Ask the Readers: How Do You Save Money on Groceries?

I save money by using coupons.

Use coupons and buy items on sale. Also buy the generic items instead of brand name items. Shop at discount groceries that take overstocks from bigger chains.

I look at the ads online before I shop, so I have an idea of which stores have the best deals on things I am buying (I also meal plan, so I know what to get). I've started shopping at Aldi a lot because they have great prices, but i also have to be careful because sometimes their fresh foods are as great as other stores. Hence, I go to Aldi first, since it is on my way home from work, and then fill in the gaps at another grocery store when I'm near one. Then, I don't waste gas going multiple places. I also use coupons if I have them and buy things on sale.

I try to only shop at the grocery store with a basket. That way, it keeps me from overloading a cart full of stuff that I will never consume or don't need.

I create a meal plan prior to shopping and stick to it. I also try and buy items that i use in most my regular meal in bulk at sams club!

Aside from fruit/veggies/meat and essentials, only buy items when they are on sale and use coupons to go with those sales.

We buy in season foods whenever possible. I shop at 2 local grocery stores once a week or once very other week, buying what's on sale, with mfg and store coupons. I shop at specialty stores once a week or so to buy special/organic/fancier products. I supplement all of that with great deals at Target & the drug stores.

My best tip- let someone else do the work for you! Follow blogs that post your local store's circular and list the coupon match-ups, and make your weekly shopping list off of it. You don't even need to get newspaper inserts to utilize the savings as many bloggers will list online, printable coupons that are only a click away. Be sure to buy not just what you need that week, but extra to help tide you over until the next sale so that you're always working to pay the bottom price.

We belong at to a CSA and buy most of our other groceries from a discount grocery store. We buy almost no prepared or processed food and manage to eat all natural and mostly organic for about $600/month.

I save money on groceries by shopping by myself, using coupons, getting essentials at Aldi's, stocking up when things are on sale and planning menus based on sales.

Food spending used to be a big ticket item for me. At one point I honestly spent more on food than I did on housing (thanks to the low cost of living here in Cincinnati). I've since adopted a few strategies, and I now spend less than $50 per week on my vegan groceries.

I buy mainly on sale items

I match up coupons to the sales as much as possible. I also stock up on frequently used items/goods when they go on sale.

I'm a vegan and eat clean so no processed foods, sugars, or oils. It actually saves a lot of money eating like this because you make everything from scratch. Plus it's much better for you and tastes better. If you make extra, then you have lunch for the next day and you save even more.

I was a big time coupon clipper in the past, but then I found ALDIS and for the most part I have never looked back. ALDIS prices are frequently 50% less than what I find in "regular" supermarkets and coupons just do not make up the difference -- even when doubled. It helps in my home that we have never really been brand loyal, but, since I started doing more and more of my shopping at ALDIS, my family has begun to express that they like ALDIS brand items better than those coupon-able national brands. A real win-win all around for our budget.

Plan my meals ahead of time; stack coupons on top of sales; and buy generics for all but a few items!

I read coupon blogs and clip coupons. Saves me HUNDREDS on groceries per month.

We buy store brands for most foods. They offer a quality product at a reasonable cost. Also, having alternatives in mind for the foods you rarely need (usually special ingredients) helps keep costs down. Lastly, we have an idea of the cost per unit of the items that we buy most often; that way, we can take advantage of sales and know that we are actually saving money.

Coupons, an app on my phone (ibotta), and shopping the circular. We eat what's on sale that week and stock up when there is something on sale that we eat a lot of. It works!

I navigate between 3 different grocery stores and try to buy what's on sale. I use coupons when I can (there are too few coupons for the kinds of food I buy) and I buy very little junk food like chips, cookies, snack cakes, etc. I always check the clearance shelves for deals, too.

I use Walmart Savings Catcher, Ibotta, coupons, and try my best to stick to my list.

Price match at Walmart, saves gas too!

I plan our weekly meals ahead of time using what's on sale at the store as the starting point for recipe planning.I also use coupons at a store that doubles them.

We read dates on the packages so food won't spoil simply by being out of date. We also wait for sales.

I save on groceries by shopping once a week. No exceptions!

using coupons and check stores weekly ad before shopping. Also make a list and shop for only what is on sale.

We use a list and the weekly circular. We also comparison grocery shop.

My favorite way to save on groceries is to grow fresh vegetables and can or freeze the bounty to last through the winter. Another tip is to buy "seconds" those less than perfect looking tomatoes, for instance, from local farm stands and use them for making sauces, salsas, sun-dried tomatoes, etc.

Since I live in Arizona, I am able to garden pretty much year round and have been able to grow lots of fresh vegetables and herbs including potatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, onions, garlic, sage, oregano and basil. It's made me more creative in my cooking, too, since I want to use everything I grow. Definitely helps save on grocery costs!!!

Whenever one of the stores that my husband or I work at have a huge markdown sale on something I know we use, we buy them out. I also only buy generic for most things and try to use coupons on other things that I don't get in the generic version.

I stock up when things are on sale.

I use a credit card with the highest cash back on groceries and I buy gift cards when it's on a rotating 5% category for future use.

I try to buy fruits and vegetables in season.

Less groceries=less money

I use up via vegetables by once a week making "hamburger soup" on Mondays -- a pound of hamburger, a can of tomatoes plus all the veggies I can find in my fridge feeds the three of us for two days.

I shop meat sales and freeze what I won't use right away and I use frozen veggies as well as fresh -- especially spinach and other greens that compress down so much when cooked -- can cost $5/pound or up fresh, lose nutrients quickly when fresh that are retained when frozen, and generally cost under $2/pound frozen

I scan the sales flyers for boneless meats that are under $2/pound. Also for fruits and veggies closer to $1/pound or less. And sale prices that are 33% or more savings off regular prices. Having hard $$$ and % targets keeps me honest about whether I am really stretching my money as far as it will go. And I read anything Phil Brewer writes for Wise Bread -- I find his work to be both practical and motivating and his remarks on the rate of return you get from cutting costs on groceries really sold me.

I found a canned spaghetti sauce that sometimes on sale goes down to 99 cents for 27 ounces -- less than half what I previously paid for jarred sauces.

I save money by planning meals and purchasing seasonal fresh produce, using bulk bins and minimizing processed foods.

I firstly try to buy as much as I can from Costco in bulk. I do smoothies every morning and Costco has huge bags of frozen fruit that's twice as big for the same price at a regular grocery story. I also buy alot of frozen vegetables, which often have more nutrients than fresh ones and are way cheaper! I think of ways to dress up cheap food (like beans and rice) that are also healthy to save money. I also try to buy as many ingredients as I can, instead of pre-made, frozen, or packaged food. Lastly I get most of my fresh produce from a local co-op, it is not only organic but gets delivered right to my door. You just can't beat the prices at the grocery store! I also don't eat red meat (which is very expensive) and eat poultry and fish on occasion. I stick to eggs and greek yogurt for the most part, which is cheaper and faster than buying meat. I focus on food that's going to fill me up, a bag of quinoa may be more expensive than a bag of rice, but it's going to fill me up alot more! I also use apps like Ibotta and Berrycart to get rebates for things I already buy and of course keep an eye out for coupons and stock up when I can!