How to save money on groceries
Eighteen plain ways to spend less at the grocery store, each with where it comes from, plus what to do when two people share the cart.
Checked October 22, 2026
- Plan the week's meals before you shop.
- Check what you already have, then buy only what you will use.
- Compare the unit price and try the store brand.
- Buy big only when you will finish it.
- Keep the fridge at 40 °F or below and freeze what you will not eat in time.
- Pick one monthly grocery number and watch it.
The BLS says the food at home index rose 1.8 percent over the 12 months ending in September 2026. The USDA's Economic Research Service forecasts a 2.4 percent rise for food at home across 2026. So the lever you hold is what goes in the cart and what ends up in the bin, not waiting for prices to fall.
18 ways to save money on groceries
These are ways to save on grocery shopping that need no coupon binder. Where a tip carries a fact, the source is named, and every source is listed at the bottom.
1. Find out what you spend now
You cannot trim a number you have not seen. Add up one month of grocery charges, apart from restaurants. Then compare it with the USDA's yardstick, below, and pick a monthly line you can live with.
2. Plan the week's meals before you shop
The EPA says that making a list with weekly meals in mind can save you money and time. It does not have to be fancy. Write down dinners for the days you will cook, then shop for those.
3. Look in the fridge, freezer and pantry first
The EPA suggests checking what you have and planning upcoming meals around items that need to be used up. You stop buying a second jar of something you already own.
4. Buy only what you expect to use
The EPA puts it this way: if you only buy what you expect to use, you will be more likely to eat it all. Food you eat is food you paid for once.
5. Compare the unit price, not the sticker
The shelf tag usually shows the total price and the price per unit, according to NDSU Extension, the extension service of North Dakota State University. To work it out yourself, divide the price by the size. Its example is $2.99 for 12 ounces, about $0.249 an ounce.
6. Try the store brand
NDSU Extension says name brands usually are more expensive than store brands, and suggests trying a cheaper option against your usual one. Keep the one you both like.
7. Compare fresh, frozen, dried and canned
The same food in different forms can have different prices. NDSU Extension suggests buying the least expensive form that works for the meal. NDSU compares fresh and frozen blueberries in its own example.
8. Buy big only when you will finish it
NDSU Extension says larger packages are often a better deal as long as they have the lowest unit price. The EPA adds that buying large quantities, including buy one get one free deals, only saves money if you use all the food before it spoils.
9. Check the math on coupons
NDSU Extension says coupons can sometimes bring a name brand down to the store brand's price, but you should check the math. A coupon on something you did not need is still money spent.
10. Keep the fridge at 40 degrees or colder
The EPA says refrigerators should be set to 40 °F or below. Food stays good longer when it is kept cold, and you throw less of it away.
11. Store food where it lasts
The EPA says to keep meat, poultry and fish on the lower shelves, the coldest part of the fridge. It also says to wait to wash berries, cherries and grapes until you are ready to eat them, to prevent mold.
12. Freeze what you will not eat in time
The EPA lists bread, sliced fruit, meat and leftovers as things to freeze, labeled with what they are and the date. Surplus fruits and vegetables can also be frozen, pickled, dried or canned, especially abundant seasonal produce.
13. Keep leftovers where you can see them
The EPA suggests clear, labeled containers with dates, in the fridge or freezer. Leftovers you can see are leftovers you eat for lunch.
14. Cook the odds and ends
Past-prime produce and leftover scraps can go into soups, stir fries or baked goods, says the EPA. A soft pepper and half an onion make a fine start for dinner.
15. Learn what the date labels mean
The EPA tells shoppers to learn the difference between sell-by, use-by, best-by and expiration dates before they throw food away. Look the label up before you toss something that may be fine.
16. Cook at home a little more
The USDA's food plans price groceries only and assume every meal and snack is made at home, so restaurants, takeout and delivery come on top. Swapping one takeout night for a simple dinner moves that meal from the restaurant line to the grocery line.
17. Pick one grocery line and watch it
Set a monthly number for groceries and look at it halfway through the month. If you are past the middle with more than half gone, you have time to plan cheaper dinners. A running total beats a surprise at the end.
18. Shop once for the household
Two people buying separately can end up buying the same thing twice. One list, one trip and one rule for who pays for what keeps the cart honest. More on that below.
What to aim for: the USDA yardstick
The USDA prices four levels of eating every month, all of them nutritious and all made at home. For a couple aged 19 to 50 in September 2026, that comes to the figures below. They are a yardstick for your own number, not a target. For the working and for other household sizes, see groceries for two.
| USDA plan | Couple, per month |
|---|---|
| Thrifty | $630 |
| Low-Cost | $653 |
| Moderate-Cost | $808 |
| Liberal | $1,008 |
Other sizes have their own pages: 1 person, a family of 3, a family of 4, a family of 5 and a family of 6.
Saving on groceries as two people
Sharing a kitchen can already cost less. At the Moderate-Cost level the USDA prices a couple at $808 a month, where two adults each shopping alone would come to $882. The catch is agreeing on who pays for what.
- Split the bill one way. You can go 50/50, or in proportion to income so the lower earner does not carry a bigger share of their pay. Our guide to splitting bills by income walks through it, and the fair split calculator does the math.
- Keep one list. A shared note on both phones cuts the doubled-up purchases.
- Decide what is shared. If one of you has the oat milk and the other has the protein powder, say whose cost each one is.
- Look at the number together once a month. Ten minutes beats an argument about a receipt.
Questions people ask
How can I save money on groceries?
Plan the week's meals before you shop, check what you already have, buy only what you expect to use, and compare unit prices. The EPA says a list made with weekly meals in mind can save money and time.
How can I save money on grocery shopping each week?
Spend a few minutes before the trip on a meal list. Then compare the price per unit on the shelf tag, try the store brand, and put anything you will not eat soon in the freezer.
What are the best ways to save on groceries?
The ones that stop food from being thrown out. The EPA says an average family of four spends almost $3,000 a year on food that does not get eaten, so planning, storing and freezing come first.
Is buying in bulk cheaper?
Only if you finish the food. The EPA says buying large quantities only saves money if you use all of it before it spoils, and NDSU Extension says larger packages are often a better deal as long as they have the lowest unit price.
Are store brands cheaper than name brands?
NDSU Extension says name brands usually cost more than store brands. Compare the unit price, because a sale or coupon can change the answer.
How should a couple split groceries?
Either 50/50 or by income can be fair. Splitting by income keeps the lower earner from carrying a bigger share of their pay. Pick one rule and use it for the whole shared list.
Sources
7 sources · read October 22, 2026
Every number on this page comes from epa.gov, ndsu.edu, bls.gov and 2 more. If a source has changed since, the source is right.
- 1EPA: Reducing Wasted Food at Homeepa.gov
- 2EPA: Preventing Wasted Food At Homeepa.gov
- 3North Dakota State University Extension (a university extension, not a government agency): Pinchin' Pennie$ in the Kitchen, 6 Tips to Save Money With Unit Pricing (FN1752)ndsu.edu
- 4BLS: Consumer Price Index news release, September 2026bls.gov
- 5USDA Economic Research Service: Food Price Outlook, summary findings (updated 9/25/2026)ers.usda.gov
Wonderful gives general information. It isn't a financial or tax advisor.