How to save money on food - My five best tips

How will saving money on food help me?

If you are on a budget or are looking to save more money, food is an easy expense to cut. Despite many thinking food will always take up a huge portion of any budget, your food bill can be slashed using some simple tricks. If you are in debt or trying to save for an emergency fund, this is something to consider.

You could use your extra money to pay off debt, invest, or save for a down payment. Whatever the case, it is always nice to have extra money after grocery shopping. You will be on your way to saving more money with these easy tricks.

5 Easy ways to save on food

Eat at home

Eating out can literally eat up your budget. Not to mention, ordering take-out. Delivery fees and tips add up. If you check your spending habits and start a spending journal, you will be amazed at how much you spend on restaurants, ordering take-out, and pricey coffee. If you make food and coffee at home, you can easily save over $100 or more per month. Use that money to start investing in your future.

Meal plan

Meal planning is by far my favorite way to cut your food bill. A quick tip for getting started is to use what you have on hand. First, take stock of everything you have in your cupboards. Then make a list of meals you can make out of the things you have on-hand. Next, search cheap family meals and write down which ones you would like to make. Then make a shopping list with your ingredients. Finally, hang up your meal plan for easy access and check it daily. Make sure to note if you needed to take the meat out of the freezer to prepare.

If shopping Organic is important to you then it is best to find ways to buy organic food on a budget. You can research the "dirty dozen" and "clean 15" to help you determine which foods are worth buying organic in your meal plan

Make a plan before you shop

Having a shopping plan is key. This tip goes hand in hand with meal planning. Once you have your shopping list, start looking for coupon deals, sales, and deal matchups. Also, check popular coupon apps.

Use Coupons

Coupons are a great way to cut your food bill. In fact, you can dramatically slash your food bill using coupons. If you are new to couponing, a key tip is to stay organized. Buy a coupon binder or sort with envelopes to keep track of coupons you want to use and coupons that are about to expire. This will create less stress at the checkout.

However, do not buy items just because you have a coupon. You may actually end up spending more. Instead, find coupons for things you were already going to buy by checking match-up sites and online coupon sites.

Use Coupon Apps

If you are not the type to clip coupons and feel it is too much of a hassle, you can still save on food. There are many coupon apps that help you save money from the comfort of home. Some of my favorites are Ibotta and checkout 51. Most require you to upload a picture of your receipt and the rebate is added to your account. After you have reached the minimum threshold, you can cash out.

Conclusion

Saving money doesn’t have to be hard. Use the simple tricks above to save thousand per year on food. Take your extra money and invest it, pay down debt, or put it away in an emergency fund.

I'm Sarah, author of I Heart Frugal. I am a mother of two, wife, and personal finance blogger. My husband and I have paid off over $100,000 in student loan debt combined and enjoy saving money on everyday things so we can use our money to travel.