If you and your wallet feel shocked every time you go to the grocery store, you’re not imagining things. Inflation is leveling out a bit in some areas, but your grocery costs have been steadily increasing for years. According to The United States Department of Agriculture, in the last year alone, food costs have increased by 8.4% due to the impact of inflation.
Consumer reviews echo the laments of customers who are trying to keep up with rising costs. A recent inflation survey by the review website PissedConsumer.com found that 94.5% of consumers’ shopping habits have been impacted by inflation. More than 60% of the online reviews noted, in particular, the rising cost of groceries. So how do you offset a grocery bill increase? Fortunately, there are some creative ways to save on groceries and make your money stretch just a bit further.
Look for Coupons and Savings Before You Shop
If you’re looking for ways to cut your grocery costs, do a bit of legwork before you shop. Stores still have flyers and ads, even if they are digital in our modern times. Use the store apps and ads to see what is on sale to help reduce grocery bills.
Start by checking for savings on the items you always buy and add those coupons to your app or cut them out. Then consider using different items that are on sale in your meal planning for the week to save on groceries. For example, if chicken is on sale, plan to eat chicken instead of beef. Just be sure you’re not adding things to your list just because it is on sale. You won’t reduce your grocery bills if you’re buying extra things that you don’t actually need.
Make Your Meal Plans and Grocery List
Browsing the aisles of a supermarket isn’t a great way to offset grocery bills increase. There are always things that will magically make their way into your basket when you take a casual approach. Instead, plan carefully and shop according to your list.
That is how to save money on groceries – simply plan what you need and then buy only the things on your list. If you’re worried that you’ll feel deprived by not picking up things that catch your eye while you shop, give yourself a small budget to treat yourself. Then you can spend your treat money any way you want on one item – not ten or twenty.
Shop Online
There can be considerable savings on grocery costs if you shop online for some of the staples. Some stores, especially those that sell in bulk, might offer certain goods for way less online rather than buying them in the store. Have your peanut butter and pasta sent to your house instead of the store. Then you’ll be cutting out the middleman markup in some cases and building up a store of easy meal ideas in the process.
Of course, if you want to reduce grocery bills, think carefully about having your groceries delivered for a fee after you shop online. There are plenty of negative reviews on any reviews website about how things can go wrong with grocery delivery and with the fees those services charge. Online price comparison will give you some ideas, at least, about how to save money on groceries.
Use Apps to Help Save Money and Get Cash Back
Most grocery stores have apps to help customers save on groceries. You can look for specials and coupons on the items you’re planning to buy through the app and apply those digital coupons for extra savings to help offset the impact of inflation.
Another way you can use apps to offset grocery bills increase is to use a cash-back app. There are several popular phone apps that let you earn cash back on what you buy by scanning the receipts after you do your shopping.
Use Your Credit Card Wisely
It might be a direct way on how to save money on groceries, but you can also be sure you pay for your groceries with a credit card that offers cash-back on products and apply those savings toward gift cards for future grocery shopping.
Taking advantage of promotional points or extra cash-back offers is an easy way to offset grocery bills increase by paying what you must in the shop but saving more on the back end. Special offers through your credit card company may also help you find the cheapest place to buy groceries in unexpected ways.
The impact of inflation has been challenging for families, especially those who are already on a tight budget. Fortunately, there are still plenty of ways to save a little here and a little there to make a big impact on the bottom line.
