How To Cut Your Grocery Bill By AT LEAST 30%

By Anthony Vion

Edited by Eve Fish

The price of everything is going UP but the amount of money you’re bringing home probably isn’t.

So how do you make ends meet without getting another job? Easy. You stop overpaying for the things you need.

So, how is that easy? Well, that’s what I’m going to help you out with. I am a self-proclaimed grocery shopping wizard. 5 years ago, I cut my weekly grocery bill in half. Yep, from around $400 every week to $200.

And it’s not about sacrificing things you like. It’s about being smart. And I’m going to give you the blueprint. 

Make Stores Compete For Your Business 

I used to do all my weekly shopping at one grocery store. Granted it was the store that had the best prices among all the big names stores. Then…

Aldi and Lidl came into my life. They are smaller grocery stores where you probably can’t do all your shopping, but they have a lot of everyday things you need and SO MUCH BETTER prices.

Some examples. I went from paying over $4.00 for a dozen eggs to $1.67. Over $5.00 for a gallon of milk to $2.37. From $1.25 for one avocado to 57 cents. I could write an entire article just on this section.

If you don’t have an Aldi or Lidl by you, you probably have similar stores you’ll want to check out. 

This one strategy was huge in helping me put away $5,000 for an Emergency Fund.

Do Your Homework

Every week I go through the circulars of my 3 main grocery stores. I see what items are on sale and who has the better prices for things I need. This only takes about 10 minutes a week or so but ensures I’m getting the best prices and biggest savings.

Also, make mental notes of the prices of the things you typically buy every week at all 3 stores.

I get chicken breast every week. The best standard price is Aldi at $2.29/lb. But when I see it on sale at Lidl or Shoprite for $1.99/lb. or lower, I’ll scoop it up there. Do that for everything you buy and you’ll be amazed at how fast the savings add up.

Make A List And Stick To It

My wife will attest that I’m a stickler for this one. Generally, I do the food shopping on Fridays, but on Mondays or Tuesdays I’ll get a list going. Usually, it’s when I realize we need something or are going to need it soon.

If I don’t write it down then, I’ll probably forget about it. Throughout the week, the list starts getting populated. On Thursdays, I go through the circulars and add the sales items to the list.

Then Thursday nights, I’ll go through the fridge, freezer and pantry to see what we need.

When I hit the stores, I don’t deviate from the list unless I see an amazing sale item I may have missed.

Stick to your list and you won’t just be grabbing things off the shelves that you don’t need. And you definitely don’t need to overinflate your bill that way. 

Think of it this way, if you grab 3 things you don’t need that are $5 each, you’re tacking $15 on to your bill of say $200. That’s 7.5% you’ll be saving right here if you just stick to your list.

Buy Sale Items & Stock Up

This is gold for canned stuff, meats if you have the freezer space and other things that won’t go bad. Skip the produce here.

When coffee pods are on sale for $2.99 down from $4.99, I’ll buy as many as I can. Generally, it’s a limit of 4 per variety. But say I buy 8, that’s an extra $16 in my pocket.

My wife is always making sauce and chili, so we go through a lot of canned tomatoes and puree. I never buy them when they aren’t on sale though at $1.89 each. I’ll wait until I see them for 12 for $12 and buy 4 cases. That’s $48.72 in savings on things I know I’m going to need. 

It kills me to pay $5.99 for a lb. of butter when I can stock up and freeze it for $2.50 each. 

Don’t wait until you really need something to buy it. Think about the items you use all the time and scoop them up when they are on sale.

Use Coupons

For years, my friend Jake would never use coupons. He didn’t have time or would say, what’s the difference? It’s just a dollar.

So, I’d be over his place, and he’d tell me about the deal he got on this or the price he got on that. And I would say something like, you could have saved an extra $2 a lb. if you downloaded the digital coupon.

I finally got through to him. I think it may have been when I said, “Hey, I don’t mind paying less for everything than you do.”

Download the apps for the stores you go to and clip the digital coupons. Lidl actually gives you free stuff every month, on top of member-only savings.

Cut out the coupons on the Sunday paper if you get it, or if someone you’re close to does. There are also coupon sites you can print manufacturer’s coupons. Just google it.

Stack Coupons With Sale Prices

This one is a no-brainer. There’s no better feeling than double dipping on the savings. 

I just got corned beef from Shoprite for St. Patrick’s Day. Regular price: $27.84. Sale price savings: $6.44 down to $21.40. Double dip with the coupon savings of $8.58, I saved over $15 on just that one item.

Buy Generic Brands

I get it. You’re a Breyers person and no other ice cream will do. I’m not saying you have to sacrifice what you love to save money.

But when it comes to most things, the store brands are either just as good or better than the fancy pants brand names. And they are a fraction of the price.

Start small if you’re skeptical. Do a price comparison next time you are at the store of the brand name and store brand items and try the store brand. It will be eye-opening for sure.

Bring Reusable Bags

Ok, this is a smaller one but it still adds up to more money in your pocket. 

The argument you’ll probably get from most people is that throwaway bags from the store only cost 5 cents. Some stores by me have cloth bags for 33 cents each.

Let’s use the 5 cents per bag number though. Say you use 6 bags a week, that costs you 30 cents. You may be saying, what’s 30 cents. Well, it’s $15.60 a year extra money that you don’t have now.

Change 10 small things in your life that can save you $15 a year and that’s $150.

Do yourself a favor and keep reusable bags in your car or by the front door so you remember them. It’s free money. 

Stop Buying Your Vegetables Pre-Cut

Sure, it’s easier and saves you time when you buy your vegetable already cut. But is it worth paying more than double the price? 

You can probably cut $20 off your monthly grocery bill if you buy them whole and cut them yourself.

Buy In Bulk

If you have a Costco or BJs membership, or have a family member or friend who does, you can save big on paper goods, cleaning supplies, meats and more when you buy more of them.

Bottled Water Is A Scam

Are you paying $4.99 or more every week for a case of water when you have free water at home?

If you’re going through 2 cases of water a week, that’s $40 a month you can be saving. Get an insulated flask and just keep filling it. That’s what I do. 

Little changes like these go a long, long way and will save you AT LEAST 30% on your grocery bill week in and week out. 

Want to save even more? Then you definitely want to check this out.

BIO: Anthony Vion is a savings enthusiast from Long Island, NY who focuses on finding the best deals, reducing household expenses and helping consumers avoid unnecessary spending. Known for his careful approach to comparing prices and evaluating products, he enjoys sharing practical strategies that help people stretch their dollars further and make smarter everyday purchasing decisions.

This article is for informational and educational purposes only. The advice given isn’t a guarantee for specific money savings.