How to Grocery Shop on a Budget

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Grocery shopping can be overwhelming and really, REALLY expensive very quickly. There are different grocery stores, different brands, sales, organic, non-GMO, all the things to consider. When I began grocery shopping for myself in college I had no idea what I was doing. I didn’t know how to make my groceries any cheaper, not waste food, which store was good to shop at, or the difference between 2 brands. I was a little paralyzed by the fear of choosing the wrong thing and wasting money and food. Despite how overwhelmed I was (even being a nutrition major - aka learning the ins and outs of the food service world!), I learned pretty quickly. I wanted to maintain a quality diet and be able to afford it so I learned which stores to shop at, how to navigate the isles & how to shop the sales all while making healthy & sustainable choices. Let me teach you to GROCERY SHOP ON THE CHEAP!

(Keep in mind I’ve lived in North Carolina and Virginia)

1. Choosing Your Grocery Store

If you’re grocery shopping on a budget- Fresh Market & Whole Foods GOT to go. It’s not going to work. I love these stores as much as anyone but when I’m shopping on a hard budget - honestly even now- I only go here for fun things. By that I mean a couple of items. Like once in a while I’ll go to get a kombucha or an item that isn’t sold at my usual store. Prices have gotten better but they don’t work when you have $30 a week to spend on groceries! Other stores I find to be more expensive are Giant, Lowe’s Foods, Safeway, Food Lion, Publix, and honestly even Walmart. It ADDS up quickly because they’re averagely priced without many sales and there are so many “cheap” items that you think “it’s just $2” 15 times and your grocery bill is through the roof. Of course, Walmart can be a great option if the three stores I prefer aren’t accessible to you - just follow the other suggestions! Trader Joe’s is kinda in the middle, leaning more toward the affordable side IMO.

Stores I stand by for a budget

Aldi

Bring your own bags (yay, environment) and a quarter for the cart (which you get back). Aldi is one of the best grocery stores. They have great options- quality fresh fruits and vegetables, allergen-free foods, alternative choices, meats, seafood, and specialty items for a steal! Yes sometimes the fruit and veggies are scarce but they can be great quality and dollars cheaper than a regular store.

Lidl

Very similar to Aldi, just with a little more “fance.” Lidl tends to have more speciality items cheaper than a regular grocery store. You can find things like heirloom tomatoes and shitakki mushrooms. Lidl isn’t as common but can be very budget friendly.

Harris Teeter

I love Harris Teeter. Yes it can be as expensive as any other traditional grocery store but they have amazing sales every week! Sale items change week to week and if you’re a student you can get a discount. If you stick to the necessities and the sale, you can get out pretty cheap! Here I would only buy the cheapest fruits and veggies or what was on sale. They also have a lot of options without packaging like spinach that is way cheaper than the spinach in a plastic container!

2. What to Buy

Plan Ahead

What to buy is truly based on your preferences. Plan you dinners and get good idea of what you want to have for breakfast and lunch through out the week so you know exactly which ingredients to buy and how much of them. You’ll save time, money & make nutritious choices when you plan ahead.

Shop the sale

If you’re going to a traditional grocery store (not Aldi, Lidl, Trader Joe’s, or bulk store), you gotta shop the sale. Great price on Brussel sprouts? Awesome, that can be a veggie this week! Get the on sale coffee. Get the on sale meats. If you want certain brands- get it on sale. This is why I love Harris Teeter - they have killer sales! If you shop the sale, stick to it, & follow the other tips you will save so much money (no coupons needed). I recommend looking at what your local grocery sore has on sale before you plan what you’re having for the week. I try to keep each item I buy to <$3-4 and things like meat, coffee, etc - just as far under $10 each as possible.

Shop mostly the parameter of the store

Not everything you need can be found in the outside ring of the store, but this is where you get fresh fruits and veggies, meats, seafood, and dairy products. For these items, choose the less expensive options and store brands.

Choose store brands

One thing you really need to let go of is buying a certain name brand of everything. For example - you will not catch me buying Stacy’s Pita Chips because “they’re the best.” No, they’re $4 a bag. They’re good but the $2 bag a Aldi is good too! I’m only buying Stacy’s if they’re 3 for 5 at Harris Teeter. Don’t be afraid of the store brand - it’s usually pretty good, nutritious (sometimes with better ingredients than the name brand), and will save you even just a few cents. A few cents x 50 items makes a difference. Just because an item is store brand, canned, frozen doesn’t mean it’s not healthy. If you don’t like the store brand of an item, choose the less expensive option.

Eat before you go grocery shopping

When you go to the grocery store hungry everything looks delicious! Which it is, but you don’t need it all this week. Eat before you go, stick to your list.

Do it yourself

Precut or pre-made options are way more expensive because you’re paying to have the work done for you. Even something as small as getting unwashed greens instead of packaged greens can save a couple dollars. If you’re on a budget, you gotta buy the whole pomegranate, the whole butternut squash, the whole zucchini & learn to prep them yourself. It can also save money to make things like hummus and guacamole yourself rather than buying it pre-made. Practice makes perfect!

Choose less expensive snacks

Choosing things like popular health bars that are $2.50-3 each is going to add up quickly. Choose things like peanut butter and fruits, a box of KIND bars or Belvita bars, or yogurt. You can also get foods like crackers, chips, pretzels, ice cream, etc - just get less expensive choices! Trader Joe’s has an abundance of affordable snack foods with great ingredients most of the time!

Stick to your list

Buy only the items on your list and items you may have forgotten to put on your list. To keep myself from feeling too $$ restrictive, I always allow myself to get 1-2 “fun” items. By this is mean more expensive items like a fancy yogurt I want to try, a more expensive ice cream, etc. It’s important to keep it to 1-2 items because if every item is a splurge aka “fun” item, your budget is out the window.

Choose more affordable foods

Here are some great, inexpensive & nourishing food options

Dairy

  • Yogurt - the bigger container is cheaper than individual cups

  • Cheeses - goat cheese esp, cream cheese, cottage cheese, etc.

  • Milk

Starches

  • Whole grain bread

  • English muffins

  • Bagels

  • Whole grain rice

  • Couscous

  • Whole grain pastas

  • Canned beans

  • Dried beans

  • Potatoes - white or sweet

  • Corn

  • Peas

Proteins

  • Tofu

  • Chicken

  • Hamburger

  • Chicken sausage

  • Peanut butter/Nut butter

  • Eggs

  • Beans

  • Cheese

Fats

  • Olive oil

  • Hummus (DIY with a food processor, chickpeas & olive oil)

  • Avocado - (not when they’re upwards of $1 each, depending on your budget)

  • Olives

  • Dressings

  • Cheese

  • Sour cream

  • Nut butters

Fruits

  • Bananas

  • Apples

  • Oranges

  • Lemons

  • Limes

  • Kiwi

  • Pears

  • **Aldi fruits

Veggies

  • Canned veggies- no salt added, and rinsed before prep

  • Frozen veggies

  • Broccoli

  • Greens (not in the plastic containers - usually more expensive)

  • Cauliflower

  • Celery

  • Mushroom

  • Onions

  • Bell pepper

  • Carrots

  • Radishes

  • Parsnips

  • **Aldi veggies

Happy grocery shopping!

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