# How to save money on groceries

> Plan meals, shop from a list, buy store brands and compare unit prices. Waste less of what you already bought.

Source: https://www.walletprep.com/learn/save-money-on-groceries/ · Updated 2026-10-04 · Money basics

The biggest grocery savings come from four habits: plan meals before you shop, buy from a list, choose store brands and compare unit prices on the shelf tag. Together they can cut a grocery bill by a fifth or more without coupons. In the example below, Ana goes from $700 to $540 a month.

## Key facts
- **Planning saves more than coupons.** Three common grocery leaks are extra trips, unplanned items and food that goes bad. A weekly meal plan and a list fix all three, and they take about 20 minutes a week.
- **Unit prices make comparing easy.** A unit price is the cost per ounce, pound or count. It lets you compare a 14-ounce and a 32-ounce bottle fairly. Not every state requires stores to post unit prices, so you may need to divide it yourself.
- **USDA publishes a grocery benchmark.** The USDA's Thrifty Food Plan is its lowest-cost healthy food plan, updated every month. In its August 2026 report it cost $318.90 a month for a man aged 20 to 50 and $253.70 for a woman aged 20 to 50, cooking at home.
- **Date labels are mostly about quality.** The FDA says "best if used by" dates show when food is at its best quality, not when it becomes unsafe. Except for infant formula, federal law does not require these dates. Check how food looks and smells before you toss it.

## Find your current number
Add up what you spent on groceries over the last two or three months from your bank and card statements, then divide by the number of months. Count only food and household basics bought at stores. Takeout and delivery are a separate line.
Then compare it with the USDA monthly food plans. The Thrifty Food Plan is the lowest-cost level, and there are Low-Cost, Moderate-Cost and Liberal plans above it. Costs differ by age, sex and household size, and your local prices may be higher or lower, so use it as a rough guide.

## Plan meals and shop from a list
Pick five or six dinners for the week, with one night for leftovers. Choose meals that share ingredients, so a bunch of cilantro or a bag of spinach gets used twice instead of going bad.
Write the list by store section and buy only what is on it. Fewer trips help too. Every extra stop for one item is a chance to pick up five things you didn't plan. If your store offers free pickup, ordering online can keep impulse buys out of the cart.

## Use unit prices and store brands
On the shelf tag, look for the price per ounce, pound or count. A 32-ounce bottle at $4.99 costs about 16 cents an ounce, while a 14-ounce bottle at $3.19 costs about 23 cents an ounce. The larger size is cheaper here, but not always, so check each time.
Store brands usually cost less than name brands. Start with plain staples like rice, oats, beans, canned tomatoes, frozen vegetables, spices and cleaning supplies, where the difference is hard to notice.

## Waste less of what you buy
The FDA suggests planning meals, using shopping lists and checking what you have before you shop to cut waste. Keep your fridge at 40 degrees or below and freeze bread, meat and leftovers you won't eat in a few days.
Put new groceries behind older ones so the older food gets used first. Keep a short list on the fridge of what needs eating soon, and plan one "use it up" meal each week.

## Cheaper foods that still fill you up
Dried or canned beans, lentils, eggs, rice, oats, potatoes, bananas, cabbage and frozen vegetables tend to be low cost per serving. Building a few meals a week around them lowers the average cost of every plate.
Buying whole items, like a block of cheese instead of shredded or a whole chicken instead of parts, also usually costs less per pound. You trade a few minutes of prep for the saving.

## Help with food costs
If money for food is tight, SNAP provides monthly food benefits to low-income households to help with the grocery budget. You apply through your state, and the USDA SNAP site links to each state's application.
Local food banks and pantries can also help, often without paperwork. Using them during a tough stretch is exactly what they are for.

## A worked example: Ana trims her grocery bill
Ana, 27, shops for herself and her partner. Her statements show $700 a month on groceries, plus food that often goes bad before they eat it.

- Groceries now: $700
- Meal plan, less waste: −$60
- Store brands for staples: −$45
- Fewer extra trips: −$30
- Unit prices on staples: −$25
- New monthly grocery bill: = $540
- Saved per month ($700 − $540): $160
- Months in a year: 12
- Saved in a year ($160 × 12): $1,920

1. Ana plans five dinners a week and buys only what they need. Less spoiled food saves about $60 a month.
2. Store brands save $45, one weekly trip instead of three saves $30, and checking unit prices saves $25. $700 − $60 − $45 − $30 − $25 = $540.
3. She saves $700 − $540 = $160 a month, or $160 × 12 = $1,920 a year, which she moves to savings each payday.

## Common mistakes
- **Buying bulk you won't use.** A giant bag of produce is only a deal if you eat it before it spoils. Buy bulk for things that keep, like rice, oats, frozen food and toilet paper.
- **Shopping hungry and without a list.** Walking the aisles with no plan, especially when hungry, fills the cart with snacks and extras. Eat first and bring the list.
- **Tossing food by the date alone.** Most date labels are about quality. Throwing away food that is still good because of a "best by" date wastes money. Look, smell and use your judgment, and follow "use by" dates on infant formula.

## Questions people ask
### How much should I spend on groceries a month?
It depends on your household, your area and how much you cook. The USDA's monthly food plan reports give a benchmark by age and sex at four cost levels. Start with what you spend now, then aim to trim 10% to 20% with planning and store brands.

### Is buying in bulk worth it?
For food and supplies that keep, like rice, oats, beans, frozen food and paper goods, often yes. Check the unit price to be sure. For fresh food, bulk only saves money if you eat it before it spoils.

### Are store brands as good as name brands?
For many basics, the difference is hard to notice. Try store brands one item at a time. Keep the swaps you like and go back to the name brand where it matters to you.

### How can I save on groceries with no time to cook?
Pick three or four simple meals you can make in 20 minutes and rotate them. Buy frozen vegetables, rotisserie or precooked protein and grains you can heat quickly. Even a few home dinners a week cost far less than takeout.

## Do this today
Look in your fridge and pantry, then plan five dinners for the next week using what you already have. Write a list for only the missing items and set a weekly grocery number: your monthly budget divided by 4.

## Sources
- [USDA FNS: Food plans, cost of food monthly reports](https://www.fna.usda.gov/research/cnpp/usda-food-plans/cost-food-monthly-reports)
- [FDA: How to cut food waste and maintain food safety](https://www.fda.gov/food/consumers/how-cut-food-waste-and-maintain-food-safety)
- [NIST: Best practices guide shows unit pricing is a great deal](https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2015/02/new-best-practices-guide-shows-unit-pricing-great-deal)
- [USDA FNS: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)](https://www.fna.usda.gov/snap/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program)

_General education, not personalized financial, tax or legal advice. Figures are examples. Check current rates and limits before you act._