What’s On My “Buy Later List” (and How It Saves Me $50 a Month)

Have you ever noticed you run out of pantry staples right after the sale ends? That used to happen to me all the time.

Then I started using a Buy Later List.

It’s one of the easiest meal planning strategies I’ve adopted, and it’s saving me over $50 a month without clipping coupons, skipping essentials, or making my family go without their favorite foods.

Here’s how a Buy Later List can save you money on groceries.

What’s a Buy Later List?

A Buy Later List is an easy grocery savings hack: a separate list for items you don’t need right away that can wait for the next sale cycle.

As you run out of groceries or think of food or household products you need, decide whether you actually need it right away or whether it can wait a little longer.

Then, each week, check the advertised sales to see if the food on the Buy Later List is discounted. As things on sale, move that item to the weekly grocery list and cross off the Buy Later List.

How long will you have to wait for a sale?

Sales cycles usually repeat every few weeks, rotating discounted products with the average sales cycle every six to 12 weeks. Stores also run seasonal sales around holidays and when items such as fruits and vegetables are in season.

Grocery lists for "this week" and for "buy later".

Why I Started Doing This

One of the best ways to save money on groceries is to buy food at its lowest price and stock up when you can. To make this strategy work week to week, I rely on reverse meal planning.

Reverse meal planning, where we build meals around what’s already in the pantry and what’s on sale that week, has been the most effective strategy for keeping our grocery budget under control.

But what happens when I run out of something when it’s not on sale that week?

To solve this problem, I keep a separate shopping list for each store (Stop & Shop is our family’s main store, while Aldi is our backup, and I shop at both every week).

A few things pushed me to start using a “buy later” list:

Our pantry and freezer were overflowing with food we weren’t using.
Sometimes we ran out of food or household products before they went on sale.
I needed a way to track food I wanted, but didn’t need immediately.
Sometimes I overlooked sales buried inside the flyers on foods we needed, since I mainly focused on the loss leaders on the front page. Having a list reminded me to check for these other sales items.
Once I learned the rhythm of seasonal sales, I began making lists so I’d be ready to stock up when prices dropped steeply.

I knew I didn’t need a spending freeze… but I needed to stay organized. So, I started asking myself, “Do I really need to buy this right now?” And when the answer was no, it went on the list.

What I Put on My Buy Later List

Here’s a look at what usually makes it onto my Buy Later List (and why).

Pantry Staples I Already Have

Most of my pantry staples are inexpensive and available year-round. Since some of these items last a long time and we go through them slowly, I only restock when they’re on sale and if I’m running low.

But if we already have plenty, even a great deal isn’t a good reason to buy more. Extras can go to waste, and they also clutter the pantry, making it harder to see what we actually need.

When that happens, I add it to the Buy Later List instead.

Here are a few examples of pantry staples that can usually be found at a good price:

Canned beans
Pasta
Jarred tomato sauce
Canned tomatoes
Baked beans
Rice (white, brown)
Nut butters

Tip: If you’re loyal to a particular brand on these pantry staples, it’s a good idea to stock up on your favorite brand when it’s on sale.

Freezer Items That Are Cheap or Go on Sale Often

There are a few things I always think I need more of, but they’re always on sale, and I’d rather not waste freezer space, so they often end up on the Buy Later List.

Bread: sandwich bread, bagels, and waffles go on sale constantly. I keep just one extra in the freezer and wait for the next sale.
Frozen veggies: I use them regularly, but they cycle on sale so often, it’s not worth hoarding.
Butter: It freezes well, but stores often run deals, and the store brand is usually the lowest price anyway. I wait and buy in bulk, then, not every week. I keep a close eye on our butter stock since we go from fully stocked to out of butter fast, depending on the season.

Tip: Freezer space is valuable, so try to reserve it for stocking up on the most expensive foods you buy on a steep discount, such as meats or pre-cooked meals.

Proteins I’m Waiting to Buy on Sale

Meat is one of the most expensive items on our grocery list, so I never buy it at full price if I can avoid it. Some cuts are frequently discounted, while others stay pricey year-round, even when on sale.

If I come across a recipe I’d like to make but don’t have the ingredients for, I file it in my kitchen organizer under upcoming recipes, and I add the type of meat it requires to my Buy Later List.

Or, when we run out of our go-to meats, such as chicken breasts and ground turkey, those also go on the list.

When I do stock up, I portion it out and freeze it in freezer bags so I’m never scrambling for protein at the last minute. Then, I just plan meals around the meat I have in the freezer or what I picked up on sale that week.

The only time I don’t stock up on meat on sale is when my freezer is too packed to fit anything else.

Poultry Cuts I Watch For

Not all chicken is priced the same, so I stay flexible depending on what’s marked down:

Whole chickens – usually the cheapest way to buy chicken, and they stretch into multiple meals.
Chicken drumsticks or thighs – often go on sale and are flavorful, versatile cuts.
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts – pricier per pound, but I buy them only when they’re deeply discounted and freeze them for quick weeknight meals. I always stock up on these when I find them on sale.
Ground turkey – a lean, easy protein that sometimes goes on sale in family-size packs.

Fish and Seafood Worth Stocking Up On

Fish is usually more expensive, but these are commonly discounted at grocery stores throughout the year:

Frozen salmon fillets – often sold in frozen bulk packs that drop in price a few times a year.
Flounder or cod – mild, budget-friendly white fish that’s regularly discounted.
Shrimp – big sales happen around holidays and Lent, making it worth buying extra and freezing.
Canned tuna or salmon – not fresh, but protein-rich pantry staples like canned tuna or salmon, I grab when marked down or at Aldi.

Everyday Budget-Friendly Option: Chicken Quarters

Sometimes it’s hard to time the sales. So, if the freezer is looking bare and no other proteins are on sale, chicken quarters are my reliable go-to. They’re often sold in family packs at the lowest price per pound, and they’re versatile enough for roasting, grilling, or breaking down into legs and thighs for different recipes.

How I Use the List

I keep it simple:

I make separate grocery lists for each store. For example, I have two Aldi lists: Aldi – This Week and Aldi – Buy Later.
When making my weekly list from the sales flyer, I check the Buy Later list for items on sale.
If it’s not on sale but I can wait, I leave it on the Buy Later list.
If I decide not to buy something or can’t get it at the grocery store, I move it to the Buy Later list when I get home. (Tip: Don’t forget to transfer the product to a new list so you don’t forget you need it.)
Then I reevaluate the next week, but half the time I realize it can still wait.

How This Saves Me $50+ Each Month

Here’s a real example from my Buy Later List for one week:

Meat/Protein → Skipped chicken breasts not on sale (saved $12) + skipped canned beans we didn’t need yet (saved $2)
Dairy → Skipped Greek yogurt since the store brand was sold out and no other brands were discounted (saved $5) + skipped cheese that was on sale but not as cheap as the store brand, which we didn’t need (saved $3)
Snacks & Frozen → Skipped waffles (saved $4) + skipped snacks that weren’t on sale (saved $6)
Grains → Skipped our favorite arborio rice since it wasn’t on sale (saved $8)
Beverages → Skipped my favorite mineral water and planned to stock up on the next sale (saved $8)
Produce → Skipped BOGO berries since we still had fruit (saved $4)

That brought my monthly savings to at least $50.

Some of these skipped items were actually on sale, but we were either fully stocked at home or the store brand is available at a lower price any time. Either way, the Buy Later List kept us from overspending (and overbuying).

On paper, that’s a little over $50 in one month. But between avoiding waste, stretching what we already had, and timing sales better, the real savings are probably much higher.

How You Can Start a Buy Later List

If you want to try this, start small. Here’s what to do:

Take a quick pantry/freezer inventory
Look at your grocery list—what’s on there just because it usually is?
Ask: Do I have enough of this? Can I wait one more week?
If yes → it goes on your Buy Later List

You can keep it on your fridge, meal planner, or phone. The goal is just to bring some intention to your shopping and reduce the “auto-buying” habit.

The Bottom Line

The Buy Later List isn’t about being strict or denying yourself. It’s about buying with a plan, using what you already have, and giving yourself a little breathing room in your grocery budget.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed or frustrated with how much money you’re spending and food you’re tossing out each week, this small shift could make a big difference.

Try it for one grocery trip and let me know how it goes!

What’s one thing you always buy that could probably wait until next week? Tell me in the comments—I’d love to hear.