Offbeat Ways to Save Money on Groceries in 2024!

Offbeat Ways to Save Money in 2024

There are a lot of categories to spend money in, but one has everyone’s attention in 2024. The grocery store used to be a place where we went to get our groceries and maybe even burn a little time. It used to be pleasant, trying new products and seeing what’s on offer for the week.

Now the grocery store isn’t a happy place anymore. Instead, everyone must go, but no one wants to. We leave with less and less, giving the store more and more of our money. Of course, no one wants to keep going where our dollar is worth less, but what choice do we have? It’s disheartening to watch the prices go up week by week, especially when all we hear is that inflation is going down. It may be, but it doesn’t feel like it and one thing is for certain, high prices are here to stay!

Fasting

I said these were going to be offbeat ways to save money at the grocery store, so keep that in mind. Doing an OMAD or 2MAD fasting schedule has saved me money. If you are trying to lose weight and are spending loads of money on diet foods, just remember, fasting is free.

Cutting out a meal or two makes planning for what’s left a lot easier. I find it easier to meal plan and shop for what I need for the week now, because I'm not snacking all day, as well as trying to find three meals to make. For me personally, I just have to worry about one or two meals each day and it has saved me quite a bit. While not all people need to lose weight, fasting has benefits there go well beyond the pocketbook. With a little bit of research, I'm quite sure that you will want to give fasting a try as well. Your wallet will certainly thank you.

Reverse Meal planning

While meal planning used to be a little more linear, sometimes it is backwards for me now. If I go to the store and there are some great deals on meat or there are clearance items that I find, I will go home and either change my meal plan or make a new one. I go with what is on sale. If roast is on sale, you best believe that you're going to find it several times on my meal plan next week. In this way, I will always get the best deals on everything. I stick to the loss leaders in my local stores and that is what is for dinner.

Keep a pantry

In much the same way I do reverse meal planning, I shop when something is on sale or clearance. I don’t just buy for the week though, if the price is right, I’m going to stock up. Whatever is in the flyer for the week is your local store’s loss leaders and that is usually the cheapest price you will get an item for. That is the time to stock up. If you do this with most of the items that you use on a regular basis, you will find that having a little bit extra on hand can save you 30 to 40%, if not more. I almost never pay full price for anything because I have a pantry full of items at home. If there is a great deal on a particular item, I know that there will be several meals I can make out of it, pairing what I have at home in the pantry to use with it. This makes not only my costs go down but it makes putting together something for dinner a breeze.

Early bird shopping

I didn’t realize how different shopping was first thing in the morning when the store opens, as opposed to when I used to show up to the grocery store, which was whenever I felt like it. I started going early during the pandemic and was pleasantly surprised to find tons of manager specials, all saving me fifty percent or more! Now, you won’t catch me at the store any other time than right when they open. It’s worth getting up a bit early and taking your first cup of coffee to go.

Opportunistic adaptation

The last tip I have is one that may help you the most. It isn't really a trick or tip at all, but more of a mind shift. I hear all the time that people are paying so much more for what they used to buy. That’s the secret, don’t buy what you did last year. We have to adapt and buy what is affordable right now, which will likely not be the same thing. Adapt to what is available at your price range and stick to that. I have not raised my food budget year over year and the way I keep it low, is to stock up when items are cheap and buy what I can afford, not what I used to buy.

Stop trying to buy what you used to buy, adapt to the situation. If you use some of these tips and tricks, you will be able to get more of the things that you love at a rock-bottom price. At the end of the day though, we all need to become a little flexible, use pork instead of beef, beans instead of chicken and maybe give tofu a try. Whatever you do, just be adaptable and you will save money, even now in 2024.