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Summers have always been the time when my family spends the most on groceries. Being out of school means we tend to go on little adventures and often stop at a fast food drive-thru along the way. Being home all day means we eat more often. Since we’ve also been home due to pandemic closures, the food budget has threatened to be explosive!

Our family doesn’t do well on meatless meals or skimpy menus. We’re big eaters. Here are some of the ways I’ve been saving money on groceries right now, despite the rising cost — and even low availability — of food.

I learned how to can! Canning has been on my To-Do List forever, but I just never had the confidence to try it. Covid closure gave me time to watch enough YouTube videos that I felt like I could give it a go. It’s actually REALLY fun and so fulfilling to “put up” jars of food. I haven’t been too adventurous yet, but the few attempts I’ve made have been successful. We won’t have to buy jams or jellies for a long time! If I find a great sale on produce or even meat, I can preserve it without worrying about freezer space. I was given several bags of frozen fruit, and turned it into applesauce and fruit syrup.

I’ve been buying local fruit and vegetables to stock the freezers as well. The kids helped me make freezer jam, and we found great deals on produce at farm stands. We love supporting local growers, and the quality can’t be beat.

After avoiding the grocery stores for weeks, I finally ventured out and even visited stores I don’t normally frequent. That helped me snag some deals that I wouldn’t have otherwise found. For example, Kroger had great discounts on produce that was close to expiration date. We loved this stir-fry meal (it reminded me of the delicious noodles and veggies at ‘Ohana).

I was really excited to see that Ibotta offers cashback for online purchases. Since we mostly do grocery pickup, this is a great way to earn a little back. If you’re not already using Ibotta, I would love for you to use my referral link!

I’ve also started to find more ways to earn gift cards and extras through surveys and such. I’ve been lazy about it for a few years, but this seemed like a good time to start back up. The newest one I’ve joined is 1Q. It’s an app that sends surveys; you get paid $.25 or $.50 for each one. Doesn’t sound like much, but it takes only a second or two to answer a question. To me, it’s like picking up a quarter on the sidewalk. No brainer, right? Those quarters add up! Sign up here!

I would love to know how you’re stretching the grocery budget these days!