Americans are spending roughly 10% of their personal income on food costs every month, according to Wall Street Journal. This is the most expensive food costs have been since 1991.
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Given what the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ most recently available data suggests, this tracks. The BLS estimates that the average American household spends about $779 a month on food, including groceries and dining out. Groceries alone cost about $475 a month.
If your food costs are high, you’re not alone, but nor are you necessarily stuck with a high bill every month. GOBankingRates spoke with Brittany Kline and Janita Grift, two individuals who managed to bring their grocery bill down, to find out how they did it and how much they saved. This is what they told us.
“Our family of four used to spend around $1,200 each month on groceries. It was a big chunk of our budget,” said Brittany Kline, owner of The Savvy Mama and The Savvy Kitchen. “[My husband] Kelan and I knew we had to find a better way.”
Janita Grift, a frugal living expert and owner of Frugal Fun Finance, had a smaller bill — but also a smaller household. “I’m a single person living alone who used to spend around $250 a month on groceries,” she said.
So, how did they lower their bills? Here are some of their strategies.
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Switch Grocery Stores
Sometimes, lowering your food costs is as simple as switching where you shop.
Knowing they needed to find a better way to manage their expenses, the Kline family started looking for other options to bring down their food costs. But they didn’t want to sacrifice the quality or flavor of their meals, so they turned toward high-quality stores with more affordable prices.
“First, we switched where we shop for groceries. Now, our main grocery store is Aldi,” said Kline. “The savings there were pretty impressive. Prices were consistently lower than other stores, and we found everything we needed without emptying our wallets. And the best part? The quality was top-notch, so we didn’t feel like we were compromising on taste or freshness.”
Grift also opts for cheaper stores, even if it means taking a little longer to get there.
“[I’ll travel] 10 minutes further to a cheaper grocery store by taking transit instead of the more expensive one located within walking distance of my apartment,” she said.
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Make a List and Compare Prices
Another method Grift uses to lower food costs is to make a grocery list and then check the prices of different items on that list at several stores using Flipp. She’ll then shop at two or three different places and buy the cheapest of each item on her list.
At the same time, she sticks to her list and doesn’t deviate from it. This helps prevent impulse buys or other purchases she didn’t really need.
Use Affordable Staples Across Multiple Meals
“[I cook] with budget-friendly staple items such as lentils, beans, pasta, potatoes and onions,” said Grift. “I buy larger packages of perishable foods and can use them throughout the week in different dishes.”
She also purchases goods like canned beans, frozen fruit and toilet paper in bulk since they tend to be cheaper and last longer.
Plan Meals and Use Leftovers
Similarly, Kline said that her household started regularly planning out their meals and getting creative with their leftovers to cut food costs.
“I started creating a weekly meal plan based on what Aldi had on sale and what ingredients we already had at home,” said Kline. “This helped us stick to our budget and reduce food waste, as we only bought what we needed. We also got clever with leftovers. Now, I turn them into new meals to stretch our budget even further.”
Stick to the Outer Aisles
Many grocery stores stock their middle aisles with processed foods and snacks, things that are tempting to buy and can cause your bill to skyrocket. Avoiding these aisles is a great way to keep costs down.
“[I spend] 80% of my time shopping on the outside aisles where essential items are kept such as fruits, vegetables and grains,” said Grift. “Spending less time on the inside aisles has reduced my temptation to add snacks to my cart that I don’t need.”
Cut Back on Dining Out
According to the BLS study, the average American household spends $303 a month on dining out. Kline said her family started eating out less and cooking more at home to cut food costs.
“Eating out adds up fast, so we made it a rare treat rather than a regular habit. Cooking at home not only saved us money but also gave us more quality family time around the dinner table,” said Kline.
Shop Less Often
Grift also shops once a week now rather than multiple times as she did before. “When I shop once a week, I reduce the number of times I risk adding items to my cart I don’t need,” she said. “Unnecessary purchases add up over time.”
So, after implementing these changes to the way they shop, the question is: How much are they saving compared to before?
“Now, with these changes in place, our grocery bill is around $800 per month,” said Kline. “That’s $400 saved on food costs alone.”
She continued, “It’s made a huge difference financially. We put those savings toward other things like vacations or savings for our kids. And knowing we’re being savvy with our spending gives us a sense of accomplishment and peace of mind.”
As for Grift, she saves about $50 to $100 a month on groceries. “Thanks to my frugal grocery shopping habits, I now spend around $150-200 per month on my bill,” she said.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: My Grocery Bill Got Out of Control: I Took These 7 Steps To Bring It Down