5 Tips to Lower Your Grocery Bill

According to a recent study by Bankrate, 72% of U.S. adults are still buying groceries in person, amidst the Coronavirus pandemic. While many in the beginning opted to use food delivery services, 23% of those polled were disappointed with the high service fees. When trying to stay on budget, pesky fees can eat up your hard-earned dollars.

Getting into a better grocery-shopping routine can help you and your family save more than you think. Whether you’re shopping at grocery stores in person or using food delivery services, we have 5 tips on how you can lower your grocery bill the next time you’re about to head out to restock the kitchen.

1. Plan ahead/make a list

Making a list before you head into the grocery store can help in several different ways. Instead of walking down each aisle and picking out what you are in the mood for in the moment, a list keeps you in check. While saving you time, planning your meals for the week ahead of time will also save you money because you will be less likely to splurge on snacks and deserts you don’t need.

2. Plant your own garden

Growing your own garden in your backyard can be a fun weekend activity, especially if it means saving you money at the grocery store. Buying your produce in the store can get expensive and the fruits and vegetables might not be as fresh as you might think. Choosing even just three plants to grow like herbs, tomatoes and spinach, can help get you the greatest return on investment of your backyard garden.

3. Stockpiling

Saving money stocking up doesn’t mean you have to fill the garage with canned goods and paper towels. Instead, stocking up on a few of your family’s favorite staples when they are on sale can be limited to just an extra shelf in your cupboard. Stockpiling helps you save money by buying the items you know you’ll use only when they are on sale.

4. Love your leftovers

Re-using leftovers helps lower the amount of food wasted and means you have one less meal to prepare. Having a leftover night once a week before you go food shopping again can help clean out the fridge and remind you of which items you still have and which items you need to restock. It might not seem like you are saving that much, but enjoying your leftovers weekly makes for four less meals you have to pay for every month.

5. Use your cash back debit card

Being smart about how you pay for your groceries can help lower the final bill. We offer a debit card that gives you 1.00% cash back on all of your purchases. At the end of the month when you are adding up how much you have spent on food, it will be helpful to see the cash back that was added to your account.

The Debit Card Rewards Program (Cash Back Rewards) will provide 1.00% cash-back on all Qualified Purchases made by eligible Rewards Checking account holders if the account holder does any of the following; meet the requirements, is grandfathered in, or keeps an average balance of $2,500 or greater within the calendar month in their Rewards Checking Account, or receives total deposits of $2,500 or more in their Rewards Checking account via qualifying Direct Deposit within the month. Qualifying Direct Deposits are Automated Clearing House (ACH) credits, which may include payroll, pension or government payments (such as Social Security) by your employer, or an outside agency. LendingClub Bank may require documentation to verify that credits are Qualifying Direct Deposits. The value of this reward may constitute taxable income to you. You may be issued an Internal Revenue Service Form 1099 (or other appropriate form) to you that reflects the value of such reward. Please consult your tax adviser, as LendingClub Bank does not provide tax advice. Qualified Purchases include signature-based purchases made with a LendingClub Bank issued Debit Card tied to a Rewards Checking account enrolled in the Debit Card Rewards program. These are “credit” purchases that can be made in stores and online. To make a signature-based purchase, select “credit” rather than debit at point-of-sale kiosks. The “credit” option is most often pre-selected when making purchases online using a debit card. Online subscription payments may not be considered signature-based purchases. The payment transaction type (signature-based or other) is ultimately decided by the merchant and how the transaction is transmitted to LendingClub Bank at the time of processing. We reserve the right to determine if a transaction was a Qualified Purchase, and to establish additional types of Qualified Purchases that could be made available in a variety of ways. Any goods or services purchased with the LendingClub Bank issued Debit Card that are returned or otherwise credited to your Account are not qualified purchases. Unlawful purchases and purchases of currency, cash or cash equivalents (including, without limitation, currency from the U.S. Mint, Travelers Cheques, gift cards, Cryptocurrency, Casino Chips, Peer to Peer Payments, prepaid debit cards, account openings, loan payments, or other cash equivalents) made with your LendingClub Bank issued Bank Debit Card are not Qualified Purchases. We may require you to provide documentation to validate that certain purchases are Qualified Purchases. LendingClub Bank reserves the right to modify or discontinue this program at any time. Your enrolled account must remain open, active, and in good standing to participate in the program, meaning: No NSF (non-sufficient funds) items during the preceding twelve calendar months in your checking account (regardless of the type of checking account). An eFunds check must show no negative history in the preceding twelve months and all monthly servicing fees must have been paid in full for the 12 preceding months. LendingClub Bank reserves the right to modify the description of “good standing” at any time. If you or the Bank closes your account for any reason before the end of the statement cycle, you will forfeit all rewards accrued through your linked Debit Card during that statement cycle.