How I Save Money on Groceries

Hi Lovelies! I just have to say, I am loving this new blog space! I love being a lifestyle blogger so much! I feel like I'm not confined and I can blog whatever my little heart desires! I can switch it up every day! Thank you guys for all the feedback on my switch to being a lifestyle blog. It means a lot to me and I am so glad you guys are enjoying my blog even more!

So, on today's agenda, saving money on groceries. Food is EXPENSIVE! It is more expensive than ever to eat healthy. BUT, I have some tips that can help you trim your grocery tab and keep you within your budget! Let's go!

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1. Make a Plan

I cannot emphasize this one enough. The #1 way I stick to my budget for food every week is planning out meals. Every week, either Monday or Tuesday, I'll open my meal planning Google Doc and think about what I want to make for dinner the next week. I will pull out my recipes and even google new ones to try. Then I write out what we'll have each day that way I know what I'm making when the time comes AND I know exactly what I'll need to make those meals. When I'm done planning recipes for the next week, I'll look at what we're running low on in terms of snacks and produce and I'll add that to the list. I do most of my grocery shopping at Walmart so I'll plug everything I need for the next week into my Walmart grocery app and it'll give me a rough estimate of what my grocery bill will be for the week and I can make adjustments to stay within the budget.

2. Use Grocery Pickup

Y'all this has been such a time saver. I love using grocery pickup at Walmart. I know tons of grocery stores are rolling out grocery pickup. I like using this feature because I am just picking up what I ordered and I'm not getting sidetracked going down all the aisles and maybe picking things up that would make me go over the grocery budget. I've never used a grocery pickup besides Walmart's but here's how it works. You use their grocery app and pick out whatever it is you need and you order it and choose a store and pickup time. They let you know when it's ready for pickup and you drive up to the pickup spot and they load everything into your car. It's so nice because I won't be tempted by everything in all the aisles of the store and it really helps me stay within my budget. It's also very convenient.

3. Buy Frozen Fruits and Veggies

Ok, I know not all your fruits and veggies can be bought frozen but the ones that can (berries, broccoli, corn, etc.) I always buy. Frozen fruits and veggies are WAY cheaper than buying them fresh and they last longer because they're frozen! I always buy berries frozen because berries are one of the most expensive fruits. You can even buy organic frozen berries so there's really no excuse.

4. Stop Buying All Organic Produce

I know you're probably thinking I'm crazy. Maybe I am. I am not against buying organic produce in the least. Do I think it's overpriced? Yes. BUT I do buy certain organic produce. I have an app called the Dirty Dozen and it lists all the produce that should be bought organic (the dirty dozen) and the produce that lower amount of pesticides are used for so organic isn't as necessary (clean fifteen). If you have trouble remembering the fruits and veggies in those lists you can always go by my rule of thumb, if I'm going to be eating the skin, buy organic. If not, don't! It's that easy! You're going to shave tons off your grocery bill if you switch to buying only organic produce in the dirty dozen.

Those are my tips for saving money on groceries!

XO,

Gabby