7 Smart Ways To Save Money on Groceries This Holiday Season

The holidays can be a memorable time marked by special moments such as gathering with family and friends, sharing a meal together, creating memories, topped by the fun and excitement of gift exchanging. But with current gas prices and food costs, are there ways to save on food shopping dollars, so you won’t lose much holiday cheer? This article will show you smart ways you can enjoy this time of year but still eat nourishingly well during this season!


Worried About Money This Season?

Money can be a big stressor, and potentially more so around the holidays. That’s because there may be family gatherings to plan for, homes to decorate, gifts and greeting cards to give, and possibly holiday meal events to host at this time of year.

So, is there anything that can be done to help lighten the ‘financial load’ these holidays may bring? Yes, there is! Let me show you 7 budget-friendly ways to save money on groceries this holiday season, so you can still have a joy-filled holiday with special moments spent with family and friends in the coming weeks!

#1 – Get Familiar with Your Grocery Store’s Pricing Patterns

Often, to attract shoppers to come to their store, grocery stores will periodically run promotions with great deals on certain food items, showcasing them on sale for much lower prices. So, start tracking the sale patterns at your favorite grocery store now through weekly ad circulars and in-store promotional signs, and this may help you better plan out your holiday grocery shopping. You’ll get to know when certain food items at that store will likely go on sale (again) and can plan your kitchen restock priorities accordingly.


 #2 – Hosting a Meal? Have Guests Chip In

If you are wanting to host a big holiday lunch or dinner event with family or friends, decide on what will work best for you time, prep and budget-wise. Perhaps it’s to have your guests help contribute to the meal by each bringing a dish. Or, you can choose to make the entire meal for the gathering yourself, but ask those coming to chip in a portion of the cost of the grocery bill. Go ahead with the option that feels most comfortable to you.
 

#3 – Know the Main Recipes You’re Making

Deciding on the actual dishes you’ll make for that upcoming holiday meal BEFORE you step into the grocery store will be a big help. Why? That’s because you’ll be much less likely to get side-tracked by irrelevant store promotions if you already know the ingredients you definitely need to have on hand for the recipes you are making. You may even be able to do a little price comparison for some of the bigger ticket items using supermarket store-specific apps on your phone, before heading out to do the actual shopping!


#4 – Take Advantage of Store Apps

Speaking of apps, big grocery store chains tend to have their own specific apps to better help their store shoppers with online or in-store purchases. A benefit of downloading and checking these grocery store apps often is that there can be special discounts available through these apps, that may not be available in-store. Also, if there are 2 – 3 stores you regularly frequent, having the store apps may allow you to easily do some price comparisons, rather than wasting gas by actually driving around to try to get good food deals (definitely not recommended now with current gas prices!).

#5 – Stick with Seasonal Produce

Have a think about what fresh produce are more readily available now and aim to use those in your holiday cooking. For example, at this time of year, I usually see bins of sweet potatoes available in-store, and at very low prices. So, I usually buy more and use them for one of my holiday dishes. Other examples of seasonal produce that can potentially be used are winter squashes, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, turnips, and parsnips.


#6 – Make Use of Frozen Vegetables

Nowadays, most stores carry quite a selection of frozen vegetables and frozen fruits. This can be a nutritious option and a money-saver, especially in the winter months if fresh vegetables and fruits are not as readily available where you live. Just some examples of frozen vegetables you can plan into your holiday menu are frozen snow peas, edamame, butternut squash and mixed vegetable medleys, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach and asparagus spears. Another benefit is that with frozen vegetables, you can use the amount you need for the recipe, while the rest can stay stored for awhile longer, so there is less wastage. These frozen vegetables usually also come already prepped and cut up, and are ready to use, so you’ll save much time and energy in the cooking process too!

#7 – Split Bulk Items

We all know that often buying fresh produce in larger quantities, like a 5-lb bag of carrots or onions, or a 10-lb bag of potatoes can result in money savings. But what if you KNOW you won’t be able to use 10 pounds worth of potatoes before they start sprouting, or have the space in your fridge to store 5 pounds of carrots? Here’s what to do. Team up with a friend or neighbor ahead of time, so you can still buy produce in bulk (especially those on special sale promotions) but just split the cost and quantity with them. This strategy also works for non-food related party items like napkins, disposable tableware, beverage containers and cutlery. 

I hope you find many of these tips easy to implement and doable. Every little bit can add up towards substantial money savings during this holiday season!