Grocery Shopping Mistakes That Could Be Costing You a Lot of Money

Saving money at the grocery store isn't as intuitive as you may think. Our viewer Sarah, a self-proclaimed over spender when it comes to groceries, says she's guilty of spending more than she needs to each week. She averages about $225 a week for just herself and her 16-year-old daughter. So, financial expert Lauren Greutman steps in to share her tips to make saving money simple.  

Skip The Bagged Salad 

You spend almost $8.00 on 2 bags of salad when you can get 2 heads of romaine for half the price! Skip the bagged lettuce and opt to make your own salads instead. 

Only Buy Organic If It’s On The "Dirty Dozen" List 

"There's this thing called the dirty dozen, organic bananas are not on the dirty dozen list. The dirty dozen are 12 items that you want to be focusing on buying organic. Potatoes, apples, peaches, spinach are all on the list, but bananas aren't. You don't have to buy your bananas organic," says Lauren.  

Don’t Get Duped In The Meat Section 

Sarah spent almost $9 on chicken wings for less than a pound. The price of wings has increased by a record 40.9% this year. If you go to a local butcher who cuts their own chicken wings, you can save up to 50%. Lauren recently did this herself: “I got 2 lbs. of wings for $16.99 at the local meat market where 1 lb. of wings on average is $13.99.” 

And if you're not sure how to freeze meat when buying in bulk, Lauren has a tip for that too.  

Avoid Delivery Services 

"Sarah spent $280 a year on delivery services, plus an extra $960 a year on tipping. So, we're looking at an extra $1,240 a year in total. And it's not like you don't have time cause you're going into the store anyway. So, cancel the delivery services, make yourself a meal-plan, and go to the store and shop yourself," suggests Lauren.