These days, grocery prices are anything but cheap.
While most people know about coupon clipping and grocery rewards cards, "backwards shopping" is an overlooked yet very effective money-saving strategy that is starting to make waves on social media.
How backwards shopping works
Backwards shopping is a twist on how most people shop for groceries. Rather than make a list blindly or wander the aisles aimlessly, the idea is to work with what you've already bought.
So first, you check your pantry, fridge, and freezer. What did you buy the last time you went to Costco when there was a really good sale or a viral buy?
Then, you plan meals based on what you already have. You only shop for the items you need to complete those meals, avoiding duplicates and food waste.
One way to make this strategy a breeze is to use AI tools, like Google Gemini. Enter a list of the things you already have, and they will spit out a list of possible meals with minimal additional ingredients. You can even take it further by telling these tools the types of meals you like and dislike.
According to Clay Cary, senior trends analyst and finance expert at CouponFollow in Chicago, backwards shopping is one of the easiest money-saving strategies people can follow these days.
"It doesn't require people to follow a strict budget or change where they shop. It simply makes them more mindful of the foods they already have at home that they already paid for," explains Cary.
And to be honest, you might be surprised to see how much you already have laying around in your fridge and pantry.
Can it actually lower grocery spending?
This strategy could cut your grocery bill — and one example is Jim Wang, founder of Wallet Hacks and a homeowner in Fulton, MD.
"We try to have at least a couple 'backward shopped' meals each week. Sometimes, more if we find our freezer has gotten quite full," Wang explains.
Wang states he saves several hundred dollars a week through this strategy — primarily on protein.
"Backwards shopping encourages my family to buy meat in bulk at Costco and reduce waste. We don't let frozen meat get too old or freezer-burned by forgetting about it," he adds.
Of course, the amount you can potentially save on backwards shopping depends on your unique situation.