Have you ever wondered if you are buying too much every time you go grocery shopping?
If you throw out a ton of leftovers or watch food rot in your fridge, then the answer is probably yes! If you go go out of your way to try new recipes only to have your kids grab for the cereal instead of your meal, then the answer may also be....yes! And finally, if you just went shopping and you have a fridge full of food but you have no idea what to eat...Then you may need to change your grocery shopping habits.
Here are some tips to help you simplify grocery shopping, stop wasting food, and even save some money:
Shop Under, Not Over
Week after week I have a grocery budget and I always reach the limit of that. If I have any extra money leftover after adding all of the ingredients that I need for dinners and other staples, then I add a bunch of snacks and extras. I have 3 boys and a husband, so I know the importance of having snacks ready on hand. On the flip side, when I look at the "snacks" I buy, they aren't all that healthy; granola bars, chips, gold fish, cookies, and other treats.
If you have extra money left over in your grocery budget after getting the items on your list, then stop there. There is no need to spend ALL of your money just because you have that much budgeted for the week. It's okay to buy less and save. I will add a few items for my pantry such as spaghetti noodles, pasta sauce, and canned vegetables. I know I will use those things quickly, so I like having a store of essentials. But I won't use the rest of my budget up. Just a few stock up additions here and there..
Plan Meals For Your Family's Preferences
I also get bored with dinners. I try to come up with new recipes to try and creative ways to get more vegetables into dinner. At times, I feel ashamed that I serve the same meals week after week which leads me to surf the internet and find new recipes I think my family would enjoy, just to be received with moans and groans. When I ask what my husband and children would like for the weekly dinners, I always get the same response- Burgers, sloppy joes, bratwurst, spaghetti. All very simple meals with minimal ingredients. If I came to terms with my family's desire to have their usuals, I wouldn't be buying a bunch of new ingredients for meals my family won't eat if I just stick to our family favorites. I'd have the condiments needed and could buy in bulk to be able to spread them week after week.
Buy Value Pack of Meat
My family dinners revolve around the meat. If I don't include meat, my husband will immediately complain of hunger even before he eats his meal. I have to include meat in every dinner or, to my family, it's not dinner.
Buying value packs and splitting the meat up in zip lock bags to freeze for future meals makes sense. Especially, if it's a protein that you use often in your meals. For me, that would be chicken breasts, pork chops and ground beef. Having to buy meat every shopping trip is a big money pull to your allotted budget so it would make sense to buy in bulk rather than a one meal serving.
Tip** Sometimes I bulk up my meals with chopped mushrooms and other vegetables to spread the meat. Just because I serve meat with every dinner, doesn't mean it has to be a huge serving of meat.
Buying In Bulk Isn't Always Necessary
Don't think that you need to buy everything in bulk. You don't. If you end up purchasing everything in bulk, chances are your family won't get through it fast enough and it will be wasted or maybe your family decides they no longer like it anymore. Only bulk buy on items that make sense, things you KNOW you will use up and that you have room to store. Things I purchase in bulk include pasta, meat, rice, and some baking ingredients such as flour and sugar.
I don't buy snacks in bulk and my reason is simple- if I buy a large amount of snacks, my kids will eat them in large amounts. A box bought that is intended to have it last an entire month, will be eaten in a week, and then I save zero dollars on that bulk purchase and my kid's diet is then compromised too.
Purchasing To Feed Your Cravings
This is one way to drive your grocery bill up, making purchases based on what sounds good and what you are craving. That's not exactly a budget friendly way of shopping. My family and I LOVE taquitos from the freezer aisle, but that's $10 that will make maybe provide 2 lunches for us during the week. Can we live without? YES. Instead, stick to sandwiches, cereal, mac n cheese. There are cheaper ways to make lunches and if you are trying to eat healthier and save money, DO NOT ALLOW YOUR CRAVINGS TO DO THE SHOPPING FOR YOU!
This is why I can't let my husband do any grocery shopping, he can easily spend $60 on chips, ice cream, and other foods that sound good in the store.
I don't deprive myself, I enjoy salads and one head of lettuce can last me a whole week and I can fix up a salad to be a delicious treat to my taste buds in a snap. That's more cost effective and healthier, so I keep my focus on that, my health.
Secondly, as I mentioned above, my family expects a meat dinner and they want it to taste good. That's where I put my focus and my money towards. And the exchange needs to be the family settling for pb&j sandwiches and cereal for their other meals....and lots of fruit! That's one thing we have an abundance of here.
Don't feel bad or guilty for not creating magnificent culinary experiences for your family all the time. That's what restaurants are for or special occasion nights. I'll tell you that even when I spend a ton of money on groceries for foods my family loves, we still want take out at least once a week!!
How & Where You Shop Is Important
I shop online for grocery pickup because I know I can control the final price of my shopping trip without juggling my list and calculator with a shopping cart inside of a store. I can easily remove items from my cart without running all around the store to put back or add. items I forgot.
It is so good for my budget to shop the e-cart options. No more sticker shock at the register!
Next, where you shop is important! I shop at Walmart and produce stands. I've compared multiple stores including Safeway and Raleys for food prices. I add my list to each of those store apps and get a total cost with all deals and coupons and every time, Walmart is the most affordable. I do have to admit that their bacon is horrible and I recommend stocking up at Safeway when it goes on sale or purchase at Costco! Curbside pickup is free and easy and you can approve or deny substitutions easily within the app.
I like shopping the local produce stands for our fruit and some veggies to support our local farmers and also because the produce is so much fresher than what I get from the grocery stores and we love our fruit, so we appreciate a nice ripe plum from our produce stand and we find ourselves eating with the seasons this way.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoy my morning latte from Starbucks and I also enjoy takeout night once a week, which is why I believe you shouldn't be shopping as though you need to meet all of your cravings in one shopping trip. Get the basics, only what you need, and if it's in the budget to splurge on coffee or other cravings, you can do that outside of your grocery trip. Otherwise, you may end up overspending on groceries and still splurging on takeout! How can you plan a week's worth of cravings anyways??
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