This article was featured on Local 5 Live on August 26th and is included here in it’s entirety. If you’d like to see the segment, click here.

The Economic Policy Institute says that for a family of four living in the greater Green Bay area, people should budget around $1000/month on groceries. Now, I’ve seen some estimates that are less than that (namely Capitol One’s $500+/month estimate.) Split that in half and $750 a month on groceries for four people seems like a LOT! Either way, that number is likely to grow as prices continue to rise in certain categories. There are ways to save, though. I’ve compiled some Tips and Tricks to save at the Grocery Store.

Make a LIST!

Do Not stop in for “just a few things,” because a recent survey from Neilsen said the average shopper makes 1.6 trips to the grocery store a week, or 6 trips a month. And each trip without a list can lead to impulse buys. According to a 2026 survey, impulse buying accounts for up to 62% of grocery sales revenue. Just remember the adage “the less I shop, the more I save.”

Shop Your Pantry

Did you ever buy something at the grocery store, come home, and see that you already had it? As you make your shopping list, double-check to make sure you know what you have in your pantry.

Know Your Prices

This one is a little tricky right now because of the ongoing inflation. It wasn’t that long ago that I wouldn’t spend more than $3.50 for a treat of a 12-pack of soda. Now, the “normal” sale on 12-packs is about $5.99 a case. I also use a lot of ground beef/pork/turkey, and a good stock-up price for beef is around $4.99/lb, although I have seen 80/20 ground beef go as low as $3.99/lb. That’s when I stock up and save. Some people keep a little price book, or use their notes app. I’m just weird in that I can remember prices.

Plan Menus Around Sales

Do not go to the store with certain meals in mind just because you haven’t had it in a long time. Take time to look at the ads for your favorite store (or look at my rundown of my favorite Grocery Deals of the Week.) Aldi, Fresh Thyme, Meijer, Festival Foods, and Metro Market/Pick ‘n Save sales week starts on Wednesday, Woodman’s on Thursday, and Hy-vee on Sunday or Monday. Hy-vee is notorious for having special weekend sales that are often better than their standard weekly ad. Pick one or two things that are on sale for your meal inspirations.

Follow Store Sales Cycles

If you follow Wisconsin Consumer, you might notice that some items go on sale every once in a while. In general, the sales cycle for many items is four weeks. So, if you’re going to buy extra X, buy enough to get you through four weeks until the item is on sale again. Some items, like ketchup and mustard, are heavily on sale all summer, so buy enough to last until next spring when it goes on sale again.

Buy One Extra Something When on Sale

I understand that for some people, even setting aside $5-10 for extras may not be feasible, but I encourage you to try to save just $5 of your grocery budget to buy an extra pantry item or two if it is on sale. The savings will start to add up.

Check for a Clearance Section

Some stores have a clearance section, but you have to know where to find it. At Festival Foods, you can often find reduced price meat in one particular section of that department. They also will often gather up items that are expiring and put them in a mystery box for one set price. Some stores use back endcaps to put their clearance items or have a designated area in the store where clearance items are in shopping carts. Don’t know where the clearance section is in your favorite store? Ask at the service desk.

Shop in the Early Morning

Shopping in the early morning at some stores will pay off because they’ll have reduced price items in their regular section like produce or meat, denoted with a big neon sticker.

Use Print/Digital Coupons to Your Advantage

I could write a whole article just on digital coupons (in fact, I think I will tackle that in the future.) If the store you’re shopping at uses digital coupons, Add them to your account! I recently was creating my shopping list for my next trip and checked one store; their price was good, but then I checked another store, who not only had lower prices for several things, but they also had digital coupons, making them even more cheap! Some stores will even send you personalized coupons based on your prior purchases.

Warehouse Clubs – Split the Cost

When my mother was still alive, we split the cost of a Sam’s Club or Costco membership. She wanted the great prices but didn’t need the large quantities. So, we split the purchases and she took as much as she needed, and then I got the rest. You might know someone who has a membership and would be willing to let you piggy-back on to their membership. See my article Are Warehouse Clubs Worth the Membership Price?

Go shopping alone

This one is controversial. If you’re a parent of littles, try to go alone. I’ve been there–bringing four kids under the age of six to the grocery store. It won’t be a quick trip. The gimmees rear their ugly head. The youngest will find a way to get out of the cart even when strapped in. The littles like to run ahead. There are teaching moments to be had, but really, until kids are school age, it’s a minefield to bring them to the grocery store. Some families shop together on the weekends to spend more time together. I can tell you that if Mom or Dad goes grocery shopping alone, the trip goes much faster and you won’t lose out on so much time together at all.

Do you have any tips or tricks you’d like to add? Let me know in the comments!

Sources: Impulse Buying Statistics (2026): Consumer Spending Habits; 6 Things Retirees Should Never Put in Their Grocery Cart; How Often Do Americans Grocery Shop? | GroceryTrack; Grocery Shopping Statistics (2026): Behavior & Demographics; Economic Policy Institute | Family Budget Calculator

Fans of reading may be interested in my other website, Bargain Sleuth Reviews. The majority of books I review are Advanced Reader’s Copies, which are given for free. Or I get my books to review from The Brown County Library.

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