Learn How To Stretch Your Budget At The Grocery Store With These Helpful Tips

As the price of groceries remains high into the beginning of 2026, University of Tennessee Extension experts suggest several ways shoppers can stretch their dollars while filling their carts at the store.

Faculty in the UT Extension Department of Family and Consumer Sciences combined information about healthy meal planning and food safety with ways to make a grocery list, use coupons, check unit prices and avoid uneconomical marketing tactics in a series of publications called Aisle by Aisle about saving money at the grocery store.

“Budgeting is an important way to save money when you shop for groceries. Grocery prices are going up, which means your budget can change each month,” said Kristin Riggsbee, assistant professor and nutrition and food safety specialist. “In the long run, grocery shopping and cooking meals at home is less expensive than eating in restaurants or convenience stores, and cooking at home is much healthier.”

The authors of the publications include Riggsbee; Ann Berry, professor and consumer economics specialist; Christopher Sneed, associate professor and consumer economics specialist; and Kristen Johnson, associate professor and nutrition specialist.

Here are some tips for saving money before, during and after shopping:

Plan Your Meals and Make a Shopping List

Plan your meals for each week. Check your refrigerator, pantry and freezer to see what foods you have at home. Look for foods that need to be used before they spoil. Check for coupons, sales and specials at your local grocery stores. Include foods that are on sale in your meal plan. For example, if zucchini is on sale at your local store, consider adding it as a side dish or part of a mixed dish.

While shopping, make sure to stick to your list. Get what you need and leave! This saves time and money. Choose store or generic brands, which are often cheaper and just as good as brand-name products. Compare prices on canned, frozen and fresh foods. Canned and frozen foods are healthy and can be stored for weeks. Sometimes they are cheaper than fresh. If you shop with kids, let them help add up costs. This keeps them engaged and helps you stay on budget.

Save Money While Shopping

Larger packages are not always the best deal, and you can determine what size is cheaper by looking at the price per unit. A unit could be a serving size, ounce, gram, pound, gallon, quart, pint, cup, etc., or each item itself. The unit price is usually on the same label as the price of the item on the grocery store shelf.

Here is an example of comparing unit prices:

1-pound bag of carrots = $0.89 = $0.89 per pound
5-pound bag of carrots = $3.54 = $0.71 per pound

The 5-pound bag of carrots is the better value because it costs less per pound.

Keep in mind that sometimes items that are on sale or that you have a coupon for are not the best deal in the store. The store brand or generic brands might be cheaper than the item that is on sale. To effectively save money with coupons, think about what items you buy often and how long you can keep them at home without spoiling.

For more information about savings and food planning, refer to these UT Extension publications: