Dave Ramsey Said This Is One of the Easiest Ways to Save on Groceries. Is He Right?

Could trying this technique slash your grocery budget?

Groceries are a budget-buster for many people, especially as food prices have been steadily climbing due to inflation. But you don't have to just accept that your groceries are going to lead to big credit card bills. There are ways you can reduce what you spend to feed yourself and your family.

In fact, finance expert Dave Ramsey has some advice on a simple way to save on grocery store purchases -- and his tip is one that just about everyone should listen to.

Here's how Ramsey says to save on groceries

Ramsey has a simple suggestion for reducing your food bills.

"If you're wondering how to save money on groceries, this is one of the easiest ways," he said. "Make a meal plan and grocery list before you leave the house. When you get to the store, stick to the list. Don't give yourself any room for budget-breaking surprises."

Ramsey also advised that if you bring your kids with you when you go to the grocery store, you enlist their help in both planning the meals and locating the items you've put on your grocery list.

"It's a lot easier to stay on budget when you're shopping with a plan and working as a team…and when you get used to saying no to candy," he said.

Here's why this approach can be a great one

Ramsey is absolutely correct that making a meal plan is a really good way to reduce your grocery costs. And there are a whole bunch of reasons for that.

One of the biggest benefits is that you can avoid impulse buys, as Ramsey explained. You will know exactly what foods you need to buy to make the recipes you have chosen for the week. Since you'll have a plan for what to eat and what ingredients are required for it, there will be no reason to go off your list and buy items that unnecessarily add to your grocery expenses.

You can also avoid wasting food since you'll have a plan. If you don't know exactly what you're going to make before you go to the store, you may end up buying veggies or produce or some other items and never getting around to eating it before it goes bad. But if you have a plan to cook and eat it on a specific day, this is far less likely to happen.

Finally, you can make your meal plan based on what is on sale at the grocery store for the week, which can help you to save even more money. For example, if ground beef is on special based on the grocery store flyers, you can schedule a few ground beef meals during that week so you can take advantage of the sale and keep your dinner costs down.

The good news is, making a meal plan is something everyone can do. You just need to think about what you're going to eat for each of your meals over the course of the week and then use that schedule to make your shopping list. This process will make all the difference in dropping your grocery costs more than you can imagine.