Watching the nightly news isn’t the only place you can learn about the economic down-turn. I just look at the balance in our checking account. When day-to-day life revolves around counting pennies, you have to look at every single function of your household to figure out where to cut costs. The grocery store is probably the easiest and fastest way to trim your budget. Ordinarily, I plan a week’s menu, draw up my list, and hit the grocery store. But, “ordinary” wouldn’t describe our financial situation now. So, now I have taken another tactic. What would happen if I shopped the sales and forced myself to cook only what I could buy at a reduced price?
Every grocery store has their own specials. You’ve seen the Buy-1-Get-1-Free deals, the Store-Brand specials, and the “Reduced” aisles. What would happen if I walked my cart around the store and chose only those items? Could I break away from my standard recipes long enough to create dinner with just sale items?
If you plan your meals using recipes that are tried- and-true, this is going to be a challenge. But, don’t fret. You know what your family likes to eat, so you already have something of a meal plan. Even if spinach is half price, if your family won’t eat it, don’t buy it. Plan your grocery shopping for a weekend even though it may be too busy for your tastes. It’s busy because serious shoppers know when the prices are the best!
You will need a little strategy when you walk into the grocery store. Plan to shop the exterior aisles of the store first as that’s where most stores display the “main ingredients”; vegetables, meat, fish, poultry, cheese, and dairy. Fill your cart first with these items, only the ones you find on sale, and you will see your meals start to develop. Don’t worry… you’ll find plenty of specials in all these sections of any grocery store.
Time to take a spin through the other aisles, the ones in the middle. Don’t ponder too much about what exactly to pick out; just let those little “prices cut” signs guide you. If your family likes black beans, and they’re on sale, grab some, and move on. As you fill your cart, you will notice that, with very little thought, your menu is being formed. With the pantry items at home, you will certainly be able to plan dinner.
We need to discuss coupons. Are you a coupon clipper? That’s a great way to take advantage of every sale possible. One warning though; only use coupons on things that you are actually going to use. If you buy a food item and leave it sitting in your cupboard gathering dust, it really isn’t saving you money. Paper and cleaning products, however, are another story. If you are agreeable to trying new products, then by all means, clip and buy. In other words, if your family is not “married” to a certain bath soap, why not save a few cents on the brand that offers a coupon?
Now, you’re home and the challenge really begins. Start by sorting your groceries into categories like protein, vegetables, dairy, and canned goods, or whatever makes sense to you. Look in your cupboards to see if you have any rice, potatoes, or pasta, too. Now you can see a menu start to develop. If you review each pile, you should be able to pull an item out and mix and match until you’re looking at what appears to be a meal! See… you are creative after all!
Shopping several times a month using a “sales items only” strategy will begin to pay off very quickly. Watch your grocery bill shrink while you create unique menus that have your family asking why you never thought of this meal before. You may even find out that you can really cook! I challenge you to give this strategy a chance and see if you can’t trim your grocery budget and cook creatively in the process.
If you’re ready to get started, here are some great tips on spending less on groceries and some food budget guidelines. By implementing a few of these tips, you can start saving money this week.
Tags: budgeting, cooking, family, food, frugal meal plan, frugal menu plan, grocery budget, homemaking, meal planning around sales, recipes, save money on groceries, saving money