Here are a few things that have worked well for me to save money on groceries in the US, aside from the well-known "beans, rice, and tortillas are your friends."
Price compare at the Dollar Tree, or other $1 stores. The Dollar Tree is often brushed off as being gross or having inferior products, and that can be true if you buy the wrong items. But when you compare the price by ounce on staples to grocery stores, you can save a lot of money. Cheese, jasmine rice, spices, and frozen pot pies are a few things that mine stocks that are definitely worth it. Just be sure to check the ingredients so you aren't buying a mock product, and compare prices using the app for your default grocer. Other items such as coffee, cereal, soup, etc. aren't worth it, so be mindful not to impulse buy.
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Only buy unavailable pantry necessities at your large chain. Some things you simply won't find anywhere else, so if you can't live without it, pick it up at Kroger, Walmart, Aldi, etc.
If you can help it, refrain from buying meat altogether. Meat is hugely expensive over time and we tend not to notice because we assume we need it. It's fine to treat yourself, but consider removing it from your regular shopping list if you can.
Learn to make food from waste.
Save your onions, carrots, celery, and other non-cruciferous vegetable trimmings in a gallon bag in your freezer. Once it's full, toss half of it (1/2 bag makes 1 batch of stock, about 6 cups) in a pot with some oil to let the veggies roast. Add salt and pepper. Add plenty of water. Let it simmer until it's a deep brown, then strain the solid pieces for a delicious homemade veggie stock you can store in Tupperware in the freezer. It's awesome to use with other recipes.
Flour is indispensable. Learn to make seitan, and instead of throwing out the starch water byproduct, make noodles out of it. You can get 2-3 meals from 3 cups of flour.
Heavy whipping cream is so versatile. It's expensive, but since you can also use it to make spreadable butter or sour cream, it's definitely worth it in my opinion.
Keep your broccoli and cauliflower trimmings in the freezer, including even the toughest stalks and the leaves. Boil them and cut them into small pieces once you're ready to make a cheddar soup that will give Panera a run for its money.
- As always, don't be afraid to check out local food pantries. They're there for people like us. Be sure to research them online first so you have everything you need to know before showing up, as different pantries have different requirements.
As is, I spend about $60/month on groceries, down from around $140/month last year—plus I'm eating better. I hope these tips are helpful for someone!
Edit: I'm totally overwhelmed by the response this got. I'll try to keep responding to DMs and questions. I'd also like to say that none of these are hard, fast rules, obviously—these just worked for me, and you should pick and choose any tips or suggestions here and in the comments that may help you. I wish y'all the best of luck! 💕
Edit #2: As of 8/17, I believe the reduced cost box is no longer 20% off, but is now 15% off. I received an email from Imperfect alerting me of this change and wanted to inform others.
