5 Tips to Save on Groceries WITHOUT Clipping Coupons

Few words in the english language make me shudder quite like "full price". I am a couponer. I am easy to spot. The paper cuts on my finger tips, the multiple newspapers in my hands on a Sunday morning, the frustrated cashier in front of me and the pictures of hauls crowding my timeline are all tell tale signs. If I save less than 50% at the grocery store it makes me a little sick, and I'm telling you the food doesn't taste as good. Getting food for free is my own way of sticking it to the man and its how I live out Prov. 31 with a bit of moxie. If I were to rewrite verses 14-15 it would go little something like this. "She is like a wholesale club, she drives for miles to get the savings. She is waiting at the door when they open the store to get the deals for her family and a few things for her girlfriends." 

She is like the ships of the merchant; she brings her food from afar. She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens. Prov. 31:14-15

After a particularly good trip I'll always brag a little on Facebook, this leads to the same conversation every time.
"How on earth did you do that?"...."Coupons!"...."Oh, I don't have time for that."
I get that a couponers life isn't for everyone, but that's no reason to break the bank at the grocery store. Here are a few easy tips to help you save at the grocery store.

1.) Shop Closeout 

Every store displays closeouts items differently. Some stores will have all their items compiled in one location, but most mark their closeout items with a tag underneath the price tag. There isn't anything wrong with these products. They are items that have been marked down because of excess inventory or items that are about to no longer be carried at that store. I save a lot of money this way. Just last month I bought varieties of microwave steam bag veggies and pints of Ben and Jerry's all for $1 each!!!! All because the store was going to no longer be carrying these varieties.

2.) Buy Bad Meat...Sort Of 

Okay I do not actually mean "bad" meat. I do not expect or recommend you by bad food. But going to be bad soon meat can mean BIG savings. Most stores have one day of the week where they go through their meat inventory and discount the items that will be expiring soon. Ask your local store what day they do this. These items are easy to spot because there is usually a brightly colored sticker letting you know it has been discounted. If you cook the meat or freeze it immediately it is still totally safe. I also really hate waste (a result of seeing starving children face to face) so when you purchase these goods thats one less item that gets tossed, and I'm happy to help. Just last week I bought 5 dinners worth of pork for under $15.

3.) There's an App for That

Clipping coupons can be a pain...literally my hands cramp up at times. Clicking coupons and saving them to your loyalty cards, super easy! Most grocery store chains have their own apps now where you can download coupons directly to your card. If you combine that with apps like SavingStar and Ibotta, where savings equal cash that can be deposited directly to your PayPal account, you can really do some damage. SavingStar is super easy to use, has Friday Freebies, and a weekly Healthy Offer, that allows you to save money on produce!!

4.) Smoke 'em If You Got 'em

Cook whats in your pantry, don't shop for what you're craving. If you can abstain from instant gratification in the grocery store your money will go a lot further. I shop for what I can get super cheap and create my menu around what I have picked up. Super Cook is this really cool website, that allows you to enter in what is in your pantry and its gives you recipes that use your ingredients.

5.) Grow Your Groceries 

Unfortunately most of us probably do not have the means to grow bananas or coffee beans, which at my house would bring HUGE savings. But you can grow a lot of other produce that are family favorites. You don't have to have a giant, pristine garden with each row identified by the adorable garden markers you bought on Etsy. Pick the item your family uses most. At my house we go through green peppers, LOTS of them. My oldest eats them like an apple. 1 or 2 pepper plants grown in a pot can go along way. Grape tomatoes yield a large harvest, are easy to grow in a pot, and always seem to be pretty pricey at the store.

So what do you think? Are you going to try any of these? All of these? Let me know how you do and what you think might work for you.