11 Ways to Save Money on Groceries Without Coupons

If you are wondering how can people save money on groceries? Then you came to the right place!

Today I want to show you how to save money on groceries without using coupons! Yes, you’ve read correct!…no coupons needed!

I know, a lot of people still using coupons to save some money on groceries and that’s great but honestly many of us simply don’t have the time to clip coupons every time!

There are other alternatives that you can apply and still reduce your grocery bill. With these simple hacks, you can definitely save money on groceries at Walmart, Target or any preferred grocery store.

Even if you are looking for ways to save money on groceries for one person or for your whole family these simple tips and ideas could help you reduce your grocery bill a lot.

Below you’ll find 11 ways to save money on groceries without coupons. Apply these methods and reduce your grocery bill now.

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How to Save Money on Groceries Without Using Coupons

1. Plan Your Meals For The Week

Planning your meals will not only help you to save money on groceries but it will also help you stick to your budget. Before you go shopping, review the store weekly specials.

Every week, I receive circulars from my closest store with tons of promotions and items that are on sale for that week. So, you can easily take advantage of it and develop a weekly menu according to those sales.

Also if you need a little help on planning your meals for the week I highly recommend the $5 Meal Plan. With the $5 Meal Plan. you will receive straight to your inbox the meal plan for the week and the exact shopping list you will need to make the meals.

The $5 Meal Plan will save you time and money on meal planning and prepping. The best part of this is that every meal will cost approximately $2 or less to make!

It will definitely save you a lot of time and money! After registering, the plan is only $5  per month (after the 14-day trial period!).

You can learn more about the $5 Meal Plan here. 

2. Get Money Back on Your Purchases

Below are two of my favorite apps that allow you to earn free money! These tools will definitely help you reduce your grocery bill and put money back in your pockets!

Ibotta 

There are many money saving apps to use, however, one of my favorite apps is Ibotta.

With Ibotta, you can get cash back when shopping at the grocery store.

You will get cash on things you already buy like milk, eggs, bread, potatoes, bananas and more! Things that most families usually buy when grocery shopping.

Ibotta users have earned over $500,000,000 in cash back rewards to date. And you can definitely be part of this and get money back easily. 

Bonus:  Get a FREE $10 welcome bonus from Ibotta just by signing up through this link.

Rakuten

Rakuten allows you to earn up to 10% cash back for purchases you make online.

By going first through Rakuten, you can purchase your groceries online from stores like Walmart (which is free) pick them up at the store, and earn money on your purchases.

There are some departments like produce or cold meats where the cash back doesn’t apply but there are many other departments where you can get cash back easily! 

Rakuten works with hundreds of online stores, including Walmart, Sam’s Club, Safeway, Amazon,  Macy’s, Apple, Kohl’s, Target, eBay and many of your favorite stores.

If you are new to Rakuten You can get FREE $10 bonus just for signing up here

** To successfully get you $10 bonus you only need to make a $25 purchase using Rakuten! This can be easily done by buying things you normally would from your favorite store!

To get cash back, sign up with Rakuten, look for your preferred store, click the offer to get redirect to the retailer website, and make your purchase as you normally would, and your cash back will be added to your Rakuten account instantly.

Sign up here for Rakuten and get a free $10 bonus after making your first $25 purchase.

3. Buy Seasonal Produce

Seasonal produce is cheaper than produce that is out of the season period. This is because most of the time seasonal produce is grown locally and they are in abundance.

Besides, the cost of shipping for seasonal produce is not as much as the produce that is out of season. So, when you see a sale on seasonal produce buy it and use it in your meals.

If you still have some produce that is not being used you can always preserve, freeze, and use it for later in other meals. This would be a great advantage and serious savings on your grocery bill.

4. Make a Grocery List and Stick to It

A grocery list also goes along with your meal planning for the week. Go over your pantry and write down only the things you would need for your weekly meals.

Once you are at the store shopping, buy only the items that are on the list. It is easy to fall over the temptation of buying things that are not on the list.

You will probably think: “but it is only one or two dollars” … Eventually, that dollar or two will add up and not only you will get out of budget but you may also end up buying things that you really don’t need at the moment.

Sign up for my free library resource and get FREE printables! You’ll find free printables related to weekly meal plan, grocery shopping list, monthly budget,  and more!

5. Pay With Cash

Avoid carrying your credit cards to the store and pay only with cash. This is what a lot of people call the cash envelope method.

This method includes setting money aside in an envelope every month for different spendings such as food, gas, clothes, etc. So, you will pay your expenses with the cash that is inside the envelope.

By only spending what is in the envelope for that particular expense such as groceries then, you will stick to your budget and it will force you to save money immediately.

Believe it or not this method works and it would save you a good amount of money. This is because you don’t have another except paying with cash rather than credit cards.

I do recommend this book from Daves’ Ramsey. It will teach you not only about the envelope system method but also about, budgeting, savings, getting out of debt and investing.

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6. Try Generic Brands

Usually, generic brands are cheaper compared to products with a well-known name. You can save money on your groceries by just buying the store generic brand.

Sometimes, you will find generic brands 20% to 30 % cheaper compared to name-brand products. For instance, Costco sells its Kirkland Signature store brand products for around 20% less than other brands.

Try to check out the product’s label and you will notice that most of the time the ingredients are the same and even better with less amount of chemicals!

I’ve noticed that Target’s generic brand: Market Pantry, provides products that most of the time have less sodium and not too many chemicals and they even taste better!

7. Try Eating Less Meat

It is not a secret that meat is expensive and it adds up a good part of your grocery bill. With this, I’m not saying that you should not eat meat at all or that you should go vegetarian.

You can always buy meat when your budget allows it. Usually chicken is cheaper than meat. Whenever you’re planning your weekly menu, try to focus on dishes that are not centered on meat. Instead, you can try beans, lentils, or chicken.

Also, when buying chicken try to purchase whole chickens and avoid buying packs of only breast or thighs.

You’ll notice that buying a whole chicken is cheaper than buying packs of specific chicken parts. Besides that, you can use the carcass to make some broth and freeze it. This will make you use everything up and save more money on meat.

8. Try Different Stores

Don’t be loyal to only one store. In order to maximize your money and get the best deals, try different stores.

You will be amazed by how some products from store to store are cheaper by around a dollar or two or even more. So, try to go to different stores to find the best deals and get the most out of your money.

9. Be Aware of Unit Prices

The size of the package may deceive you when choosing the best alternative. A big package with a relatively low price doesn’t mean that it is the best option for your budget. Consider reading the unit price of that particular product you’re looking for.

Most grocery stores put the unit prices right next to the items’ price so it is easier for you to compare items per ounce or pound.

10. Eat Before You Go Shopping

Whenever you go to the store to get your groceries to avoid going hungry. This is because when you are hungry almost everything will look good to you and you may end up buying things that were not on your list.

So, eat before you shop and you will avoid the temptation of buying unnecessary things.

11. Look Top and Bottom

When shopping, try to look at the top and bottom of the shelf where the product you want to buy is at.

Big brand names are strategically placed in the middle of the shelves, so customers can see them as the first option for buying. However, the products that are on top or bottom of the same shelf are often cheaper than the ones in the middle.

To sum up, there are different ways to save money on groceries other than coupons. You can apply all these strategies and save hundreds per month.

Also, remember to set a budget for your groceries every month. It will help you to keep track of your finances and be mindful when spending money.

Related articles on How to Save Money:

How To Save Money On Groceries

9 thoughts on “11 Ways to Save Money on Groceries Without Coupons”

  1. where I live in New Zealand shops don’t use coupons, but there are apps where you can compare the cost of a grocery item over several local supermarkets and select the specials accordingly. Also frozen veg is a good way to buy fresh veg out of season, like capsicum and spinach, peas.

    Reply
  2. Great ideas! Another way to save on groceries without actually clipping coupons is by using electronic coupons you can add directly to your loyalty card. It only takes a few seconds to scan the electronic coupons on your favorite supermarket’s app and add them to your card that way! Thanks for sharing this list!

    Reply
  3. I just love saving money on groceries! These tips are great, especially the one of eating before you leave. Boy am I ever guilty of that one. 🙂 I also love using a Price Book. I have a great little printable that I can keep track of prices from my favorite grocery stores on our go to items. Then when I am out and I see an unadvertised deal I know right away if it is a bargain or not. It is a little bit of work to set it all up, but I figure the more money I can save on the staples the more money I have to spend on fresh organic produce.
    Thanks for the great tips!

    Reply
    • Thank you so much for the great advice. Living on a fixed income is hard so every tip is important. I would love to know more about setting up a price book. How would one go about that?

      Reply

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