Welcome to part 2 of my series on how to save money on groceries and other essentials. In this post the focus will be on digital savings. 

I'm not even going to pretend like I know every single app or extension available for saving digitally. Instead, I'm just going to share some apps and extensions that have worked well for me as well as some suggestions for how to use these tools in tandem to increase savings. 

Most grocery and pharmacy chains have a savings app. Some are definitely better than others (Kroger, Target, Walgreens), but each offers ways to save money on groceries and other essentials. To utilize the savings available on a store's app, you will have to have an account. When you sign up for an account, you will be issued a shopper's card, and it is generally through scanning your shopper's card that you are able to access available savings. 

My favorite local grocery store is a Kroger affiliate, and I LOVE their app. I'll share my favorite features, many of which are common across the best grocery store apps. If you have not done so, I encourage you to explore your store's app for these (and possibly other) features. 

Store App features to look for: 

• Digital coupons - Scroll through the coupon section of the app (usually listed under "savings") and "clip" the coupons of your choice.  This will download them to your shopper's card. Scan your shopper's card at checkout, and savings are automatically deducted on any items for which you have downloaded a coupon. It's that simple. NOTE: Some stores have a limit on the number of digital coupons you can redeem at one time (Kroger and its affiliates do not). 
• Weekly digital deals - These are special savings offered for a 7-day period that are only available by downloading the digital deal. To take advantage of the savings, "clip" the coupon for the deal in the savings section of the app exactly as you would any other type of coupon. Weekly digital deals are a Kroger thing, but the concept (and the actual deals) apply to all Kroger affiliates (of which there are at least 19 supermarket chains nationwide). 
• Cash back - This is a relatively new feature that I'm really excited about. The store offers cash back on certain items. Simply purchase qualifying items and see your cash back total increase. Transfer your rewards to your shopper's card by selecting "cash out" and they will automatically be applied toward your next purchase. I currently have $15.25 in cash back rewards on my shopper's card, and I have done absolutely nothing except shop my grocery list as usual. I only discovered my cash back total in researching this post, so it definitely doesn't take any extra effort to earn these rewards aside from signing up for an account. 
• Fuel Points - Many grocery store chains offer fuel points which can be applied either at the store's gas station or an affiliate. Our local store has a gas station, so that is where we purchase 99% of the fuel for our vehicles. Simply having a shopper's card automatically saves us three cents per gallon of gas at the store's station, but that is just the beginning of the available fuel savings. Every $100 spent in the store gives us 10 cents off per gallon of gas. The maximum amount of fuel points rewards that can be applied at one time is 1,000 points which translates to $1.00 off on up to 35 gallons of gas. I regularly have between 30 cents and $1 off per gallon based on my current fuel point level. The result is huge savings on gas! What's more, I can use my fuel points at any Kroger affiliate gas station across the country.

Receipt scanning apps seem almost too good to be true. You use your phone's camera to snap a photo of your receipt and upload it to the app, and in return you get a reward in the form of a rebate or gift card. You may be wondering how these companies can afford to pay you for simply sharing your receipt with them. The answer is that they get paid for the information they collect. They're essentially conducting market research, and companies are interested in the demographic information and other pertinent data they randomly collect. Be assured that they are not collecting or sharing private information; they are tracking shopping trends.  ​

Online extensions are buttons you add to your browser's taskbar. 

While any one of these digital savings tools will help you save money on groceries and other essentials, combining them can yield even more impressive results. My top three tips for maximizing savings are as follows: 

• Maximize offers: You might think that the more you buy, the more you are spending. While that is technically true, it is also true that the more items you buy at the sale price, the more you save. Better to buy five tubes of toothpaste this week when they are on sale for 99 cents (with a limit of 5 per customer) and store them for future use than to pay $3+ per tube as needed. If you see an amazing deal, stock up on the sale item. 
• Stack coupons: Stacking coupons means using two coupons for the same item. The way to do this is to combine a store coupon with a manufacturer's coupon. Store coupons are issued by a specific store and can only be redeemed at the store issuing the coupon. Manufacturer's coupons can be redeemed at any store that accepts coupons. 
• Combine offers: This is my favorite (and most effective) way to save. Going back to my toothpaste example, Crest toothpaste was on sale at my local grocery store this past week for 99 cents. At the same time Ibotta was offering a 50-cent rebate on Crest toothpaste. By combining the two, I was able to get my toothpaste for 49 cents a tube. Last week I actually made money on Trident gum by combining offers. The gum was on sale for $1.29 per pack. Ibotta was offering a $1 rebate on two. This alone would have given me two packs of gum for $1.58, but because it was my sixth rebate that week, I earned a $3 bonus, so I actually made $1.42 on the gum! 

Maximizing your savings on groceries and other essentials using digital tools takes a bit of organization, but it is well worth the effort. I personally love finding new, effective ways to save money, and I get a real sense of satisfaction from getting a good deal. I hope you find these suggestions useful, and I invite you to share your favorite ways to save in the comments section below. 

Supply chain issues, government policies, international relations, and a myriad of other factors have been wreaking havoc on prices globally in recent months. With inflation on the rise, I've been searching for new and meaningful ways to save money on groceries and other essentials, and I've discovered several tools and practices that really work. Some of the ideas I will share are ones I've been practicing for years and others I've implemented more recently.  As with most things, an organized approach is the best approach when it comes to saving money on food and other necessaries.

This post is the first in a two-part series. Part 1 will focus on non-digital ways to save. Part 2 of the series will concentrate on how to use apps and other digital tools to save money on groceries and other essentials. 

My husband and I have been budgeting our money since day one of our marriage. This practice has allowed us to set and achieve numerous financial goals. To this day, we account for every penny we spend. We always know exactly how much money we have, where it is, and how we want to spend (or save) it.

I cannot recommend creating and implementing a budget strongly enough. In my opinion, it's the single best practice for ensuring financial stability. It allows you to live within your means, build a financial cushion, and save for the future. If you aren't using a budget, I encourage you to create one today.

Knowing what you have in your pantry, freezer, and refrigerator can be as important as knowing what you have in the bank when it comes to saving money on groceries and other essentials.

​I highly recommend organizing and decluttering your various food storage spaces. I have recently completed this process, and in doing so I learned some things. For instance, I discovered several items I had forgotten I had, most of which were beginning to show their age. I've made an effort to work them into our meals, and I've been happy with the results, both because we've had some yummy meals and because I was able to avoid unnecessary waste.

Did you know that nearly 40% of all food in America is wasted each year?  Preventing food waste by knowing and using what you already have on hand will save money as well as food. In addition to preventing waste, identifying what you have makes meal planning easier and prevents over-purchasing items you already have on hand. 

Speaking of meal planning, it is an excellent way to save money, time, and resources while improving the quality of your family’s meals. Planning (and executing) a menu will help you save money by purchasing only what you need to prepare the meals on your menu. 

Shopping with a list is an easy way to save money on groceries and other essential items. Expecting that you will remember what you need is a good way to ensure that you will have to make multiple trips to the grocery store, and we all know that trips to pick up one or two items often end with two or three bags full of groceries. Worse still, shopping with no plan at all in mind is certain to result in impulse purchases which rarely meet an actual need and are often unfriendly to the budget. 

Another good way to save on food is to make the most of what you have. This can take several forms. To begin with, it's economical to use what you already have in your cupboards. Take inventory and plan meals around what's in the pantry or freezer, supplementing as needed. 

Another way to save is to eat leftovers. This can sometimes be uninspiring, but it can also be awesome. Have fun jazzing up leftovers by reimagining them. For instance, leftover baked chicken can become the key ingredient in a soup, a salad, or a casserole. This is true for just about any protein. 

If you know a particular recipe is going to result in more leftovers than you want to consume in just a few days, try dividing the recipe in two (or more). Enjoy half now and freeze half for a day when you're short on time or groceries. Now that my kids are grown and out of the house, I do this a lot. 

When I was first married, I bought generic brands at the grocery store because that was all I could afford. Now I buy them because I'm content with their quality and see no need to spend the extra money for virtually the same product. Believe it or not, most generic products are packaged in the same facility using the exact same ingredients as their name brand competitors. They just get a different label at the end of the packaging process. 

As an organizer, I can tell you firsthand that tons of money is wasted every year on product experimentation. This is true of everything from hair styling gels to laundry detergents to snack foods. Something catches our eye, and we bring it home. As often as not, we discover that we aren't actually a fan of that particular product. The result is bathroom cupboards, bedroom closets, and kitchen pantries full of unwanted consumable items. 

Once you find an affordable product that you like, stick with it. Don't waste money experimenting once you have a favorite that meets your needs and fits your budget. Picking a product makes it easy to always get the best price for your preferred item. If you know what you want, then you can watch for sales and coupons and stock up when the price is right.  

Many stores have a designated clearance section, to include some grocery stores. At my favorite grocery store, there is an alcove behind the egg case where you can find day old breads and other bakery items for half price. In addition, there is a wall of shelves full of various odds and ends. The selection changes constantly.

​If you have a large freezer, discounted meat can be a great deal. Often the cuts are a day or two from their expiration date (which is really the date by which the store has to sell them, not necessarily an indication that they are about to spoil). If you plan to freeze them and use them as soon as they are thawed, they pose no real danger. 

Many communities have discount stores where you can save tons of money on groceries and other essentials like clothing, office supplies, or household items. Often these stores get their merchandise from big name retailers. The items they offer may be nearing their expiration date or be damaged in some way, or the company many simply have ordered too many.

​I recently checked out such an establishment in my community. I came away with several reams of Amazon Basics printer paper. The only thing wrong with them was that the outer packaging on every ream was torn. The paper inside was completely unharmed. I paid less than $3 per ream. On Amazon.com the same paper costs $7 per ream. Now if I could just find a similar deal on printer ink! 

Speaking of communities, purchasing locally produced goods is another potential way to save on food and other essentials. In particular, there are great deals to be had on local produce and other farm products such as eggs. 

In addition to potentially lower prices, many locally owned businesses offer special discounts. For instance, we live in a military community where a lot of the businesses offer discounts to service members and retirees.  

Another way to save by shopping locally is to take advantage of price-matching offers. Many small businesses are willing to offer the most competitive price in order to secure business.

​Many small businesses also offer punch cards and other programs designed to reward customer loyalty. If you shop regularly at a particular establishment, be sure to utilize these opportunities to save. 

I think instinctively most of us know that eating out is more expensive than preparing meals at home, but our buying habits don't always reflect our understanding of economics. One of the benefits of planning a menu not mentioned previously is that you know what's for dinner and you have the ingredients on hand. Not having to decide at the last minute what you're going to prepare makes it much easier to forgo the fast food on the way home. 

Last year I bought a Sweet Millions cherry tomato plant. While it did not yield millions of tomatoes, it did yield hundreds! I was picking a bowl full almost every day from June to September. For all those tomatoes, I spent a whopping $4.95 on the plant. That's a pretty good return on my investment, considering that I would spend close to that on a single carton of cherry tomatoes at the grocery store. 

You don't have to have a ton of space to grow your own food. Many vegetables can be grown in pots on a patio or balcony. Some vegetables can even be grown on a kitchen windowsill or other sunny indoor spot by simply planting kitchen scraps. It's fun to watch them grow, and home grown produce always tastes better. 

Paper coupons are becoming less common, but they are still out there, and they will still save you money. My local grocery store (a Kroger affiliate) mails out paper coupons monthly. What I love about these is that they are customized based on my buying habits! Out of the 10-12 coupons that come in the packet, I invariably use at least 6 because they send me coupons for things I buy regularly. 

The Krazy Coupon Lady and Coupons.com are good sources for both digital and printable coupons. 

Most grocery stores have a handful of screaming deals each week. Pay attention to the sales in your area and take advantage of these offers. You don't necessarily have to go out of your way to drive all over town. Rather than making a special trip, try to stop at a store that's offering a great deal on an item you need when you're in the general part of town where the store is located or ask someone who regularly goes to that part of town to pick the item up for you and reimburse them. 

You can get really great deals by combining coupons or cash back offers with sales. This is one of my favorite ways to save money on groceries. I always feel a little euphoric when I score an amazing deal this way - like when my favorite laundry detergent was on sale for $1.99 and I had a $1.00 off coupon. Note that extreme deals like this often have a limit as to the number of items you can buy at the sale price. 

Many companies offer group prices, and these often represent significant savings. Typically, the more items that are ordered, the lower the price. My church group does a quarterly group order. Last quarter it was for honey. This quarter it is for stackable plastic water storage containers. Because there are so many people ordering, we are able to get the items at more than 50% off the regular price. The thing to remember here is that one person will have to act as the group representative, collecting payment, placing the order, and arranging for delivery or pick up with the various purchasers. 

To a certain degree, you can predict when certain types of items will be on sale based on the time of year. Grocery stores have sales cycles. These are often seasonal in nature. For instance, November is a good time to stock up on baking supplies. This post offers a good month by month list of grocery sales cycles.

Groceries are not the only items that go on sale at predictable times. The same is true for clothing, furniture, household items, and even cars. Many stores use holidays such as Labor Day, Memorial Day, or Independence Day as an excuse to offer a sale. Knowing that a holiday is coming up, it's worth waiting a few days or even weeks to purchase certain items at a reduced price assuming the need for the item is not immediate. After-holiday sales are another great opportunity to stock up on certain items at reduced prices.   

There are many ways big and small to save money on groceries and other essential items. I'm sure I've only touched on them here. I would love to hear what you do to boost your savings, so please share in the comments section below. 

Stay tuned for part 2 of my money saving tips which will focus on digital savings.