Sometimes we run into problems at the grocery store while trying to be more frugal and minimalist. We want to buy less but sometimes buying more saves you money later. This is the ultimate dilemma when it comes to buying groceries as a frugal minimalist.

It’s no secret that oftentimes if you buy the bigger packaging or cases of more you end up paying less per oz. Buying bigger packaging also seems like a good way to have less waste.

However, now we have a bigger item that we have to make room for in our kitchen that will probably be around for a while. We may have bought more than we needed to "get the better deal"

After going back and forth on this issue several times we decided on some guidelines for our frugal minimalist living. These tips have saved us time in the grocery store and made it easier to come to a middle ground.

Disclosure: Links throughout the Mindful Nomadics site may make us a small commission at no additional cost to you. See our Affiliate Disclosure for more information.

Buy a Weeks Worth

A great way to stay minimalist is to limit what you buy. An easy guideline is to only buy what you will use up in a week.

Even if you have more room for food storage you probably don't need THAT much food. If it takes you much longer than a week to eat it, it's probably too much food.

Buying only a week's worth of food also makes sure you eat all your food. You don't want to buy 10 items and only eat half of them before buying more food. Ideally, you want to buy and eat everything in a week.

Plus, anything more than a week's worth takes up more space. All the extra food taking up space is not worth the extra money you saved.

Limit "Bad" Food

If the item is “unhealthy” go ahead and just buy one at a time in the smaller packaging. This stops you from spending too much money and may limit your bad food intake.

Bad food often is the easiest food to eat or make but that comes with a price. Those bad food items will often come with packaging that is worse for the environment and will hurt your overall health.

It's ok to indulge a little bit but making sure you avoid those processed junk foods can save you money. Healthier foods often fill you up faster and cost less overall.

Buy Green

Buy more produce since that seems to charge the same by the oz regardless of how much you buy. Not to mention eating more fruits and vegetables is better for your health.

Since produce goes bad quickly most people only buy what they need. Buying a week's worth of produce is often the perfect amount.

Buying produce can also motivate you to eat everything within a week as you know it might go bad. If you know that the food will be good whether you eat it now or in a month, you might not be as motivated to eat it.

Our go-to produce is often peppers, bananas, apples, iceberg lettuce, cucumbers and watermelon. These fruits and vegetables come with the least amount of packaging and make great meals or snacks.

No Plastic

We always try to buy items that don't come in plastic to reduce our overall waste. That means we are usually looking for non-plastic packaging in our food.

However, this is extra important if it's something that uses more packing like bulk foods. If you buy the smaller containers, look for glass packaging. This way even though you buy the item a lot, it's not hurting the environment.

Buying nothing involving plastic, or at least minimizing the amount of plastic, is at the core of buying groceries as a frugal minimalist. If you can go to the store and buy nothing with plastic, you will love your experience with food again like we do!

We always try to use these tips and it seems to help bridge the gap between wanting to be both minimalist and frugal when it comes to grocery shopping. This way we save money and buy only what we need.

For more frugal minimalist lifestyle tips check out our frugal minimalist guide to buying clothes HERE.