4 Money Saving Grocery Store Hacks

Are you looking for money saving grocery store hacks that don’t require ANY coupons? You’ve come to the right place! I’m going to walk you through 4 grocery store money saving hacks that don’t require any coupons!

If you’ve walked into a grocery in the last couple of months, there is no denying that you are walking out with a higher bill and a lot less stuff. While everyone blames a different circumstance for this change, blame doesn’t seem to be solving the issue.

We all still have to eat. We still need everyday necessities.

As a master couponer, even I am feeling the effects of the price increases. So, trust me when I say that you are not alone. However, you don’t have to be an extreme couponer in order to save at the grocery store. All you need is a little education and patience.

So, without further ado, here are my top four grocery store hacks that don’t require coupons!

1 – Become an expert in one (or two) stores

My first grocery store saving hack is to become an expert, or at least really familiarize yourself, with just one or two stores. This means learning their sale patterns, their customer service policies, coupon policies, store layout, etc.

Most people are creatures of habit, which means that they generally shop at the same stores repeatedly due to familiarity. You know the layout and can run in to grab exactly what you need quickly.

Did anybody else get super mad when Target started changing their layout? Just me? Okay, that’s cool.

There seems to be this notion that in order to save the most money, you must hop around to eight different stores in order to catch the best deal.

I disagree.

Would another store have a better deal? Maybe. But you also have to consider the time, effort, and gas you would spend trying to get to that other store. Sometimes – most times actually – it’s not worth it.

For me, specifically, I am an expert with Giant Food Stores and CVS. I know their coupon policies front and back, which sales should be coming up, the layout of all the stores in my area, which one I like best, and the best time to shop.

Below are some things to learn in order to maximize your grocery trip:

Sale days

What days do the weekly sales start and when do they end? Keep reading to see more about weekly sales.

Truck days

What days to their trucks come in? You are more likely to find a product on a truck day or the day after. Playing off this, it’s also beneficial to know when shelves get stocked. If the truck doesn’t come in until noon, shelves won’t get stocked till around 3 PM or so. If the truck comes at 6 AM, that product could be on the shelf by 10 AM.

Best time to shop

What is the best day to shop? The day the truck comes in or the day after?
What is the best time to shop? Early in the morning or in the afternoon?
This is personal preference based on what you’re looking for. Do you care if there is a big crowd or not? I personally don’t like a big crowd, so I go in the morning to avoid it.

Store layout

Each store will have a different layout, even if it’s the same store in a different location. It is beneficial to learn the store layout so you know exactly where peanut butter is without having to give it much thought. Trying to learn a new store layout each week is just frustrating and will leave you annoyed (and probably hungry).

If you’re unsure where to find all this information – ask someone at the Customer Service desk, they should be able to help you.

The point is, trying to shop at eight different stores with eight different policies and eight different layouts will become overwhelming very quickly. Save yourself the headache.

Stick to one and KNOW it, like you know your ex’s new girlfriend’s Instagram.

2 – Download the app to your phone

Every single store has a phone application these days, I can promise you that. They have to in order to keep up in our digital age.

My second grocery store hack is to download the app to your phone. It is a nice, condensed place to keep all your necessary information.

Most grocery store apps will include:

• Coupons
• Weekly ad
• Inventory
• Shopping list
• Your loyalty card

You’ll most likely have to create an account to access the app, but it can work in your favor in the form of total purchase coupons or notifications for upcoming sales. In addition, the store may offer a one-time coupon for downloading the app in the first place.

Benefits of a grocery store app:

• Loyalty card – You can load your loyalty card directly into the app. We may lose a physical card, but we never lose our phones.
• Locating items – For that off the wall item you rarely buy, you can look it up on the app and find out exactly what aisle it is in.
• Shopping list – You can create a digital shopping list that won’t try to escape when a gust of wind comes across the parking lot.

Just think how good your grocery store app will look sandwiched between Candy Crush and Bumble.

3 – Pay attention to the sales

Every grocery store puts out a weekly sale ad. It’s everything that is put on sale and it usually lasts a week.

So, my third grocery store hack is to pay attention to sales.

Most major grocery stores run sales from Sunday-Saturday, but there are stores that choose different days (for example, Giant Food Stores runs their sales from Friday-Thursday).

With your newly installed grocery store app, you will have immediate access to the weekly ad on the day it comes out – or even the day before as most store release their ad preview the day before they actually drop.

Use those ads to decide what to buy.

Is your face wash/body wash on sale? Is there a “buy 3, save $5” or a “buy 3, get a $5 gift card” deal? Take advantage of it.

If the sale is on something that you use frequently or on a daily basis, there is no harm in buying multiples. You will save money in the long run. On top of that, you’ll have a back-up when you run out. That will come in handy when you realize you’re out of body wash as soon as you are about to get in the shower.

Another thing to remember is that a lot of food freezes really well. Meat can be frozen as long as the package it is in is vacuumed sealed and certain fruits/veggies (examples: peppers, bananas) can be frozen as is.

Just get into the habit of paying attention to the sale ads, even if you don’t go crazy with them.

4 – Make a plan

First rule of grocery shopping? We don’t talk about grocery shopping. I’m kidding. The cardinal rule of grocery shopping is to never go when you’re hungry.

But making a plan should definitely be rule #2.

That’s why my last grocery store hack is to make a plan.

That plan will come in two parts.

Part 1 – Planning what to eat for the week

I meal prep, but I do that because it saves me time during the week and keeps me from having to decide what I’m going to eat every night, followed by having to cook it. That sounds a lot like work. No, thank you. I also eat the same thing every day and that is definitely not for most people.

You don’t have to eat the same thing every day to make a plan for the week. Your plan might look something like this:

Once your plan is made, write out exactly what ingredients you would need to make everything within the plan.

I mean it, write down all the ingredients you need. In a notebook – virtual or physical. You will be less likely to buy additional items if you have a list and a plan.

Part 2 – Plan around the sales

Try to plan your meals for the week around what is on sale during that time. If chicken is on sale – make a chicken dish. When steak is on sale – make a steak dish.

What vegetable is on sale? Can that be your side for the steak/chicken?

This is another time where looking at the sales will be beneficial because it can help you make your plan.

I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again – write it down. Writing something down keeps you accountable – in this case, to your grocery list.

Final Notes on Money Saving Grocery Store Hacks

In summary, four grocery store hacks to save without coupons include: