Money seems to be one of those resources that always seem tight, no matter how much or how little money you have. There always seems to be an unlimited number of items that we need to buy, but a limited supply of money to spend on them. Besides, the quicker we spend our money, the quicker we feel broke. What should you as a stay at home mom (SAHM) do when your budget is tight, and the pantry is bare? How will you save money fast without losing your sanity? Here are a few simple tips to help you save money at the grocery store.
1. The psychology of money. Money is quite psychological in the fact that the more you need it, the more it becomes hard to gain and maintain. So when you are out shopping, aim to be stress-free and relaxed. Marketers like to use psychological tactics and emotional triggers like discounts on bulk items and tiny gifts. Realizing that these tactics exist will help you make more frugal decisions during shopping.
2. Eat before going shopping. Eating a good meal before you head to the grocery store not only saves you money at the store, but it will also make your decisions about saving clear and relevant. You are less to be swayed to emotionally purchase unhealthy or more expensive foods.
3. Plan your trip. Know what you are going to buy during a short trip to the grocery store beforehand. Go through the pantry and cabinets before you leave the house making note of all of the items that you need to replenish. Make a shopping list before you go out and make purchases. Once you have a shopping list, you can focus on what you need to buy and what to give up as your budget diminishes. Get a free shopping list printable HERE. 
4. Carry a calculator. Most people have calculators on their smartphones. Use it comprehensively to understand how much your spending is really going towards earning discounts. Often when we buy more of something, it does not necessarily give you a significant savings. SAHMs are great at frugal living, but you can lose all of your savings due to one marketing tactic.
5. Watch out for bulk. Bulk items may seem like a good idea, but the prices of bulk items need to show a significant discount in cost per item. Buying disposable goods like toilet paper, diapers, and soap in bulk is frugally wise, buying food is bulk is not always a good thing. Remember, more you spend on bulk food items, the less money you have to spend on fresh, whole foods.
6. Search for coupons. I am not one to regularly use coupons, but I know people who have saved a lot of money on their groceries using coupons. Be open to using coupons to decrease your shopping bill for items you normally buy. Only use coupons for your grocery shopping purchases that you regularly consume or use. Be on the lookout, coupons at times will use a tactic to get you to buy items that you normally would not buy. Avoid the discount misunderstanding to purchase something you don’t need, just because of the implied discount.
7. Be self-sufficient. Avoid prepackaged foods that are precooked and full of preservatives. These types of food are generally more costly and unhealthy. Stick to fresh, whole foods that you can use in crockpot dishes or freezer meals.
23 responses to “7 Money Saving Tips for SAHMs”
Haha, yes, eat before food shopping. I end up going hungry all the time and buy way more than I need.
Really awesome tips! I will def use a few of these!
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Those are really great tips. We’re a one income family so we try to save money wherever possible. One thing that really works well for us is shopping according to the sales and then meal planning from there. Or stocking up on something that we know we’re going to use often.
If I grocery shop when I haven’t eaten, it always ends in disaster. Anything that looks remotely yummy ends up in my cart!
Eat before going shopping! Nest advice ever because I never do and end up spending so much money haha. It’s awful. Really great tips!
If I don’t eat before I go shopping, I end up with food I didn’t even know I wanted. Have to have a full belly before buying groceries
I used to coupon and I could get a week’s worth of groceries for 3 people for $30
A plan and a calculator are two of your best friends whether or not you’re a stay at home mom. Without a plan you can’t budget, and without a calculator, you can’t follow that budget.
My 92 year old Mom has most of the above in her arsenal of money saving ideas–and since I am the one taking her shopping–she reminds me all the time. Being single I long ago realized that bulk buying for me was just a waste–as for lists–I leave that to my Mom. I generally know what I need and dislike shopping enough that that is all I get!
Love this list! I totally agree, it’s so easy to buy everything you didn’t intent on purchasing when shopping hungry. I do coupon and try to buy in bulk when I see a great deal. I really like the calculator idea, sometimes I get up to the register and am in shock! I really need to do that, thanks for the tips!
I love these tips, I need to save all the money I can when shopping. Walmart is like another planet.I go in there for milk and come out with 3 tires, a batman costume, and 17 boat oars. Well not really but a plan does help keep me from straying when shopping. and I love the idea of bringing a calculator. That’s great!
I think Walmart plays subliminal messages throughout the store. I once went in for a pack of diapers and ended up with a huge cart full of stuff I didn’t need.
These are fabulous tips. When my kids were young, I did each of them to try to stretch the grocery dollar. Now money isn’t as tight, but I really still should do these! I feel irresponsible now!
Shopping in bulk is dangerous. You don’t need that much stuff, you really don’t. Who needs 500 rolls of TP in the closet, you don’t! I love the idea of a calculator, I need to do that more.
When I do my shopping I spend a good hour my research finding the best prices and coupons. For instance I spent about $86 at the grocery today and saved $68!
these are some pretty awesome tips!! I know I’m guilty of going shopping when I haven’t eaten and omg…. I always end up buying random snacks and even snacks for while I’m shopping… Such a waste of money!
Number two tip is very important especially when you have kids with you. Going to the store hungry will not give you enough time to find deals.
Thank you for the wonderful tips! I always make list before we go shopping, otherwise my hands keep putting things into the cart, haha.. I also like to use coupons. I still need to do better in eating before I go shopping.
I have an interest in doing more bulk shopping for household cleaning items but I run into the challenge of knowing when these items are on sell. Do you know of any apps or websites that offer an alert for price drops? I usually save a ton on detergent when there is a BOGO sale I happen to stumble upon.
I always and I do mean always go shopping after eating. I’ve learned my lesson about that over the years. I’m not great with coupons though.
Great saving tips! I especially love the eating first before going shopping! But the problem is, I would crave for some milktea or frap stuff after. LoL! Planning your trip is important too because it gives you an idea how much will you be spending beforehand. Thanks for the amazing tips!
These are some great tips. I need to remember not go go to the grocery store hungry, but I usually wait to go to the store till we are out of food completely. The calculator is a great idea, I usually use my phone calculator to make sure I don’t go over the budget. The rest of your tips are great.
Great saving tips! I am huge on saving, so I tend to always look for coupons and buy my clothes from discount websites, but the problem is when I see a lot of cute clothes for a discounted price, I tend to overbuy, and that pretty much defeats the purpose of me saving haha. I’ll try using your tips and see how that works. Thanks for sharing! :)