How to save money on groceries without eating worse

Know your number

Before changing anything, log every grocery trip for a month, including the quick stops for milk. Two things usually stand out: the monthly total is higher than people guess, and the small top-up trips account for a surprising share of it. That total is your baseline. Pick a modest first target, such as trimming 10%, and measure against it.

Plan before you shop

1. Start with what you have. Look in the fridge, freezer and cupboards first, and plan meals that use what needs using.
2. Plan four or five dinners, not seven. Leftovers and an easy night cover the rest, and fewer planned meals means less food going off.
3. Reuse ingredients across meals. A bunch of cilantro or a tub of yogurt can go into two or three dinners instead of one.
4. Write the list by store section, so you walk the store once and skip the aisles you don't need.
5. Eat before you go. Shopping hungry reliably adds things to the cart.

At the store

• Compare unit prices. The shelf label usually shows the price per ounce, pound or item. The bigger package isn't always cheaper per unit, especially when it's on promotion.
• Try store brands. For staples like flour, sugar, canned tomatoes, frozen vegetables, oats and cleaning products, store brands are often made to similar standards for less.
• Look up and down. The most expensive brands tend to sit at eye level.
• Buy produce in season, when it's cheaper and better, and use frozen fruit and vegetables the rest of the time. Frozen produce is picked ripe and doesn't spoil in the fridge.
• Skip the pre-cut and pre-washed versions when you have five minutes to do it yourself. You pay a lot for the knife work.
• Shop less often. Every extra trip is a chance for extra items. One planned shop a week, with a short list for a mid-week top-up, beats several unplanned stops.
• Consider pickup orders. Building the order online lets you watch the running total and avoids impulse buys at the checkout.
• Compare stores. Discount grocers and warehouse stores can be much cheaper for some items. You don't need to switch completely; buying your top ten staples at the cheapest store can do most of the work.

Cheaper swaps that taste fine

• Chicken thighs instead of breasts. They're usually cheaper and harder to overcook.
• Beans, lentils and eggs as the protein for a few meals a week.
• A whole chicken roasted once, then used for sandwiches and soup.
• Block cheese grated at home instead of pre-shredded.
• Plain yogurt and oats with your own fruit instead of single-serve flavored cups.
• Water or homemade iced tea instead of bottled drinks, which are one of the most expensive things per serving in a typical cart.

Throw less away

Food that goes in the bin is money spent for nothing, and it's common to throw away a meaningful share of what you buy.

• Put new groceries behind the older ones, so the oldest gets eaten first.
• Freeze bread, cooked rice, ripe bananas, leftovers and meat you won't cook in time.
• Keep a "use first" spot in the fridge for things that need eating soon.
• Plan one "clear the fridge" meal a week: a stir fry, frittata, soup or fried rice.
• "Best by" dates are about quality, not safety, for many shelf-stable foods. Look and smell before you throw something out. "Use by" dates on perishables like meat should be followed.

Coupons, loyalty apps and bulk

• Loyalty programs and digital coupons are worth it for things already on your list. They're a cost when they tempt you into things that aren't.
• Buy in bulk only what you use quickly or what keeps: rice, pasta, oats, canned goods, frozen items, toilet paper. A large jar of something that expires half-used isn't a bargain.
• Check the weekly flyer before planning meals, and build a dinner or two around what's discounted.

Where to start

If you only do three things, make it these: plan four or five dinners from what you already have, shop once a week with a list, and switch your regular staples to store brands. Then compare next month's total with this month's.