It’s no secret that grocery shopping has gotten a lot more expensive over the years. Since 2019, grocery store prices have risen a whopping 28%, with staples such as eggs, sugar, coffee, ground beef and rice seeing price increases of up to 160%. And unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like the cost of food is going to come down anytime soon.
An outbreak of bird flu, which has plagued chickens across U.S. farms, is driving up the cost of eggs even further right now. And with Trump’s upcoming tariffs, the price of fruits, vegetables and meat are expected to increase as well. Luckily, as of February 3, the President’s planned tariffs are on hold for both Mexico and Canada for 30 days.
Groceries are unfortunately non-negotiable part of everybody’s budget. So what exactly can shoppers do to offset these price increases? The savings experts at RetailMeNot have some ideas that may help save you more on your weekly grocery expenses. We also consulted the expertise of Meghan Daw Sedivy, a clinical dietician and Health and Wellness Strategy Manager at Fresh Thyme Farmers Market, as well as Julie Ramhold, a consumer analyst at DealNews.com, and Warrant Officer Andrea LaSan, who serves in the U.S. Army and is currently stationed in Korea. LaSan is charged with feeding an army, literally, and managing the budget to feed her troops.
Check out our 10 tips on how to save money on your groceries in 2025. , which range from meal planning to shopping wholesale.
There are seriously great deals to be found in the clearance aisle of any grocery store. Clearance items may be found in a dedicated aisle, on a rack of shelves at the front or back of the store, or even in dedicated sections in various separate aisles. The best time to visit these clearance sections is early in the day, as they will probably get cleaned out by excited bargain shoppers as the day goes on.
Even if you see items on clearance that you don’t need now, it may be a good idea to get them anyway if you know you will use them later. The discount available now may not be around when you need that item later. If you’re buying food, just make what you’re getting is shelf-stable or not about to expire. Oftentimes, food marked on clearance is discounted because thee expiration date is fast approaching (usually within the next couple of days).
It may seem that these spots are a good idea only if you are feeding a really large family, but sometimes buying larger amounts really helps to drive down the unit price a great deal. A membership to warehouse club Costco starts at $65 annually, while Sam’s Club starts at $50 per year. This can be well worth to stock up on your needed paper goods and canned products, granted you have the room to store it all.
Becoming a smarter grocery shopper starts before you even venture out to the grocery store.
“Before you head to your local grocery store, be sure to organize your fridge, freezer and pantry so that you can take a real-time inventory of what foods you already have on hand,” says Fresh Thyme Market’s Meghan Sedivy.
Planning meals and snacks around the food you already have at home will save you money on having to buy more new food. Whatever other ingredients are needed to make those meals and snacks can become your grocery list. Going shopping with a plan, and with a list, is the best way to ensure you don’t end up buying a whole bunch of other stuff you don’t need and won’t use.
Having a list on hand will make it easy to see if the items or ingredients you’re wanting to get are available at a discount via a coupon. You could also look at grocery store coupons and deals first, then build meals and snacks around what’s on sale.
“When it comes to groceries, do not underestimate the value of store brands versus big box brands. Many store-brand products have the same nutritional value and ingredients, but cost less,” says Andrea LaSan.
Store brands in the U.S. are the cheaper alternative, so buying exclusively store brand could end up saving you a good chunk of money on your weekly grocery haul. For example, if you’re shopping at Target, check out its house brand Good & Gather (in fact, their weekly ad almost always has deals on that brand).
“Any time you find a generic that’s just as good as a name brand, it’s good to swap to it and use it whenever you can,” says consumer analyst Julie Ramhold of DealNews.com. “Then, with the savings on generics, you may be able to afford your preferred name-brand products more easily that you feel you can’t compromise on.”
Yes, everyone is super busy, and it can be tempting to buy pre-cut fruit, chopped onions or pre-grated cheese. Resist the urge. You will pay more for the convenience, and buying fresh, whole blocks of cheese or fruits and veggies will ultimately be a better buy – and also better quality.
We’re always going to pay a price for convenience, and that price will come out of our food budget. So if you are buying convenience foods (and having them delivered, versus going to the store yourself), you’re spending more than you need to for the same exact products.
Pretty much every store has loyalty programs now, from Target to grocery chains like Publix and Kroger. “Most of them are free to join, particularly with grocery stores, though some may have paid tiers you can upgrade to if you find the perks to be worth it,” says Ramhold. “But for the most part, the free tiers are just fine and can net you things like coupons on your favorite products or weekly savings on minimum purchases.
To that end, it’s also a good idea to try using grocery rewards credit cards. Some credit cards offer cash back on grocery purchases, and there are also cards that are specifically grocery rewards cards.
It can be easy to assume the lower ticket on something makes it the best deal, but if you want to be sure your dollar is going further, it’s important to evaluate your purchases based on the per-unit cost.
“Sure, you can buy a 12.5-oz or 32-oz bottle of maple syrup at Walmart (generic brand at that) for $7.98 or $15.98, respectively, but if you shop at stores like Costco and check the unit price on items like this, you’ll actually see you’re getting more for less,” says Ramhold. “A 33.8-oz bottle of maple syrup at Costco is $14.20 and it’s organic, if you happen to care about things like that.
Regardless of what you are buying, whether it’s pasta or boxes of cereal, make sure you’re looking for the unit price to ensure you’re getting the best deal overall.
Incorporating global products into your recipes may add new flavors to your meals and expand your palate in the process. Plus, you may be surprised at how much you can save on certain ingredients by shopping in international stores and aisles. For instance: “A 2.37oz container of McCormick ground cinnamon is roughly $4.09 and found in most baking aisles, but if you pop over to an international aisle in the same store you can pick up a 2-oz. thing of Badia ground cinnamon for $2.65,” says Ramhold. That’s $1.73 per oz. vs $1.32 per ounce.
One of our editors also recently went to a grocery store dedicated to Indian food and ingredients, and the spices there were half the price of what she’d pay at her local grocery store. Not only that, but it was sold in a bigger container, giving her even more spice.
Not everyone has a lot of store options in their immediate area. But if you do happen to have various grocery stores nearby, try to comparison shop. You may want to investigate if you get a better deal on your go-to dairy and produce by shopping at a spot such as Aldi vs. Trader Joe’s or another store. Once you find the best prices, stick with that store – you may find out that dividing and conquering, and visiting different local spots for different ingredients needs, is the best way to save overall.
I personally always spend a lot more money and buy a lot of things I don’t need if I am at the grocery store when my stomach is growling. Everything just looks extra appealing. Eat a good breakfast or lunch and then go shopping; you’ll be less likely to make those dangerous impulse purchases.
The post How to Save Money on Groceries in 2025: 10 Tips That Actually Work appeared first on The Real Deal by RetailMeNot.
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