‘Backwards Shopping’—and Skipping Costco—Might Be the Key to Lower Grocery Bills

These days, grocery prices are anything but cheap. In fact, the U.S. Department of Agriculture predicts food prices overall will rise 3% this year.

Less than two full months into the year, grocers like Instacart estimates a monthly cost of $363 per person for adults ages 19 to 50 in a four person household.

Same goes for everyone's favorite spot, Costco. A joint Instagram post by Morning Brew and Phil Andrews from 2024 revealed that Costco shoppers spend approximately $1.75 per minute while in the store. Based on the average 37-minute visit, this estimates a spending total of $64.75. However, commenters noted spending much longer, with some families spending up to 2 hours, which would equate to a bill of as much as $210 by this measure.

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.

By backwards shopping, you may slash your grocery bills while also freeing up your budget for other important household expenses, such as home repairs and renovations, which have also seen a spike in costs recently.

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.

“Backwards shopping is so valuable, especially when groceries and going out to eat are getting so expensive, and income is just not keeping up,” says Michael McAuliffe, CEO and president at Family Credit Management in Chicago.

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.

“Depending on your family size and where you live, you could easily reduce your food spending by $50 a week. Put that in a high-yield savings account, and after 12 months, you would have about $2,653, and at 36 months, over $8,000,” explains McAuliffe.

That is some serious cash you can use to tackle utilities or repairs. After only a year of backwards shopping, you may even save enough to cover those minor home improvements on your honey-do list—like new flooring in a small room for around $12.50 per square foot or a new backsplash in your kitchen for an average cost of $1,000.