How to Lower the Monthly Grocery Bill: Hard Truths to Really Fight Inflation Today and Still Eat Healthy

The big question in 2024 is how to eat healthy today and still lower the monthly grocery bill. The reality is that fighting inflation today comes with hard truths!

These tips require ready to work hands and a little dedicated time. They will work, but if you want a fast and easy way out. I haven’t found the solution for that. Cooking and feeding a family (within a budget) takes planning, hard work and determination.

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Things that Help Fight Inflation Today

#1. BUY LARGE BAGS OF GREENS, VEGGIES AND FRUIT

This will not only save time but add nutrients to your meals, and on top of that it’s cheaper. It won’t spoil and end up in your trashcan! Buy a low variety items and stick to them.

Example: This week it’s strawberries, collard greens, bananas, peas and carrots. That’s it, no more. These ingredients will be the bulk of my veggies and fruits this week, then I switch it up the next week, and they all get frozen as soon as I get home.

 Yes, even the bananas and strawberries (wash them first). Greens like broccoli, collard greens or spinach work great. Their flavor is mild, and you can throw it in a soup or a stir fry and NO ONE will know!

You can also throw them in a freezer bag, pre-portioned and dump them in when needed, no need for defrost time. You’re welcome! I learned this the hard way. Try it my friend.

Proverbs 25:16

#2. SAVE YOUR MONEY FOR THE GOOD FATS

Why all the hate on fats? 

Wasn’t this list for saving money and eating healthy? 

The truth is that fats are energy and essential. I’m not a nutritionist but look it up.

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This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.

Skip the canola and vegetable oils. They are no good! Do your own research. 

I know good oil is expensive, really expensive, but you want to prioritize this part of your nutrition. 

Try to use these oils instead; avocado, olive, cold pressed coconut oil, lard, and real butter (no margarine or vegetable lard). Also, save the fat from the meat you cook with like beef, chicken and bacon fat.

 

~ Do the Math to Fight Inflation Today (Extra-Tip #1) ~

If you’re still on the fence because it’s too expensive. Subtract one meat or snack from your grocery list this week and replace it with one good oil. 

#3. SKIP THE BAKED GOODS AND SWEETS

This my friend will save you money! And then you can buy the good oils. Seriously, you want less sugar and processed breads in your diet. If you do buy bread, try to get it from a bakery or at least let it have a reasonable expiration date on it.

I heard other people say, if it has a pretty box or it’s in the middle aisle of the grocery store, leave it! Replace it with dates, dark chocolate and of course moderation is key. 

#4. LEARN TO MAKE QUICK BREADS

This goes with the last point. Not only is it better for you and your bank account, but it’s totally possible. One batch of 12 muffins will take you about 30 mins to make. Put on your favorite show and follow a recipe. Anyone can learn to make quick breads. Just add everything to a bowl and combine. You can do it! 

 

~Do the Math to Fight Inflation Today (Extra-Tip #2) ~

If you need motivation, check out the prices of baked goods vs a bag of all-purpose flour and see how much you can save. 

Proverbs 27:7

#5. FREEZE EVERYTHING 

Savings will be calling your name. You will wonder, “why didn’t I do this sooner?”

I was afraid of this step because of all the imaginary power outages in our town! Sometimes we have bad days, but we can’t go into this tip with the wrong mind set. Try it. Start with little things.

 

Shopping Habits that Lower the Grocery Bill

#6. GROCERY SHOP ONCE A MONTH

Now, when people suggested this to me, I came in with a little resistance. I thought that was impossible! There are so many reasons why this sounds like a bad idea. Where will I store everything? How do I know what to buy, and oh man_ can I do it?

 

A little context to help you get motivated__I live in a mobile home with limited space. If I can do it, you can do it. We just have to be creative. Okay, why does this work? How will this lower my grocery bill?

 

Here is the logistics, less time at the store… means less buying time. This will force you to be creative with what you have. That doesn’t mean you can’t stop at the store for more eggs or fruit once or twice a month. It just means that the bulk of your buying will be on one day a month.

#7. BUY IN BULK WHEN POSSIBLE

Start small with this one, but in order to make tip #6 possible, you must shop at a store that has the most you can get. 

The best deals will be in places where you can buy more meat, grains, and fruit for less money. I personally borrow my mom’s Sam’s Club card and go once a month. 

Helpful things to consider, don’t make a super detailed shopping list. Look around the store for the best price per pound and buy that. Please read this other blog post as these tips are part of how I keep the budget. 

The point is that you have to do this step to drastically cut the grocery bill. It’s scary at first, but don’t buy too much at first, until you figure out the storage.

#8. STOP BUYING (DO A WALLET FAST)

What on earth do I mean? Exactly that, don’t buy anything for a while until you see that you’re running on empty. As a child I would open the fridge and ask my mom, “why is the fridge so empty?”

 

When you ask yourself, how is it that I’m alive if the fridge has pretty much nothing, then you will see how much you really eat.

 

The truth is that we need less than what we are used to storing/buying. We are afraid of running out and in turn we end up overstocking. My mom knew this trick. The fridge looked empty because everything there had a purpose, it required cooking in order to be a meal. 

 

This is the hard truth. We have to stop opening the fridge and conveniently find things we can eat. Often the reason we have so much in there is because of excess snacks and drinks.

#9. HAVE A STRICT GROCERY LIST

Now, in other tips I shared not to make a detailed list. But that’s for big ticket items like meat, grains and fruit. This tip is about restricting the other things that end up in the cart. My cart should be full of REAL food, not processed.

You want ingredients and not pre-made things.

Things like sodas, sugary things, microwave meals and other things like that must go back on the shelf. They drain the grocery budget. Inflation is making it hard, put the threats back!

These are the only categories that really matter:

 

• meat
• grains
• fruit
• veggies
• pantry staples
• fats.

#10. LEARN TO COOK WITH LIMITS 

Clearly there is a trend to saving money on the grocery bill. The thing that made it possibly for me to bring the bill down by 40% was learning to cook. 

That sounds like it’s obvious, you have to stop eating out and cook at home. But the truth is that it’s a little more complicated than that. And here is why!

Cooking with expensive ingredients and with no limits won’t necessarily save you money. Pasta and a lean piece of steak every other day is not sustainable anymore. Say, hello inflation!

I feel like frugality and cooking from scratch is returning to America (#2024gotme cooking). Do we live in a third world country? HAHA__ back to the point! 

Cooking with limits saves us money! With limits you must really cook and that means pre-portion, strategize and bring creativity to the table. Happy cooking friend!

~ Notes ~

Please read this other blog post, What I’ve learned from cooking at home for a year, it goes with this one. Let me know if you will try any of these things. If you do them all, your bill will be a new sight.

Give us some tips below so we can all learn.

Best,

Rosa Rosa