Shrink your grocery bill

Summary

Life Kit — “Shrink Your Grocery Bill” (August 10, 2026)

Host: Marielle Segarra
Guest: Beth Monsel, founder of BudgetBytes.com

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Episode Overview

This episode of NPR’s Life Kit explores practical, approachable ways to spend less money on groceries. Host Marielle Segarra sits down with Beth Monsel, the creator of BudgetBytes.com and a nutritional science expert, to break down strategies for smarter shopping, creative cooking, and managing food costs without sacrificing flavor or nutrition. Together, they delve into mindset shifts, planning tips, and emotional aspects of tightening your food budget—aimed to help listeners “get it together” when it comes to feeding themselves on a budget.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Understanding the True Cost of Home Cooked Meals

• Beth introduces ‘costing out’ recipes – a technique learned from the food service industry, where you add up the cost of each ingredient, then divide by servings to see the cost per meal.

  "It's so eye opening. It really does make you rethink the way you look at all the ingredients that you’re buying." (Beth, 01:27)

• Example:
  • Lentil Bolognese: $1.40 per serving
  • Carrot: $0.15
  • Red lentils (1 cup): $0.67
  • Walnuts (1/2 cup): $0.70

2. How to Use This Information to Save

• Costing recipes helps identify which ingredients drive up costs, showing where substitutions can save money.

  "Some of the components are way cheaper than others..." (Marielle, 01:04)

• Beth urges everyone to try costing out at least one recipe to internalize the technique.

3. Swapping Ingredients and Adjusting Ratios (03:38)

• Reduce expensive ingredients (like beef) and bulk up with cheaper ones (beans, lentils, vegetables).

  "Even if you just adjust the ratio slightly in your recipes, it can make a really big difference." (Beth, 04:09)

• Suggests building meals around low-cost, filling staples.

Inexpensive Staples

• Cabbage, potatoes, carrots, onions, sometimes broccoli—versatile, filling, and budget-friendly.

More Expensive Ingredients

• Animal products (meat, cheese, dairy) and nuts—use sparingly for flavor, rather than as main components.

  "If I use bacon... I'll use maybe 2 to 4 ounces, so like a quarter of the package and you still get all of that smoky flavor." (Beth, 05:12)

4. Minimizing Waste and Making Groceries Last

• Freezer Utilization:
  • Freeze leftovers—cheese, bread products, etc. (05:45)
  • Use ingredient indexes to look up recipes for leftover ingredients.
• Stay organized:
  • Keep a list on your freezer, log what you put in and when, cross off when used. (06:28)
  • Use calendars or reminders to actually use frozen items.
• “Cook the [eggplant] meatballs.” (Beth, 07:22 – playful reminder)

5. Shopping Strategies

Choosing Where to Shop (07:26)

• Don’t just default to major chains.
  • Check local and ethnic grocery stores, and farmers markets—often cheaper for key items.
• Use sale aggregator apps (e.g., Flipp) to compare store flyers and spot weekly deals.

Planning Around Sales (08:44)

• Check what’s on sale while planning your meals—build around discounted ingredients.

Bulk Buying (09:19)

• Bulk isn’t always cheaper—compare unit prices, consider storage space and whether you’ll use it all before it spoils. Beth only buys in bulk if it’s something she can freeze.

6. In-Store (or Online) Shopping Tactics

Maximizing Focus and Minimizing Impulse Buys (10:28)

• Go in with a detailed shopping list based on planned meals.

• Double-check what’s already in your kitchen before shopping.

• If possible, check prices and aisles online before going to the store.

• Shop during less busy times if you can.

  "If you want to do a little bit of pre-shopping online... you can price compare... It often even tells you what aisle it is in, so you know exactly where to find it." (Beth, 11:24)

Avoid Shopping Hungry!

• Marielle jokes about “no preparation, just vibes”—which leads to overspending.

  "How much do you spend?" (Beth, 12:08)
  "Yeah, too much." (Marielle, 12:11)

7. Grocery Shopping in Different Living Situations

• In smaller homes/apartments with limited storage, lean more on dry goods (lentils, pasta, canned foods) instead of perishables. (12:38)

8. Tips for Grocery Delivery (13:10)

• Use services that allow for good communication regarding substitutions.
• Cross-compare prices easily online.
• Ensure any missing item won’t derail your entire meal plan.

9. When You’re Still Struggling Affording Groceries

Food Banks (13:59)

• Food banks can be a bridge during tough times; you don’t need to be completely without food to use them.

• Many offer a “pantry” style setup where you can choose what you need.

• Donating leftover, unopened items to food banks is encouraged.

  "I don't think people should feel ashamed if they have to use a food bank. Everybody goes through hard times and that's what these services are there for." (Beth, 14:16)

10. Mindset, Emotions, and Encouragement

• Acknowledge overwhelm—start small.

  "If you try to start by cooking every single meal at home, you're going to get overwhelmed, you're going to give up..." (Beth, 15:32)

• Begin with one recipe/week and build up.
• Track your savings for positive reinforcement.
• Enjoy the process: Make meal prep social or enjoyable with music, drinks, or company.
• Success and pride in cooking grows with each effort.

  "Once they made that first recipe that was like a total success, it gave them a sense of pride..." (Beth, 16:49)

• Cleaning (dishes) is a kindness to yourself. (“That's a tough one, but you can try.” —Beth, 17:21)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |------------|-------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:27 | Beth Monsel | "I suggest everyone try costing at least once because it's so eye openeing. It really does make you rethink the way you look at all the ingredients that you're buying." | | 04:09 | Beth Monsel | "Even if you just adjust the ratio slightly in your recipes, it can make a really big difference." | | 05:12 | Beth Monsel | "If I use bacon in a recipe... I'll use maybe 2 to 4 ounces, so like a quarter of the package and you still get all of that smoky flavor in your recipe." | | 06:52 | Marielle | "I have like a half a bag of eggplant meatballs... in my freezer right now. And every time I open the freezer, I'm surprised to see them in there." | | 12:11 | Marielle | "Yeah, too much." | | 15:32 | Beth Monsel | "If you try to start by cooking every single meal at home, you're going to get overwhelmed, you're going to give up, and you're going to go back to ordering out." | | 16:49 | Beth Monsel | "Once they made that first recipe that was like a total success, it gave them a sense of pride, and then that encouraged them to try even more." | | 17:21 | Beth Monsel | "That's a tough one, but you can try." (On viewing dishes as self-kindness) |

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Important Segment Timestamps

• 01:27 – Costing out recipes and eye-opening ingredient costs
• 03:38 – Swapping expensive ingredients for cheaper ones
• 04:23 – Cheapest and most versatile staple ingredients
• 05:45 – Freezing tips and using leftovers
• 07:26 – Picking a grocery store and using apps for deals
• 08:44 – How to meal plan around weekly sales
• 09:19 – Bulk buying: when it does and doesn’t save money
• 10:28 – Staying focused and productive in the grocery store
• 12:38 – Budget shopping in small spaces or for delivery
• 13:59 – Food banks: demystifying use and access
• 15:26 – Emotion and mindset management: starting small, finding joy

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Recap and Takeaways

• Calculate per-serving costs to see where your money goes and what recipes are truly budget-friendly.
• Swap in filling, low-cost staples like beans, cabbage, or rice in place of pricier items.
• Shop strategically: check for sales, use aggregator apps, pick the right stores, and only buy in bulk when it makes sense.
• Use your freezer and planning tools to minimize waste—track what you have and use it up.
• Don’t be ashamed to seek help (food banks) if you’re struggling.
• Start small and celebrate wins; changing your mindset around cooking can make saving money more enjoyable and sustainable.

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For more tips: Check out related Life Kit episodes on reducing food waste, meal prepping, and more at npr.org/lifekit.

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Produced by: Sylvie Douglas
Host: Marielle Segarra
Guest: Beth Monsel, BudgetBytes.com

“I made this really cool thing with my hands, and then I get a really good meal out of it in the end, too. And like, what’s not to love about that?” — Beth Monsel (16:57)

Transcript

[Charles Schwab Announcer]

This message comes from Charles Schwab with their original podcast, Choiceology. Choiceology is a show about the psychology and economics behind people's decisions. Download the latest episode and [e-mail] podcast.

[Mariel Segarra]

You're listening to Life Kit from NPR. Hey everybody, it's Mariel Segarra. Take a moment and think about the last thing you cooked. How much do you think the carrot in that recipe cost? What about the three cups of vegetable broth? Beth Monsel could actually answer that question. She's the founder of BudgetBites.com, a recipe website for folks with small budgets. She studied nutritional science in college and she learned this costing method in her classes.

[Beth Monsel]

So it's a technique that you will find a lot in food service operations like restaurants and cafeterias, she says.

[Mariel Segarra]

You figure out the price of that carrot, add it to the cost of all the other ingredients in the recipe,

[Beth Monsel]

and then divide it by the number of servings so you know how much each of your meals is costing.

[Mariel Segarra]

Beth says when you do this, you start to notice patterns. For instance, her recipe for Lentil Bolognese costs $1.40 per serving. It's hard to get a meal that cheap at a restaurant, but some of the components are way cheaper than others, like 1 carrot $0.15 1 cup of red lentils $0.67 half a cup of walnuts a a$7.

[Beth Monsel]

I suggest everyone try costing at least once because it's so eye openening. It really does make you rethink the way you look at all the ingredients that you're buying.

[Mariel Segarra]

On this episode of Life Kit, Beth and I are going to talk about what to do with the things you learn from this exercise and share a lot more tips for how to save money on groceries.

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[Charles Schwab Announcer]

This message comes from Charles Schwab with their original podcast Choiceology, hosted by Katie Milkman, an award winning behavioral scientist and author of the bestselling book how to Change. Choiceology, is a show about the psychology and economics behind people's decisions. Hear true stories from Nobel laureates, historians, authors, athletes and more about why people do the things they do. Download the latest episode and [e-mail] podcast or wherever you listen. This message comes from ADT. One second you're enjoying your day off, the next your phone buzzes, a window's been broken at home, you're miles away. In one second, everything can change. That's why ADT Security Systems can monitor your home 24 7. They're backed by the most company operated monitoring centers in the industry, so you're always supported during an emergency. When every second Counts count on ADT. Visit ADT.com to learn more.

[Mariel Segarra]

Walk me through how you think about cost as you're coming up with a recipe.

[Beth Monsel]

Sure. So like if I make a pot of chili, normally a recipe for chili will include a pound at least of ground beef. So something that I like to do is reduce that ground beef by half. So I'm still getting that beefy flavor and that satisfying mouth feel of, you know, actually eating beef. But then I bulk up the recipe with extra beans, maybe some lentils, or maybe even some extra vegetables if I have them, sometimes pasta and rice. Those are all far less expensive per pound than beef is going to be. Even if you just adjust the ratio slightly in your recipes, it can make a really big difference.

[Mariel Segarra]

What are some of the other ingredients that tend to be cheaper that you could use as the bulk of your recipes?

[Beth Monsel]

My favorite is cabbage. Cabbage is so versatile because it can go with so many different flavors and there's a lot of different ways you can prepare it. And it's so filling. Don't forget about potatoes. Onions, carrots, even broccoli sometimes can be pretty inexpensive. So take a look in your produce aisle for the ingredients that are a little bit lower price and just try adding those into your recipes and it and it will really increase the number of servings without increasing the cost.

[Mariel Segarra]

Okay. And then on the other side, what are some ingredients that tend to be on the more expensive side of things?

[Beth Monsel]

So it's usually unfortunately the animal products, the ones that, you know, really make people drool, like meats and cheeses, dairy but also nuts, are pretty expensive. But most of these ingredients are super potent as far as the flavor. So if you just add a little bit, it really goes a long way. So like if I use bacon in a recipe. I am very rarely using the entire package of bacon. I'll use maybe 2 to 4 ounces, so like a quarter of the package and you still get all of that smoky flavor in your recipe. You get the fat that gives you that nice mouth feel and it's way less expensive.

[Mariel Segarra]

And then if you are buying stuff like that and you're only using a bit of it. Do you have any tips on keeping fresh food fresh?

[Charles Schwab Announcer]

Yes.

[Beth Monsel]

So I rely on my freezer heavily for saving leftover ingredients. I often freeze leftover cheese. Leftover bread products freeze really well. And if you can't freeze what you have left over, make sure to incorporate those ingredients in your menu for the next week or the next few days. And on our website we have an ingredient index, which is really handy for that. So say you have like a leftover half bunch of parsley that you don't want to go to waste. You can just click on parsley in our ingredient index and see all the different recipes we have.

[Mariel Segarra]

Is it worth investing in any special freezer bags or other kinds of Tupperwares that'll keep things fresher?

[Beth Monsel]

I don't think it's necessary. I think your best bet is to just stay on top of what you have on hand and make sure you're using it before it's been in the freezer for a really long time. So one way to stay on top of that is you can actually keep a list magnetized to the front of your freezer. And every time you put like a leftover ingredient in the freezer, you know, just write it down, write the date on it, and then if you use it, cross it off your list.

[Mariel Segarra]

Yeah, I have a, like a half a bag of eggplant meatballs. Oh, meat is in quotations in my, in my freezer right now. And every time I open the freezer, I'm surprised to see them in there. And I'm like, maybe next time, maybe, maybe tomorrow I'll take those out.

[Beth Monsel]

But yeah, put it on your calendar. I find that if I put things on my Google calendar, then I don't forget.

[Mariel Segarra]

Okay, noted.

[Beth Monsel]

Cook the meatballs.

[Mariel Segarra]

So what about when you are doing the actual shopping? How do you choose a grocery store?

[Beth Monsel]

I really encourage people to look around in their area for what's available other than the main large chain grocery stores because you can find some really great deals in other types of stores. Might have some smaller local stores, sometimes some ethnic grocery stores have some really great deals. And then also check out your farmers markets. So once you get to know the stock and the average prices in each of those stores, you can kind of decide, you know, which one is the best for me to shop at this week, or do I need to shop, get a bulk of my ingredients at one store and maybe stop at another one on the way home just to get the last couple of items. Another technique I use is I have an app called Flip Flipping and it's a free app. And basically what it does is it aggregates the sales flyers from all of the stores in your area. And you can set it to only show you the stores that you want, but you can see what's on sale at that store that week and that can also help inform your decision of where to shop that week.

[Mariel Segarra]

Do you have a meal plan going into looking at those circulars or do you look at them and say, oh, they cabbage is on sale, so I'm gonna make a recipe that has cabbage in it.

[Beth Monsel]

I would look at the sales flyer while you're developing your recipe for the week. So the main things that I take into consideration when deciding what to cook for the week ahead is a what's already in my kitchen, in the pantry, freezer, refrigerator, those items I wanna use up first, then go check those sales, see what might be on special that week and pick your recipes that way. Every now and then there is a sale on something that you might not be able to use at that exact moment, but that's when your freezer will. You're essentially like locking in the sale price for the next time you want to use that ingredient.

[Mariel Segarra]

Do you find that it's usually cheaper to buy in bulk?

[Beth Monsel]

Not all the time. I think it's really, really important to do comparison pricing for everything. Not even if it's just in bulk. Sometimes just different packaging on the same grocery store shelf will have drastically different prices. I see it all the time. But then you also have to take into consideration is a, do you have storage room for the item that you want to buy in bulk? And then B, are you really going to use it a reasonable amount of time before it goes bad? So you really want to consider all of those things, but I personally don't really ever buy in bulk unless it's meat or something that I could freeze for later.

[Mariel Segarra]

We'll have more Life Kit after the break.

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[Charles Schwab Announcer]

This message comes from Charles Schwab with their original podcast, Choiceology. Choiceology is a show about the psychology and economics behind people's decisions. Download the latest episode and [e-mail] podcast

[Mariel Segarra]

I want to talk now about the moment that you're at the grocery store. If you are shopping in person, it can be really overwhelming, right? You have so many choices. You have bright lights and music and crying babies and squeaking shopping carts and it can just feel like you have to make a decision instantly. So do you have any tips on how to stay focused while you're shopping?

[Beth Monsel]

Yes. So grocery shopping is probably one of my least favorite activities. So I make it as efficient as possible. So a having a plan before you go in is absolutely essential. Know what recipes you're going to cook. Write down the ingredients for all of the those recipes before you go to the grocery store. Take that list to your kitchen and just double check for each one of those items because you might not realize you already have some of those things on hand. And then once you have this on paper and you go to the grocery store, you know exactly what you need. You can stay focused. If you want to do a little bit of pre shopping online, you can just type each ingredient into the search bar on your grocery store's website. It will show you what they have available at that store and you can price compare in the moment on your computer before you're in that overstimulating environment, decide which one you're going to get. It often even tells you what aisle it is in so you know exactly where to find it. So I can get in, get what I need and get out and get on with my day.

[Mariel Segarra]

Yeah, that's a hot tip. I did not know that. I just like to go on my way home from work when I'm starving and like bad idea, bad idea, kind of hangry, you know, have a bit of a headache. It's my fave way. No preparation, just vibes.

[Beth Monsel]

And how much do you spend?

[Mariel Segarra]

Yeah, too much.

[Beth Monsel]

Impulse buys.

[Mariel Segarra]

Yeah.

[Beth Monsel]

And like I don't. I mean not everyone has this luxury but I try to go like in the least busy day and time of the week because it's just a little bit less chaotic then and it makes it less horrible. So if you have that option, try to do that too.

[Mariel Segarra]

How does this quest for cheaper groceries change if you live say in a house in the suburbs versus in a in a small walk up apartment in a city?

[Beth Monsel]

Yes. So you just basically have to be extra diligent about what you're buying and what you're using and having a plan in that case, I would also try to probably lean more heavily on dried goods, things that don't have to be stored in the refrigerator or the freezer. So like dry lentils are a great one. Pastas and rices, even canned goods can be a good option.

[Mariel Segarra]

What if you are someone who needs to have groceries delivered for one reason or another? Do you have any tips on doing that? On getting grocery delivery as affordably as possible?

[Beth Monsel]

I think the one good thing about doing grocery delivery is it's really easy to cross compare different items. And then I would suggest using a service that is really good with communication as far as like doing replacement items or alternate options. Because if a grocery store is out of one thing that you need and the the shopper doesn't ask if there's something you want instead, that can throw off your entire plan for the week. And then you might have several other ingredients on that list that are being purchased that you don't even need anymore. So I would go with a service that has a lot of flexibility that way and has shoppers who are really communicative.

[Mariel Segarra]

So what if you're doing all the meal planning and all the budgeting but you're still having trouble affording groceries? What are your options?

[Beth Monsel]

I would look into what food banks are available in your area. I think it's a really great resource that is often overlooked or people think food banks are for people who only have no food. But really it's like a bridge to help people through these tough times. So you don't have to be getting all of your food at a food bank. Maybe you just need an extra couple of items to help get you through, you know, till your next paycheck. And I don't think people should feel ashamed if they have to use a food bank. Everybody goes through hard times and that's what these services are there for.

[Mariel Segarra]

And with a food bank, is it generally that you get a box of items but you don't choose what's inside? Or do you choose like do you say, hey, I need cereal, I need milk?

[Beth Monsel]

Yeah, usually you have an option. So a lot of them are set up kind of like a pantry. So you go there and you see what's available and then you can pick and choose, you know, what you need at that time. So it's pretty flexible and they're just so helpful.

[Mariel Segarra]

And on the flip side of that, I guess if you have leftover groceries that you want to donate, food Banks. Banks are a good place to bring them.

[Beth Monsel]

Yes, if they're unopened. I think a lot of food banks do accept those, but you'll have to check with the food banks in your area to see exactly what they accept.

[Mariel Segarra]

So I'm wondering, for folks whose circumstances have recently changed and now they have to put a lot more thought into how to afford groceries, how could they manage some of the emotions that come up around that.

[Beth Monsel]

Yeah, it can definitely be overwhelming. And this is something I always tell people is to start small. Because if you try to start by cooking every single meal at home, you're going to get overwhelmed, you're going to give up, and you're going to go back to ordering out. So start by planning one recipe for one week and just see how that goes. And then once you get comfortable with that, add a second recipe. And each of those recipes is going to make multiple servings. So it might even end up feeding you for a few days. And then the other really important piece is to keep track of that spending. If you see on paper just how much money you're saving by cooking that one recipe, you will make a mindset shift and you'll say, okay, I just saved $30 by cooking that one recipe, or maybe even more. I think it's important to find the joy in the cooking and not see it as a chore. So if you have, you know, your Saturday morning set aside for doing some meal prep cooking, you know, turn on some music, make yourself a special coffee or a drink and have fun with it, or get your friends and family involved. Cooking together with the people that you love is really great quality, and it's a fun event. It doesn't have to be a chore. And you know, what I've noticed through a lot of our readers over the years is that they didn't think they liked cooking, but once they made that first recipe that was like a total success, it gave them a sense of pride, and then that encouraged them to try even more. And then before you know it, they loved cooking as a hobby because it's like, I made this really cool thing with my hands, and then I get a really good meal out of it at the end, too. And, like, what's not to love about that? I mean, maybe the dishes, but.

[Mariel Segarra]

Oh, yeah, yeah. We just did an episode on cleaning, and we encouraged people to change their mindset about that, too. Also see them as doing the dishes as a kindness to yourself.

[Beth Monsel]

That's a tough one, but you can try.

[Mariel Segarra]

I'm still working on that.

[Beth Monsel]

Yeah.

[Mariel Segarra]

Beth, thank you so much. All of these have been really helpful.

[Beth Monsel]

Thank you so much for having me.

[Mariel Segarra]

All right, time for a recap. If you want to save money on groceries, spend the time to calculate the per serving cost of one of your Go to recipes. You'll notice that some ingredients are more expensive and you can cut back on the amounts of those you use. Meats, cheeses and dairy products tend to be in this category and so are nuts. Look at the store circular before you go shopping. Make a list of what you need and remember, it's not always cheaper to buy in bulk. Also, if you're having groceries delivered, make sure they contact you about replacement items when something is out of stock. Go slowly when it comes to meal prep, start out by prepping one meal a week ahead of time. You don't want to burn out when you've just gotten started. Also, consider food banks. They can be a life saving resource and you're allowed to use them even if you can afford some groceries. Sometimes they're a way to fill in the gaps. For more Life Kit, check out our other episodes. We have one on reducing food waste, another on composting, and another on meal prepping. You can find [e-mail] LifeKit and if you love LifeKit and want even more, subscribe to our [e-mail] LifeKitnewsletter this episode of Life Kit was produced by Sylvie Douglas. Our visuals editor is CJ Ricolon and our digital editor is Malika Greeb. Meghan Cain is our Senior Supervising Editor and Lauren Gonzalez is our Executive Producer. Our production team also includes Andy Taegle, Margaret Serino and Claire Marie Schneider. Engineering support comes from Sina Lofredo and Jimmy Keeley. I'm Mariel Segarra. Thanks for listening.

[Charles Schwab Announcer]

This message comes from Charles Schwab with their original podcast Choiceology, hosted by Katie Milkman, an award winning behavioral scientist and author of the best selling book how to Change. Choiceology is a show about the psychology and economics behind people's decisions. Hear true stories from Nobel laureates, historians, authors, athletes and more about why people do the things they do. Download the latest episode and [e-mail] podcast or wherever you listen.

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