With inflation hitting many people’s grocery bills, finding ways to cut costs is more crucial than ever. This doesn’t have to mean sacrificing flavor, but it can mean finding more creative outlets to get the most bang for your buck and protect your bottom line.

Shop around

As grocery prices for several items continue to soar, shopping at your regular store might not be cutting it, and it might be worth visiting more than one place to get the best value for the items on your shopping list.

Have you visited Bargain Grocery at 1110 Lincoln Ave. in Utica? The grocer offers produce, dairy, meat, non-perishables, frozen items, fresh meals prepared by a chef in their in-store kitchen, and more that can compete with big box stores’ prices due to its unique business model. Bargain Grocery partners with national and local vendors to buy food that was overproduced and receives donated products from companies, then sells this product at a low price.

“Our prices are typically much lower than big box stores, and because of our unique model, we never know exactly what items we’ll receive, making our store a great place to explore new foods,” the grocer states on its website.

Another retailer to consider is ALDI, which touts having lower prices than other grocery stores thanks to exclusive brands, a 25-cent shopping cart deposit system to manage carts without hiring additional workers, and encouraging customers to bring-their-own shopping bags.

Freeze foods on sale

Take full advantage of slashed produce prices when you see them by buying and freezing what you won’t immediately use. While fresher foods might not last forever, you can make the impact on your wallet count with this extra step.

Foods to keep an eye on to save in the freezer include vegetables, fruits, meats, fish, bread, cheese, and even some ready-made meals. If there are foods on sale that you eat regularly, another tip is to buy these items in bulk to make the most out of the deal.

If you see a “buy one get one,” be sure to get both and freeze what you can’t use right away.

Plan meals in advance

Meandering around a store without a plan in place is a recipe for buying items you don’t need and racking up the number on the bottom of your receipt.

Plan out your meals in advance to promote intentional purchases along with the preparedness to buy in bulk — when you know what you’re going to eat ahead of time, you can stock up on larger quantities at once, which often cuts on costs.

The MidYork library system is a great resource to help with meal prep. “The ultimate meal prep cookbook : one grocery list. A week of meals. No waste,” written by America’s Test Kitchen, is available for loan at the Cazenovia Public Library, Holland Patent Memorial Library, and Rome-Jervis Public Library.

Following meal-prep recipes is a great way to save while making delicious meals suitable for you.