How to Budget for Grocery Shopping – Overcome Overspending!
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Do you want to learn how to budget for grocery shopping? You’re in the right place.
I’ll admit, the grocery budget category is the hardest one for me to manage. I know that our food budget is most easily inflated with lies such as: “Certain things just look so yummy! We deserve treats! It’s just one week going over-budget!”
It’s so easy to convince ourselves to overspend.
I also know from many years of budget living that if we keep our spending under control, we can save hundreds of dollars per month.
Money goals, we are coming for you! And if that means a little self-discipline in the snack aisle, so be it.
The first thing to do to avoid overspending on food is to make a budget. Let’s set a spending limit, and work from there.
Here’s exactly how to budget for grocery shopping!
Set a Monthly Spending Goal
Hopefully, you are creating a monthly budget. If so, you’ve likely got a number in mind as to how much you are going to spend on groceries per month. (Not true? Here are 9 Best Budgeting Resources for Your Investing Journey.)
Our grocery budget for a family of 4 is $650/month.
Yep, that’s an ambitious number, and I like it that way. It keeps me on the straight and narrow when wandering the international cheese section of our local food store.
With that monthly spending goal set, divide by number of times you plan to hit the store.
I go to the store once per week, which is roughly 4 times per month. That makes a grocery budget of about $162 per week.
Shop the Circular
Before I write down a plan for the week, I browse the store circulars.
Usually, it’s a choice between Aldi and PriceRite. They both carry foods we eat at reasonable prices. Some items (peanut butter) cost half as much at PriceRite. Some items (applesauce) have cleaner ingredients at Aldi.
I usually hit each store every other week. Add in a quarterly trip to Costco, and our family’s shelves are stocked.
Once I know what’s on sale, I plan our meals around it. If there’s a steal on turkey breast (29 cents a pound last week!), I stock up and plan on poultry-and-potatoes. If there’s corned beef at a great price because of St. Patrick’s Day, I serve that plus cabbage, and we’ll be feeling full of blarney.
Don’t forget to check what produce is in season – that’s usually what’s on sale, too.
Write down a Weekly Meal Plan
Now that we’ve got your weekly spending goal written down, we can create meals around this plan.
I personally write out 3-4 dinners per week (embrace leftovers!!), a soup or salad for grownup’s lunches, some ideas for school lunches for our preschooler, and a loose plan for breakfasts.
It looks like this:
Writing down the meal plan honestly helps me stick to it! There’s magic in using pen and paper.
Plus, if there’s a special event like a birthday party or day at the grandparents’, I account for it in our plan – and even remember to ask what we can bring!
Shop Your Pantry
Before I write out every ingredient when I budget for grocery shopping, I take a spin around my pantry. I’ll assess the go-to snacky-snack inventory, the crackers stash, the jars of marinara I like to keep on hand…
If anything is missing, I’ll add it to my list.
And, if I have a healthy supply of something like olive oil or mixed nuts, I’ll leave it off the list for the week.
Let’s recap: after checking our spending goals, my meal plan, the local circular, and our pantry, then I create a shopping list.
Make a List!!
Make your list of what you’ll purchase at the store. Write down a guesstimate of what each item will cost.
It’s okay if you don’t know all the prices at first – you’ll get more accurate the more you do this.
But for example, I’ll write $3 of bananas, $5 bag of apples, $9 beef, etc. Then I total it all up to see if I’m near my budget goal.
Pro tip: write your list down in the order you’ll go in the store. For example, produce, then meat, then dairy, then frozen foods. It’s extra fun when you send hubby, and they rearranged the store that week, and he’s totally lost (true story!!).
Budget a Contingency
Just like planning a home renovation, plan on spending less than your desired total. Then, if something unforeseen arises, you’re not scrambling to hit your budget.
For example, eggs. Currently, it is winter 2025, and all the birds have the flu. Eggs are astronomically expensive. Each week when I arrive at the refrigerator section of the store, I’m aghast at their new high price.
I’ve seen a dozen eggs at $6.99 – friends and family report $8.99. I felt like a genius when I bought a dozen cage-free organic brown eggs at $4.84.
Let’s say your weekly grocery budget is $100. Plan on only spending $90, and then if something weird comes up for $10 more, you’re not overspending.
Budget for a surprise, and it won’t send your checking account into a tailspin.
Stick to the List
I find this to be the hardest part. Stick to your list. No impulse buys.
Which brings me to my next point…
Budget for the Splurge
Do you always spring for the little Frappuccino by the checkout line? No judgement here. Just budget for it. Then you avoid this mental cycle:
“But I want that nice treat and I deserve it!”
“Oh no I probably shouldn’t…”
::buy it anyway::
“Gahhhh the guilt!”
Personally, I plan on a $5 “Ooh goody!” moment at the store. I then return home with dark chocolate or brie cheese, guilt-free.
If you know you’re going to splurge, then plan on it!
Use a Smaller Piece of Paper
If you’re hoping to save money on groceries, here’s a handy tip: use a smaller piece of paper for your list. And yes, you should be writing down your list with pen and paper.
I know – limitless is the name of the game these days. Bottom-less mimosas, unending scrolling, Netflix on auto-play.
But, if you give yourself a limit on groceries – not just a number limit, but a space limit – you can keep that spending down!
With a smaller paper, you’ll write less on it. It’s like choosing to pack a smaller suitcase – once it’s full, you can’t pack anymore. Or when people want diet advice, some coaches say to use a smaller plate at dinner.
Smaller list = smaller bill.
Keep a Price List
If you frequent the same stores each month, keep a log of the latest prices of your favorite items. This is a great tip we found in The Tightwad Gazette, a delightful throwback book about saving every penny.
You could use a notes app, a paper notebook, spreadsheet or even just take pictures. I use a photo album on my phone so it’s always handy.
I consistently keep track to keep it all in check!
You Now Know How to Budget for Grocery Shopping
That’s it! Today is the day that you will start keeping your grocery budget in tact. Set a goal, shop the circular, write down a plan, shop your pantry, make a list, and get after it!!
Now that you know how to budget for grocery shopping, you’ll crush your money goals even faster. Remember, every little bit helps.
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