More Americans are buying food from the grocery store to make meals at home, but as inflation and product prices rise, they may need some tips to ensure they're making smart spending choices.
Meghan Birch, a stay-at-home mom with a husband, five kids and two pets, told "Good Morning America" how she has managed to save thousands of dollars a year by only grocery shopping once a month and only going back when they need fresh food.
"There is something about going to the grocery store often that for us was just a trap to buy more things that we didn't need and to not really use the things that we already had," she explained.
Their family spends roughly $1,000 a month on food from the store, house supplies and pet food, she said.
"We've saved easily, three to $500 a month. And that equates to about $3,600 to $6,000 a year," Birch said. "It's a big trip, but it really helps to reduce that extra money being spent."
Birch shared her secrets and tips to saving at the grocery store:
Big meal planning
Birch said that when she sat down and created a savings plan for the month, she focused on " foods that we really like to eat," she said. "Let's try to get the vast majority of that and a huge grocery haul, where we're getting things that we can put in the freezer, put in separate containers so that when that meal comes we're not going oh, I don't have this. I don't have that.
Realistic family eating habits
"If you have those things in your fridge that tend to not be used up a lot or they just keep getting pushed back in your cabinet ... take an honest look and say 'I'm not going to continue to buy those things,'" she recommended.
Shop on fully stocked days
"Know what days your store stocks things," she said. "If you can make sure that you have everything that you need, and you can grab everything that you want -- you're not tempted to go back to the store to get the thing that you didn't get because they didn't have it or you forgot it."