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4 Reasons Why You Can’t Save Money on Groceries

On Monday, I am launching a brand-new eBook called Slash Your Grocery Bill: 25 Tried and True Strategies. In it, I’m going to share my best tricks and secrets for sticking with a low grocery bill. (Psst! You won’t want to miss out on the really special launch price! Be sure to check my blog on Monday for all the details!)

In the mean time, I wanted to make sure that my eBook really covered your greatest budgeting struggles and stresses, so I polled all of my Facebook followers and Instagram followers to share their number one struggle when it comes to saving money on groceries.

I picked the top 4 struggles that were shared over and over again and I want to address each of these and give you some creative ideas and encouragement. You probably won’t be able to relate to all of these, but hopefully some of the tips I share will help you in your unique situation.

Struggle #1: I find it hard to menu plan consistently. This leads to extra trips to the store and overspending.

A few of my tips & suggestions:

I’d start by asking yourself what your biggest hang up is to menu-planning. Is it that you can’t find the time, don’t enjoy it, don’t like sticking with a plan? Or is it something else? Often when we ask why and try to get to the root of the issue, it allows us to come up with creative alternatives.
One simple solution might be coming up with four or six weeks’ worth of menu plans with grocery lists. Yes, this would take some time to put together, but then all you’d need to do would be to rotate through these lists again and again! One time effort could lead to months or years of benefit! (Need some inspiration? Read this post on creating an Annual Menu Plan.)
Have you tried using a menu plan service like Eat at Home? They do all the menu-planning for you and even make a color-coded grocery list so all you need to do is print, check your cupboard/fridge, and then go shopping or use grocery pick up.

Struggle #2: I feel like I never have enough time to shop strategically or cook much food from scratch.

A few of my tips & suggestions:

I’m going to stick my neck out here a little bit (and risk stepping on a few toes!), but the truth is: if you tell yourself you can’t do something, you probably won’t be able to do it. Start by deciding to change your language around this. We almost always have somewhat of a choice in how we spend our time. Instead of saying, “I don’t have time,” try saying, “I’m choosing to spend my time differently.” This simple switch reminds you that calendar is not the boss of you!
Instead of trying to shop at a bunch of different stores or use coupons or cook everything from scratch, I recommend starting out by just sticking with a budget and menu plan. Those two simple practices might be all you need to cut your grocery bill down to a realistic and doable figure.
If you are consistently sticking with a grocery budget and a menu plan and it’s not feeling overwhelming, then try challenging yourself to change one small thing to shave 1-3% off your grocery budget that month. That’s all. If that one small thing works, stick with it. When it becomes a habit and feels easy, then add on another small thing. And so on. This is a slow but surefire way to steadily begin to overhaul your grocery budget.

Struggle #3: We don’t have many grocery store options where we live. It’s frustrating to see all the good deals other people get.

A few of my tips & suggestions:

If you’ve been reading my blog for awhile, I bet you can guess what I’m going to say: stop comparing. Seriously, just stop! It does no good and it only serves to steal your joy and make you feel frustrated and/or inadequate.
Instead, focus on what you CAN do. Can you have a budget? Yes, you can. Can you create a menu plan? Yes, you can! Can you stick with simple and inexpensive meals? Yes, you can!
Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. And be content with that! In addition, look for creative ways to save. Maybe that’s through a company like Azure Standard, or ordering online, or a local farm, or starting a garden, or cooking more things from scratch. When there is a will, there is usually a way!

Struggle #4: We have food allergies so I have to buy certain brands. There are not a lot of sales and coupons on the brands I have to buy.

A few of my tips & suggestions:

First off, read my suggestions above in response to the other struggles. I think some of those will encourage you.
Secondly, look for outside-the-box ways to save. Sometimes, Amazon will have great prices on allergen-friendly foods (you can set up price alerts on CamelCamelCamel.com!) What about asking your local stores if they will give you a discount if you buy in bulk? Does Azure Standard deliver to your area? If so, check on the prices they offer.
In addition, if there are brands you regularly use, try contacting them and letting them know how much you love their brand. They will often send you coupons! And be sure to sign up for their emails and social media to be alerted of special deals and coupons, too!
Lastly, you might not be able to lower your grocery bill as much as some can. That is entirely okay! I bet you can find other ways to save in your budget in order to free up the extra money you need to spend more on groceries!