Find resources and tips for saving money on food, including saving tips shared by Somerville residents, suggestions on how to save money on getting to the grocery store, and information on using your tap water to avoid purchasing bottled water.
Food budgeting tips: Crowdsourced suggestions from Somerville residents
Flyer: What Tips Do Community Members Have for Saving Money on Food?
Through the 2026 Community Food Assessment, the City’s Office of Food Access & Healthy Communities promoted a voluntary survey for community members to share tips on how they stretch their food dollars. Questions were open-ended and focused on shopping habits, meal preparation, food storage, and budgeting. Common themes in the survey response included meal planning to take advantage of sales, purchasing seasonal produce, maximizing SNAP benefits, and tracking circulars, apps, and sales to find the lowest unit price for an item. Responses also highlighted connections between sustainability and budgeting by ensuring no food is wasted and opting for more sustainable and cheaper proteins like beans and poultry.
Trust Your Tap: Learn more about Somerville’s tap water
Want to avoid paying for and carrying bottled water, but have questions about whether it’s ok to use your tap water instead?
- The Trust Your Tap flyer summarizes the benefits of tap water (available in multiple languages).
- Learn more about Somerville’s water in the Health and Human Services Department’s Tap Water Guide (available in multiple languages).
Somerville’s Health and Human Services Department (HHS) frequently hears concerns around using home tap water for drinking. At the same time, community members and leaders have shared challenges around the cost, environmental impact, and difficulty of transporting bottled water. To help people feel secure in choosing tap water as an affordable, convenient, and environmentally sustainable option, HHS’s OFAHC and SomerPromise launched the Trust Your Tap campaign in 2025.
Find Help Getting Transportation to Grocery Stores and Other Food Locations
Transportation can be a big barrier to getting affordable, preferred foods. Some residents qualify for help with transportation to food locations and/or a reduced cost MBTA pass.
If you are 60 years or older, or have a permanent disability, you may be able to use:
- the City of Somerville’s Senior Transportation Program. Contact the Council on Aging to learn more: 617-625-6600 x 2319.
- Door2Door by SCM Transportation. Contact 617-625-1191, M-F (9a-1p) to learn more.
If you use the MBTA, you may be eligible for a reduced cost fare program:
- Children 11 and younger ride for free.
- Somerville public school students grades 7-12 get a free pass through their school.
- Adults 18-64 can apply for the income-eligible reduced fare program if they are enrolled in certain state assistance programs. Learn more and apply here. Note: This pass is new as of fall 2024
- Adults with disabilities may be eligible for reduced fares through the TAP program. Learn more and apply here.
- Anyone 65 or older is eligible for a reduced fare senior pass. Learn more and apply here.