Strategies to save money on groceries without using coupons:
I’m a coupon user. I’ve gotten many great deals thanks to my coupon use. But, there are many grocery shopping trips where I don’t use one single coupon and still manage to keep my grocery bill quite low! I also realize there are many people who don’t really care for the time that couponing requires.
Here is how I save money on groceries:
Meal Plan
I credit a big portion of my low grocery bill mostly to the 1/2 hour I spend each weekend planning our dinners. I choose meals based on what I have in the pantry/freezer already and sales the stores are running that particular week. You can take a look at my meal planning method here.
Make a Grocery List
I don’t leave the house without my list! Not only do I find it easier to buy only what I need, it also saves me an extra trip to the store for an ingredient I’ve forgotten.
Shop Only Once a Week
The less you shop, the less you spend. I find this to be so very true for me. I like to go grocery shopping on Mondays, (because that works for me) and only buy what will get us through the week.
If, on occasion, I go to the store a second time for something, I usually end up buying a few things that I don’t need which just boosts my total unnecessarily!
Prepare Easy, Inexpensive Meals
Simple is a favourite word of mine. Simple meals save time and hard earned dollars. Of course there are times when a fancier meal is required for special occasions, but generally I like to make one-dish meals (spaghetti) or prepare an easy meat dish served with vegetables and either rice or potatoes. I even like to go meatless once or twice a week!
Simple meals, simple ingredients. A great way to save money on groceries!
Plan Your Meals Around Store Sales
Is chicken on sale at your local store? Then plan a few meals using chicken. Check all the flyers for the grocery stores in your city to see which store is offering the best deals. Shop at that store.
Buy Store Brand Ingredients
Okay, there are times when I can’t forgo the name brand because it just tastes way better. But for times when it doesn’t matter, I always get the store brand. There’s usually quite a substantial price difference!
Use a Grocery Pickup Service
This is one of the newest ways I like to save money on groceries! Not every week, but as often as I can, I like to do an online order through Voila (Safeway, Sobeys, IGA, Longo’s, Farm Boy) or PC Express. This is a great way to avoid impulse buys altogether because I’m not actually going in the store!
I hope some of these tips will inspire and help you to save money on groceries! This is an area of your budget that you can easily change!
How do you save on the cost of groceries? Let us know in the comments below.
As I was going about my day the other day, I realized that I was using some things that I really like to use. I seem to use them all the time at home.
I’m also someone that likes to see what others like to use to make their day to day life better. I know I can’t be the only one with this curiosity!
So, I decided to go around the house and take pictures of the things I use all the time.
Now, some of them I’ve had for a long time, but there are newer versions of them that I’ll link to.
Wool Dryer Balls: I was looking at my Amazon order history and I actually bought these in 2016!! It did come as a 6 pack, but two of them recently came came apart, so now I’m left with four. I do think that they actually reduce drying time. Here are some dryer balls with good ratings if you want to try them out.
2. Kindle eReader: This is pretty much the only way I read books these days. According to my Amazon order history, my Kindle is now 10 years old!! It’s still working mostly wonderfully. Has a few glitches every now and then, but I’m amazed that I’ve had it since 2013. It comes to the beach, on vacations, and fits nicely in my purse for when I have a few minutes to read. Apparently I can use it to borrow ebooks from the library, but I haven’t tried that yet.
3. Backpack Purse: I bought this in 2021 because we were flying to Winnipeg with Swoop. You have to pay for checked baggage and you’re only allowed a small carry on at no cost. This is the perfect size to hold airplane activities for me and the kids. Plus, it’s a backpack so it’s never annoying to tote around. This is still the purse I use on a daily basis and I love it just as much now as when I bought it.
4. Vileda Spin Mop: This was a purchase I made in January 2019 and I love it! It’s perfect for our tile, linoleum bathrooms and engineered hardwood floors because you can control how much water is in the mop. I fill my bucket with a teaspoon of powdered Tide a la GoCleanCo. It goes on sale every now and then so wait for a deal!
5. Simplified by Emily Ley Day Planner: So this is new, obviously, because 2023 is still quite new. But it has been almost two years that I have consistently been using a paper planner. I prefer a weekly planner so I can see the whole week at a glance. This one also has a monthly spread that I use to mark down birthdays, no school days, etc. I also love that each day is divided into two sections: My Day and To Do. I also use Google calendars to remind me of appointments and deadlines.
6. Washable Dish Scrubber: My mom bought me this from a local store a few years ago. I love it! So good at getting stubborn spots on dirty dishes. But my favorite part is that I can throw it in the wash to clean it! It has lasted a long time so far! Here are similar ones from Amazon.
7. Contigo Travel Mug: This is also an old purchase from Costco years ago. It came as a two pack and both of them are still going strong! I like to put my coffee in here in the mornings when I drop my daughters off at school. Here is a newer version of a Contigo travel mug.
8. Seventh Generation Dish Soap: Specifically, the Lavender and Mint scent. Sooooo good! (The Fresh Citrus and Ginger is good too.) This has been my go to dish soap for years now. Every time I try something new, I wish that I was using Seventh Generation! Haha! For some reason, it also seems to keep my cloths smelling better. I find with other soaps, I can only use a cloth for one day before I have to throw it in the wash. I usually buy it at the grocery store, but now and then I order some from Well.ca when it’s on sale.
There you have it! 8 things I use all the time around home. Do you use any of these things? What are some items that you have had for a while that you find yourself using over and over again?
Planning a menu each week can be such an annoyance. Some weeks, it would take me hours to come up with enough meals for the week because I’d always try to add variety with new meals. I would scour cookbooks and Pinterest for new recipes and get distracted trying to decide if something sounded good or not. Or whether or not the rest of the family would eat it…
So, one thing that has helped us to cut our grocery budget was to create a short, go-to recipe list! I mean, we eat the same basic things for breakfast each day, why not apply the principle to dinner too?
Narrowing our meal ideas to only 20 options has made meal planning a breeze and has saved us so much money. It also reduces food waste, because I know I am making food that we all enjoy. These meals are a mix of quick & easy meals, recipes that are great for leftovers, and some a wee bit more complicated because they’re just so tasty.
So, if you want to finally stop wasting money on groceries, I’d encourage you to grab some inspiration from our go-to recipe list. Here’s what we’re eating, aside from leftover nights and super simple meals (like tomato soup & grilled cheese):
20 Dinner Recipes that Cut Our Grocery Bill:
Tacos – I find that one package of ground beef is enough for two meals for our family. I’ll often make it stretch further with a can of baked beans.
French Toast – We often like breakfast meals for dinner. I especially love to make a big batch of French toast because I can freeze the leftovers for quick breakfasts.
Instant Pot Beef Stew – This is so good! Since the recipe doesn’t call for potatoes, I like to serve it over mashed potatoes.
Spaghetti – Lately I’ve been browning ground beef, adding it to the slow cooker with a jar of pasta sauce, a bit of water and a sprinkle of beef bouillon powder.
Hamburger Soup – This freezes well and is enjoyed every time I make it.
Slow Cooker BBQ Sauce Pork Chops – Place pork chops over sliced onions in a slow cooker, then pour your favourite BBQ sauce over top. Cook on low for about 4 – 6 hours. Serve with rice or potatoes and steamed veggies.
Sausage and Potato Bake – Cut up potato, carrots, sweet potato, peppers, and farmer’s sausage and place in a big 9×13 baking dish. Drizzle olive oil and a dose of oregano, salt & pepper. Bake at 400 degrees for about 35 minutes.
Roasted chicken – It no secret that a roasted whole chicken can stretch for many meals. I’ll often buy rotisserie chicken for a super fast dinner with veggies and potatoes.
Balsamic beef roast – This is another meal that stretches far or is great for feeding a crowd.
There you have it! The 20 family dinner recipes that have managed to cut our grocery bill! Does your family have a go-to recipe list? What are your favourite meals?
Looking for even more kitchen help especially as life gets busy? Check out this fun MEAL PLANNER – with food inventory worksheets,monthly, weekly + daily meal planning worksheets, meal brainstorming worksheets and more!
“Why can’t I save money? I should be able to do it…”
Do you find yourself asking that question a lot?
You make a decent salary, many others would be happy getting paid as much as you. Maybe you have a few debts, but nothing that’s not manageable.
So why can’t you seem to put any amount into savings? You know something needs to change.
But don’t be discouraged! Many people are in your situation. Whatever your salary, you can save some of it.
Let’s take a look at some reasons why you can’t save money along with solutions:
1. You were never taught how to save money
We’re not generally born with good money sense. This is something that has to be taught and practiced. If you were never taught how to save money beginning at a young age, it’s quite possible you still don’t know how to save money as an adult.
Solution: The good news is that you can still learn how to save money! You can do this by reading helpful articles, tracking your spending, and implementing smart money habits with the tips you learn.
2. You are an impulse spender
Spending money is fun. I get that, I really get that. There are studies out there that prove that shopping can be therapeutic. But did you know that dopamine (the feel-good hormone), is actually released before you make a purchase? It begins before the purchase happens. You don’t even have to make a purchase to get that good feeling. If you find yourself making impulse purchases to make yourself feel better, this could be a reason why you can’t save money.
Solution: Just browsing or window shopping can positively impact your mood and release dopamine. If you find yourself making many impulse purchases, take 48 hours, a week or even 30 days to think about a non-essential purchase. You might be surprised to discover that you don’t actually need that item and feel content leaving it at the store.
3. You don’t track your spending
A big reason why you can’t save money might be because you aren’t tracking what you spend. When you track your spending, you can track overspending and you can eliminate wasteful spending habits. This is also a great way to discover you are paying for a subscription that you no longer use.
Solution: Use a notebook or a simple app to write down your expenditures. You might also find the idea of a Spending Journal perfect.
4. You don’t use cash
One possible reason why you can’t save money might be because you aren’t using enough cash. You mostly swipe that credit or debit card. I know when I have cash in my wallet, I think harder about any purchases I want to make. I often decide I don’t need something when I think of the bills leaving my wallet.
Solution: Start using cash. This doesn’t mean you need to use cash for every single thing. (there can be benefits to using credit cards.) But perhaps you can try using cash for your clothing or entertainment budget. I have a set of printable cash envelopes and spending trackers that might be useful too.
5. You are dealing with lifestyle inflation
Lifestyle inflation or lifestyle creep is when your expenses increase along with any increase to your income. Maybe you think every time you get a raise or receive a promotion, you deserve to treat yourself with something new. For example, with your increase in income, you might think a new car is a good idea. But really, this just means the more you earn, the more you spend.
Solution: Take the time to learn contentment. If all of your basic necessities and bills are taken care of, with any increase to your income set up automatic deposits to your savings account with the difference. You should start seeing a healthy savings account grow!
6. You think you need something you want
A house is something you need and a car is something you need to get to work. (Although, we often overspend on this necessity because we want a certain vehicle, when we can simply focus on one that we need. Which is any reliable vehicle, really.) A fridge is something you need but a 65′ TV is something you want. Not knowing the difference between and need and a want can be the reason why you can’t save money.
Solution: Take a hard look at your thought process when it comes to purchases. Is it something you need or is it something that you want? If it’s something you want, start saving your dollars so you can purchase it guilt free.
7. Everyday expenses are rising (inflation)
As I’m sure you are aware, we are seeing big price inflations on pretty much everything these days. Housing, groceries, gas… While you can’t stop it, there are things you can do to alleviate the pressure on our wallets. (I like this article on the causes of inflation, if you’re interested to read more.)
Solution: Think of this as an opportunity to be creative. Think about ways you can create more income. Or trade your garden vegetables for fresh eggs from your neighbor. Go through your expenses with a fine tooth comb to weed out the expenses that are not 100% necessary in this season. Consider eating more vegetarian meals. Brainstorm to get your creative ideas going.
8. You don’t have a savings goal
Having a savings goal in place for something specific can be a great motivator. When you are just putting money into the bank for the sake of putting money into the bank on a regular basis, it can be easier to withdraw for unimportant reasons. When you implement a savings goal, you are more likely to save more money. It helps to create healthy and productive money habits.
Solution: Implement a savings goal. An emergency fund is a common, but great savings goal to start with. Once you’ve established your emergency fund, you can move onto paying off a debt. Then you can keep going with something else. Like a vacation fund, or new appliance fund, or a new to you car fund. With a goal in place, you’ll start to see how every money decision impacts your greater financial health.
One thing is for sure though, if you’re struggling to save money, you’re not alone. With the help of these 8 solutions, you’ll be well on your way to reaching your savings goals. Which of the 8 reasons do you resonate most with?
Spending money is fun, but saving money can be fun too! It’s fun to pay cash for the things you saved for!
Who doesn’t love going on vacations? Or buying a new TV? Or whatever is on your wish list? It’s even more fun when you can enjoy those things without a guilty conscious because they’ve already been paid for.
We all know how tough it is to pinch a penny these days. Saving money isn’t easy, but with a little creativity and some willpower, you can save between $2,000 and $5,000 a year with a few simple tips and hacks. So here’s how to save $2,000 – $5,000 (or more!) a year.
Start Off by Setting a Goal
In order to save $5,000 a year, you’re going to have to set aside about $417 a month. But if this amount is making your heart race, (don’t worry, it sounds scary to me too) then try saving $2,000 a year. You’d only have to set aside about $167 a month to reach your goal.
Cut down on takeout
No, you don’t have to let go of your takeout cravings completely. But consider cutting down 80% on takeout food. If you’re not tracking your expenses, you probably don’t realize just how much money you’re throwing away at on takeout.
But for example, if you order the Big Mac meal for $10 once a week, (just once!) that’s $40 a month. If you cut down this vice out of your annual expenses, you would’ve managed to save $480 a year.
Don’t Pay for Netflix
Say goodbye to your Netflix subscription. Or Disney+. Or Spotify.
Think about any monthly subscriptions that you have and consider cancelling one or two for a little while.
The cost for Netflix’s standard plan is about $15.49 a month. That’s $185.88 a year you could save if you forego this popular streaming service.
Think about the savings you will see if you cancel more than one service.
This can also become a fun exercise in creativity when you need to fill your downtime with something entertaining.
Start a $5 jar
Have you heard of the $5 jar hack before? How it works is, every time you find yourself with a $5 bill, you put it in a jar. Simple, right?
You’ll find that all those $5 bills really add up quickly and painlessly!
Save Your Raise
Say you got yourself a raise that will give you $2,000 a year after taxes. The simplest way to save is to pretend like you never got the raise in the first place. (Only if you can manage it with the cost of living these days!)
So, every month, transfer $167 into your savings account and in a year you’ll have $2,000 to play with!
Cut Down on Starbucks
The average price of a Starbucks tall latte in Canada is $3.85. If you go to your local Starbucks five days a week, you’re spending $19.25 a week, $77 a month, and $924 a year on average.
But if you cut down on Starbucks or drive-thru coffee in general and settle for the coffee in the break room or from home, you could save yourself nearly $1,000 a year.
Try your hand at DIY oil changes
If you are an ambitious type and enjoy a challenge, doing your own oil changes at home can save you a lot.
Learning how to drain and replace the oil and other fluids is easy. There are tons of online tutorials on YouTube that can teach you how to do it.
Same with changing your tires from summer to winter tires and vice versa. Save yourself a good chunk of change by learning how to do these yourself.
Reduce your carbon footprint
The average person spends about $386 per month on gas for their car. That’s $4,632 a year.
You can reduce your monthly gas expenses by carpooling, using public transportation like the subway or a bus.
If all else fails, try walking or riding a bike. It’s healthy and 100% free.
Sign up for PC Optimum
PC Optimum is a points program that is available at Real Canadian Superstore, Shoppers Drug Mart, or other Loblaw banner stores.
You collect points on your purchases, which can then be redeemed in $10 increments off any purchase you make at these stores.
The average cost of a gym membership is about $50 a month. That’s $600 a year, and if you add the initiation fee, it will probably be more like $800.
Consider canceling your membership and go for a nice jog around the block or do some push-ups at home. There are tons of YouTube channels with 40, 50, and 60-minute workouts that are just as good.
Reduce Your Cell Phone Plan
All those Smartphone data plans you got suckered into getting could run you at least $80 a month. That’s $960 a year on average.
But you can find carriers that offer prepaid data plans. If you run out of credit, just use Wi-Fi and let people know they can only reach you when you find free Wi-Fi. This will help you save about $480 a year.
All in all, just shop around to find something that will suit your needs at the lowest price.
Get a Part Time Job
Sometimes, the best way to save $2,000 to $5,000 is to earn it.
The average minimum wage in Canada is $15.55 per hour. So, if you work 15 hours a week, you’ll earn about $233.25. That’s $933 a month and $11,196 a year, minus the taxes.
As you can see, eliminating little things here and there can really add up! Try adopting a few of these ‘how to save’ techniques, even for a short time and see how much you can save!
I’d love to hear all your ideas for how to save $2,000 – $5,000 a year. Drop a comment below!
If you’re wanting to save some big grocery bucks, it’s time to start thinking about things to stop buying and start making yourself. I’m talking about making your own pantry staples and household essentials!
Not only does creating your own stuff keep more money in your wallet, often times it’s better for your health! I mean how many times are you stuck reading a label in the store wondering what half of the ingredients are? By making your own essentials, you’re ensuring that you know each and every ingredient involved.
Also, an aspect of the frugal lifestyle for some, or many, is to be more self sufficient. Rather than running to the store every time you run out of something, you could try making it yourself! Once you know how to make everyday items, you’ll save yourself a lot of trips to the store, reduce your plastic waste, all while saving lots of money.
Creating your own products from scratch is simple. But to make it even easier for you, I’ve round ed up a list of 30 things to stop buying and start making:
How many of these have you tried? What are some things to stop buying and start making that you would recommend?
If you’re wanting more ideas for things to make from scratch, you might want to try this book, The Homemade Pantry. It features 101 recipes that you can try!
