If I created a list of my favorite hobbies, grocery shopping would be close to the top. For real, grocery shopping is like a sport or strategic game to me. Finding all the good sales and deals, finding unique and delicious produce at the farmer’s market, scanning the aisles for new products, fighting other customers for the last cauliflower gnocchi. I would say I have quite a bit of experience in the grocery shopping game; I go several times a week and love to compare and track prices at different stores, and honestly just walking down the aisles and seeing all the fascinating foods is pure entertainment to me.
But, as a college student, I have definitely had to learn how to budget and find the best deals. I don’t know the exact number that I spend on average, but it’s somewhere between $60-$85 per week for myself, at the higher end of that range if I’m doing a special recipe or restocking on baking things.
When I shared this is how much I spend on Insta, some people messaged me saying they spent 3x this! I had no idea that I was spending so much less than many other people, and my first thought to these messages was, what the hell are you buying?? But then I realized maybe I have some tips I am unknowingly harboring that I am meant to share with the world. So here are my money saving tips and what I buy each week (and every month or so!).
Before I get into it though, I would like to clarify that since I am a food blogger I get sent many of the things in my pantry. Not fresh produce or anything, but stuff like nut milk, protein powder, granola, nut butters, pasta, sauces, bars, etc., which is why I don’t spend as much at the store as some people and why you won’t see most of those on this list. Just being real here! But there are still lots of things you can do to lower your weekly bill, and here they are:
Tips to save on groceries:
- Memorize prices at different stores. There are some items I buy at Trader Joe’s rather than Whole Foods (and vice versa) because the price is better. I also browse farmer’s markets for when I can get a better deal there, too!
- Browse different stores’ weekly catalogs to find sales. The Whole Foods app tells you all the current sales going on and is so helpful! The Sprouts paper ad also includes great deals.
- Buy heavier produce at Trader Joe’s. They don’t weigh the items like Whole Foods and other stores do, they have a set price per item. For example, organic zucchini at Trader Joe’s is $.25 per zucchini, so I get the biggest ones I can find there rather than having it get weighed at WF. Same goes for potatoes, bananas, and other heavy items. More food for the same amount of money!
- If you can’t buy all organic, just stick to the ‘dirty dozen’ and ‘clean fifteen’. The dirty dozen are items you should always buy organic as they are heavily sprayed with pesticides or other harmful chemicals, and the clean 15 are okay to buy conventional, aka cheaper. Here’s a visual to keep with you!:
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