CLEVELAND — From gas to groceries, we are all feeling the effects of inflation.
With the price of just about everything going up, it’s wise to save where you can. When it comes to grocery shopping, to stay on your budget, it’s not just a list of items you’re going to need.
“One of the things you must do is have a plan, you have to know what you’re going to buy, when you’re going to buy it and how you’re going to going to prepare those meals," says budget guru, Rachel Krych. "One of the things that people make a mistake about is that they don’t know what they’re going to make for dinner, and often go out and buy fast food, which can really be a budget buster.”
Krych is a savings expert in Northeast Ohio behind "Couponing With Rachel." With more than a million website views and impressions, she knows a thing or two about making your dollar stretch further!
Krych says the best thing for busy families to do is make that plan and execute with grocery pick-up.
“That way you know exactly what you’re getting, you have your meal prep and know what things you want. It also cuts down on buying all this extra stuff. You’ll say,' Oh look, a brownie mix, look this is on sale.' But when you can put it in your cart and go and pick it up, it really will make you stay on your budget.”
Another tip she gives is to not be afraid to shop around for the best deals by making a list of where you want to buy certain items. For example, Aldi might have the best price on produce that week, but Giant Eagle may have half off of your favorite meat.
“If you’re just starting out and you don’t know, start creating a plan and start writing down the sales and the prices, so that way you’ll know when it’s a really good price and when it’s just an OK price."
One of the biggest budget busters is buying something because it has a sale sign in front of it. But when something is on clearance with a great price, she says it’s better to buy in bulk.
Krych’s final tip to save money can be done in less than 10 seconds -- and without clipping a single coupon.
“A lot of these stores have apps," she explains. "Dollar General, Walgreens, Giant Eagle and just about every story has an online app now. On there, they have coupons that you can clip even while you’re shopping, and that money will just come off at the register and can really be a huge saver.”
Editor's note: Video in the player above was originally published in an unrelated story on Feb. 7, 2023.