Frugal grocery shoppers share 25 tips for cutting down grocery bills

Groceries are more expensive than ever. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service, food prices increased 23.6% from 2020-2024. And the average monthly costs for groceries in an American household of 4 people ranges from $996-1,603.

So saving money on groceries in more lucrative than ever. And frugal shoppers are full of tips, tricks and hacks to keep food costs low.

Looking to cut down on your grocery bill the next time you make a trip? These are 25 of the best money-saving grocery tips from frugal people.

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"Shop your pantry, fridge and freezer 1st. See what meals you can make from what you have on hand. It's fun to be creative. Meal plan using what you have, make a grocery list with what you need. Avoid recipes that need lots of ingredients you don't have on hand. Stick to your list when shopping. Ordering on line helps me from impulse buying at the store. Use the first in, first out method in pantry/fridge to cut down on food waste. Batch cook, soups, stews, casseroles, so you get more than one meal out of cooking. Avoid buying lots of snacks, individually packed items. These are tried and true methods for saving money on food. Like others have posted, shop fliers, sales. May need to use more than one store. I do Aldi weekly, Walmart on line order ever 6 weeks or so. Like anything else, the more you do it, the better at it you get!" - catjknow

"Check ethnic groceries. The Middle Eastern, South Asian, and Hispanic groceries near me have amazing prices on produce and meat, bulk spices and dried beans, etc. Plus a lot of things that are bougie or health foods are really just a normal food from another culture with a bigger price tag." - kaizenkitten

"Frozen vegetables. If you eat meat, be flexible and shop what’s cheap that week. If something’s reduced because it’s older, you can freeze it the day you buy it if you can’t cook it right away." - BanditSpark

"Get something in your stomach before you go. Never shop hungry. You'll tend to buy things you wouldn't normally get or opt for junk/ready to eat foods rather than affordable ingredients." - sassysaba

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"I use an app called Flipp to shop the sales ads in my area, then plan meals around what I have on hand + sales items. When things like chicken leg quarters, boneless chicken thighs, and beef/pork roasts are on sale, I buy twice what I need and freeze leftovers for an easy midweek meal, like tacos/quesadillas/casserole/pasta." - TN_Lamb888

"Start a 'Price Book' spreadsheet. Make a tab for every item you regularly purchase. Log the store, brand, price, weight, and price per unit. Start by logging the regular price of those items and then research every week and log what the sales are on those items. Eventually you learn what is an actual good sale, what is not actually a sale, and how often these things go on sale, so that you can buy in bulk at the best price. You also learn what stores consistently have the best price on your item, so you can plan a trip to go to that store when you are already close to it (example: if you don’t have a Costco or Sam’s Club where you live, you plan on going as part of an out of town trip when you are already traveling). The trick is to stick to buying the items that are really the best price and to not overbuy amounts that you won’t be able to use before they expire (though if you did you could always donate to a local shelter or food bank). I admit, it is tedious but it’s also interesting." - Victoriafoxx

"We eat way more plant protein than animal protein now. We aren’t trying to be vegetarian. But beans and lentils are so much cheaper than meat." - FoxUsual745

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"Also, reframing your mind to envision meat as a condiment instead of the centerpiece of the meal is super helpful for traditional meat & potato people. My guys love a good slab of steak and mashed potatoes, but are also just as satisfied with a baked potato loaded with hearty bean lentil corn chili, with 1/4 of a good steak roughly chopped and sprinkled on top. One steak for a 3person family, plus enough for someone to have it for lunch tomorrow, is much more doable than 3 steaks for a single meal." - Jena_TheFatGirl

"I volunteer for a stop food waste organization. I eat mostly organic whole-foods and haven't bought groceries since 2020 because I get to fill a shopping basket free in exchange for a 2–3 hour shift. That's my best hack. Second best is dumpster diving, which may or may not be legal in your area." - LittleEdithBeale

"Check and see if you have any salvage grocery stores in your area! They’re not super common everywhere but they have a wide range of food, even high quality stuff, at very reduced prices because the items are damaged or past their expiration date." - DS30y

"Buy in season. Look for end-of-day sales at the farmers markets. Make nutrient-dense food." - DaysOfParadise

"Read your grocery store’s circular, clip coupons from their app, and if they have a rewards program use it. With one of the stores near me, I can get a free 12 dozen eggs by redeeming 200 reward points." - muad_dibs

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"I use a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) for purchasing vegetables. Not sure if CSAs everywhere are cheaper, but it is for me. There's a website called localharvest.org that has a CSA locator. I cook seasonally based on what my CSA has available. In May and early June it was a lot of salads, right now we're getting a lot of things like bok choy, broccolini, and carrots, so we're eating stir fry dishes or chicken with a side of sauteed or roasted vegetables. I quick pickle as much as I can from our weekly order to make things last (For example, we got a TON of chard at one point, and I pickled the stems with siracha. We've been using the pickles as a relish for tacos and sandwiches.). I also am in a small household, so I don't like buying anything perishable in bulk. We do have a chest freezer, so I buy meat in bulk at Costco. I also get things like cooking oils, vinegar, rice, and seasonings there. I try to keep us stocked up on anything we might need to supplement our veggie order for the week." - OK_Computer_152

"If grocery stores near you have an app, use it! On the Safeway app at least there's a lot of good coupons and deals that are only served in-app - I often pre-plan my shopping by plugging everything into the Safeway app and then comparing to other stores and that's how decide where I'm shopping that week." - sadhoursthrowaway409

"I use Instacart to make my shopping lists. I don’t use it to deliver groceries. It shows me what’s in the store and what’s not available. I can put together meals in advance and the BEST PART is that you can stay within your budget because it shows you your total as you add to the cart. It’s been a huge help these last few years for me to stay on budget. The app is also free." - jpp3252