How Being Savvy With Tech Can Help You Save Money on Groceries
If prices at the grocery store have you balking, here’s how to cut costs while still eating healthily. Continue using fresh fruits, vegetables, and more great ingredients in your home cooking while finding ways to save. With help from a few apps and online tools, managing your food budget will be easier than ever.
1. Get Grocery Pickup
Stick to a shopping listand avoid impulse buys by getting grocery pickup from a local store. If they don’t offer this service, then some online grocery delivery services offer a pickup option as well.
Opting for pickup not only saves time, but it also makes following a budget simpler. Keep an eye on the total price the entire time you’re adding groceries to the virtual basket. This makes it simpler to substitute for cheaper products or omit overpriced goods entirely.
2. Buy in Bulk
Stocking up on bulk items can make a lot of sense if you run the numbers first to ensure it’s actually cheaper. If it’s something you only use occasionally, or perishable goods that might expire before getting used, then bulk buys might end up costing more.
Theunit price calculatorhelps determine potential savings from a bulk purchase. Break down the bulk price by weight or item to see whether it makes financial sense for a particular purchase.
3. Shop (Very) Local
Check Facebook Marketplace, Nextdoor, and city-based subreddits to find neighbors who might have eggs, honey, or other staples for sale. It’s often cheaper (and tastier) to buy these goods locally.
4. Visit Your Farmer’s Market
The farmer’s market is typically a treasure trove for inexpensive fruits and vegetables. An application like the Soko Farmers' Market App can help locate nearby farmers’ markets, and even order produce ahead of time.
The Soko app displays your local farmers' markets addresses, as well as their operating hours. There are also a write-up about the types of food they sell, including local produce, baked goods, seafood, meat, and more.
In addition, theVendorsscreen lets you keep up with your favorite sellers. For the most part, it’s an incredibly helpful app for anyone who wants to connect with local sellers for a variety of foods.
Download:Soko Farmers' Market App foriOS|Android(Free)
5. Shop Sales
Sure, it isn’t the most revolutionary advice, but hitting up sales at the local grocery store can help save quite a bit of cash. The Flipp app lets you review thousands of weekly s for deals.
Select some favorite stores at setup, as well as the products you tend to purchase most often. From there, review sales and compare prices on theBrowsetab, then search theCouponstab for additional savings.
If you’re looking for a specific item, go to theSearchscreen to find the least expensive price among local stores. Lastly, set up aWatch Listto receive alerts when items drop to a certain price. Using these parameters made it easy to find a dozen eggs for less than $5, for instance.
For many people, the Flipp app is a helpful way to find sales and to comparison shop—before setting foot in the store. A little preplanning can make sticking to a food budget simple, and you’ll get to enjoy lower prices for staples and treats alike.
Download:Flipp - Weekly Shopping foriOS|Android(Free)
6. Grow Your Own Groceries
For a long-term solution, consider growing your own herbs and vegetables. The Seed to Spoon app teaches you how to grow food for your family with comprehensive but approachable instructions. Complete with detailed articles and advice, it makes the process easy for beginner gardeners.
Read growing guides for over 100 different fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Enter your location to find out which plants will thrive in that part of the world. There’s also advice for protecting your plants against pests.
If you’re curious about gardening, then growing produce can be a fun and rewarding way to have fresh food on hand and reduce grocery costs. Whether you’re working with a large backyard or a simple kitchen window, there’s likely something that will grow well in your setup. Plus, few things taste better than a tomato or strawberry picked fresh from a home garden.
Download:Seed to Spoon foriOS|Android(Free, in-app purchases available)
7. Plan Meals Strategically
Approach your kitchen with a game plan. With a bit of prep work every week or so, planning meals ahead of time can help optimize your efforts. By having everything set to go ahead of time, you’ll also feel less inclined to grab takeout or fast food after a busy day.
For some helpful tips and guidelines, thebest meal planning appsmake it easier to eat healthily and make the most of any food budget. It’s also a fantastic way to work with particular dietary restrictions or preferences.
8. Eat More Plant-Based Meals
Beans, lentils, and plenty more plants provide relatively inexpensive sources of protein, and there’s about a million delicious ways to prepare them. With over 600 plant-based recipes, the Forks Plant-Based Recipes app is an incredible resource for any home chef. It’s a fantastic way to try out new cuisines and inventive dishes and keep developing new culinary skills.
Recipes are all grouped into helpful categories like wraps and burgers, amazing grains, pasta and noodles, and even breakfasts. Scrolling through any of the lists offers a tremendous amount of inspiration, whether you want to make ginger-peach breakfast muffins or turnip and sweet potato croquettes. It’s a handy resource any time you need some inspiration and ideas for what to cook for dinner.
Once you find a winner, click theplus signunder the ingredients screen to add everything to theShopping List. This makes it simple to choose several recipes and streamline your shopping.
Download:Forks Plant-Based Recipes foriOS($5) |Android($5)
Trim Your Grocery Bill With Help From Apps and Tools
Even when food prices make you do a double-take, it’s possible to find the best deals on groceries with assistance from applications and online tools. By shopping strategically, searching out the best deals, and using local farmer’s market, you can eat healthily without overspending. Keep creating delicious, fresh meals at home.
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