10 Tips for Saving Money at the Grocery Store Without Coupons

Ken Immer | 01/15/2018

Grocery shopping can be a chore, and budgets can be tight. We have a tendency to reach for convenience foods which tend to actually cost more. These 10 tips can help you balance healthy options with a budget without having to clip coupons.

1. Take advantage of your store’s loyalty program where you sign up to get big savings.
2. Purchase items that are on sale or buy-one-get-one-free (BOGO). Many stores have a rotation of special offers on staple items such
   as meats, paper products, cheese, drinks and produce. Figure out the rotation and stock up on items that freeze well or have longer shelf-lives.
3. Let sale prices determine your menu if you like being spontaneous with your weekly meals, and buy only items that are on sale.
4. Check out the discontinued table or rack near the cashier stations or the back of the store near the stockroom entrance. They are often hidden, but you never know what you might find as they rotate through stock. These are the lowest prices in the store!
5. Avoid buying foods that are already cut like shredded cheese or carrots). The whole versions are cheaper and do not spoil as
   quickly.
6. Save money by not throwing away spoiled foods. Use the bulk bins rather than packaged bags for items like fresh spinach, mushrooms and salad greens. These items don’t store well and should only be purchased in amounts that you will use immediately.
7. Reduce waste by buying frozen foods. Some frozen vegetables such as green beans, broccoli, peas and corn can be inexpensive in
   bulk and stay fresh in the freezer, and they keep their nutritional quality.
8. Try store brands. Generic brands are actually not so bad. Many name brands are the same exact products packed under store labels with the same quality standards. If the packaging looks similar to your favorite brand, it’s a good possibility it’s manufactured by the national brand.
9. Consider purchasing fruits at different stages of ripeness. Avocados, tomatoes and bananas can be bought ripe and ready to eat or not so ripe and have a day or two to be ready.
10. Don’t shop when you are hungry, and stick to your list!

Ken Immer is living proof that anyone can alter their diet and transform their life. He is an agent of change. Having dropped French Cuisine for a yoga mat over 15 years ago, everything in his life changed. He transformed from an alcoholic Chef and butcher by losing 50 pounds, dropping his addictions, and developing a healthy lifestyle one day at a time, with a smile the whole way. His company, Culinary Health Solutions has developed a system of tools and programs that help people implement healthy lifestyle change with proven long-term results.