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Financial Tips for Teachers: How to Save Money on Groceries in 2025

If you are a teacher, you are a busy person. All too often, a late day in the classroom results in takeout on the way home. Not only does this make it hard to stay healthy, but it also ends up costing you a lot of money. I’ve compiled my tried and true strategies for how to save money as a teacher at the grocery store by making the process of getting groceries so much easier! These are some simple financial tips for teachers that really make a difference! Learn more below!

Teachers, The tips will save you a lot of time at the grocery store. They will make it easy for you to grocery shop on a budget. Best of all they will put an end to the habit of getting dinner at a drive-thru after staying too late at school. Click through for ideas!

5 Financial Tips for Teachers about Saving Money at the Grocery Store

In addition to not needing to schedule pee breaks at specific times, one of the nicest benefits to summer vacation is having the luxury of grocery shopping when it is less crowded. Hello grocery store at 9am on a weekday with no lines! This blog post will provide you with tips for how to save money as. a teacher at the grocery store. Not only will these tips help you stick to your grocery budget, but they will save you a lot of time too.

1. Make a Checklist.

The first financial tip for teachers on this list is to make a checklist. Consider making a list of foods you buy regularly. Keep it handy and check off items as you run out. It’s always smart to have a pen and paper close to the refrigerator to keep an ongoing list of things you have run out of. I know that if I tell myself “I need to pick up salsa at the grocery store” and I don’t write it down immediately, I will not remember to pick it up the next time I go to the store.

2. Map Out Your Grocery Store.

I did this about five years ago and it has been an invaluable time saver for me. Grab a notebook and go to the store you always shop at. Start at the beginning of the store and make a list of what items are found in which aisle. I obviously didn’t write down each and every item, but I did make sure to include any category I may (at some point) purchase. When you get home, type up the list in a word document and print a bunch of copies. Use this as your grocery list by simply highlighting the items that you need to buy. This prevents you from needing to go back and forth for items on the list that you forget to grab. It’s helpful if your grocery store keeps things pretty consistent. If not, try to update your map at least once every few months.

3. Organize the List and Divvy it Up.

The third financial tip for teachers on this list is to organize your shopping list and divvy it up. I took it a step further and reformatted the list so that the first half of the store is on the top of the page and the second half of the store is on the bottom of the page. This is helpful when my husband and I go to the store together. We grab two carts, rip the list in half, start on opposite sides of the store and meet in the middle. Making your grocery list organized by where you’ll find it in the store will save you precious time and prevent you from having to suffer from “road rage” when you’re trying to read the signs on the aisle, but someone has stopped randomly in the walkway.

4. Stock Up.

Making a menu and knowing which items you use often or need for specific recipes will allow you to buy nonperishable products in larger amounts. I noticed we were buying some items (oatmeal, cereals, pasta, etc.) often. This meant that I was adding it to my list weekly, finding it in the store, checking out with it, and making room in the pantry for it regularly. By buying enough for the month once, I didn’t need to think about it weekly. This financial tip for teachers will also help you with your meal prep!

5. Use a Grocery Delivery Service.

Some stores offer services that allow you to order and pay online and either have the groceries delivered to your door or brought out to your car. Some services are free and others have a small fee. Do the math because while it may seem like an unnecessary luxury, the cost is probably far less than what you will spend on impulse buys when in the store. This option is also helpful in keeping you on track with healthy eating.

A side note with this one, though, is that I would recommend picking out your own produce to ensure you get the freshest and most appetizing looking options. You can’t assume that the employee picking out your groceries cares that you like firm peaches because they’re just going to grab what’s quick and easy.

If you’re interested in trying this out, but don’t want to pay for a delivery service like Amazon Fresh or from a regular grocery store, look into the free grocery pick up offered by Walmart. I tried it myself and found it to be very quick and easy. I opted to get meats and produce elsewhere, but it was perfect for getting the boxed items, cleaning products, and canned goods I needed without the hassle of fighting the crowds that come with a typical Walmart trip.

Additional Resources for Teachers

We hope these financial tips for teachers about how to save money as a teacher at the grocery store were helpful! If you did, then you might find these posts helpful as well:


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