Whatever your budget, most of us are trying to feed our families as well as we can without feeling like the grocery store is personally attacking our checking account.
And lately, that can feel like a full-time job.
As tracked in the USDA Economic Research Service food price outlook, grocery prices have remained a real pressure point for households. Add in busy schedules, picky eaters and the occasional “I forgot we already had lettuce” moment, and food spending can quickly get out of hand.
The good news is that cutting your food spend does not have to mean eating boring meals, skipping favorite foods or pretending everyone in the house suddenly loves lentil stew five nights a week.
Here are some simple, realistic ways to save money and get your food budget back under control.
1. Ditch the sliced meats
Sliced meats are certainly convenient, especially when you are making packed lunches for hungry kids, work lunches or anyone who claims they are “starving” 12 minutes after breakfast.
However, they are also one of the more expensive ways to buy meat. Many deli and pre-packaged meats can also be higher in sodium, and organizations like the American Heart Association recommend limiting processed meats when possible.
The solution is to buy whole cuts of meat, a whole turkey or a whole chicken and cook it at home.
Then, slice it up and freeze it in portions for sandwiches, wraps, salads, grain bowls or quick dinners.
You will usually get far more meat for your money, and one larger cut can stretch across several meals.
As an added bonus, you have more control over the seasoning, sodium and ingredients than you do with many pre-cooked meat products.
2. Embrace your inner veggie
Although many of us love our meat, the fact is that plant-based sources of protein are often much cheaper.
In particular, beans, peas and lentils are budget-friendly, filling and seriously underrated.
They also come with plenty of nutrition benefits. As noted by MyPlate, beans, peas and lentils can count toward both the protein foods group and the vegetable group.
To save money with this tip, you do not need to go full-on vegetarian.
Even swapping a couple of meat-based meals each week for veggie options can save you some serious cash.
Can’t bear the thought of meals without meat?
Try making meat go further by padding recipes with cooked beans, lentils or finely chopped vegetables.
Adding lentils or beans to ground beef recipes, like chili, tacos or meat sauce, can create more portions from the same amount of meat.
3. Befriend your freezer
Believe it or not, your freezer is one of your best tools when it comes to saving money on food.
Frozen vegetables, berries, fish portions and even some whole-grain products are often cheaper than fresh versions, especially when the fresh option is out of season.
Frozen food can also be very nutritious because fruits and vegetables are typically frozen soon after harvesting. In other words, frozen broccoli is not the sad backup plan we sometimes make it out to be.
Use your freezer for leftovers, extra bread, cooked grains, soups, sauces, chopped fruit for smoothies and anything you bought on sale but cannot use right away.
The FoodKeeper app is also a helpful tool for checking how long foods can be stored safely in the fridge or freezer.
Just remember to keep track of what you have in there with a list on the freezer door or in your phone.
Otherwise, you will put something delicious in the freezer and rediscover it during a cleanout in a very mysterious freezer-burned form.
4. Stop wasting bread
Many families find themselves unable to finish a whole loaf of bread before it goes moldy.
This can add up to a lot of bread, and money, ending up in the trash.
Food waste is a bigger issue than many people realize. The USDA reports that about 30% to 40% of the food supply in the United States is wasted.
To prevent tossing bread, freeze half the loaf right after you buy it and only defrost it when you run out of the fresh slices.
You can also freeze bread slices individually, which makes it easy to pull out exactly what you need for toast or sandwiches.
Bread that goes stale but is not moldy can still be put to good use.
Turn it into breadcrumbs, croutons, French toast, bread pudding or a quick topping for casseroles.
5. Cut back on ready-prepared meals
For busy families, this one is easier said than done.
However convenient they may be, ready-prepared meals are often a very expensive way to feed your family.
They can also be higher in sodium, added sugars or saturated fat than you might expect, depending on the product.
That does not mean you can never use them, because real life is real life.
The more realistic solution is to make your own convenience foods when you can.
Try batch cooking once or twice a week to make life easier.
Whenever you cook a recipe that freezes well, make double and freeze the extra in family-size or individual portions.
Soups, chili, pasta sauce, cooked chicken, burritos, muffins, casseroles and grain bowls can all work well.
That way, you have a ready supply of home-cooked meals on hand for the nights when everyone is tired and ordering takeout suddenly feels like the only answer.
6. Shop your kitchen before you shop the store
Before making a grocery list, take five minutes to look through your fridge, freezer and pantry.
This sounds almost too simple, but it can save a surprising amount of money.
Build meals around what you already have, especially foods that need to be used soon.
That half bag of spinach can become omelets, pasta, soup or smoothies, and those random cans of beans can turn into tacos, chili or a quick salad.
A simple “use first” bin in the fridge can also help.
Put yogurt, produce, leftovers or opened packages in one spot so they are easier to see before they expire.
7. Be careful with bulk buys
Buying in bulk can be a great way to save money, but only when your family will actually eat the food.
A giant bag of rice, oats or frozen vegetables can be a smart purchase.
A warehouse-size container of something your kids liked once at a friend’s house, maybe not.
Before buying bulk, ask yourself whether you have enough storage space, whether the food freezes well and whether you will realistically use it before it goes bad.
Because throwing away a bigger package is not saving money.
It is just wasting money with extra steps.
The bottom line
With a few simple habits, it really is possible to save money on your food bills without feeling deprived.
Cooking a little more at home, wasting less, using your freezer and swapping in more budget-friendly proteins can make a big difference over time.
You do not need to overhaul your entire kitchen overnight.
Start with one or two changes that feel doable, and build from there.
Not only could you end up with more money in your pocket, but you may also find that your family eats a little healthier in the process.
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