Grocery shopping doesn’t have to drain your wallet. Here are 11 sneaky tricks chefs know to cut costs when grocery shopping that can help you save money and focus on what really matters: cooking delicious meals.
Curating your shopping experience can significantly maximize your budget while minimizing waste. Understanding smarter shopping habits can turn your grocery trips into cost-effective missions.
Learn the Layout of Your Grocery Store
Just like professional chefs, scrolling through every aisle may feel tempting, but avoiding unnecessary impulse purchases is crucial. Steve Konopelski, a chef instructor at the Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts, advises organizing your shopping list based on the grocery store layout. Knowing exactly what’s down each aisle allows you to skip sections irrelevant to your shopping list, keeping your focus sharp and your purchases on track.
Take Pre-Shop Pictures
Preparing for grocery trips often involves tedious inventory checks, but not anymore! Sébastien Canonne, co-founder of Equii bread, takes pre-shop pictures of his fridge and pantry. This method serves as a handy visual reminder, preventing accidental purchases of items you already have, thus saving both money and space.
Calculate As You Go
Grocery stores are notorious for enticing shoppers into overspending. Combat this by using your calculator app as you shop. Sébastien Canonne recommends subtracting the cost of each item as it goes into your cart. Rounding up item prices—considering $4.79 as $5—might leave a bit of your budget intact.
Bring a Towel
Fresher veggies tend to have more water weight, affecting the overall cost at checkout. Steve Chiappetti, an executive chef at Albert Restaurant, suggests using a towel to pat down vegetables before purchase. This simple tactic can significantly decrease their weight, providing savings at the register.
Be Brand-Agnostic
When faced with endless brand options, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Nate Weir, vice president of culinary at Modern Market Eatery, advocates adopting a more brand-agnostic approach for most ingredients. In professional kitchens, chefs often order ingredients based on price rather than brand. Look for the lowest unit price rather than the familiar label. Most differences in quality are minimal and don’t impact your meal's outcome.
Shop Early or Late
Timing your grocery trips strategically can lead to better deals. Jennifer McClintick, another chef instructor at Auguste Escoffier, recommends shopping early in the morning or late at night to snag markdowns on soon-to-expire items. Look for discounts on deli foods, produce, bakery items, and prepared meals.
Pick from the Back of the Shelves
Stay clever when picking items off the shelves. Inspect the “best by” or “use by” dates to ensure you’re getting products with the longest shelf life. Jennifer McClintick notes that staff usually restock using a first in, first out method, so you’ll often find fresher items at the back of the row—an easy way to avoid having to repurchase items sooner than later.
Double Your Meals with Legumes
One of the most effective ways to stretch your grocery budget is to incorporate legumes. Dr. Deb Kennedy, a Vermont-based nutritionist, suggests adding black beans to chili or tacos, effectively doubling your meal for just a few cents. Buying dried beans is even cheaper than canned, making this trick a viable solution for anyone looking to cut down on grocery bills.
Take Strategic Shortcuts
While pre-cut veggies and prepared foods aren't always budget-friendly, they can be strategic choices. Steve Chiappetti emphasizes the importance of supplementing home cooking with pre-made sides from the deli counter. Purchasing just the right amount needed for a dish can significantly reduce wasted food and help balance out your meals.
Pre-Portion Leftovers
Sometimes dealing with leftovers can feel tedious, leading to wasted food and money. Yadira Stamp, a chef in Washington, D.C., recommends pre-portioning cooked leftovers into shallow containers. This way, you turn a daunting task into a quick meal, making it less likely that food will go bad in the fridge.
Pretend You Don’t Have a Fridge
William Rosenberg, an executive chef at B|stro 38, suggests a radical approach: shopping every day for that day's meals as if you have no refrigerator. This method can lead to more mindful purchases and reduce food waste. Save bulk buying for special occasions when you know items will be used, ensuring that you’re not simply buying because of a sale. Households looking to minimize grocery costs will find that focusing on immediate needs can streamline expenses dramatically.
With grocery prices on the rise, these 11 sneaky tricks chefs know to cut costs when grocery shopping can turn your shopping habits into smart savings. Each of these methods translates into real savings that you can reinvest into better meals, healthier choices, and freeing up your budget for other essentials. It’s time to embrace a smarter way to shop—one that saves you money without sacrificing quality.