I’m posting a short series on ways that we are trying to save money at the grocery store. Here’s part 1 and part 2 of How to Save Money at the Grocery Store.
3. Meal Planning
So back to our Grocery Shopping and Money Saving planning. I have made my list of items on sale that I use and I’ve looked to see if I have any coupons for them. Now I look over that list and plan our meals for the week. If you grocery shop every other week or even monthly, you now do the same…build your meal plan from items on sale.
This has been a recent shift for me. I used to plan my menu first then match sale items to it. But it needs to be the other way around I believe. Using some of the examples I listed in How to Save Money at the Grocery Store Part 2…what if I didn’t have anything with avocadoes planned for this week’s menu? But then I plan a dish with avocadoes next week, when they are not on sale? Well, next week, after I made my list and checked the local sales, I wouldn’t see avocadoes listed in any sales, but they would be on my grocery list, so I’d buy a few at $1.48 each. How about instead, I see avocadoes are on sale this week and we love avocadoes around here! So I make a meal plan that includes avocadoes this week while I can get them on the cheap. If I meal plan according to the sales, I won’t be paying full price for most of the ingredients. {Tweet That!}
Using the examples from Part 1 of How to Save Money at the Grocery Store and Part 2…According to the sale ads and my coupons, I could purchase chicken breasts for $1.99 a pound verse the regular Walmart price of $2.98 a pound. I could also buy some avocadoes at .33 cents instead of $1.48 each using my price match from Aldi plus I could save money on them using one of the apps on my phone. I already had some dry pinto beans and canned tomatoes in the pantry. I also had some Chili Powder, Cumin, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder and dried Oregano in the spice cabinet. Looks like a good week to have Crock Pot Chicken Chili!
Last week, I saved $33.84 in price matches, $10.35 of that was just in avocadoes. Now some items I only saved .10 or .20 cents, but as you can see, that change adds up. I then saved $24.95 in coupons. Again, some of my coupons were only for .25 or .30 cents, but again, that adds up. And then between Ibotta, Checkout 51 and Shopimium I saved another $8. Combined savings, $66.79.
Oh, let’s consider one more important point which I need to change my thinking on.
It should not be about how much I saved, but how little I spent. {Click Here to Tweet!}
It doesn’t save me anything if I “saved” $66.79 on things we don’t use and would never buy. For example. We are in the middle of soccer season right now…well, we should be but instead we’re fighting the respiratory virus from hell, anyway…I don’t usually buy sport drinks, but Veronica asked for some Gatorade for her tournaments when she’s out on the field all day for two days. I noticed one of the apps, Ibotta I think, had a .50 “coupon” on Propel water. At our Walmart, a single bottle of Propel is $1, but using my Ibotta app, I was able to purchase it for .50…that’s something we kind of needed. At the same time, there is also some change off a People Magazine. I could buy it and save so many cents off the purchase, but that’s not something I would buy normally. So I might “save” $1 off the purchase price of a magazine, but I spent $2 out of my grocery budget (or however much) to get the deal. I saved nothing.
Share some of the ways you try to save your grocery bill.
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Jennifer Snead says
Great ideas! I like planning around whats on sale as well! It can make a big difference on the budget!
Jenny says
That was one of the hardest things for me to try as I was so used to doing it the other way around.
Shaunta says
I’m seriously trying to spend less at the grocery store and it’s SO HARD. We’ve cut way back though. I’m embarrassed for you to know what we WERE spending. I like eMeals…it costs a little money, but they plan their meals around the sales and that helps people who are seriously challenged like me. LOL
Jenny says
I tried emeals once maybe almost 3 years ago. It just didn’t seem to work for a larger family, although I really like the idea of it.
Starla J @ Pressing In and Pressing On says
Great tips! thank you!
Jenny says
Hi Starla, you’re welcome.
Laura says
I keep reading all these posts that people write about this subject in the hopes I will discover something I don’t already do 🙂 I suppose that is good that I do 99% of these things already, but my trip to the store always ends up with me in tears (at least internally!). There are 9 of us living at home, 7 of which eat like adults. I was thinking of imposing a meal plan for the college aged kids – you know, like $3 for every meal you eat at home! So far I haven’t done it. I end up spending between $325 – $400 per week on groceries and related items. Yikes! The ONLY thing I haven’t done is planning my menu based on the sales. I still do it the other way around. About a month ago we all started Trim Healthy Mama and so meal planning in and of itself takes a long time, not to mention the increase costs involved in all the ingredients. Anyhow, now that we seem to be more familiar with it, I might try planning my meals based on the sales. So how’s that for my life’s story?? I will count my blessings, though, because chicken at our walmart is $1.99 per pound all the time 🙂 Thanks, Jenny, for all of this good information!
Jenny says
You must be doing something right Laura because our bills are pretty close. we have 9 living and eating here but some of them are littles.
I’ve been doing THM since January, how do you like it? At first I think my bill went up a little buying things I don’t normally buy like the Stevia and protein powder. I’ve been able to cut back on my sweetener and try other things that may be more mainline.
Try shopping the sales, it does make a difference. And I appreciate hearing your life story. Makes me realize there are others who spend a small fortune on groceries like myself, lol!
Laura says
Oh good, I’m glad I’m not too far off then! I really think it is near impossible to bring that amount down much right now.
As for THM, we really are liking it now that we’ve got it down to a system. Those first two weeks all it felt like I was doing was cooking and washing dishes but now things seem to have evened out. We’ve all seen some change in the inches, too.
Thanks for the encouragement!
Barbara says
This is great. Thanks for the advice. Posting to my google+
Jenny says
Thanks Barbara. I’m glad you’re enjoying them.
Susaye says
I love the idea do trying to save money at the grocery store but it is so hard especially when things are on sale that you dint need right now. I have gotten caught up in buying things that I might need in the future, that I end up storing stuff and never using it. So how do you decide what’s worth buying now if it’s on sale?
Jenny says
Great question. I stock up on things I always need and will always need…laundry detergent, deodorant, shampoo & conditioner, soup…non perishable things like that. I also stock up on bread because I can freeze it, but not too much because I don’t want stale bread.
Susaye says
Ok, I think I get carried away seeing ‘sale’ signs. 🙂
Lysha @ Magnolia Mom says
These posts are so informative. Pinning!
Jenny says
Great Lysha. Hope they help.