How to Save Money When You Don’t Have Kroger

If you’ve followed along for a while, you’ve probably seen me mention how helpful Kroger Boost (and even shopping at Kroger in general) has been for saving and strategic shopping in certain seasons. It’s a great tool, but it’s just one way to save on groceries. Many parts of the country don’t have Kroger at all, and that’s okay! You can still lower your bill dramatically with a few simple systems you can use anywhere.

So I decided to create a step-by-step game plan with tons of examples and a sample week of meals to show how this works in real life…no Kroger required.

Strategies to Save Money Grocery Shopping

1. Map Your Local Options (This Alone Can Cut Your Bill)

Before you change what you eat, change where you shop. Take 10 minutes to list every option within your normal driving radius and try one new place each week for a month.

• Discount chains: Look for ALDI, Lidl, WinCo, Grocery Outlet, Save-A-Lot, or regional discount grocers.
• Warehouse clubs: Costco, Sam’s, or BJ’s can be fantastic for a few staples (rice, oats, cheese, yeast, flour, toilet paper) — if you buy what you’ll actually use… and you can usually get a great deal on memberships!
• International/ethnic markets: Hidden gems for produce, rice/beans, spices, and baking items.
• Salvage/closeout stores: Great for shelf-stable foods and household goods. Check dates and packages.
• Big-box stores: Walmart and Target often win for store brands and basics.

• Farmer’s markets & roadside stands: In season, you can stock up and freeze produce at peak prices.

Pick the one store with the best overall prices for your basics and make it your “home base.” You’ll save time, gas, and decision fatigue.

2. Plan Your Menu Around Inexpensive Frameworks

Instead of building a menu from specific recipes that require specific ingredients, plan around cheap meal frameworks and plug in what’s on sale.

• Beans + rice bowls (add salsa, cheese, fried egg, or roasted veggies)
• Soup + simple bread (chili, lentil, potato, veggie)
• Breakfast for dinner (eggs, pancakes, fruit)
• Pasta + sauce + veg (roast any veggie you find on markdown)
• Sheet-pan sausage or chicken + potatoes/carrots
• Baked potato bar (beans, cheese, green onions, leftover chili)
• DIY pizza night (homemade dough + whatever’s in the fridge)

This approach is helpful because it keeps your plan steady while your ingredients change. If broccoli is expensive, swap in carrots; if chicken is pricey this week, make lentil soup. It works in real life because frameworks absorb surprises: you start with the structure, and then plug in the best-priced items you actually find. Fewer special trips, less food waste, and a much easier time pivoting when the clearance rack surprises you.

3. Shop the Markdowns First

No matter where you shop, walk past the markdown spots first: meat case, bakery rack, and produce clearance. The store is financially motivated to move perishable items before they expire, so you’ll often find 25–50% discounts on perfectly good food that just needs to be eaten or frozen soon.

This is important because perishable markdowns give you the greatest savings per minute spent. You’re tapping into the store’s own incentive to reduce waste.

Here’s how it works practically: let’s say you planned pasta night, but you find chicken thighs marked down to a can’t-miss price. Pivot. Roast a tray of chicken with potatoes and carrots the first night, make a quick chicken fried rice the second, and simmer a pot of comforting chicken noodle soup from the bones on the third. One clearance find becomes three dinners, and your grocery budget stretches without feeling restrictive.

4. Lean on Store Brands + Seasonal (or Frozen) Produce

Kroger isn’t the only store you can try this strategy with. Store brands are often made in the same facilities as name brands, but without the marketing costs, so you keep the quality and lose the premium. Pair store brands with what produce is in season (or choose frozen when fresh prices spike), and you’ll see your total drop.

This is helpful because it reduces your “brand tax” while still letting you feed your family well. It works because nutrition doesn’t care about labels; oats are oats, and frozen vegetables are picked at peak ripeness and flash-frozen (often locking in nutrients better than out-of-season fresh!).

Small swaps add up fast: buy block cheese and shred it yourself, toss together a simple salad from whole heads of lettuce instead of pricey kits, use store-brand oats to make granola bars, and choose frozen berries for smoothies when fresh berries are more pricey. You’ll keep variety on the table without overspending to get it.

5. Consider Azure Standard for Bulk Staples (Even in Rural Areas)

If you live in a place with fewer store options, or you just love buying staples in bulk, Azure Standard can be a budget-friendly solution. They deliver to local “drop points” on a regular schedule (and some locations offer home delivery), making it possible to snag affordable prices on oats, flour, beans, rice, yeast, oils, spices, and more.

This is valuable because bulk buying shrinks the per-unit cost of items you use constantly, and it reduces last-minute, full-price runs. It works best when you compare unit prices to your price book, start with true staples you’ll definitely use, and store them well.

Team up with a friend to split large bags, transfer goods to jars or food-grade buckets, and rotate your stock. Buying bulk only saves money if it prevents waste, and a bit of planning ensures it does.

6. Let the Internet Do the Heavy Lifting (Local Bloggers + Apps)

Even without Kroger, digital tools are your friend. Download your store’s app to clip digital coupons, scan items in-store for hidden price drops, and peek at the weekly ad before you plan. Then search for deal bloggers and Facebook groups that cover your local stores — try “your city + grocery deals” or “your store + weekly matchups.” This matters because it shifts the research burden off your shoulders. You’ll benefit from someone else’s scouting and you’ll catch markdown patterns you might have missed.

This is especially helpful because coupon policies and promotions vary regionally; a local blogger or community group knows when your store does double-markdowns, what day the meat case gets repriced, and which private-label items are sleeper wins. Pair that intel with some of these other strategies and you’ll be amazed at how quickly your planning time drops while your savings rise!

A Sample $75 Menu for the Week (Adjust for Your Family)

So how can you apply all of these money-saving tips during your next grocery shopping trip when you’re not using Kroger? Here’s a sample menu for the week based on a $75 budget. The prices may vary a lot by region, but this is just to spark ideas. It assumes a small pantry of basics (oil, salt/pepper, a few spices, baking powder, flour).

Dinners

• Chili + cornbread (beans, canned tomatoes, onion; stretch a small amount of ground beef or skip)
• Sheet-pan chicken thighs with potatoes & carrots
• Pasta + marina with roasted broccoli
• Eggs, pancakes, fruit (breakfast for dinner)
• Beans + rice bowls with salsa and cheese
• Baked potato bar (leftover chili, green onions, a little cheese)
• Homemade pizza night (dough, sauce, any leftovers as toppings)

Lunches

• Leftovers
• Bean & cheese quesadillas
• Peanut butter sandwiches
• Simple salads

Breakfasts

• Oatmeal (add frozen fruit)
• Eggs and toast
• Homemade granola and yogurt

Snacks

• Popcorn
• Carrots with hummus
• Celery with peanut butter
• Bananas
• Homemade muffins
  

Smart swaps if you see a deal:

• Markdown pork shoulder → slow cooker pulled pork sandwiches (freeze half)
• Rotisserie-style whole chicken (markdown) → dinner + soup from the carcass
• Clearance produce → roast it all on one pan and add to pasta or bowls

Pantry & Freezer Starters (Under ~$25 When You Catch Sales)

• 5 lb rice
• 2 lb beans (dry or canned)
• 2 lb pasta + 2 jars marinara
• 2 dozen eggs (or one if prices are high)
• 2 lb frozen mixed veggies
• Oats (old-fashioned)

• Flour + yeast (for bread, pizza, and biscuits)

Start small and just add one pantry item each week when you see a good price. In a month, you’ll have the building blocks for multiple low-cost meals ready to go.

Summary

You don’t need to have a Kroger to save money on groceries. Yes, Kroger Boost has been helpful for me in certain seasons, but it’s just one tool among many. The real “secret” is using simple systems like mapping your options, planning flexible meals, shopping markdowns first, and leaning on store brands and seasonal or frozen produce.

These habits work anywhere because they’re built on how grocery pricing actually functions and how our brains make decisions. Start small, give yourself grace, and celebrate the little wins as they add up.

And keep following along — I’ll be sharing lots of tips and inspiration that will help you no matter where you live. from discount-store hauls and budget menu plans to freezer-friendly recipes and ways to build a frugal pantry step-by-step.

Related Links:

• Budget Meals: 12 Recipe Websites for Inspiration!
• Ask Crystal: How to Save on Groceries When You Work Full-Time
• Ask Crystal: How to Save on Groceries When You Have Food Allergies
• Ask Crystal: How do I save money on groceries when costs keep increasing?
• 25 Outside-the-Box Places to Buy Groceries for Less
• Is Amazon Prime Worth It?
• 15 Inexpensive Meals with Ingredients Already in Your Pantry
• How I Reverse Meal Plan

What tips do you have for saving on groceries, even without Kroger? Please share them in the comments below!