Tips to Save Money on Groceries With Meal Planning and Coupons

How much does grocery shopping cost you each month? The average family in America spends about 10% of their annual income on food. That's a lot for a food budget when you consider it against your entire budget. This is why it's important to save money on groceries.

Meal planning and couponing are two money-saving methods to help you save money on your grocery budget. Meal planning can be an effective way to save money since it allows you to plan out meals in advance, which helps you avoid excess spending on food. Coupons are also great for saving money. This can lead to significant savings when it comes to buying groceries. Creating a weekly menu and using coupons can reduce spending without sacrificing quality.

What Is Meal Planning?

Meal planning is a simple process of selecting foods and recipes, shopping for groceries, and cooking them. You don't need to preplan every meal; instead, focus on planning only one or two meals weekly. This way, you'll know what you're eating and where you're getting it from.

Start Here: Meal Planning Practices

The key to successful meal planning is to start small. Don't try to do everything at once. Start with breakfast and lunch, then add dinner, and finally, add snacks.

1. Decide How Many Meals To Plan For

To effectively plan your meals, you must decide how many meals you want to prepare for the week in advance. It's essential to consider various factors, including the number of people you are preparing for, your budget, and other dietary restrictions.

If you plan meals for one person, you can plan 3-4 meals. But if you are planning for 2 people, plan 6-8 meals. This depends on how many times you eat throughout the week.

2. Pick Your Recipes Carefully

It is vital to choose recipes carefully when meal planning. Meal planning takes time and energy, so consider what type of recipes will produce the most desirable results. Use low-cost ingredients in different ways to make unique dishes. Take advantage of sales or special offers by combining cheaper ingredients with more expensive ones to make a tasty dish without breaking the bank. Additionally, think about how long each recipe will take to prepare and ensure that you have enough hands-on time for each step in the process.

3. Don't Forget About Leftovers

With careful consideration of meals throughout the week, leftovers can be strategically incorporated into the plan. Leftovers are not only an excellent way to practice frugality, but they can also increase convenience. Meal prepping with leftovers in mind makes cooking both easier and more efficient as you can expand on an existing meal by giving it new life. For example, roasted chicken can quickly become a flavorful quesadilla or chicken salad sandwich without doing any additional work.

Do Your Prep Work on Sundays

Sunday is a perfect day to prep all your meals for the upcoming week. By preparing multiple dishes at once, you can maximize your time and creativity in the kitchen while reducing food waste and giving you more meal options for the week. Pulling this off successfully, however, requires some organizational prep work to ensure enough space on the stove or in the oven for all of your meal components.

Meal prepping can also involve cleaning, cutting, and drying vegetables, making cooking less messy and more straightforward. With a little effort ahead of time, making multiple dishes at once can be both empowering and efficient.

Tools for Meal Plans

There are several tools available to assist you in meal planning. Some of these include apps, websites, and printable guides. These resources can provide you with helpful information and tips for meal planning.

1. A Meal Planner or Journal

A meal planner or journal helps keep track of everything you've already eaten. You'll know exactly how much sodium you're consuming, and you won't forget those snacks you ate while watching TV. Plus, you'll be able to see trends over time.

2. Food Storage Containers

Food storage containers are essential if you want to eat healthier. They allow us to store perishable items without worrying about spoiling them. We recommend choosing containers that fit your lifestyle. For example, glass jars work well because they don't trap odors, but plastic containers are great for storing leftovers. Some people even use Tupperware to store their meals.

3. Food Labels

Use meal prep labels to help you organize your food. These labels come in different shapes and sizes, depending on your needs. You can label your foods with the recipe names and the dates you made them. This allows you to quickly identify what you've already eaten.

Save Money on Groceries with Grocery Coupons

Grocery shopping can be expensive, especially if you're buying healthy food. With coupons, you can save up to 50% on top laundry detergent brands, at least 40% on diapers, and up to 3% as cash back!

1. Download Coupon Apps to Get More Savings

Downloading discount coupon apps are an excellent way to save money on groceries. These convenient applications help you maximize savings and never miss out on good deals. Before you head to the store, search the app for current offers and discounts, and then take advantage of them while shopping! You don't need to bring the coupons, fill in your loyalty card number or show a generated bar code to get your savings. The amount of money you can save may surprise you – so why wait? Below are three of our favorites.

1. Fetch Rewards is a (free) mobile app that you can earn rewards points from any story with, by logging your receipts. Each receipt you scan will earn you 25 points, and there are also bonus points for rotating featured brands and special offers. You can redeem your points to retailers such as Starbucks, Target, and more. It's super simple to use and you can even link it to your Amazon account.
2. Ibotta is a mobile app that allows you to earn cash back on groceries you purchase. You must scan your receipts at participating retailers like Walmart, Target, Whole Foods Market, Costco, and others. Then upload those scans into the app, where you can redeem your earnings for gift cards.
3. Dosh is another popular cash-back app with over 1,000 brands, including Starbucks, Macy's, Kohl's, Home Depot, Sephora, Ulta Beauty, and more. Users earn points for every dollar they spend at select merchants and can choose from different reward options such as gift cards, PayPal cash, and Amazon vouchers.
4. Coupons.com is one of the largest online websites offering free printable grocery coupons and promo codes. They also offer a free weekly newsletter with exclusive coupons and promo codes.

1. Find Printable Grocery Coupons on the Web

There are many ways to save money on groceries, including shopping for the best prices and buying items in bulk. But one of the easiest ways to save money on food is to use printable grocery coupons. These coupons allow you to buy specific products without paying the total price. They are often offered by manufacturers, retailers, and even local businesses. You can find printable coupons online, in newspapers, in magazines, and in books

2. Look For Coupons Before You Make Your Shopping List

Searching for coupons before you visit the store can save you hundreds of dollars in the long run. In recent years, many stores have made it easier to use coupons by offering digital coupons that can be directly loaded onto loyalty cards. You can find traditional paper coupons in newspapers, magazines, and other publications. Check out both printable and digital coupon options.

Signing up for a company's mailing list is another excellent way to get coupons sent straight to your mailbox. Check your mailbox before heading to the discount grocery stores, as companies still send mail coupons when you sign up for their mailing lists. Make sure to check expiration dates to get the maximum savings possible.

3. Check Your Emails

Many companies send emails about special offers, promotions, and discounts. Some of these emails come directly to your inbox, while others appear in your spam folder. To avoid missing out on these deals, sign up for email alerts. Many sites will let you set up notifications whenever a particular item drops in price or when a promotion ends.

5. Use Cash Back Apps

Downloading cash-back apps is a great way to maximize these savings and get the most value for each purchase. With just a few minutes of effort, users can browse offers to receive discount codes or cash-back rewards for general purchases, specific products, and even grocery items. Cash-back apps are straightforward and give you access to discount information that you can save to your phone or tablet for easy access.