Groceries: Stop Eating Away Your Cash

Sep 23

4 min read

Updated: 4 days ago

If gas prices aren’t enough to make your heart race, grocery bills are a close second. You need to eat, but how can you cut spending to ensure your family gets nutritious meals while still keeping enough cash for life’s other basics? The good news is that taking control of your grocery bill is easier than you think with these simple tips.

Pantry Challenge

Before heading to the store, shop your pantry, fridge, and freezer first. Pull out what you already have and build a meal plan around those items. This will lower your grocery bill and help you make the most of the food you already bought!

If you are short on ideas, search your available ingredients online or ask an AI assistant for quick, simple recipes. By using what you have, you may only need to pick up a few staples like fresh fruit, milk, bread, and eggs, saving you a stack of cash.

Ibotta

If you think saving money on groceries is hard, you need to try Ibotta. It acts like a digital coupon hub for items you buy every day.

Start by downloading the free app, choosing your store, and tapping the plus sign on any offers you plan to use. Then, shop as you normally would. When you finish shopping, simply upload a photo of your receipt to earn your cash back. If you shop online, you can link your store account to earn rewards automatically.

Once your balance reaches $20, you can transfer your cash directly to your bank account or PayPal, or trade it in for digital gift cards. You can even earn extra bonus cash by purchasing featured products or completing special challenges. You can use this promo code (rmayjso) for a $5 bonus when you submit your first receipt!

Fetch

Fetch is a free rewards app that turns your everyday receipts into points. Simply download the app, tap the camera icon to photograph your paper receipts, or link your email for automatic e-receipt tracking. You earn a minimum of 25 points for almost any store or restaurant receipt, plus bonus points when you buy featured food brands.

Once your points accumulate, you can redeem them for gift cards to your favorite stores, including for free groceries. You can use this promo code (UP3BUA) for 2,000 bonus points when you scan your first receipt!

Aldi

If you live in Minnesota, Aldi consistently ranks as the cheapest grocery store. Comparisons show it routinely beats competitors like Walmart, Target, Costco, Sam’s Club, Cub, and Trader Joe’s on basic staples. If you want to stretch your grocery dollars as far as possible, Aldi is the best place to start.

Too Good To Go

Too Good To Go is an app that connects people with unsold food from local restaurants, bakeries, cafes, and grocery stores at a discounted price. Businesses bag up their surplus at the end of the day, and customers reserve and pick it up through the app.

Food Shelves

Sometimes, no matter how far you stretch your budget, there simply isn’t enough left over for the basics. Mom, I see you. Don’t despair. You’re not alone.

According to the USDA, 82% of households with children in the US were food insecure in 2024—that’s almost 30 million people. Local food shelves are ready to help. Check out these options to find support near you:

Many food shelves offer monthly or twice-monthly visits, allowing you to choose what fits your family's needs. You can also visit more than one food shelf to ensure your kids go to bed full every night. Beyond food, these programs often connect families with additional resources like clothing, household essentials, holiday gifts, school supplies, and youth activity scholarships.

Loaves & Fishes: Community Meals

On nights when you lack the time or energy to plan and prepare a meal, Loaves & Fishes offers free drive-up community meals. Each ready-to-eat, to-go box includes a main dish, fruit, and vegetables. Simply drive up to a designated location, request the number of meals you need, and pick them up with no hassle required.

Use the search tool to find a community meal site near you. Meals are offered most nights during specific pickup windows.

SNAP and SUN Bucks

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) helps Minnesotans experiencing financial hardship buy nutritious, well-balanced food for their families. Qualified households receive an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card preloaded each month with a designated grocery allowance based on household income.

Eligibility depends on your household size and income level. Households may qualify if their gross income falls below the following limits:

Table showing household size vs. monthly household income. The range is from 1 member with a household limit income of $2,609 to 10 members with a household limit income of $10,859. Add $917 per additional household member over 10. Effective October 1, 2025.

SUN Bucks is an income-based food assistance program that provides families with $120 per eligible school-aged child to buy groceries during the summer break.

If your family receives SNAP, your children are automatically enrolled. A preloaded card is mailed to your address for each eligible child at the start of summer and can be used anywhere that EBT (SNAP) is accepted.