The 5 Best Hacks To Save Money At New York Grocery Stores

Anyone who has shopped at a New York store lately has noticed that things we used to buy all the time suddenly cost a pretty penny. How are you supposed to stay on budget when you have no idea what your groceries will cost from week to week? 

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the cost of food for the average New York customer went up over 10% between May 2021 and May 2022 (the highest increase since 1981!). There are tons of arguments on why the costs of products are rising so quickly, but let’s cut to the chase…

How the heck can we save money on our groceries? We’re tired of things being so expensive!

We need a game plan to stretch your dollars at the grocery store to save some money and be able to get the things you need. 

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The next time you’re stocking up at a New York State grocery store, keep these five hacks in mind to save money, and don’t let pricey trips to the store get the best of you and your budget. 

The 5 Best Hacks To Save Money On Groceries

Sign up for loyalty memberships

Several grocery store chains in New York State (like Tops and Wegmans) have clubs you scan sign up for that give members access to exclusive sales; and many of them have free apps that will send you sale alerts to your phone or use tp to browse prices and deals ahead of time. 

Buy generic brands

Believe it or not, store brand products (think Great Value at Walmart or Simply Nature at Aldi) are often made in the exact same factory as their pricier equivalent, but much less expensive.

Use your freezer

When you spot a great deal, buy it up in bulk and throw it in the freezer! 

Did you know you can freeze nearly any food? Use this handy guide from the FDA to safely store and freeze your food to use at a later date. (Also, hot tip – frozen produce often costs much less than the fresh stuff and lasts much longer, without losing any of its nutritional value.)

Mix up your meat

Depending on deals and sales, it may be smart to swap chicken thighs for chicken breasts or sirloin for a T-bone in your go-to recipe in order to stretch your budget. 

Or…try “Meatless Monday”

Want to save even more money? Try forgoing meat altogether at least once a week to save big. Pasta night, anyone?

Just by doing a little more planning and a little more frugal, we can prevent our grocery store bills from becoming an out-of-control expense.