10 GROCERY SHOPPING HACKS That Will Save You Money! 

People have been asking me for months to make a video on how to save money on groceries during these times of inflation, so if you enjoyed this video, please give it a THUMBS UP as it helps me in the RU-vid algorithm! 😀 What are some of your grocery shopping secrets and hacks?? Comment Below 👇

As a single person (buying groceries for just myself), I find frozen veg and the freezer in general to be so helpful in saving money due to the savings from preventing waste.

My local grocery store has a 10% off "senior discount" the first Wednesday of every month, so that's when I do my shopping for the month. They give the discount to everyone, senior or not. I also use their digital coupons and the coupons they send me in the mail, and I always stock up on sales. Your video has some really good tips.

Taking cellphone photos of your fridge and pantry before shopping is the "Why haven't I thought of that?" hack I've been needing! Sharing this video for sure. Thanks!

Being a former Grocery Store Manager your video is spot on.. People need to really learn to shop today.. Thanks for being the teacher..

Please do Ibotta and Rakuten videos. These are great apps. Any other cost cutting videos will also be appreciated. Thanks Matt! 👌

Here’s a grocery hack I figured out the hard way: Eat before you shop. I discovered that I was largely impulse buying on stuff because I was hungry. Now I have a snack before I go & I find I’m less tempted to stray from my grocery list.

The main issue with grocery store pickup is all of the "out of stock" items that don't end up in your order. Some stores will make substitutions for items on your list, and charge you for the (most likely) more expensive item that they thought was a good idea. Often, I will go back to get an item that was supposedly "out of stock" to find there were plenty on the shelves. Not a big fan of pickup orders.

I was always taught to do cold foods (such as dairy and eggs) for the end of your shopping to keep the cool longer and reduce the risk of spoiling.

Thank you Matt for all the great hacks. Many of us old gals know the supermarket games. Hopefully the younger generation of shoppers will learn too! It’s a real challenge to save money these days with the inflation of food prices nationwide.

Matt Thank you for everything you do for all of us. I am totally out of money before I get paid again. Living on social security and supporting my daughter's family has cost me everything including getting my car repossessed 2 weeks ago. It would have been paid off this month. These videos help me get food for her and her 2 children. I am 69 years old and life is hard for everyone trying to help their family. Thank you again and I i love you for all you do.

Regarding hack #10, we always stock the freezer with hot dogs when they go on sale around Memorial Day / July 4th / Labor Day. Our go to brand is Oscar Meyer, which normally run around $4.00 or so, but can be found for $1.50 close to those grilling holidays.

I highly recommend the book, "Grocery". It's an interesting read about the history of the grocery store and current business practices. Thank you for all you do!

Thank you, Matt. The idea that helps me the most is your #8-let the prices guide your shopping. This is most effective if you also do two other things, learn to cook and build a pantry. Simple cooking skills such as roasting a chicken can save a lot of money. You can take that one chicken and turn it into three meals or more if you portion the meat and are creative with the sides/fillers. Buy ingredients on sale and make large batches of chili, pans of lasagna, portion and freeze. Having a ready-made meal reduces the cost for take-out. Having a stocked pantry means you rarely have to pay full price for anything, coupled with shopping seasonally, of course. For pantry staples, I'll buy a dozen or more of what I know I'll use (beans, tomatoes, veg, pasta). Aldi had butter for $1.97. I bought two dozen and froze it. It keeps beautifully and will last us a year. I learned this from my Depression-era mother and I've done it all my adult life. Just a few dollars each week of buying the loss leaders will help you build a solid pantry so when an item you use isn't on sale you don't have to buy it or you have a suitable substitute. Lastly, if you are fortunate enough to have ethnic markets in your area, frequent them. You get better choices of ethnic foods, better prices and often great advice from the owners. Rice is a great bargain as well as dried herbs and spices.

Thank You! Still as ever 'The Humble Guy"! And THAR is always endearing! We love you!💥❣

I always consider it a good day when I can check off two things...when I learn something new and when I have somehow made someone's day better. This video allowed me to check off both. I learned a lot and I shared the video to help others as well. Thank you Matt!

Great info! I also find, especially with strawberries, they will have a “sale” on the 1 pound packages, say 2 for $6 yet the 2 pound pkg is $4.99. The “2 for” sales are not always a good deal!

I would like to see more "grocery hacks" type videos. Many product prices where I shop (monthly) don't seem to vary (except with inflation) as you talked about in your video but still they are the best price in the area.

I'm glad you mentioned the "Clean 15" Organic Food List from EWG. I recently started doing just what you suggested. I also use their "Dirty Dozen" list that has the *worst* produce in terms of pesticides, so I can try to buy those items "organic", even if I have to splurge a bit.

The price difference of fruits, veggies, and meat between my local Walmart, Fry's, Albertson's, Safeway, Basha's etc and the local Food City and El Super is absolutely WILD. I'm talking veggies 3 times less expensive at Food City and El Super. Those 2 are mostly in rough neighborhoods and shopped primarily by the Hispanic population here, but I couldn't care less. I take my happy white self in there and I gladly give them my business because of the great savings. :)

This is why it always takes me longer to grocery shop because I look around at everything, prices, quantity, expiration dates etc and always reach behind the items on the shelves since they push the older dated items to the front

One rule of thumb to keep in mind is that anything with an outer covering that you peel off like bananas and avocados do not have to be organic. The pesticides are on the outside. That can save a lot of money with many fruits and vegetables

Awesome.. some I didn't know.. some I needed the reminder... When I first started grocery shopping in the 70s.. It was an adventure to get best deals.... A total conversion/ bragging fest with friends and must admit strangers too... Wouldn't it be cool to get back to that? Pride in saving.. and stretching our resources . Thank you for your part in making smart shopping cool and fun.

Everything he mentioned I've been doing for decades. But, if you haven't done it, it works. I always shop with a list, and currently, for the past 11 months I've been using curbside once a month and it's fantastic, they do a great job. I select which store go online, select items, and pay pick up the following day.

Regarding lettuce and other salad greens, grow your own. You can grow it inside year-round in a container. It doesn't take up much space, it's easy to grow, and it is WAY cheaper than any form of store-bought lettuce. The only caveat is iceburg and other head lettuces take up more space and take much longer to grow.

I worked in supermarkets for over 20 years. Many of those years I did inventory control and I was in charge of setting up shelf plans. Manufacturers often pay supermarkets for front and right center spaces. As well as bottom shelf spots for sugar cereals for kids. If a name brand is on display at the end of an aisle, that company paid to have it displayed. Coke, Pepsi, and Lays chips all owned end displays. Many supermarkets make more money in the grocery department from selling shelf space and displays than they do from customer sales. Non perishable items are literally barely marked up, often just a penny or two markup. Perishable and non food items are where they make money on sales. Also, some states, like Connecticut, have laws in place where unit prices must be displayed or stores can be fined per item. Always shop the unit price, especially check as sale items are not always deals. Be wary of unit prices displayed as per each. Hope that helps.

What I love about Matt’s videos is that he just films and then does the voiceover in his home studio instead of sneaking around the store with live commentary. That style irritates me. I love Matt’s videos!!!! 😊

This video is actually really good. Honestly, the other videos just give the same typical saving tips. But you gave new ones. Thank you!

Matt, this great timing for these reminders! Food has gone up so much! I plan my meals around what is on sale, like you mentioned. I also look for clearance meat and produce. It's just me, so I have flexibility. Thanks for all you do ❤️

If you’re buying bags of fruit, specifically citrus fruits, take several bags to a scale and weigh them. You will find great differences in each bag and take the bag with the heaviest. Typically with that you’re going to get more juice or fruit. Every time I get grapefruit I’ll find one bag that is more than a half a pound different than the rest that’s giving me more for my money.

Thank you for giving us tips in increasingly precarious financial times. Your videos on Costco convinced me to get a membership, and as a college student on a budget I have been able to get the best deals on groceries and gas right before prices shot up. Very grateful for your channel!!

Thank you for such great information. The Deal Guy is like a good friend that looks out for you, with money saving tips. Matt, thank you, I know this is not easy what you do to keep us informed. We appreciate you.

I have found if I use Walmart pick up, I only order what I need. No impulse purchases. Only way I seem to save.

Matt, here in Denver we have a produce company that posts on Facebook a deal every week! They sell a small or large box of produce that’s assorted for about half store prices! You have to pick it up at their warehouse, but we just work it in when we are close , it’s enough to last for two weeks .

My husband is notorious for shopping end caps & ends up spending way more money than I would have if I had gone to the store. He says it's easier bc he finds stuff better that way. And I'm sure the stores look forward to shoppers like him 😂.

Loved the grocery store hacks. I cracked up when you said "fresh seafood". My whole life I was brought up on seafood. When I moved up North and went into a grocery store and was looking at the seafood case, I was in shock 😲. The shrimp was rotten, the lobster was actually a bulldozer and the scallops was shark meat. The man behind the counter mouth was dragging the floor. I didn't realize I was saying it all out loud. He tried to correct me I asked him was he a seafood expert. Then he asked me if I was. I looked at him and replied I grew up on seafood and yes I do know my seafood. Proceeded to explain the differene between the lobster and bulldozer then shark meat and scallops. I do like both shark meat and bulldozer. I just love my seafood. Sorry for the long story. Thanks for the tips and may you have a Blessed day.

Matt - I so appreciate you & your hard work in saving us all 💰! 💕

That's so true about the fish. On several occasions, ive seen them at the meat counter opening bags of frozen shrimp and dumping them inside the meat case. They have even told me, they're the same. So whichever is cheaper, buy it!!

Matt, like you mentioned, buying groceries online saves a lot of money! I have Walmart+ so not only do I not have to go to the grocery store (saving on gas and time) but I'm also avoiding my or my kids' impulse buys! We have saved so much money this year because of it!

I build up a great relationship with managers and workers. They often let me know great deals that aren’t always advertised

I really do love you, Matt. I appreciate your hard work helping me save money and find great bargains. Thank you again.

Thank you Matt. Seriously thank you. I’ve only gone out to the market myself in years. Other people as well as family members & apps get my food. I’m just not going out with crowds. After watching this video that you’ve gone out of your way to make, I will go food shopping. You’ve passed out all these little tiny techniques and specials to look for and now I’m going to try it. I really appreciate everything you’ve done Matt & hopefully we’ll see what bargains we can get

Good looking out!! Thanks Matt!!

I use the Clean 15 and Dirty dozen for buying my organic produce.

I would find it interesting if you could make Some suggestions for people that are only shopping for one or two persons. Sometimes I end up throwing a lot of food away or buying way more than I need. When I go to Costco I always have a list of what my friends are willing to split with me and that’s helpful.

I abhor all the digital requirements to get a sale price. It’s discriminatory against poor people, elderly, and people that don’t want to have their data traced. Be like Trader Joe’s or Aldi’s. Everyone that walks in the store gets the items for the same price as everyone else.

I started online grocery purchase/pickup at the store at the height of the pandemic. I found that the time savings alone makes this very useful.

Shopping at Walmart I saw a package of ground beef expiring that day already reduced. I asked the meat clerk he said sorry could not reduce it further. I asked to speak with store manager. He asked clerk why he could not go lower and the clerk said department rule is one markdown only. Store manager said to me what price do you want. I told him and got the package [ which I did not need but which was going into my freezer ] for the price I wanted. PAYS TO ASK , NICELY is my motto

I love the amazing and respectful community you’ve brought Matt. Great work!

In regards to tuna packets verse cans, there is a difference. The tuna packets are a convenient and healthy option for work or travel lunches. You do not need a can opener and some are pre seasoned. So that extra amount is for convenience. Also, smaller amount is not always bad. It's a serving size.

Money saved is money earned. Thanks 🥰

My Uncle is The VP of a huge canning plant. He tells me that everyone comes in with their own labels to put on the cans, bottles and jars. They do however have 3 different grades of product, from A-1 top of the line to the bottom of the barrel.

I am so grateful for all your videos - I always learn something, & your smile brightens my day!

I always compare unit pricing. Toilet paper was confusing, because some brands unit price it by the roll, or number os sheets, or mega roll "equivalent". The way to compare them all, equally, is to use the price per Square Foot

YOU ARE AWESOME!! Matt, everyone needs your channel in their life. These hacks are excellent. PLEASE do a video on Ibotta because I don’t know what that it. Speaking of, the whole “grams” thing confuses me too. AND my friend keeps telling me how awesome Kroger online shopping is, but we don’t have it here in 27046. Along with ANY delivery from grocery or restaurant. Thank you so much for the tips on meal planners! You da BEST!! We love you! ❤️

There is a pickup fee (at least where I live) for online ordering at Fred Meyer and Walmart if you don't spend $35, which is good to be aware of. Also some stores in Washington add a bag fee of $.08 to $.10 when ordering online. (I imagine that's per bag). It is a small amount, but I prefer to use reusable bags when shopping in store (hence reducing waste and costs), so it is still worth mentioning. Walmart apparently allows you the option to 'Skip the Bags' when ordering online.

Ever since I had back surgery…Walmart has been a god send! I let them do my shopping & putting it in my trunk, thus cutting my shopping in half & saves on my back! Pickup groceries is AWESOME!

If you have looked for coupons lately, you will find that there are very few except for higher priced cosmetics, health and beauty items (see the ones Matt showed in the video). This includes websites and paper based. However, e-coupons are becoming more common.

Thank you for this video. It was very helpful. Actually, I learn something from all of your videos, thank you.

I love this video! Plus I needed that laugh when you described body checking the senior citizen 😂😂😂

Hi Matt! The seasonal veggie list is great, thanks. I use my phone at the store to take pics of label ingredients to read easier in zoom, now the fridge too

I learn so much from “The Deal Guy”. That’s saying something! I always thought I was an expert at being thrifty. You have a fan here and permanent subscriber.

A tip with that fresh/frozen seafood - especially shrimp: when it’s on a great sale price at the fish counter (and a better price than the frozen packages) ask the guy at the counter if they have any of the frozen that they thaw for the counter still frozen. It usually comes in 2 lb packages which if on a good enough sale might be cheaper than what is in the freezer section. A plus is that you don’t need to worry so much about getting home so quickly or if it is an especially hot day out. Another plus is that it can go right into your freezer. The thawed at the store seafood really should not be re-frozen once you get home, but if it never defrosted, then it is fine to put it back in the freezer!

While some may like the online shopping for food, I just can’t get into it. I don’t want someone else picking out my fresh food for sure. And meats, if they choose the roast how do I know I’m getting the best deal. Yeah, not for me. There’s just the two of us but I buy family packs to package for freezing. It’s a lifesaver with these ridiculous inflated prices! And saves money by not having to run to the store all the time! Your credit card hack would be great if our grocery store took credit cards. 😞 Keep doing the videos Matt!! 💕

I love your energy! 💵

"Take pictures of fridge and pantry" that is such an excellent idea. A+

You are like a free consumer reports! Thank you for the tips and resources. As inflation gets higher, every dollar counts.

I have found the best deals in my area are at the 99 Cents store. Fresh food is usually half the price, or less, than any stores. The only drawback is you never know what’s gonna be in stock so when you go shopping they may not have what you want.

Thanks so much for this super informative video Matt! We're on a fixed income, so pretty much all of this information will come in handy. You're performing such a useful & necessary public service with this channel about how to save money. I deeply appreciate the information & how much work you must need to do to compile it all. Thanks again!

Because of the times we're in and I shop for just me, I shop with 1-2 reusable grocery bags and only use those instead of a cart or basket. This not only gives me peace of mind from germs, it also prevents me from buying too much or taking too long. Many a time I pass by the ice cream on my way to checkout but am unable to put any in my bag.

I wish we had a Aldi in Washington state. I'm always finding videos where customers pay less.😞 Thank you Matt for all the hacks. ❤️

Thank you so much for the knowledge on shopping. The price of things are always going up and I’m trying to help my whole family cut the household expenses down everywhere.

Aldi doesn't have the cheapest prices any more. When comparing price and package size to regular groceries, they have become the same or more expensive in certain cases. They also have stepped up the practice of keeping the same prices and shrinking the package size. For instance, I've done better looking for meat in regular grocery stores who reduce prices for quick sale or coming close to "sell by" dates. The base cost of eggs is another one I can think of.

We have a walmart and two other grocery stores in our area that do clicklists/pickups. I've found that if I start my lists on two (or more) different ones, I find loss leaders and can compare prices in the apps. I usually end up with 2 smaller orders or 1 much better priced order. (All those stores are within a mile of each other).

In Phoenix, Kroger sells whole organic raw chickens for around $20 each. Two days before they expire, the meat man marks them down 2/3 to about $6.70 each! My husband has a chest freezer. We have 15 frozen organic chickens to roast! He roasts 2 at a time and we feed our elderly friends who are not cooking much anymore. Also, the night before a major holiday, they mark down the expensive meats, way down to clear them out. At New Year's, we got 4 standing rib roasts for a song!

You're great. Very informative with an adorable old fashioned personality. I watch you all the time

Thank you Matt! I've started shopping at Aldi for produce alot of it is organic for a great price and 100% grass fed meat is really good and cheaper than conventional meat! Thanks for a great video Matt have a wonderful day 😊✌

i really enjoy watching your videos, not only are you entertaining, you also provide useful hacks for someone new to this place. i do agree that Costco and all should pay you commission. Wishing you all the best for you, your new baby, and your family.

Thanks for all that you do. I love this channel and I'm glad you enjoy doing the footwork so we don't have to. Great Information with each video!!!

This was a GREAT video. Thanks for all of your help! ❤️ U!!!

Asking an employee to repackage something that is sold by the pound is fine, but don't abuse it. As someone who used to work in a grocery store, I've met a couple of people abusing it. They would take between five to ten items to repackage and then complain about the new size and we have to repackage it again. When it happens it takes time out of our day where it puts us behind in our task. I highly recommend it if you're asking for a few items to repackage, it help save money, but please don't be rude when asking and don't abuse it.

Due to worsening arthritis, I haven't been in a grocery store since Oct 2019 - I do curbside pick up at Walmart. You are right - I make the list, order online and save a lot by not walking through the store. If my local Sav-A-Lot has a really good buy on a particular meat - then I will stop there on my way home from church - buy just that and still save.

Living on a farm, I have to say it.... if its possible where you live, plant a small garden (container gardens are awesome!) for some fresh veg in the summer season and.... chickens! Don't plant the chickens, that wouuldn't work so well, but if you live in an area where you are able to have a couple (you do NOT need roosters, just hens or 'pullets' (which are young hens who have not begun to lay eggs yet). you'll have eggs year round. The main thing with them is that you are able to keep them safe from any predators in your area and they have a safe and secure coop for night time.

I shop in a similar fashion, usually looking for the lower unit price per item, but I think the purpose of things like the individual foil packs of tuna, peanut butter, instant soup and coffee, etc, is convenience for hiking and backpacking, camping or boating, road trips, when space is at a premium and you need lightweight things.✌️

Buying organic isnt just about the pesticides. It's more nutritious food because there's 53 minerals and nutrients in the soil that arent depleted like it is in conventionally grown food. And there's mo chemicals in the water. So you're getting clean nutritious food

Oh Lordie, I'm 4'10" and °I° find that almost EVERYthing that I need is on the highest shelf possible, smh. I was a gymnast in my earlier life, so like a monkey, I either climb up as high as I can, OR try to knock said interesting product down off the shelf and (try to) catch it. But thank you Deal Guy! Your videos are fantastic and very much needed for these times that we're now in. Plus your wonderful energy ALWAYZ make me smile (ALSO very needed for these times that we're now in). 💜😊👍💜

I can’t believe you aren’t on a major TV network sharing all your deals!!!

As always, Matt, your information is priceless. I look forward to your post as I enjoy saving money and learning. I appreciate you

Matt easily has the most valuable channel on all of RU-vid. He always bring the content we all secretly want to know.

At our local Albertsons store I have seen the meat counter employees go over and get shrimp from the frozen food freezer and put it in the seafood case and sell it for more.

All helpful tips Matt! But the first problem where I live is no Aldi. I would love to have access to that store! In fact, there are only two stores in the small town I live in, Walmart and HEB (a Texas grocery chain). HEB has weekly specials and in-store coupons. They used to beat Walmart prices on a large number of items. But their prices have been rising since the pandemic started. Over the past two years I've been prices going up, 10¢ here and 20¢ there, then 50¢ here and $1 there. They recently had an in-store coupon for 50¢ off an item that used to cost 10¢ less than the new price with the coupon. Yeah, that one item has gone up 60¢. I usually prefer the meat and produce at HEB, at least in my area it's superior to Walmart's. And during the pandemic, Walmart and Walgreens had designated shopping times for seniors. HEB has never had any special shopping times for seniors. I used to shop at Walgreens a lot. I would check the Sunday ad and make a list. I used to get large containers of brand name cereal for $1.88 or 1.99. Occasionally they would have a dozen eggs for $1.99 and ground meat for $2.99/lb. I used to get so many great deals from Walgreens! But since this inflation has hit so hard, I hardly shop there anymore. Although I did pick up Lay's potato chips last week, 2 for $5. And that still beat the regular price of $2.98. But I still check the ad every Sunday to see if there's anything worth buying. But the biggest piece of advice I can pass along is to avoid convenience items. Like what you said about the prewashed lettuce. It's the same for any of the hundreds of salad kits or slaw kits. It's the same with cheese. It's cheaper and better for you to buy a block of cheese and grate it yourself. The stores are packed with so many convenience foods that cost a fortune. And you can usually buy the ingredients to make enough to feed a family or put your own already made meals in your freezer than to buy one or two of their premade meals. People just need to rethink how they're buying. One feature that most stores have next to the price is the cost per pound or ounce. That's a quick way to know the cheapest product. Unless it's in pounds and the product's weight is in ounces, then you really have to do some fast math. Not to worry, your phone has a calculator. 😉 Shopping online is another way to save money, especially if you're an impulse buyer. But this is the time people need to have a budget! They need to make a budget and stick with it! Set the amount allotted for food and if shopping online is the only way to stay on budget, then shop online. And if you've made a budget for food, then you might as well make one for gas and other monthly expenses. Driving to the store five times a day isn't going to save any money. In my small town, a couple of stores are just a mile away. Do people even realize that driving 30mph uses more gas than driving 60mph? Short, in town trips eat up your gas. So I plan my trips and go several places at a time instead of making several trips in one day. People have to change their mindset on so many things because this is the worst inflation we've seen in years. Before you grab your car keys, think about the price of gas! Before grabbing that frozen dinner, compare it's price to a few ingredients for a complete meal for an entire family. I only hope that person who constantly drives by at 30mph blasting music that I can hear over my TV will someday discover how much they're wasting. And I realize there are a lot of people who don't cook. Maybe this would also be a good time to give us another video of the cheapest places to eat Matt. You've given us hacks on getting items cheaper off a menu than their signature item. Back in my 20's I used to find the cheapest places to eat! Coneys 2 for 29¢ on Tuesday and things like that. And I realize that restaurant food has gone up about 100x but there are still a lot of people who can't cook. And figure the number of people in college every year. A startling number of people who don't or can't cook are out there and need a place to eat that won't break the bank. This might be the time when the premade meals at grocery stores are cheaper. Thanks for sharing another great video! 🥰

My #1 saving money and stocking up on meat: the day after a grilling holiday (like memorial day coming up) they mark down all the meat that didnt sell. Now granted prices have gone way up since but last July 5th I got 13 strip steak, 5lbs of ground beef, and several pork chops for around $60.

Love all your videos but this one was really helpful thanks so much for all the great info!!

Our one dollar general in town, has gallons of milk for $2.50 and a doz eggs for $1.00 all the time. That's where we get them because even Walmart is $3.89 for milk, and around $3 for a doz eggs.

Thank you, Matt! As always, this was fabulous and I so appreciate all the hard work and research you put into these videos!

I just wanted to thank you for all you share with us! Also, to make a clarification on organic foods which you say in this vid, only pesticides are a concern with some foods. I also consider Non-GMO in the organic selection which is most important to me. 👍

Wow, very informative, Matt. Thank you!

As much as I love these videos, I got myself a meal pllaner kit called Everyplate bc meal planning is so stressful. But for other items these videos are amazing

O thank u so much every penny counts espe in this day n time.your videos are so imformative

I love your site, it's great! Thanks. I live alone so when I want coleslaw I buy the package mix. As in your video I don't worry about the date and quite often buy at reduced bag price. My hack: when it starts to not be great for coleslaw I throw it in my frypan and make it into stir fry veggies. I just add some of my own self made sauce (again cheaper than store bought, by alot) This keeps well in the fridge for quite some time