These tricks work whether you’re feeding a family or shopping for one, and they don’t require coupon binders or complicated apps, just simple habits that add up fast.
If Pepaw could sit at your kitchen table, he’d tell you straight: groceries don’t have to drain your wallet every month. With a bit of planning, a few weekly habits, and a pinch of old-fashioned common sense, you can cut your bill in half without skimping on good meals.
Buy What’s on Sale (and Build Meals Around It)
Grocery stores run sales in cycles, and Pepaw says the biggest mistake folks make is deciding their meals first and their shopping second. Flip that around. Take a quick look at the weekly ad, spot the best discounts on proteins, produce, and pantry items, and plan your meals from those deals.
If chicken thighs, beans, and green beans are the stars of the week, guess what’s going on the table? A simple shift like this keeps you from paying full price for what you could’ve bought at half. Bonus tip: markdown meat, often found early in the morning, is perfectly suitable for freezing and stretches your budget farther than almost anything else.
Once you learn the sales rhythm at your local store, you’ll notice how predictable it is. Pepaw says after a few weeks, you’ll practically know what’s coming before the ad drops.
Check out Pepaw’s Slow-Cooker Suppers That Save You Money to turn low-cost groceries into filling meals.
Use the ‘Two-Store Trick’ (Without Extra Driving)
Pepaw isn’t sending you all over town. His “two-store trick” means choosing one main store and one backup store that consistently beat prices on certain items. One store might always have cheaper dairy and bread, while the other shines on bulk dry goods and produce.
Do your big shop at Store A, then pick up the handful of items Store B does better. You’re not driving all over creation, just making wise choices on the things that matter. Families who switch to this method often see savings of 20–30% immediately, without having to change their eating habits.
And if both stores are closed, Pepaw says grab the Sunday coffee, take your list, and handle both in one loop. No stress, no wandering aisles.
To time fresh food purchases, explore Grocery Store Secrets: How Pepaw Snags Meat & Produce Deals.
Master Unit Pricing Like a Pro
Unit pricing is the single most potent tool shoppers overlook. Bigger isn’t always cheaper, and sales aren’t always sales. Pepaw swears by checking the cost per ounce, pound, or piece printed on the shelf tag. This snaps the real deal into focus fast.
Sometimes the house brand wins, sometimes the family size wins, and sometimes neither does; a smaller package quietly beats both. When you train your eye for unit pricing, you stop falling for packaging gimmicks and start winning the price game every time.
Pepaw always says, “Let the math decide, not the marketing.”
Read Pepaw’s Secret to Stocking Up Without Overspending to buy in bulk at the best prices.
Switch Out Three Grocery Habits That Drain Your Wallet
One of Pepaw’s favorite savings tricks is replacing just three weekly habits that cost you more than you think. Swap pre-cut produce for whole fruits and veggies, and you’ll save 30–60%. Buy block cheese and shred it yourself. It’s cheaper, melts better, and stretches further. And trade bottled drinks for water, tea bags, or powdered mixes, and watch your bill drop instantly.
None of these swaps feels like a downgrade, but they quietly trim your budget week after week. Make these three habits stick for a month, and you’ll notice fundamental changes in your spending.
Create a ‘Use-It-First’ Box to Stop Food Waste
Most families don’t overspend because they buy too much. They overspend because they waste too much. Pepaw’s simple fix: a small bin in the fridge labeled “Use This First.” Anything close to its prime goes in there, front and center.
Leftover veggies become omelets. Half jars become sauces. A single chicken breast becomes lunch wraps. When your fridge stops being a food graveyard, your grocery bill drops without you even trying.
Pepaw likes to joke, “If it’s hiding in the back, it’s dying in the back.”
See Pepaw’s $20 Pantry Staples for Meals That Last All Week to build cheap meals around low-cost basics.
Stock the Pantry With Low-Cost Workhorses
Instead of filling your cart with various ingredients every week, stock up on inexpensive basics that complement each other well, such as rice, beans, pasta, eggs, canned tomatoes, frozen vegetables, peanut butter, and oats. These never go out of style and build the foundation of dozens of meals.
Then use sales to fill in the fresh items around these staples. This keeps meals simple, affordable, and satisfying while avoiding the “what do we eat?” panic that leads to overspending or takeout.
Pepaw says the real trick isn’t buying more; it’s buying smarter.
