Save Money on Groceries

Good morning, friends! 👋

Eating at home is one of our top recommendations to save, but with grocery prices rising an average of 3.3% in 2025, it’s vital to use our resources to save where we can.

Strategic use of apps, discount stores, and trade can help mitigate the sticker shock we feel while shopping—and today we’re recommending our favorites! 

🍎 How to Save Money on Groceries

1. Apps. 📱 Smartphones are a wonderful thing, and the money-saving potential they have is unlimited. Check out these apps for free/discounted food: 

• Flashfood. Find foods close to ‘best-by’ dates so you can purchase at 50% off! 

• Olio. Neighbors list extra food for free. This app reduces waste, helps the food-insecure, & builds community at no cost! 

• Too Good to Go. Allows you to purchase “surprise” bags of food that didn’t sell at cafes, grocery stores, and restaurants at a steep discount. 

2. Discount grocery stores & farmers markets. 👩🏻‍🌾 Stores like Aldi & Lidl sell off-label products that create space for cheaper grocery visits. Take advantage of lower prices, but keep in mind that there’s less of a selection when you’re in a pinch.

If you’re looking for produce, farmers markets are where to go! Try these tips below to save: 

• Hit the farmer’s market at closing time – vendors want to sell out and will consider negotiating or reducing the price of the product. 🕒

• Offer to work the farm stand every Saturday/Sunday in exchange for meat or produce. 

• Head to a U-Pick Farm where they sell seasonal fruits & veggies at a discounted rate. 🥬

• Look for the day-old section at local bakeries or bakery outlets. 🍞

• Watch for sales and look at the price per unit on items before you buy. If the numbers are in your favor, buy in bulk and freeze. 

3. Start a Garden. 🌱 Maybe you’re a notorious plant murderer, or you have ZERO outdoor space in a cramped apartment (been there). However, there are a few ways we can circumvent these issues: 

• Start small. Herbs are a great place to start. They grow quickly and thrive under almost any conditions. Make your own seasonings, sell them at local pop-up markets, or trade herbs for vegetables with a friend. 

• Borrow what you can. Many libraries offer seeds this time of year, along with free books on gardening. Check out Facebook Marketplace for soil/pot listings, and what you can’t borrow or get for free, the thrift store will have for “dirt” (ha-ha) cheap. 🪴

• Grow vertical. If space is an issue, hang a vertical container garden outside of your window! 

🎉 Need more resources for refining your spending plan? Good news! You’re invited to Not Another Budgeting Challenge! It’s a FREE 4-week reset led by Mind Money Balance’s financial therapist. No guilt, no shame—just doable shifts. Sign up now & get the newsletter while you wait—challenge starts in May! 

🛒 Ep 499 The Ultimate Guide to Frugal Grocery Shopping (Frugal Friends Podcast)

💁‍♀️ 9 Amazon Prime Perks You Need to Be Using!

Since we’re on a ‘saving money’ kick, we want to share a great article our friends at Brad’s Deals wrote about ways to get the most out of your prime membership with 9 Prime member benefits you should be taking advantage of!

For those who already have Prime, you know the convenience of being able to shop from home, while doing away with the pen and paper lists, and traveling to multiple stores to buy what you need! Not to mention the access to exclusive shows and movies.

But there are also some lesser known incentives like free music/podcasts, access to lightning deals, and Whole Foods discounts which could make the per month payment worth it given the discounts unlocked!

To be sure you’re getting the most out of your Prime membership and not missing out on any of those perks, read on for more tips from our deal-finding experts at Brad’s Deals. **

Read online

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Spending is a skill and you can learn to master it. If you’ve ever struggled with being unable to stick to a budget or felt guilty about spending on something you enjoy, Jen and Jill’s debut book is going to be your next favorite read.

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See ya!
Kim

⭐️⭐️ P.S. Want to share all this goodness with your friends AND earn cool Frugal Friends merch?

**Means this is a sponsored or affiliate section. We may earn a small fee or commission when you choose to try one of our sponsor or affiliate partners. But opinions are still 1000% our own.