3 Ways I Avoid Overspending at the Grocery Store

Could these techniques help you stick to your grocery budget too?

Groceries are an essential expense that everyone needs to work into their budget. After all, you have to eat and it's much cheaper to do that at home as much as possible rather than dining out all the time.

Although shopping at the grocery store is less costly than going to restaurants, it can still take up a big chunk of your monthly income. And if you've set a limit for how much you want to spend on food, it's crucial you find ways to try to stick within that amount as much as possible so you don't end up with a cash shortfall.

Fortunately, I've found three very effective techniques to help ensure my grocery spending doesn't get out of hand. 

1. Using grocery delivery services

Many grocery stores now offer pickup or delivery services. Often, there is no charge for these services as long as you meet certain minimum order requirements. Like many people, I started using these services during the COVID-19 pandemic. And I've decided to continue using them because they actually help me stop overspending.

With a grocery delivery service, I don't have to go into the store and walk up and down the aisles. As a result, I am no longer tempted by the attractive displays of sweet treats or new products. I simply search the store's website only for items I have on my list and add only those items to my shopping cart for pickup or delivery. This has cut out all of my impulse spending. 

2. Shopping sales flyers 

When I plan my meals for the week, I have grocery store sales flyers next to me. I'll check what types of meat, veggies, and other items are on store special and I try to choose recipes that incorporate discounted ingredients. This enables me to get the majority of my groceries at lower prices and it sometimes also encourages me to get creative in trying new recipes. 

I also have learned my grocery store's sales schedule by shopping using these flyers and keeping track of prices. I now know that items go on sale around every six to eight weeks (depending on what the item is). Since this is a predictable schedule, I can stock up on certain non-perishables when they go on discount if I know how much my family will use over the course of that period. For example, pasta sauce goes on sale every eight weeks and we use about three jars during that time period, so I just buy all three at the bargain price.

3. Paying with a grocery cash back card

Finally, whenever I purchase groceries, I do so with a cash back card that offers me extra rewards for doing so. 

Since I am getting money back from my credit card company for every grocery store purchase, this makes a big difference in reducing the amount I ultimately spend on food for my household.

None of these three techniques takes much time or effort, but together they've helped me save a small fortune so groceries don't take up more of my monthly budget than they should.