6 Ways We're Saving on Groceries

Food costs are rising faster than inflation. Prices are up 3% from just a year ago. If you’re struggling to keep up with your grocery bill, we totally get it. How can we feed ourselves and our families well without breaking the bank — and even better — without having high-footprint diets? We have some ideas for you!

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Avoid Food Waste

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Throwing away food is like throwing away money. Families of four throw out about $3,000 in food waste each year. For individuals, it’s about $800. That’s like throwing away 1-3 months of groceries!

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Plus, in the U.S., food waste is responsible for over half of methane emissions in landfills. And globally, the UN estimates that 60% of food waste comes from households. Avoiding food waste is one of the biggest impacts we can make on our personal footprints, according to Project Drawdown.

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So cutting food waste is good for your budget, your belly, and the planet! The first way to waste less is to buy less, which can be harder than it sounds. Here are a few strategies to help:

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Plan your meals ahead of time, and only buy what you need for those meals. Plus, maybe a couple of snacks.
Use your ingredients efficiently. For example, if you buy carrots for one dish, but don’t need the whole bunch for the recipe, have a plan for how you’re going to use the rest of the carrots.
Add one more weekly trip to the store or farmers market: If you normally shop once a week, a second shop puts less pressure on getting all your weekly groceries in one go. Try buying less than you think you need.

You can also avoid food waste by labeling your leftovers and other food containers. Use a strip of tape and jot down what’s in the container and the date. Every week, shuffle the oldest food to the front of the fridge as a reminder to eat it sooner.

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If you have some food that’s not looking too good but hasn’t gone bad yet, you can still save it! More on that below.

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Preserve Food Before it Spoils

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Another key to avoiding food waste is to eat food before it spoils. There’s a window of time where food is past its peak, but it’s still edible. We’re looking at you, mushy peaches and wilted herbs. Rather than letting the guilt overtake you, now is the time to jump into action.

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Cook down mushy fruit with some sugar to make a preserve. Try reviving wilted greens and herbs in ice water. If that doesn’t work, make a pesto! You can even extend the life of stale bread by turning it into bread crumbs. And don’t forget to use your freezer.

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We have plenty of ideas to help you save food before it goes bad:

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Buy Less Meat

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The cost of meat is increasing, particularly for beef. So if you’re a meat eater, this could be one of the main culprits behind your rising grocery bill. It also drives the majority of our food emissions, which is why Project Drawdown cites eating less meat as another key action to lower our personal footprints.

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There are a couple of ways to start eating less meat, even if you don’t want to go full vegetarian.

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First, try incorporating meat in moderation in your meals. Think of it more like a side, so you can stretch that chicken breast or pound of ground beef a bit further. Even better, try swapping out meat completely in a few meals per week. If you need some inspiration, try these meat-free recipes where you won’t even miss it.

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Find Smart Ways To Save

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Your city’s grocery chains may have their own apps where you can find weekly deals and coupons. This is a great place to start.

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There are also apps like Checkout 51, Flipp, and Ibotta that aggregate deals across multiple grocery stores and make it easier to save coupons and get cash back on your weekly grocery trips.

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We also love using Too Good To Go. It’s a food rescue app where you get perfectly good food for at least half off its original price. You can score anything from bagels to excess produce.

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Use Local Resources

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Food support services can help augment your weekly groceries for free. There’s no shame in using these resources. There is enough food on Earth for no one to go hungry, so the more we can embrace, support, and welcome these free resources, the better they can be.

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While food support services aren’t nearly as robust as they could be, there are some local options that may be available near you.

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Community fridges: Find one near you, or start your own
Free meals at local churches and orgs
Community gardens: Some gardens have bins with excess fruits and veggies. Ask at the garden near you.
Food banks: Find one near you.

If you can, support these resources to help keep them going. Ask how to volunteer!

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Grow Your Own Greens

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Not all produce is cheaper grown at home, but some things are! For example, growing your own herbs can rake in some savings. Typically, one plant — like thyme, oregano, or mint — costs the same as one plastic container of herbs. But a plant will keep producing for many months! Plus, you can dry these herbs to replenish your spice jars. You can also save on lettuce if you grow it at home.

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