How To Save Money On Groceries Without Coupons
This post may contain Affiliate Links
I love using coupons to save money on groceries, but I can accept that they’re not for everyone. Using coupons can be time-consuming, and fiddly and there is always that worry that they won’t be accepted when we get to the checkout.
Here’s how to save money on groceries without coupons.
How To Save Money On Groceries Without Coupons
As the cost of living crisis intensifies and inflation continues to push up the cost of food and drink, I want to take a look at some of the ways you can save money on groceries without using coupons.
While there is no doubt that coupons can save you money on your weekly or monthly shop, there are a few reasons why people might not want to use them.
- Worried they will not be accepted at the till which can cause stress and embarrassment.
- Forgetting to use coupons, or trying to use them when they are out of date.
- Fiddly to find, store and take with you to the supermarket.
- No facilities to print coupons at home.
- Time-consuming – coupon shops with big savings take time and planning.
1. Shop Yellow Stickers
Shopping for yellow sticker reductions is one of the biggest ways I save money on my weekly shop.
Even if you grocery shop in the morning, it’s always worth checking the yellow sticker sections of whichever supermarket you shop at.
I know some people worry that yellow sticker food won’t last long once purchased, but it can often be cooked or frozen on the day of purchase to help prevent waste.
I find yellow sticker vegetables are generally pretty hardy and will last for weeks after I’ve bought them as long as I keep them in the fridge.
One of the only things I would recommend buying if you plan to eat on the day of purchase are yellow sticker pre-cut fruit pots and pre-made salad bowls.
I would also be extra cautious with ready meals containing rice.
Some of my recent yellow sticker bargains include:
- Pack of Ham – reduced from £2.25 to 45p which did ham, egg and chips for the three of us.
- Plum cherry tomatoes were reduced from 89p to 27p – which I roasted and made into pasta sauce.
- Coleslaw/Potato Salad combo reduced from 2.79 to 56p – served the next day with roast chicken and yellow sticker salad items.
One thing to remember with buying is that although use by dates are important, many supermarkets are removing them from some of their products as they contribute hugely to food waste.
Many items will be safe to eat the next day and a common sense approach is needed.
One thing Lidl in particular has going for it is the £1.50 wonky fruit and vegetable boxes which contain around 5kg of fruit and veg that are short-dated. Find these by the tills at the end of your shop!
Find out more about yellow sticker shopping in the following posts:
Ultimate Guide To Buying Yellow Sticker Food
The Best Time of Day for Yellow Sticker Bargains – With Detailed Times For Each Supermarket
10 Misconceptions about buying Yellow Sticker Food
Does Reduced Food Go Off Quicker?
The Best Items To Buy Yellow Stickered
Morrisons Early Morning Yellow Sticker Reductions (70% off at 9am!)
How To Freeze Yellow Sticker Birthday Cakes
2. Try The Value Range
While many people will already be buying from the value ranges, if there are some products you haven’t switched yet, now could be the time to give them a try.
If you love them, great!
If not, simply switch back and try something else the following week.
Many supermarkets have rebranded their value offerings with better-designed, less basic packing to help make them more appealing to shoppers.
Asda went with a different approach and rebranded its value range in bright yellow and white packing on the basis that it made it much easier for customers to spot.
Some of my favourite value range products include:
- Asda Value Stuffing – great for bulking out pie mixes and roast dinners.
- Sainsbury’s Hubbards BBQ sauce and Ketchup – the ketchup is one of the better value range offerings taste-wise.
- Lidl Tortilla Chips – we often use these to make nachos as a weekend treat.
3. Switch Supermarkets
Now I know this isn’t something that will be viable for everyone due to location and travel costs etc but if you can switch to a discount supermarket such as Lidl or Aldi then you should really notice a difference in the overall cost of your shop.
While they do generally stock smaller ranges and you might not be able to get everything you need (we find this, especially with things like herbs and spices in Lidl) the overall savings should more than make up for this.
4. Save Money On Groceries Without Coupons: Meal Planning
When it comes to saving money on groceries without using coupons, one of the best places to start is at home, before you even think about heading to the shops.
Meal planning can help save money in lots of ways. It gets you looking at what you have in and what needs to be used up, so should help reduce food waste. Meal planning can prevent duplicate purchases as you have a clear idea of what you need before you shop.
It can also help take away some of the mental load of ‘what shall I cook for dinner tonight’ and you can plan easy dinners for busier days to help reduce the temptation to grab a takeaway.
One thing I always do when planning my weekly grocery shop is check the app or website of the supermarket I plan to shop at (usually Lidl) to what’s on offer that week and then plan my meal around that to help save money.
5. Save Money On Groceries Without Coupons By Using Cashback Apps
I wasn’t sure whether to include Cashback Apps in this post. I think some people would consider them to be coupons, but technically they are cashback and nothing needs to be handed over while in the supermarket.
Using cashback apps is one of my favourite ways to save money on groceries, but as with everything, there are good points and bad points to using them.
Whereas a coupon will give you money off at the till with cashback apps, you have to photograph and upload your receipt and then wait for it to be processed before you get your money back.
It also means if you don’t have the cash up front, you might not want to use cashback apps.
That said, they can be a great way to save money on groceries without using coupons.
I’ve reviewed some of them in the posts below if you’d like to learn more about how they work.
Shopmium Review: Why I Love The Shopmium App
GreenJinn Review: Using the GreenJinn App
Checkoutsmart Review-How To Use The Checkoutsmart App
6. Supermarket Apps
Many supermarkets now have their own apps and if you don’t fancy using paper coupons, you can often add offers to your loyalty card via the app, so all you need to do is scan at the till like you usually would!
Much easier and less fuss than paper coupons.
I hope these tips help you to reduce the cost of your weekly shop without the need for coupons, however, if you do decide to give couponing a try at some point, here are a few final posts that should help you get started.
Finding Coupons To Save Money On Groceries
5 Tips For Using Coupons On The Weekly Shop
Saving Money With Farmfoods Vouchers
