(MoneyHippo.com) – When looking at the budget, you may be able to eliminate some items, like streaming services or eating out at restaurants. Still, everyone must contend with one universal expense — food. As the cost of nourishing yourself and your family continues to rise, you might be looking for ways to get more for the money. Here are three great ways to save.

1. Get creative: Before heading to the grocery store, check the pantry, freezer, and refrigerator. You can often create a dish or two from the ingredients already available at home. Allrecipes allows users to search by ingredients, or you could enter your items in Foodcombo to see your best options.
2. Stay focused: Instead of entering the food store and risking impulse buys, consider ordering online and picking up the purchase. This method lets you shop sales, clip coupons, and plan meals to maximize savings and minimize waste while stocking the house. Pay close attention to weekly flyers, buy-one-get-one deals, and coupons to build your weekly list.

3. Cash back: While there’s nothing you can do to affect the rising cost of food, there are apps that can give you money back on each purchase. Take advantage of loyalty programs offered by the store and consider downloading apps like Ibotta, Fetch, and Checkout 51 to put more money back in your pocket.

Have you shared any favorite strategies for saving money at the grocery store with friends or family?

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