How Can I Save Money on Groceries? Free Printable for Tracking Prices
I’m sure most people would agree that grocery prices are insane! But did you know there are things you can do to save money on groceries? I’m always looking for tips for saving money on food shopping, and the only way I know if they work is to put them into practice. In this post, I’ll share food shopping tips, plus a meal plan you can use. Let’s get started!
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Save Money on Groceries – Here are Food Shopping Tips
Know What’s on Sale
In this crazy time of outrageously high grocery prices, I’m sure you’re trying to find ways to save. At first, I started to decide what I’d be making this week based on what’s on sale. Certain grocery store advertisements come in the mail each week, and I use this as a starting point. Unfortunately, some of the other stores I visit aren’t considered as being in my local area (even though to me, they are), so I don’t get their flyers. That’s when websites like Flipp come in – I can search by zip code and see all the grocery store flyers nearby.
But it seems that knowing about sales isn’t enough!
Figure Out Go-To Stores
I’m great at shopping sales, but I’m finding that making my meal plan based on what’s on sale isn’t always enough. That’s when my Go-To Stores List comes in handy! There are certain stores near where I live that almost always beat even the grocery store sale prices. One store does a Chuck and Chicken Sale every Tuesday, and their price on ground beef and boneless chicken is almost always lower than any grocery store price I can find.
That’s what got me thinking – is a Go-To List of stores really what I need?
This Week’s Tip for Saving Money on Food Shopping
I started taking my ideas about knowing what’s on sale and where I can usually get it at the best price one step further. Now, I’m tracking what I can expect to pay for the most frequently purchased items. Here’s what I do to save money on groceries – see if this might work for you, too.
Save Money on Groceries by Knowing Prices
Below, you’ll see a free printable for tracking grocery store prices. Print out as many copies as you need for your major categories when you shop: meats, vegetables, pantry, frozen, dairy, etc.
Here’s What You Need to Do:
- Label each page with a category name.
- Then, list the items you frequently purchase within that category.
- The next step requires a little work. Figure out the best prices for items that you usually purchase. You can do this online, through receipts, or as you go through stores. The goal is to identify the best regular price for each item on your list. Be sure to list the item’s size and the store where you can get it for that price.
Get Ready to Save Money on Groceries!
- Once you have your sheets listing the prices you normally expect to pay, look at sales as you plan your meals.
- Begin with the sheet that lists meat prices and look at what’s on sale. Ask yourself if the sale price is better than what you would normally expect to pay. If it is, perfect! Figure on using that item this week in a meal.
- If a sale price is really good, meaning it’s considerably lower than you would normally expect to pay, think about stocking up on that item if you have room. Buy it now for less, so you won’t need to pay more later!
- Continue going through your other categories of items and see the deals you can find. Plan on buying items for this week’s or future weeks’ menus. For example, this week, I found diced tomatoes on sale for half the price I normally pay. Since I frequently use diced tomatoes in my meals, I’m stocking up for sure!
Here’s a Sample Meal Plan for the Week
Focus on Multi-Day Meals to Make Meal Prep Easier
So, if you’ve been following along, you know I like to cook larger meals that can take care of several nights. Especially if you have a busy schedule, I highly recommend this method! I usually make a meal that can be used for two or three nights. If it’s a two-night meal, we usually have it on two nights during the week. If it’s a three-night, I freeze a portion so it’s ready to go on a day when I wouldn’t have enough time to cook.
Decide How You’ll Cook This Week
I love cooking in my Instant Pot, which doubles as my Crockpot and Air Fryer. If you’re looking for a way to make cooking faster and easier, I can’t recommend an Instant Pot enough! Pressure cooking is the way to make really tasty meals fast. Slow cooking is great when you want to set up a meal in the morning and have it ready (or close to ready) when you get home.
Save Money on Groceries with This Week’s Meal Plan!
Here’s the list of this week’s meals:
- Mississippi Beef Stew: This is a twist on the classic Mississippi Pot Roast crockpot. Cook it in your slow cooker. It serves 8, and it’s a complete meal, including sides (potatoes, carrots, onions, and mushrooms in the pot). Since we’re just two people, that’s four complete dinners for two. I’ll have it for two nights this week and freeze two more nights’ meals.
- Sloppy Joe Stuffed Peppers: I love stuffed peppers, especially in the winter when it’s cold. For me, it’s classic comfort food! My recipe differs slightly from classic stuffed peppers because I use Lawry’s Sloppy Joe Seasoning. Try it—I know it sounds odd, but it’s really good! They cook in your oven for one hour with six stuffed peppers. Here, that’s two nights of dinner and one more night I’ll freeze for later.
- Cuban Pork Roast: We’re having this two different ways this week: the first night, we’ll have shredded or pulled pork sandwiches with a side dish, and the second, we’ll have shredded pork tacos. This is an easy-to-setup crockpot dinner that requires no pre-browning of ingredients—just set it and forget it! If you plan on making this, look for a good sale on a pork shoulder. There will likely be another meal or two that I can freeze from this.
- Crockpot Chicken Creole: This is another of my favorite wintertime meals. This tasty dish serves six. When you get home, make some rice, and dinner will be ready.
Future Food Shopping Tip
We all know that prices change. In previous articles, I shared tips for saving on rising grocery prices in 2025 and beyond. Know that your list of normal prices will likely change. That’s OK—update it as you go. Don’t include prices for items on sale this week only—only include prices that you know you’ll always be able to find. I make it a point to revisit my Go-To Lists at least once a month, reviewing prices and verifying that they’re correct.
There’s Flexibility with This!
If you don’t like the idea of using sheets of paper to track your Go-To items, consider what might work better for you. I’m in the process of switching my paper lists to the computer. I’m setting up a spreadsheet with all the items I buy, and each category becomes a separate sheet in my Excel (or Google Sheets) spreadsheet. There are also Apple and Android apps that you might consider using.
If you prefer the paper method but don’t want to use separate sheets of paper, Amazon sells logbooks and notebooks. You can compare prices, find what works best for you and try it.
Share Your Advice!
How do you know you’re getting the best possible prices on groceries? Please share your tips with others in the comments, and let me know if you’ve ever tried something like I’ve described in this post.
