This article is part of WTOP’s monthlong series, “Money Matters,” where we explore tips for saving, budgeting and making your money work for you. Check for new articles every Tuesday and Thursday, right here on WTOP.com.
With prices of groceries spiking over the past five years, many are looking to save on one of the largest weekly household expenses. Taking a little extra time to plan out your weekly menu could end up cutting your overall food budget in half.
According to the USDA, 30% to 40% of all food in the U.S. ends up in the trash. Cutting down on that waste in your own household can drastically cut down on the amount you pay at the checkout.
“It doesn’t matter how cheap you buy something, how discounted an ingredient is, if it ends up in the trash, it is now the most expensive ingredient you bought,” said Andrea Woroch, a consumer savings expert. “That’s just like throwing your hard-earned dollars in the trash.”
Woroch told WTOP that there are a few simple steps that you can take to avoid this wasteful spending.
For instance, planning out a weekly menu — or at least the next few meals that you and your family will eat — whether it’s lunch to send to school with your kids or bring with you to work.
Also, figure out which nights you’re going to be having dinner at home and then decide what you will serve, who’s going to be there and which meals to cook and serve.
“Go with a list. Do not go to the store hungry, and try to stick to the list as best you can,” said Shari Wohl, an adjunct instructor of nutrition at American University.
Shopping with a preplanned list can help avoid impulse buying; and eating before hitting the grocery aisles will help avoid buying extra food you may be craving at that moment.
Wohl said if you’re looking to still eat healthy and on a budget, stick with the grocery store perimeter, where the produce, meat and dairy can be found.
When shopping for fresh produce, try to find what is in season. That is often cheaper and fresher than their out-of-season counterparts. Spring is perfect for apples, berries, bell peppers, green beans and a variety of melons.
If you are looking for out-of-season produce or if you’re unsure if you will eat it before it goes bad, frozen produce is a great option.
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“Frozen veggies and produce is flash frozen at peak ripeness, so you know you’re getting the nutrients, plus now you don’t have to worry about it going bad in your fridge,” Woroch said.
If you are looking for an even cheaper and longer lasting option, canned fruits, vegetables and beans are also a great option. Wohl warns to watch for added sugars in canned fruit as well as added salt. Be sure to rinse the excess off for a healthier option.
Other options to cut down on that food waste and eat exactly what you buy is to make more frequent trips to the grocery store and buy smaller portions.
“If you open up my fridge, I do not have the stacked fridge. It’s pretty bare, basic. It’s giving us exactly what we need and nothing more,” Woroch said.
Shop store brands
Buying store brands can also save you big bucks in the long run.
“Stick with the store brands. This is going to save you 30% to 50%. They have come a long way over the last decade. A lot of stores have really high quality brands of their own,” Woroch said.
Woroch said you can often read the label of the store brand cereal, soda or taco seasoning right next to their national brand counterparts and find the exact same ingredients.
“Just give the store brand to try. What’s the worst that can happen, they don’t like it? A lot of stores will actually allow a return of food that you didn’t like the taste, like Trader Joe’s and Target. So it doesn’t hurt to try it,” she said.
You may even want to check out different stores and their brands as well. Dollar stores are a great destination to find big deals on grocery items.
“I like Dollar General. They have thousands of private label brands, especially in the grocery category,” Woroch said.
Dollar stores have the equivalent of national brands at a fraction of the price.
“If you use their myDG app, you can find a section called ‘Value Valley,’ and they have 2,000 items added every day that are $1 or less, and this includes grocery goods,” Woroch said.
Buy in bulk when it makes sense
Buying in bulk can save you money if you are careful to eat everything you buy.
“You really have to consider, is this something that either yourself or your family is going to consume before the item may go bad, even if it’s something that can go in the freezer?” Woroch said.
When you buy food in bulk, look at the per unit price not just the overall food price to see if you are really saving by buying more.
If you do bulk buy things like chicken, beef or produce try to use recipes from your weekly menu that use overlapping ingredients, such as ground beef for burgers, tacos and spaghetti, or buying mushrooms and using them as a side for dinner and in a soup the next night.
Wohl said a great way to use bulk food purchases is for batch cooking on a day off and preparing breakfasts, lunches and even a few dinners ahead of time. This will both save you money and keep the family eating healthier if that is a goal.
“So what I generally recommend is do your planning when you have more time and you’re not rushed and you’re not stressed and you’re not hungry,” she said.
And, of course, always use leftovers when you can for a lunch the next day. Wohl suggested throwing whatever protein you ate the night before on a salad.
Check for deals on the aisles
Spending just a few minutes every week on grocery store apps and looking through your email and snail mail can also save you a few bucks.
Most grocery stores will have weekly deals, especially if you are part of their rewards programs.
“Look at the circulars,” Woroch said regarding weekly meal planning. “See which stores in your area have those ingredients on sale. Now, you can save even more. You could also do reverse meal planning. So if you want to get a little more savvy, look to see what’s on sale at your local stores, and then find recipes that use those ingredients.”
Woroch said she will often only buy items that are an additional few dollars off that help stretch the budget over the year. She also suggested keeping an eye out for “manager mark downs.”
“These are going to be fresh ingredients that are nearing their expiration dates that maybe mark down anywhere from 20 to up to 70% off,” she said.
Compare grocery prices to other costs
While grocery prices have gone up, eating at home is still consistently the cheapest option to fill a craving.
“We know grocery prices are going up, that means restaurant meals are even higher than they’ve ever been,” Woroch said.
According to the USDA, a meal at home can cost around $4 to $6 per person, whereas dining out costs on average upward of $15.
When purchasing groceries, also think about the long-term impacts of those foods on your health.
“There is a very high cost of nutrition related illness, and some of the leading cause of death in our country and worldwide are absolutely directly nutritionally based (such as) heart disease … hypertension, diabetes and various cancers,” Wohl said.
She said to focus your dollars on vegetables and fruits, whole grains and lean protein sources.
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