NEW YORK — If you find yourself paying more for the same amount of groceries, you’re not alone. Inflation is decreasingbut grocery prices are still high, up an average of 21% since inflation began rising more than three years ago.
Unlike some other items, you can’t just stop buying groceries when they get too expensive. There’s nothing you can do about inflation, but you can find ways to save on groceries so that they don’t have too much of an impact on your wallet or your eating habits. These include using coupons, budgeting, and buying in bulk.
Here are some recommendations from experts to save on groceries:
Kiersten Torok started using coupons when she was in high school, after her parents lost their jobs during the 2008 recession. She started relying on them even more in 2020, when she lost her own job during the pandemic. Now, she uses her social media platform to teach others how to save.
“When times like this happen, coupons are a necessity for many Americans,” said Torok, known on Instagram and TikTok as Torok Coupon Hunter.
Many may think that using coupons means cutting them out of a magazine. While you can certainly still do that, there are now easier ways to get the discounts. Many stores, such as Walmart and Target, have coupons available on their apps.
“All you have to do is scan an item in a store, the coupons appear in your app and are then automatically applied at checkout,” Torok said. “It’s become much more streamlined.”
One of Torok’s golden rules for coupons is: Never pay a lot for toothpaste — there’s always a combination of coupons and deals available. For anyone who wants to try coupons, Torok recommends using them at your favorite store first and never buying things you don’t need, even if there’s a big discount.
Apps like turn aroundwhich allows you to search for coupons from all major supermarkets, and IbottaAn app that gives you cash back when you use coupons can make using coupons easier.
Creating a budget is a key to keeping grocery spending in check, and the first step is to track how much you’re already spending. Start by looking at how much you spent the last few times you went grocery shopping, recommended David Brindley, deputy editor for AARP Bulletin.
If you don’t keep receipts from past grocery trips, look at your bank statement and add up your grocery expenses. Once you know how much you’re spending on groceries, set a goal, such as staying within a budget or reducing your spending.
You need a plan, but before you make one, you need to know what you currently have in your fridge and pantry. Sarah Schweisthal, personal finance expert and social media manager at budgeting app YNABadvises taking everything out and making an inventory so that you don’t buy duplicate items that you already have at home.
Brindley also recommends cooking multiple meals with the same ingredients to save money and reduce food waste.
Once you’ve tracked your spending and taken inventory of what you already have, the next step is to make a plan. Write down the items you want to buy and their estimated costs, and make sure you stay within your budget. Meal planning for the week or month can be a good way to keep track of your spending, Schweisthal said.
As you walk through the aisles, you may sometimes find yourself craving things you hadn’t planned on, like a snack or a new food item. If you anticipate that sticking to your list will be difficult, create some flexibility in your plan, like allocating a specific amount of money to buy snacks or a random item you see at the checkout.
“I think flexibility in a plan makes it more likely that you will stick to it,” Schweisthal said.
Creating a plan can be as simple as writing a list on paper or in your phone’s notes app. Or you can use apps that specifically help you plan meals, such as Every list or Meal.
If you tend to stray from your grocery list because you buy things you don’t need every time you go to the store, shopping online and picking up your groceries curbside is a great solution.
“I 100% recommend sitting down on a Sunday morning and just looking at the stores and comparing the items you need for the week, especially with the items that you can pick up curbside,” Torok said.
If you buy your groceries at multiple stores because they all offer cheaper products, you can also save time by ordering in advance.
If you’re responsible for buying groceries for your entire family, it can be helpful to incorporate them into your grocery budgeting routine. For Torok, this meant teaching her kids how to scan coupons while they shopped.
Because buying in bulk can be very cost-effective, Brindley also recommends teaming up with a friend or family member to buy specific items in bulk and splitting the discount.
Finally, you can save money by using food sharing apps such as: Oil, that connects people in their community to share additional messages, and Too good to go, where you can buy surplus food at a discount.
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The Associated Press receives support from the Charles Schwab Foundation for educational and explanatory reporting to improve financial literacy. The independent foundation is separate from Charles Schwab and Co. Inc. The AP is solely responsible for its journalism.
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A version of this story was published on July 12, 2024. This version has been updated with the latest inflation report.