‘I know inflation is crazy, but this is nuts’: Duo spending $1,300 on groceries every month scores 32+ tips from frugal altruists

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Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor
Feb 1, 2024 12:00 PM EST

Watching the grocery store cashier ring up your food items, makes every working-class shopper rethink that second box of gourmet cookies. As the receipt tallies your haul of hunted and gathered groceries, it's hard not to think of those days when a family of four could live off of a $20 grocery store run for a whole week– nowadays, $20 gets you a box of lettuce, 12 eggs, and a cluster of bananas (if you're lucky). 

Shrinkflation and rising costs may be lining the pockets of the grocery conglomerate's pockets, but it's having a devastating effect on the common man's wallet. However discouraging it may seem out there, as we all desperately try to fill the fridge, one couple collected an astonishingly simple list of money-saving tips from some of the most frugal shoppers online. 

Scroll for the full account of some grocery store short-cuts that might just save you hundreds on your next Trade Joe's run.

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  • 01
    r/ r/Frugal 13 hr. ago Ashamed-Eye-No-S Groceries are killing me Tip/advice So my husband and I just did bills for December and January. We try to do bills every other month to capture our grocery bill and holy It's so much. I'm saying groceries are foods, basic toiletries (not makeup, cologne, etc but toothpaste, tampons, and stuff like that), cleaning supplies (paper towels, dish soap, etc).
    via Ashamed-Eye-No-S
  • 02
    We're 2 people 38 & 39 years old. I'm a female vegan and he's a vegetarian. How the are our groceries $1300 per month?? I know inflation is crazy right now, but this is nuts. Without going through every receipt & detail, can ya'll let me know how you're able to save on groceries right now? I'd like for our budget to be 900 at the most. We've only gotten it to 1000 one time in the past year. We didn't live together before that, so I don't know what I was paying. Any help?
    via Ashamed-Eye-No-S
  • 03
    sweaterweatherNE 13h ago ● I spend about 800-1000 a month for a family of 4. Start with eliminating any beverages. Water is enough. Buy no frills store brands. Don't buy precut fruit. Cut it yourself. Don't buy premade meals. Use the store app and upload coupons beforehand. Each week shop the sales and stock up on items that way.
    via sweaterweatherNE
  • 04
    harriedhag 13h ago ● You'll need to itemize to figure out where you're going wrong. 549 + More replies R Share ShanimalTheAnimal 13h ago How much food waste do you have? ● I started meal planning, just for dinners. Eat the same thing for 2-3 days and then make the next thing.
    via harriedhag
  • 05
    Also, I stopped being precious about organic etc., except for animal products (I eat fish and free range eggs), and bulk of shipping is at the regular grocery store. A great tip is to ONLY allow yourself to shop once a week. This forces you to
    via ShanimalTheAnimal
  • 06
    plan, forces you to make and eat what you planned, and plus if you run out well... just make something out of what you've got. There is always something there. Finally... we stopped drinking. That helps a LOT. 2 adults, 1 kid, $600/mo average, HCOL area.
    via ShanimalTheAnimal
  • 07
    Bluesbrother504 - 13h ago If you are buying lots of Impossible or other faux meat products it adds up. I have been Vegan for 22 years and try to avoid more than 2 meals a week with faux meat. I don't count tofu in that equation or soy curls. But yeah life is expensive
    via Bluesbrother504
  • 08
    mtnagel 13h ago That's an insane amount to me. Where are you located? But assuming you are in the US, it shouldn't be that much more. We're 2 vegetarians in Cincinnati and I don't think we spend more than $400 per month and we rarely eat out - maybe once a week.
    via mtnagel
  • 09
    But I also shop sales, use coupons and deal apps like Ibotta. Are you eating a lot of meat subs like Impossible? If so, maybe eat more beans and tofu. We eat some subs, but I never pay full price. For example, Impossible was BOGO at Kroger and was $1 off on Ibotta, so instead of $9 per pack, I got them for $3.5 each.
    via mtnagel
  • 10
    Constant-Ad-7490 Paper products are so expensive now. I was shocked that my parents are paying $30 for a big pack of TP or paper towels. Obviously the TP is non-negotiable, but I cut down my cleaning budget by using rags or other reusables for most of my routine cleaning and only using paper towels for icky jobs (wiping up grease, cleaning toilet, anything I wouldn't want in the washing machine, basically). ● 13h ago
    via Constant-Ad-7490
  • 11
    omgitsviva 13h ago $1300 a month is insane. I'm not vegan or vegetarian, but I eat veggie for probably 90% of my meals. My grocery bill, including the same items you have (toiletries, miscellaneous house items, dog treats) is about $400 a month for a single person.
    via omgitsviva
  • 12
    Without seeing what you're purchasing, it's hard to say. Swap "Impossible" proteins to cheap proteins, like beans and chick peas, etc. Set out a grocery list for home- made meals that can be reheated, and stick to the list. Remove any alcohol and most beverages. I like tea, and it's inexpensive enough, so I keep that, but the flavoured waters, sodas, etc.
    via omgitsviva
  • 13
    add up. There are lots of other great tips in this thread and similar threads, but honestly, the best way to cut down on grocery cost is to plan your meals (planning to eliminate all waste- - if you don't use all broccoli in one meal, plan another meal with broccoli), create a shopping list, and stick with the list. Most people with huge grocery bills are impulse shoppers without a plan and have high waste for perishables.
    via omgitsviva
  • 14
    iridescent_wings • 13h ago I spend $70-$75/week at Trader Joes. That's about $300 for 1 person. I eat everything within that week, then I go and buy more for the following week.
    via iridescent__wings
  • 15
    pepmin 13h ago ● I have been able to keep my grocery costs down by only buying what is on sale in the weekly ad or for which there is a digital coupon available. This is especially handy for produce-this week there were great deals on oranges and apples but not grapes, so that's what I bought. I can't always get what I want each week, but if I am patient then it will eventually go on sale. I also make a lot of stuff from scratch like breads and pizza and cookies, which saves a ton of money.
    via pepmin
  • 16
    HunterDHunter • 13h ago You gotta shop around. A lot of people in my area keep shopping at the most expensive stores simply due to habit or convenience. Learn which stores are best for each category. I have a staples store (Aldi), a meat and produce store (local market), a candy store (dollar tree), and I'll head to the expensive store if there is a specialty item I need or I want seafood.
    via HunterDHunter
  • 17
    AnnabananalL . 13h ago Shop Aldi, Ruler Foods, Always save. Eat what's on sale. Make as much from scratch as you can. We have a freezer we stock when stuff is on sale, and use a food saver. We don't buy convenience meals, or pre-prepped anything. He bought an ice cream maker a while back, man that saves. Hubby makes enough for leftovers and we eat it for lunch. We
    via AnnabananaIL
  • 18
    also find that chicken and pork can be cheaper in large quantities at Costco or Sam's, along with rice, tea, flour, and other basics. It's a pain to then store it in smaller containers, but it does cut costs. Just the two of us, we spend about $500/month.
    via AnnabananalL
  • 19
    00 necrosythe 13h ago ● Honestly even if you shop at more expensive stores the issue is most likely in WHAT you are buying. Meats are usually pretty expensive so your meals should be cheap without them unless you're buying fake meat and cheese. Going to any legit budget store obviously helps though. Gotta learn to make cheap meals part of your heavy rotation. Limit vegan/veg substitutes and snacks/junk
    via nercrosythe
  • 20
    Beansiesdaddy. 13h ago Coupons, grocery reward programs, shop multiple stores for sales, cut out expensive items ✩ 14 ↓ Reply ↑ Share redhouse_bikes · 13h ago Dried beans and rice are very cheap and nutritious.
    via Beansiesdaddy
  • 21
    Just_a_Marmo... 12h ago. Edited 12h ago ● My partner and I are vegan. We spend $400/mo on groceries. This does not include household items or food/supplies for our companion animals. We only eat out about 2x/month right now, so this budget covers 98% of our meals. We cook from scratch at home, but do use some vegan convenience foods. We live in a VHCOL area. We shop at Trader Joe's, Sprouts, and our local co-op.
    via Just_a_Marmot
  • 22
    georgie259 13h ago We have almost completely stopped shopping at 'standard' grocery stores (like Publix/Harris Teeter/Kroger/Target). Even with coupons here and there, the prices are so high in the first place it doesn't make much of an impact. We recently gave up our Costco membership as we also didn't see any real savings here when compared with cheaper grocery stores.
    via georgie259
  • 23
    Each week we set out a meal plan for the week ahead, write a list to make only those meals and then ONLY SHOP THAT LIST. We try and see what foods are on offer that week to base the meal plan around. We also keep a couple of staples in the freezer like pizza or dumplings in case we are in a bind so we don't have to rely on takeout.
    via georgie259
  • 24
    We don't buy premade snacks or convenience foods and cook everything from scratch. My general rule is 'nothing in a box! We'll buy a bag of carrots and make our own hummus, or boil a bunch of eggs to quickly grab, or have easy fruit that doesn't require chopping/prep - like clementines or bananas.
    via georgie259
  • 25
    A lot of our meals focus on beans or tofu as a protein so we avoid buying meat as much as possible. We'll try and utilize them in different ways to keep things interesting, like crumbling tofu to use instead of ground beef, slicing in strips and frying in a stiry fry, or baking crispy tofu cubes to have in a rice bowl. That keeps the one protein of 'tofu' from getting boring.
    via georgie259
  • 26
    As others have said, we don't really buy beverages. But have invested in a high quality coffee maker to have espresso beverages at home when we feel like a treat. Of course, caveating this with the area you live in. Some HCOL areas make it almost impossible to get a grocery budget this low, while I'm sure it seems high to those in LCOL areas.
    via georgie259
  • 27
    forakora 11h ago ● Single vegan in Los Angeles. Spend $150- 250 a month, and I eat good. Just depends on if I'm buying alcohol or splurging on some new stuff from TJs, that'll push me to the upper limit. Mostly Grocery Outlet for pantry, and Vallarta and Galleria for produce / tofu / tvp / soyrizo. Last night I had curry. Half a can of tomatoes, half a can of chilis, onion, garlic, lentils, spices, rice. Less than $2 and I have leftovers 3 whole meals out of that
    via forakora
  • 28
    Lori1985 13h ago ● I don't know what store you shop at, but that could be the problem. We have started shopping at Aldi & Walmart more. And we have a Sams Club & Costco membership. I hate to admit, but Sams Club is really cheap. We are a family of 5, we are not vegetarians, we eat meat at least once a day. We can fill our deep freezer up with enough meat and frozen veggies to last a month for $200 at Sams Club.
    via Lori1985
  • 29
    __under-scored 13h ago Go through your receipts and look for patterns. Packaged foods, treats, impulse buys, etc. Keep notes of your food waste. Gather all the food clutter in your home and eat your way through it. By the end of these you'll know exactly what your non-frugal food habits are
    via ___under-scored___
  • 30
    whoocanitbenow 12h ago Cook a big pot of vegetarian chili in your slow cooker and eat that all week. It's the only thing that works for me.
    via whoocanitbenow
  • 31
    We don't buy pre-made snacks or convenience foods. My rule is 'nothing in a box'
    via canva

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