Many of us are wondering how to save money on groceries while feeding a family. Any snacks or drinks we plan to have last through the week will be gone within three days.
There will be at least two additional runs to the grocery store during the week. And each month, the grocery runs get progressively more expensive.
How do we, as parents, keep our fridges and pantries stocked with healthy foods that fit our dietary requirements and not exceed our weekly or monthly food budget?
Ask Becky Guiles, known across her social media platforms as Freebie Lady. Becky has developed money-saving techniques that save her $1,000 monthly on groceries for her family.
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Learn how she did it and how to save money on groceries using her tips.
The Plan
The frugal-minded mom shared her five easy steps for grocery savings with Good Morning America. She dubbed her method on how to save money on groceries B.O.R.E.S, which breaks down into:
- Budget
- Organize
- Reuse
- Eliminate waste
- Simplify
“B.O.R.E.S. is the method that I have used to cut our groceries down from $1,200 to $1,400 a month to only $400 a month,” she said, noting that it’s simple enough that anyone can do it.
Here’s how each step breaks down.
Budget Based on Family Members
She suggests setting a budget per person, per month. Her grocery budget is currently $100 per family member, but that is a jumping-off point based on the age of your kids and or dietary requirements.
Special considerations like feeding teens and young athletes, eating strictly organic, or gluten-free may cost more.
Organization Is Key
Being organized means that before she shops, Becky assesses the contents of her pantry for expired items and things they’re just “not going to eat.”
“And that’ll just kind of give you a clear plate for what you have and what you need to get,” the money-saving maven told Good Morning America.
Staying organized means keeping track of soon-to-be expired items and making note of when you use up a pantry item so you can replace it. That way, you’re not running out for expensive, last-minute items you need for your recipes either.
More from CafeMom: 5 Money-Saving Hacks For Budget-Conscious Parents
Reuse Where Possible
Reuse and eliminate waste are two steps that feed into each other. She suggests finding alternate ways to use food near the end of its original purpose, such as turning chip crumbs into breading or stale bread into croutons.
When it comes to eliminating waste, Becky shares her mindset:
“Every time you throw food away, you’re actually throwing money away,” she said. “Once you start thinking about food like that, it totally changes your mindset.”
Simplicity Rules
Lastly, Becky encourages her followers to keep it simple. “The more you do it, the more you are going to save,” she sums up.
Becky suggests simplifying things like meal plans and ingredients to help stay on budget. After all, if your kids happily eat the budget-friendly pasta and frozen peas, why fix what isn’t broken? She also refuses to grocery shop if there is food in the house. “And guess what? I find things to make!” she said on TikTok.
Remember, these strategies don’t have to be forever — they can be temporary or change as part of your financial journey.
For now, focus on how to save money on groceries with simple steps and assess if they can make an impact as impressive as Becky’s $1,000 monthly savings. (And please, when you get it all figured out, come to my house so I can implement the same changes too!)
