You don't need coupons to spend less at the store
Food prices have been climbing for years, and clipping coupons takes time most people working a shift schedule or juggling gig apps just don't have. Grocery prices have been on a multi-year upward climb, and government inflation data has repeatedly shown food costs outpacing overall price growth in recent years. The good news: some of the biggest savings at the grocery store have nothing to do with coupons at all.
Switch to store brands — the gap is bigger than you'd think
This is the single easiest change you can make. According to a study by the Private Label Manufacturers Association, consumers can save an average of 25% to 30% on their grocery bills by choosing store-brand options over name brands. For a household, this could amount to hundreds of dollars in savings each year.
Some categories show even bigger gaps. A price comparison of 171 products at Walmart, Kroger, and Target found sports hydration drinks at Walmart offer an average savings of 74.3% compared to name brands, while tortilla chips can save you 62.7%, and store-brand items like ketchup, milk, and mac and cheese can save you up to 60-70% across those three retailers. Milk is a good one to start with, since buying a gallon of store-brand milk equaled a 61% saving on average across Walmart, Kroger and Target.
If you're worried store brands mean worse quality, that's largely a myth at this point — there's also plenty of evidence to suggest that the same manufacturers often produce both the brand-name products and the store-brand products. Stores built on this model prove the point: supermarkets like Aldi have long recognized the value in avoiding name-brand items, and ninety percent of products at Aldi are private label, so the chain can offer its customers more affordable prices.
Check the unit price, not just the sticker price
Package sizes keep shrinking while prices hold steady — it's worth a second look before you grab the "bigger" box. When you comparison shop, don't evaluate the sticker price alone — make sure you consider the cost per unit to find out which product is actually the most affordable, especially when companies use "shrinkflation" to sell smaller quantities at the same price. Most grocery stores list a unit price right below the item's total price, shown as price per ounce or price per pound.
Swap some meat for beans, lentils, and eggs
Meat is usually the priciest line item in any cart, and protein prices move around a lot. Diversifying your protein sources is good for your health and your wallet — swap out one or two meat-based meals per week for those relying on low-cost protein foods such as beans, peas and lentils. On average, a pound of dried beans is just $1.71, and a pound makes 12 servings; beans increased only 19% since 2020 — far less than many other staples.
If you do buy meat, you can lower costs by buying value-sized packs, typically priced lower per pound, and freezing what you don't use right away.
Plan meals around what's already on sale — and in your fridge
Instead of deciding dinner first and shopping second, flip the order. Plan your meals for the week based on what's on sale, and check store flyers and online ads before you shop. Before you even make a list, take stock of what you already have — that kind of simple planning makes a big difference, and using up what's already in your fridge or pantry cuts down on both waste and your total bill.
Reducing waste matters more than people assume. Properly storing food, freezing leftovers, and using every part of the ingredient can minimize waste and maximize your grocery budget.
Build your own staples instead of buying them pre-made
Prepared and packaged convenience foods carry a heavy markup. It might not be the worst idea for your grocery bill to cut back on prepared foods such as crackers, rolls, frozen pies, cookies and cakes — try making your own instead, since basic ingredients like flour didn't top the inflation list and are still comparatively low-cost. As one example of the gap: white, all-purpose flour runs about $0.57 per pound, while a pound of chocolate chip cookies costs almost 10 times as much, around $5.
Buy non-perishables in bulk, not produce
Bulk buying only pays off for items that won't go bad before you use them. Focus bulk purchases on shelf-stable items — for perishables like meat, dairy, and produce, buy only what you'll use in the next week or two.
Put it together
None of these moves require printing a single coupon. Switching to store brands, checking unit prices, swapping in a few meatless meals, and planning around sales and what's already in your kitchen can meaningfully lower your weekly total — and they take minutes, not an afternoon with scissors.
If an unexpected bill lands before your next paycheck or gig payout and it crowds out your grocery budget for the week, B9 offers paycheck advances to help you bridge the gap without turning to a payday loan.