When I’m planning my budget for each month I always look back over the previous month to see if there are any areas to improve. And of course, I always seem to go over my allotted budget for groceries; and I know exactly why that happens—my lack of planning. Then, once I’ve spent too much, I have to find ways to make my budget stretch in other areas.
The only advantage of having to stretch my budget for the past few months is that I’ve been thinking of ways to spend less money on groceries. And, luckily for all of you, I’ve found a few ways that I’m happy to share so that you won’t have to make the same mistakes.
How to Spend Less Money on Groceries
Plan Your List in Advance
When I was a kid, my parents would always say: “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” If I’m being honest, at the time I didn’t think much of it, but now that I’m an adult, I find it invaluable. By keeping that saying in mind, I’ve figured out how I can spend less money on groceries. When I go to the store without a list, I end up buying items that don’t get used until months later. If I plan my shopping list in advance, even by meal sometimes, I only use the money that I planned to spend on groceries that month. Not only does this way of grocery shopping help me save money, but it also reduces the amount of food that goes to waste because of my impulsive buying. I’ve gotten so good at planning ahead, that I’ve even learned how to plan my meals around the items that are on sale. If there’s a discount on pasta sauce and noodles when purchased together, you can bet we’re having spaghetti!
Order Groceries Online
I have to be honest. When some of my favorite stores like Walmart began offering online grocery ordering, I was a bit reluctant. I’m the shopper who likes to pick up and look through the cartons of strawberries to make sure the ones at the bottom aren’t too soft and moldy. The thought of someone else just grabbing my groceries for me kind of weirded me out. “What if they don’t pick the brand I like?” “What if they don’t reach from the back and grab the milk with the furthest expiration date?” But, if I’m also being honest, because I finalize my grocery order online, I don’t have to worry about getting distracted and grabbing items that aren’t on my list. I even like that I can see my cart while shopping so if I feel something increases the bill by too much, I save it for next month.
By ordering my groceries online, I’m able to spend less money on groceries and I can do it from the comfort of my own home. I don’t even have to leave my house when I choose the delivery option—saving money on groceries and gas!
By ordering my groceries online, I’m able to spend less money on groceries and I can do it from the comfort of my own home.
Download Shopkick
This last way to spend less money on groceries is actually my favorite because I can use it with the ways I mentioned above. This way is a shopping rewards app called Shopkick. The way that Shopkick works is simple. It gives you points—which it calls kicks—for things you do whenever you shop for groceries, things like ordering groceries online, walking into stores, scanning barcodes on items, and making purchases in-store. Once you get your kicks, you can then trade them in later for gift cards that you can use to purchase even more groceries, spending less money from your budget.
There’s a lot to love about Shopkick. However, one of my favorite things about it is the way I can use it to order my groceries online with Walmart and receive 900 kicks! I can open the app and shop directly on Walmart’s site and have my groceries delivered or I can pick them up. It’s the perfect way to spend less money while also earning rewards points towards gift cards to use on future purchases. Shopkick even has a cool feature that gives me ideas for recipes, helping me plan ahead. Many of the recipes feature products that allow me to earn kicks towards gift cards when purchased together.
These three ways to spend less money on groceries have definitely been invaluable for me and my budget. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who wouldn’t want to spend less money on groceries, which is why I try to tell everyone I know about these methods. I want to spread the savings around as much as I can!
It’s time to spend less money on groceries while earning kicks! Shopkick makes shopping a rewarding experience. Download the app today so you can get in on the savings!
Image courtesy of wavebreakmedia
