I’ve had several people ask me over the past few years how to
grocery shop cheap! So I thought what a great idea for a blog post! I’m going
to share some of my secrets and tips on how to not break the bank when grocery
shopping!
Make a list
This is probably the most important tip. If I go
into any grocery store and do not have a list, it’s as if I’m a kid in a candy
store. I literally have NO control! I’m just walking through grabbing everything
that I might “need” and throwing it in the basket. Birthday cake sprinkles…. Well
I’m sure its someone’s birthday this week. Red lobster cheese rolls….. those
sound good. Pineapple pepperoni pizza……..umm who doesn’t love that. I mean seriously
it gets way out of hand. In order to fix this, I keep an ongoing list on my
phone throughout the week. If I run out of something or know something that I
am going to need I put it on the list. Dish soap or paper towels run low for the
week… I just put it on the list. This keeps me from getting to the store and forgetting
whether or not I’m out of something and buying it just in case. The night
before going to the grocery store or while I’m sitting in my car I plan out what
I’m going to eat for the week and put everything I’m going to need on the list.
This keeps me tame when I walk through that grocery store lined with walls of
endless things that I would love to try. I follow the list and mark off items once
I get them. Now of course there are times I get to the store and realize there’s
something I need that isn’t on the list. That’s OK! But the list just keeps me
from spending money on items I don’t need
Plan meals that use the same ingredients
Most of my grocery shopping is buying food for
the week ahead. Planning out my meals helps so much in saving money. I try to
come up with meals for the week that will use similar ingredients. For example,
I might make soft tacos one night for dinner. Normal ingredients would be
tortillas and beef. I probably will not use all the tortillas or beef and it
will just sit in the fridge and cabinet until they expire. Nope! Not for me. I’m
also going to use the tortillas to make turkey wraps for lunch and use the rest
of the beef to make hamburgers or meat loaf. This also keeps me from making too
much of one meal and it going to waste. I can make just enough of one meal and
then use the rest for another! Its also a great way to make a variety of meals
throughout the week.
Use your freezer
I will never forget the day my dad told me that
I could freeze pasta! Yall it changed my life. I was constantly having a ton of
leftover food and after eating it for three days straight I was over it and would
just throw it out. I was throwing away so much food. I would use half an onion
in a recipe and just throw the rest out because I knew it would just go bad. I
learned though that you can freeze so much stuff! All you need is freezer proof
Tupperware or plastic freezer bags. Throw your left-over meals or ingredients
in the freezer bags and put them in the freezer. You can thaw them out and heat
them up on another day for a quick easy meal. Its two fixes rolled into one. This
keeps you from wasting food and then your freezer becomes like your own little
grocery store. Don’t let that food go to waste! Save it for another day!
You don’t have to buy name brand
This took me a long time to get used to. For
some reason, (honestly just being spoiled) I always thought you needed the name
brand everything. I mean from green beans to flour it had to be the best of the
best. I soon realized that was not true. I do not need to buy the $3.00 can of
green beans when there’s another can that costs $0.98. I mean if we are being
honest it is the same exact thing and taste the exact same. I also learned that
many companies have more than one brand. They sell the same thing for different
prices with a different name on them in order to appeal to different buyers. Both
items came from the same place. Now I know this is not true for everything and
there are some brands that do taste better but for the small items there is
usually not a difference.
These are just a few of the tips I use in order to save
money on my grocery bill. Some weeks I’m great at saving money and others I’m
the kid in the candy store. I do know though that saving a little here and
there can really help. It almost becomes a game for me each week to see if I
can get my grocery bill lower than it was last week. I mean when I can buy
groceries for the whole week for $37.89 I feel as if that’s a win! I’d love to
hear from you to know some of your money saving tips! Happy grocery shopping
friends!
Much love.
M.A.