20 Costly Mistakes You’re Making at the Grocery Store
Written by
Caitlyn Moorhead
Edited by
Katie Wudel
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Grocery shopping without a plan is basically like walking a financial tightrope without a net. And with rising food costs, it may feel like you actually aren’t saving that much money by eating at home.
However, there may be several costly mistakes you are making that are contributing to this. Here are 20 potential pitfalls to look out for so you can make a few tweaks to your grocery routine and save yourself some money.
Shopping on the Wrong Day
You can cut grocery costs by simply shopping on the right day of the week.
“We all get into a routine and often hit up our stores around the same time weekly,” said Tracie Fobes of Penny Pinchin’ Mom. “Make sure that you are shopping at the time when you can be certain to get every deal the store offers.”
For example, Fobes said her local supermarket runs a weekly ad from Wednesday to Tuesday.
“Those items are all on sale for seven days,” Fobes said. “They also always offer a shorter sale period during that same time. It almost always encompasses a Friday and Saturday. By shopping on Friday, I am sure to not only have the opportunity to get the current weekly sale prices, but also those short-lived sale prices at the same time.”
Shopping Without a List
Heading to the supermarket without a grocery list is a recipe for overspending. That’s because you’ll likely end up buying things you don’t really need and forgetting things you do need. This will force you to make extra trips to the store, which will cost you time and money.
“People waste a ton of money when they don’t write out a list of what they need before heading into the store,” said Kelly Anne Smith, former writer and email content specialist at The Penny Hoarder. “Not having a plan before shopping is one of the quickest ways to blow your entire grocery budget.”
Making Impulse Buys
Another benefit of shopping with a list is that it can help you avoid making impulse buys.
“Impulse buying is the biggest mistake,” said Stephanie Nelson of Coupon Mom. “Buying appealing but perhaps full-priced items that you don’t need is the most expensive mistake shoppers make.”
Learn the immediate things you can do to resist an impulse buy. The key is to actually stick to your list. Check items in your cart against your list before you leave the store to make sure you haven’t added too many things you weren’t originally planning to buy.
Ignoring Weekly Ads
It’s easy to just walk by the stack of weekly sales circulars as you enter the grocery store. But this weekly ad flyer could be the key to growing your savings.
“Pick up the store ad when you walk in the front door of the store,” Nelson said. “Even if you haven’t made a detailed list, you’ll see what the rock-bottom deals are on the front page.”
Supermarkets also post weekly ads on their websites, so you can plan your shopping list based on the best deals.
Shopping for a Recipe
On average, only two out of 10 items in a recipe will be on sale in a given week, said Teri Gault, author of “Shop Smart, Save More.” If your shopping list is based on ingredients, you need for a recipe, you’ll end up overpaying for about 80% of what goes in your cart.
“Instead, choose recipes according to what you already have and what’s on sale,” Gault said. So, if chicken is on sale but beef isn’t, opt for chicken recipes. Plan your menu around the biggest pictures on the front page of your supermarket’s weekly sales ad, she noted.
Buying the Same Things Every Week
It’s easy to fall into the habit of buying the same things at the supermarket every week. But you’ll end up paying more if you’re putting items in your cart regardless of price.
“Vary your diet and preferences by trying the sale-priced options,” Nelson said. “For example, get sale-priced broccoli instead of full-priced asparagus, and reverse that when the sales switch. That principle applies in every department of the store.”
Not Signing Up for Rewards
Most supermarkets have rewards programs that are free to join and allow members who swipe their rewards cards at checkout to get discounts on select items.
Plus, some supermarkets’ rewards programs let members earn points for discounts at the gas pump. For example, at Safeway you can get 10 cents off per gallon for every $100 spent on groceries. Taking advantage of these special discounts and rewards can add up to major savings.
Not Stacking Coupons
Combining a manufacturer’s offer with a store offer is an overlooked way to save a lot of money. You’ll need to invest a little more time than you would simply looking for your supermarket’s digital coupons to score savings, though.
You can find printable manufacturers’ coupons to stack with grocery store coupons or sales at sites like Coupons.com, Coupon Mom and SavingsAngel.
Not Using Your Supermarket’s App
Most grocery stores have free apps you can use to score supermarket savings on the go. The app is an easy way to keep track of digital coupons while you’re in the store — especially if you didn’t do it at home.
Sometimes, stores offer personalized coupons on their apps based on your shopping history. For example, you might get an offer to save 67% on a particular produce item that’s not on sale otherwise.
According to Gault, “Some digital coupons are for free groceries, possibly something you were planning to buy anyway.”
Shopping Without Rebate Apps
“There are multiple cash-back apps to help stretch your dollar at the grocery store,” Smith said. “I personally love Ibotta because it has such a wide range of products with rebates.”
You can download the free app, search for items you want to buy to see if rebates are available and then unlock the rebates by performing simple tasks — such as watching a short video — she said. After you buy the items, scan the barcodes and your receipt. Once you’ve earned at least $20, you can get your cash through PayPal or gift cards.
“By not utilizing these cash-back programs, you’re wasting an opportunity to spend anywhere from 5 cents to $2 less on everyday items,” Smith said.
Buying More Than You Need
Buying the biggest size — such as a 10-pound bag of potatoes instead of the 5-pound bag — can also backfire if you can’t consume all of it before it goes bad.
“The average household throws away 20% to 40% of perishable items,” said Nelson.
Regardless of whether you got those items at a discount, you’re not saving money if you’re not eating them. “It’s better to run out of an item than to throw away unused food,” she said.
Being Loyal to Certain Brands
“We get so set in our ways of sticking with the same brands that we often will pay premium prices just to buy them,” Fobes said. “What many people do not realize is that most store brands are the name brands with a different label.”
And the name brands can cost as much as 25% more than the store brand. So, if you want to save money at the supermarket, ditch your brand loyalty.
“Without even using coupons, you can cut 25% off your grocery bill by choosing the sale-priced brand of your regular items instead of being strictly loyal to one brand,” Nelson said.
Underbuying Sale Items
Don’t think of a sale as a chance to get an item you regularly buy at a discount. Think of it as an opportunity to stock up and save big.
For example, if you use chicken every week and it’s 50% off, you should buy enough to stock the freezer for two or three weeks until it’s 50% off again, Nelson said.
“This simple strategy can save a family of four a few hundred dollars a year compared with paying the going price each week,” she said.
Shopping Hungry
“When you are hungry and there is nothing to fix at home because you did not plan properly, you will run to the store,” Fobes said. “You will buy items you normally would not because your hunger is in control of what is being added to your shopping cart.”
Even if you go on a planned shopping trip, you could end up making more impulse buys if you shop while you’re hungry.
“You can often find you save 10% to 20% if you just shop when you are not hungry,” she said.
Buying Packaged Dinner Mixes
Packaged dinner mixes might be convenient, but you’ll pay a premium for that convenience. For example, the typical price of a packaged pasta skillet dinner is $2-$3 for a single box.
Instead, make cheap pasta meals yourself. Start with a 1-pound box of pasta, which makes eight servings and costs as little as $1.
Comparing Prices Without Noticing Sizes
When you compare prices, you should also compare the amount you’re getting for the price. For example, sometimes the name-brand bottle of juice contains 59 ounces, and the store brand contains 64 ounces, Gault said. Sometimes a “pound” of bacon is only 12 ounces instead of a pound.
“So what you think looks like a better price has 25% less bacon,” she said.
Paying for the Stock Person’s Mistake
It happens to all of us: You think you’re reaching for what’s on sale, but you end up with higher-priced items because someone made a mistake stocking the shelf.
“Often, (products) look similar, which is how they got misplaced in the first place,” Gault said. “Either way, you just paid about twice as much as you thought you would.”
Carefully check the name and size of the sale item to make sure it matches the item you place in your cart.
Failing To Check Your Receipt for Savings
Another reason to check your receipts and hang onto them is that they often offer opportunities to save the next time you shop.
“Throwing away receipts or shoving them into the bottom of your bag is almost as bad as throwing away a $10 bill,” Smith said. “Sometimes there are survey codes at the bottom with incentives for filling them out, like coupons for your next grocery run.”
Before you leave the store, you should also check your receipt for errors, Gault said. Make sure you got all the sale prices, instant rebates and coupon discounts you deserve. “Sometimes — inadvertently — deals are missing that could cost you a few dollars, or more,” she said.
Buying Precut Vegetable and Fruits
Just as you’ll pay more for steak that’s pre-cubed, you’ll also pay a premium for vegetables and fruits that are already pre-peeled, sliced and diced. Resist the temptation to take the easy route and you’ll be rewarded with more money in your pocket.
Not Bringing Your Own Bags
Many cities and states now charge you a fee if you do not bring your own reusable bags. While a 10-cent fee might seem minor, if you use five bags on your average haul, that adds up to an extra $2 every month.
Cameron Huddleston contributed to the reporting for this article.
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