A grocery bill can climb surprisingly fast, especially when you walk into the store without knowing exactly what you need. A few duplicate ingredients, unplanned purchases, and impulse buys can easily turn what should be a quick grocery run into a much bigger expense.
One of the simplest ways to spend less is to do a little preparation before you leave home. Taking a few minutes to look through your kitchen and think about what you’ll actually eat can help you buy less, waste less, and use the groceries you’ve already paid for.
Here are eight things worth doing before your next trip to the grocery store.
Shop your pantry first
Take a quick look through your pantry before you start writing your grocery list, paying attention to ingredients that could form the basis of a meal. You may already have pasta, rice, canned beans, sauces, or other staples that can keep several things off your shopping list.
Related: 14 Pantry Items That Are Probably Already Expired
Check the refrigerator for food that needs to be used
Look for produce, leftovers, dairy products, sauces, and other foods that should be eaten soon, and think about how you can work them into upcoming meals. Using what you already have before buying more can help prevent food from being forgotten in the back of the refrigerator and eventually thrown away.
Don’t forget about the freezer
Dig through the freezer and take inventory of the food that’s been hiding behind everything else. Frozen vegetables, bread, leftovers, fruit, and other ingredients may give you the beginnings of several meals without requiring another full cart of groceries.
Related: These Items Should Never Go in the Freezer
Plan meals around what you already have
Instead of choosing seven meals and buying every ingredient they require, start with what you already own and build your meals around it. USA TODAY recently reported cooking at home as one of the biggest opportunities to save, while emphasizing that those savings also depend on smart shopping choices.
Check the weekly sales before deciding what to buy
Take a few minutes to look through your grocery store’s weekly ad or app and see what’s actually on sale. You might decide to buy a different vegetable, switch up a planned dinner, or wait another week for something you don’t immediately need.
Make your list based on actual meals
Rather than filling your list with foods you generally think you need, write down what you’ll use for specific breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks. The USDA recommends planning meals before shopping and checking your refrigerator, freezer, and pantry so you don’t buy ingredients you already have.
Compare prices before you leave home
If you have more than one grocery store nearby, check their apps or weekly ads for the items that make up the biggest portion of your bill. You don’t need to visit several stores to save a few cents, but knowing typical prices helps you recognize when a sale is really a good deal.
Eat before you go
Shopping when you’re hungry can make snacks, bakery items, and foods that weren’t on your list suddenly seem much harder to resist. Eating a meal or snack before you leave makes it easier to stick with what you actually came to buy.
