item to my grocery list, and I estimate this saves me about $20 every time I order groceries.
Tip: Try your best to plan meals (and your subsequent grocery list) around items you already have in your pantry, particularly items that will be expiring soon.
Don’t be afraid to substitute: At the beginning of the pandemic when certain grocery items were scarce, I did a lot of substituting items in recipes. I used sourdough starter instead of yeast. I made my own buttermilk with lemon juice and oat milk. Now, when I see an ingredient I don’t normally have around the house in a new recipe, I check to see if it’s really crucial to the dish or if I can make do with another item I already have. Most times the substitute does just fine!
Tip: One of the best ways to save money is by making something yourself. Instead of buying sliced nuts, slice them yourself. Instead of purchasing salad dressings, make your own. Instead of buying bread each week, why not try your hand at making it from scratch?
It’s ok to keep it simple: Oof, I really need this reminder. Since I’ve had a little more time on my hands during the pandemic, I’ve really enjoyed trying out more complex recipes. But as my husband is quick to remind me, not every meal has to be a masterpiece. A BLT, breakfast for dinner, a nice grilled cheese: Sometimes a simple, easy meal will suffice and it will save you some money along the way.
Tip: Keep the ingredients for 2-3 simple and easy meals you love on hand to use on those nights when things just get too busy and you’ll be tempted to order takeout. Some of our favorite simple meals are boxed mac and cheese with chicken sausage, fruit smoothies with protein powder, or soup with grilled cheese.
Make takeout an intentional treat, not a fallback option: I get it: Every night in quarantine can feel exactly the same, so sometimes it’s nice to change it up. Over the last year, we’ve made Wednesday night our “takeout night.” It’s also our date night, so it makes that night feel like more of an occasion. We’ve discovered that now that we have a specific day of the week devoted to takeout, we very rarely even think about ordering out any other night of the week.
Tip: Build your takeout night into your grocery planning so you ensure no food in your fridge goes to waste because you opted for takeout instead.
Don’t limit yourself to one store: My husband and I live two blocks away from a Whole Foods. We’ve really appreciated their selection of organic meats and produce, but we’ve found their pantry items (like flour, sugar, canned goods, and even snack foods) can get pricey fast. I resisted going to another store for these items for a while because I hated the idea of having to shop at more than one place, but it has been a big money saver for us.
Tip: Trying to minimize the places you shop in person? Diversify your shopping online. We often use Amazon Fresh or Thrive Market for our pantry staples. Since these ingredients don’t go bad quickly, we can place a larger order just once a month. Before you buy, be sure to compare prices to make sure you are really getting a better deal.
Utilize the store brand: Buying generic can really save you a lot of money over time. With some ingredients, buying a particular brand makes a difference, but with most the generic brand tastes exactly the same. Before opting for a name brand item, check to see if there’s a generic one available and watch your savings go up.
Tip: Instead of keeping track of which items you are ok with buying generic, make buying generic your default and only stray from it when you really think it’s necessary.
Make your freezer your friend: Before the pandemic, our freezer stored ice cream, frozen fruit for smoothies, and meat we bought in bulk from Costco on occasion, but that was about it. Now it’s arguably more fully stocked than our fridge, because I’ve started using our freezer to stash away individual portions of leftovers, seafood we’ve purchased in bulk, individual slices of sourdough, leftover veggies and herbs, and more!
Tip: Before freezing, do your research to make sure you are storing items in the proper way to maintain freshness. With produce, instead of waiting to see what’s left over, freeze some right away so when you use it later it will still taste fresh.
Use herbs wisely: I love the taste fresh herbs bring to a dish, but nobody wants to pay $3 for a package of herbs just to use a few leaves. A little experimenting has taught me that you can usually swap out one recommended herb (like sage) for another herb I already have on hand for a different recipe (like rosemary). Many herbs also freeze well, so if you do end up buying a package, be sure to look up how you can best save your leftovers before they go bad.
Tip: Have a few herbs that you really like and use often? Consider growing your own. My parents got me sage, rosemary, and thyme for my birthday. It’s been easy for me to care for these small plants, even inside a cozy apartment, and during this chilly winter the taste and smell of fresh herbs has been real joy.
Get cash back on grocery purchases: Check to make sure you are using the credit card that will give you the most “bang for your buck” in terms of cash back or other rewards for your grocery purchases. At the beginning of the pandemic, we switched out which card we were using and we’ve been reaping the benefits ever since.
Tip: This is NOT a good reason to get a new credit card; instead, see how you can best utilize the cards you already have. If you haven’t looked at your card benefits lately, this is a good time to check back in, since many credit cards (especially travel ones) have added new perks during the pandemic.