How to Save on Groceries in 2025 (Even With Inflation!)

When you are trying to save money on a tight budget, the inflation of food prices can really get in the way. Before you learn how to save on groceries, its vital that you know how much you are currently spending.

Check out the best budgeting apps to automatically categorize your spending. Once you know your monthly spending on food, you can compare that to the national average of food spending for a family of your size using the USDA website.

Whether you need to cut back on food spending to meet a financial goal or get your diet back on track, here are the best tips for saving money on groceries.

Automate your pantry and meal planning

Utilizing apps that can keep track of what is in your pantry and generate meal ideas is one of the most important keys to know how to save on groceries and keep your family eating sustainably. Here are a few of our favorite highly-rated apps.

• Cooklist. Designed for iPad (also available for iOS and Android), Cooklist is an free all-in-one app that tracks pantry inventory and expirations through a barcode scanner. It can also save grocery lists and meal plans. Plus, match the products in your pantry to one million delicious recipes in their database.
• Paprika. iOS, Mac, Android, and Windows. Offers a free and premium version. Paprika has a cloud sync service across all of your devices so you can make meal planning a family affair. Make your own meal database by saving your favorites recipes from the web on the app. Easily scale recipes up and down to meet the needs of your family.
• RecipeBox. iOS and Android. Also with cloud sync, the free app lets you add new recipes that are recommended by the RecipeBox community. Search for recipes that have ingredients from your pantry and organize your recipies how you prefer. Have the app help you create a grocery list that you can shop online through Albertsons, Amazon Fresh, Instacart, Kroger, Safeway, Shipt, and Walmart.

Go outside your comfort zone

If you are fortunate enough to have local Latino and Asian grocery stores near you, consider checking them out.

You can find affordable rice, produce, spices, and desserts that will expand your palate, and if you enjoy international foods, the prices might even surprise you.

While you might only be able to purchase some of your groceries at an international market, your family will appreciate the change of pace from your regular dinners. You could save money on takeout by learning to make your favorite Chinese or Mexican dish at home.

Make allergy-friendly/diet-friendly meals from scratch

If you’ve ever perused the gluten-free or dairy-free section of the supermarket, you know how expensive it can be to purchase a pre-made meal or snack.

Purchasing keto-friendly flour or dairy-free yogurt can be an excellent base for making various meals and snacks without breaking the bank.

Consider checking the Ibotta and Fetch apps for cash back on allergy-friendly ingredients, meals, and snacks.

Take advantage of free grocery pick-up or delivery

We’ve all done it. Waited until the last minute to buy food and walked into the grocery store hungry. Then you find yourself at the check-out perplexed about how you spent so much and only have junk food to show for it.

Most grocery stores offer a low threshold for free pickup and/or delivery (usually $35), in which a store employee will shop for your groceries for you..

I like to use this service when I have a meal plan or for purchasing new items that I’m not quite sure where they’re located. It saves me time and money since I’m not going through each aisle myself looking for clearance or impulse purchases I don’t need.

Only shop the outside perimeter

If you’d instead like to shop for your groceries yourself, I get it. Sometimes, it’s satisfying to know I’m picking out the best basket of strawberries or the right serving of fresh meat.

To save money when shopping, stick to the outside perimeter. You will not only eat healthier, but since the middle of the store contains all processed food, you will likely save money, too.

Become besties with grocery store managers

Consider becoming good friends with the managers at your favorite grocery stores. Not like the bff you have one-on-one therapy sessions with, but as a regular paying customer, you might as well be on the inside track.

Politely ask the manager if they can tell you when they clearance the meat and dairy each week. It is usually a particular day/time, and catching the markdown saves you up to 50% off the sticker cost.

Don’t be greedy, though; save some for your budget-savvy friends. Only buy what you think you can eat in the next couple of days or have room in your freezer for.

Limit your trips to the grocery store

Instead of going to the grocery store a few times a week or even weekly, consider going twice a month. If you go once every two weeks, you can purchase double the amount of food you need for seven days of meals.

The first week, cook twice the amount of dinner you normally would each night. Freeze the left-overs.

On week two, you can simply reheat the leftovers, saving you significant time and helping you steer clear of costly restaurant trips when you don’t feel like cooking.

Plus, since the meals are frozen you can change the days you eat the meals on the second week so it doesn’t get monotonous.

A grocery store generally follows a six to eight week sales cycle, meaning staple products you buy are at their lowest price once every two months.

If you follow the pricing for each product for two months, you can determine the cheapest price for each product. Stock up with a two-month supply when you see the lowest price to save the most money.

How to Save on Groceries in 2025 Wrap Up

It can be frustrating to see how much money you spend on groceries every month. For a lot of people, food is a large portion of their monthly spending.

Fortunately, by using these tips you can know how to save on groceries and food so you can have an emergency fund, pay off debt, or budget for your next vacation.