Avoid Pre-Packaged Food

Pre-packaged produce is pretty common at most grocery stores. And while it might seem convenient to reach for a sack of onions instead of just grabbing a couple off the shelf, odds are it's going to cost you much more. Most stores price their pre-packaged produce and other foods much higher than items sold individually. The worst part is that it really doesn't even take that long to grab a couple of items off the shelf and go weigh them yourself.

However, that's the price you pay for convenience, so the next time you're out doing your shopping, just be aware that pre-packaged foods often cost much more than their counterparts sold individually.

Plant You Own Scallions

Scallions are a welcome addition to a lot of dishes, and while they're not usually very expensive, it's still worth considering planting your own to save a bit of money. It's also not that hard. You can regrow scallions just by replanting the ends you don't use. Just stick them into some potting soil and give them a little water and they should take root rather quickly and start growing.

In fact, this can be done with a lot of the produce you buy from the store. Just research what vegetables and fruits it works with, and you could quickly be on the way to having your own garden.

Consider Shopping Online

It might seem like shopping online would cost at first, with the delivery fee. However, if you're tired of consistently being tempted and not sticking to your shopping list, then it might be worth giving it a try. There have been a couple of reports detailing how people spend less when they use a delivery app to shop for groceries. It eliminates the temptation to grab whatever you see on the shelf.

If you're one of those people who has no problem sticking to their shopping list, then maybe it's not worth paying the delivery fee, but those are usually pretty small, too.

Pre-Plan Your Meals

This one takes a little bit of extra time, but it's worth it. Pre-planning your meals for the week helps a lot in determining just what ingredients you need to buy when you go shopping. This can help cut down on extra spending on things that you really don't need and might otherwise just sit in the pantry forever.

It might also help you realize what you already have in the pantry, especially if you take stock beforehand. In general, planning out trips and meals is always a good idea if you're looking to save money.

Set A Budget

This might seem pretty obvious, but so many people fail to track their spending and set a monthly grocery budget. If you can track your spending and then set a budget, then you're sure to save a ton of money. It'll help you realize where all your spending is going and then cut out the expenses that you don't need. It's also just a good idea in general to track your money.

There are also a lot of great apps out now that make it super easy to track where all of your money is going and break it all down for you.

Use Loyalty Cards

This tip really depends on the store and what kind of loyalty program they have, but it could help you drastically save money. Just be aware that not all loyalty programs are created equal, and some stores make you pay a fee to join. That said, there are still a lot of great free options out there that can sometimes help you save as much as using a bunch of coupons would.

There are even some stores that allow you to combine coupons with their store loyalty cards to save even more money. There are probably some websites out there you can take a look at that break down the best store loyalty programs.

Make Lunch At Home

For many, one of their biggest expenses is having to buy lunch while at work. This can quickly add up and take a huge chunk out of your paycheck. Luckily, you can always make lunch at home and just bring it with you to work. It takes a bit of discipline, but it really does pay off in the end, and it's usually much healthier than eating out for lunch every day.

If you're having a little bit of trouble sticking to making lunch, then try to make everything over the weekend and store it until you want to bring it to work.