9 Ways To Save Money on Groceries (no coupons!)

Please note this post may have links to the items discussed, where I may earn a small commission in the event you purchase. Thank you for supporting a small business owner and blogger such as myself 💗 - Amber Lemon

There are so many ways to save money in the kitchen. Often the most thought about method is couponing. For beginners, this method can be time consuming and daunting learning how to stay organized with the different items and expiry dates.

Back in the late 2000's, aka my college years, I learned so many different ways to save on groceries. Working full time, paying for my school and my own apartment... let's just say food was not in the budget.

Fast forward to 2024, I'm grateful for that experience as these tips are surefire ways to save money on groceries during our impending recession. The cost of groceries has skyrocketed and the math just isn't mathing again on how to pay bills, enjoy hobbies, and eat.

1. Become an Ingredient Household

An ingredient household means you don't typically buy prepackaged goods. If time = money then you recognize that spending more time in the kitchen with your ingredients will ultimately save you the most amount of money. Grocery stores have evolved into becoming large scale Convenient Stores, which means they will always come with that convenient store price tag now.

2. Buy Groceries by the Ounce

The number ONE way to save money on groceries is to start buying your groceries by the ounce. Food Marketing has gotten so creative with ways to packaged foods. Since we often can't see inside the box or can, it's not unheard of companies leave more than enough airspace cough cough every bag of potato chips ever.

When shopping, look at the price tag. There should always be a price per ounce in smaller numbers somewhere on the label. If there isn't, its as simple as looking at the packaging of the item your trying to buy. One brand of mac n cheese may be $1.25/box for 6 ounces of cheesy goodness. While another brand could be $1.25/box for 7.25 ounces.

Learn my best tips to buying fresh organic spices by the ounce here.

3. Buy In Bulk to Save Money on Groceries

The psychology behind buying in bulk and how stores get us to spend more money is fascinating to me. Don't buy things in bulk because that's the only size available at the membership club store. Buy the most used items in your household in these types of stores.

4. Diversify Your Preferred Stores

At the end of the day, grocery stores are setting the final mark up on our food for their profit. Some stores will have better produce pricing, while others on meat, etc etc. After many years of collecting my own shopping data through receipts and budgeting I found that

• Farm Stands have the best price on produce... look for bargain bins that will have great options for excellent for tonight's dinner, or canning / freezing to preserve longer!

• Membership Club stores have the best price on pantry items (rice, flour, canned goods, etc) and large cuts of meats to break down yourself

• Organic focused stores will have the best price on fresh herbs and spices.

• Local Grocery stores are really only good for last minute ingredients because of their convenience.

5. Invest in Kitchen Equipment

These 2 appliances have saved me so much money in my household and are worth every penny spent on them!

The Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer - baking at home has gotten so much easier. Consider buying a family pack of chocolate chip cookies (has 18 cookies) for $5 versus baking 3 dozen cookies at home for less than $2. That's a no brainer. I'll post more on this item another time, including all of my wonderful attachments.

The Pump N' Seal - You may know it is a vacuum sealer 🤪. Buying meats in bulk suggests you have a large family to feed or you consume a lot of meat. But what if your neither? We still want these protein savings in my household of 2, me and my husband ❤️! A vacuum sealer allowed us to break down family packs of meats into portions that were more appropriate to what we consumed in a meal.. and then freeze the rest for later with out having to worry about freezer burn or unsafe meat storing practices. I have a lot to say about this item so I'll be sure to post more on it later.

6. Buying Items On Sale

Remember the geniuses behind the grocery store profits. Look closely at your Buy One Get One deals and make sure your still buying by the ounce. Don't be conned into these sales under the illusion that your saving!

7. Canning

Learning to can foods is a way to preserve the freshness of foods that may otherwise go bad quickly. If the price is right to buy in bulk, but you cant imagine eating it all before it goes bad, consider canning as a way to stretch these shelf lives. There are 2 different ways to can items; water bath canning and pressure cooker canning. It is important to know the difference as some foods are not suitable for both methods.

8. Starting a Garden

You can start a garden in even the tiniest of spaces. I've seen balcony gardens, roof top gardens, and even gardens inside! Do not fret on the time it takes to grow something. Some vegetables, like tomatoes, are an excellent beginner plant to add in your garden. As long as they are getting sunlight, and water... you will get A LOT of tomatoes, even from just one plant. Learning to can will be your friend in this instance 😜

9. Willingness to Try New Things

Lastly, and I cannot stress this enough, be open to trying new things. Whether is a different brand than you are used to, a new recipe, or getting down to the nitty gritty with gardening and food preservation. It all starts with the willingness to try something new. Change will not happen (pun intended) if you don't try something new!