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The holidays can be a financially burdensome this time of year. From November to the end of December, we find ourself shopping for gifts for everyone on your list, going to more events and parties where fancier attire is acquired, and hosting friends and family more often.
There’s no denying we absolutely love and cherish doing those things, but there’s also no contesting that finding ways to save money this time of year is something we prioritize as well. When it comes to saving money on groceries during the holidays it’s all about strategy. Walking into a store without one, won’t help you one bit, so we’re sharing our top ten ways to save money at the grocery store this holiday. These tips will ensure that you’re not overspending, and using your money wisely.
10 Ways to Save Money On Groceries This Holiday
1. Set a Budget
Creating a budget for yourself is the best way to stay on target with your food spending during the holiday. Take the time to write out all the parties and events you’re planning to grocery shop for, plan the meals (+ the ingredients you’ll need) and create a responsible and reasonable budget for yourself. You’ll be thankful you did it in advance!
2. Limit the Amount of Holiday Parties You Participate In
It can be hard saying “no” to a holiday party invite, but if you’re looking so save a bit of money before the end of the year, it helps to pick and choose the events you want to attend. Whether you’re invited to multiple Friendsgivings or Christmas dinner parties, buying a bottle of wine, bringing a charcuterie board or baking a dessert can add up.
Set a limit for the number of parties you want to attend and make the ones you do go to memorable, by bringing a crowd-favorite dish or beverage.
3. Take Advantage of Holiday Food Sales
During the holidays, there are surprisingly a lot of food sales. During this time of year, look for marked down items that could be useful for seasonal recipes and weekly meals. Here’s a list of items that are typically discounted this time of year:
November (Thanksgiving) —AKA the BEST time to score sales:
Produce Items:
Shelf Items:
Refrigerated Items:
December (Christmas + Hanukkah)
Items to Look Out For:
4. Make Recipes with Cheaper Ingredients
Another hack to save some money on groceries this holiday season is to make recipes with cheaper ingredients. It’s not worth it to stress over making an expensive dinner — like a cut steak or a recipe with twenty ingredients in it.
Stick with a simple, cheap recipe that includes things that you normally have on hand. Things like simple dinner rolls, homemade snack mix, pasta or a simple vanilla sour cream cake.
5. Save Money on Beverages
The holiday season comes with so many fun drink options — alcoholic or non-alcoholic—however "froufrou" drinks can be quite costly. When it comes to hosting a large crowd or dinner party, opt for a cheaper drink of choice that you can buy in bulk. We recommend making a cocktail with cranberry juice and sparkling water, or just providing tea or water for guests.
6. Avoid Multiple Weekly Grocery Runs
We can often get caught in the routine of making multiple grocery runs throughout the week. However, we’re limiting ourselves to one trip a week for the next couple of months.
Setting one day where you shop for all your groceries can help cut additional costs during the holidays. This is where having a plan and a budget going into the store is handy too. Make a grocery list that includes all the items you’ll need for meals and snacks throughout the week to ensure you have everything you truly need.
7. Invite Guests to Bring A Side for Dinner Parties
Hosting a pot luck dinner will not only take the financial responsibility of making all the food items for your friends and family, but it will also make the prep so much easier as well. Invite your guests to bring their favorite side, appetizer or dessert for your Thanksgiving meal, Christmas party or New Years Eve gatherings.
8. Splurge on Some Things, Save on Others
Splurging on some things is worth it when you can save on others. Although the point is to save during the holidays, there are still opportunities to splurge — whether that be on a fine wine, a special meat for dinner, or a more decadent dessert option. Spending more on several food items shouldn’t break the budget, as long as your staying within the means of the amount you wish to spend.
9. Shop at Stores with Better Deals (Walmart, Trader Joes or Aldi)
Although we love the aesthetic of Whole Foods or our local market, our wallet often times doesn’t. Shopping at stores with better prices, like Walmart, Trader Joes or Aldi, can get you better deals on produce, canned goods and a lot of other items.
It’s okay to shop at more expensive stores for a few special items, but generic foods that you can buy at any big name store will be cheaper and keep more money in your pocket.
10. Prep Cheap, Healthy Meals for the Week
Last, but certainly not least, we recommend prepping cheap, healthy meals for the weeks leading up to the holidays. We love doing this because we know exactly what we’re going to eat every day, we know that it’s going to be nutritious, and that we saved money by not eating out or ordering Doordash delivery.
Some of our favorite meals to prep for the week are:
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