How to Save Money by Shopping Once a Month

How often do you go to the supermarket? When you go, do you always stick to your list or do you buy whatever looks good? Studies show that almost half of shoppers go to the store three to four times per week and purchase about 54% more than they originally planned.^{[1]XResearch source} In order to save more money and time, some savvy shoppers choose to go to the store only once per month. To some this may seem extreme, but all it takes is careful planning, efficient shopping, and some storage space. Why make four or more trips per month when you can make just one? If you plan ahead to make just one trip a month, your savings will shock you at the end of the year.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Preparing to Go Shopping

In order to figure out what you need to get from the store, you need to make a list of what you already have. Knowing what you already have will also help guide your meal planning for the month. For example, if you have a lot of pasta in your pantry, you should utilize this ingredient in a number of recipes for the month. Be sure to take stock of everything you have in the pantry, refrigerator, and freezer, including any separate freezer chests if you have them.
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Update this list continually. Unless you are able to take inventory, prepare to go shopping, and actually go shopping all in one day (unlikely!), you will need to update your inventory list as you use items. This will ensure that your shopping list is the most current version and will also help track frequently used items and items that tend to go unused.
- Keep this list somewhere visible, like taped onto the fridge.
- Try painting a cabinet front with chalkboard paint as a modern alternative to a paper list.
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Save all of your receipts. Leading up to your first once-a-month shopping trip, or even as you continue to hone your savings skills, keeping receipts is a great tool for gauging your progress. Ideally you should have all of your shopping receipts from a typical month.
- Go through them all and highlight the essentials (the stuff you ended up using or eating completely).
- Underline items that you didn't get through that month so you can track items you tend to buy impulsively and then not use.
- Check the back of the receipts for special coupons or promotions you can use.
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Plan out your meals for the month. Be aware that this step can take a little time for beginners, but once you plan your first month of meals you can use it as a general outline for the following months. Some meal planning tips:^{[2]XResearch source}
- Look at your calendar and plan around any commitments and activities. For example, if you know you're going out to dinner for a friend's birthday this month, that's one less dinner you have to plan for.
- Plan theme nights. For example you can have an Italian themed meal (think pizza) every Friday or Taco Tuesday. If you block in themed meals it's easier to do the menu planning. Once you feel comfortable meal planning you can add more variety to your menus.
- As you look at cookbooks or find recipes online, be realistic about the amount of time you have available to make each meal. Think about cooking a complicated dish paired with an easier one. For example make a meat loaf, then toss in some baked potatoes to bake along with the meat loaf. Serve a green salad on the side. Not only will this make cooking easier, but it will save energy as you are using the oven to bake the meat loaf; and potatoes at the same time.
- Try to utilize canned or bulk ingredients a lot as these items are often cost-effective and non-perishable.
- Take perishables like fresh fruits and vegetables into account.
- Try to choose recipes that can be used for several different dishes, such as preparing a large batch of chili that can also be used as taco meat, pasta sauce, etc.
Look at the grocery store ads for stores you frequent, either looking online or going to the store for a savings book. See what items are going to be on sale during the time you are going to shop, and update your meal plans if necessary. You can organize coupons you don't use for a given month in a booklet to use another month; just be sure to check expiration dates before planning on using them.^{[3]XResearch source}
Look at what needs to be replaced from your inventory list and what needs to be purchased to make your meal plans. Write everything down in a list, organizing the list into a way that makes the most sense to you. For example, some people like to organize their list into the different stores they are going to while others group them by type of item (e.g., dairy, canned, etc.).
During the days before your monthly shopping trip, start matching the store sales, discounts, and coupons to each applicable item on your list. This will help you get an idea of how much you are going to spend and also help the transaction process to be more seamless. If you find a great deal at a rival store, call your grocer to see if they price match local ads; some stores allow this, and others only offer it on some days or on certain items.^{[4]XResearch source}
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Going Shopping

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Plan your shopping trip for the right day. Shopping on certain days of the week can actually boost your savings. Midweek is typically the best both for additional deals and for a less crowded shopping trip. Additional tips:^{[5]XResearch source}
- For most grocery stores, manager markdowns are made on Wednesdays and prices are also reduced for items nearing the “sell by” date.
- Wednesday is also the day most grocery stores release new ads, so you can get bonus deals if the store honors the last week's deal as well.
Most savvy shoppers recommend going shopping alone so that you can really focus on shopping efficiently without any distractions. If you prefer to bring a friend or your partner, just be sure he is aware of your shopping and savings goals. Have him tackle items on the perimeter of the store while you scour the center; just don't let him sway you from your list! Sticking to the list and shopping efficiently is also much easier if you leave your children at home.^{[6]XResearch source}
Some items are cheaper if you buy them in bulk, which can help save money and stock your pantry for more than just one month. Avoid buying anything perishable in bulk or anything that you really don't use often, as this will just waste money. See if the store offers specials if you buy in bulk, just be sure to do a quick calculation in your head or on your phone to make sure you are actually getting a substantial deal.
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Hit up multiple stores. Different stores have different strengths, and you should use this to your advantage. If you shop a few times a week, the cost of gas can add up driving all over town, but this doesn't apply when you're shopping only once a month. Try utilizing a big discount store for bulk items and a grocery store for everything else. You can also go to a farmers market during peak seasons for inexpensive produce.^{[7]XResearch source}
- Plan on going to two or three stores.
- Avoid going to more than four stores.
- Plan to spend about two to four total hours shopping.
This is not a requirement, but it is highly recommended that you pay for each trip in cash. Paying in cash will help you stay accountable for the money you are spending. It will also help you gauge whether or not you are sticking to your estimated budget.^{[8]XResearch source}
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Organizing Your Haul

Shopping for a month can lead to a serious amount of groceries to unload. To keep your goods fresh and well preserved, put away all of the freezer foods immediately, then tackle the refrigerated foods, and then all of the pantry goods. If you have children, this is a great time to get them involved!
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Organize your haul. While you put foods away, try to organize them into products that need to be consumed earlier in the month. For example, certain produce items like bananas and spinach are more perishable and need to be eaten earlier in the month while items like apples, oranges, and celery can wait. Try to keep these perishable items in the front of the fridge/freezer as a reminder to use them quickly.
- Experienced savvy shoppers plan their meals so that perishable items are used in meals earlier in the month, saving sturdier goods for meals later in the month.^{[9]XResearch source}
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Portion food out as you put it away. In addition to prioritizing perishable foods as you put them away, it is really helpful to portion items as well. This can help save a lot of time as you begin making meals because everything is already pre-portioned. This is especially helpful for frozen goods because some food items cannot be defrosted, portioned out for a given meal, and then refrozen without becoming unsafe to eat or losing quality.^{[10]XTrustworthy SourceFoodSafety.govOnline portal combining food safety information from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Food Safety and Inspection Service, and the Centers for Disease Control and PreventionGo to source} For example:
- Divide things like tortillas into separate freezer bags that include the number of tortillas you would use for one meal. That way you can thaw out one bag to use for a meal and keep the others frozen until you need them.
- If you bought or made pizza dough, separate the dough into smaller balls and freeze them individually so you can defrost only enough to make one pizza and keep the rest frozen.
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Learn to freeze items properly. When shopping only once a month, it is important to learn what items you can buy in bulk and then freeze and use later. You can freeze most products as long as you do so properly. Some guidelines include:^{[11]XTrustworthy SourceFoodSafety.govOnline portal combining food safety information from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Food Safety and Inspection Service, and the Centers for Disease Control and PreventionGo to source}
- Be sure to properly package foods so that no air can permeate the wrap and touch to the food. This will help maintain quality and prevent freezer burn.
- Wash and dry all fruits and vegetables before freezing them.
- Keep in mind that liquid expands when frozen, so be sure to leave room in containers so they don't burst.
- Be mindful of how long an item has been in the freezer for. Some items like whole chickens can last almost a year in the freezer, while items like luncheon meat will only last 1 to 2 months.
Throughout the month, update your inventory list as you use items so you can track what have used and what you have left. Find items that are about to expire and move them towards the front of the fridge or pantry. If anything goes bad much earlier than you anticipated, make a note so you can either avoid this item on your next haul or plan to use it in an earlier meal.
When you start off shopping only once a month, there will be a little trial and error. There will be some additional trips to the store to get items you forgot, just try not to let these “emergency trips” become a habit. Be especially careful to stick to your shopping list during these extra trips, and add a note to buy more of these items on next month's shopping list.
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Tips

If you are serious about once a month shopping, then a large freezer is a good investment. Consider buying an energy efficient freezers chest, which have large capacities and low running costs.
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Try pairing this savings technique with once-a-month cooking for maximum efficiency and savings.
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Watch for errors when you check out at the grocery store. Prices change so frequently at stores that there's a good chance you could accidentally get overcharged. Keep an eye on each item as the cashier rings it up and make sure you're being charged as advertised.
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