I have two ideas that have worked really well, among others:
First:
Ask what do we have to eat; not what are we in the mood to eat?
That simple question saved us remarkably by making do and getting creative with what we already have in the house, rather than frequently running back to the grocery store for a “few more things”.
Next:
Call your local grocery store and ask what time of day that store clearances meat, produce and bakery items. Shop around that time. I recommend two times per week if possible for the greatest way to save using this method. THEN go home to plan the meal you wish to prepare. (Sites like SuperCook and MyFridgeFood can help with recipes.)
We have saved SO much money on groceries since practicing these two habits.
I’ve really started working on the first one here, Melanie! I used to go out and buy more food every time I was “bored” with what I already had in my fridge. Now I try to find fun ways to utilize the food I already have in my cabinets. Just last week, I forgot I had turkey burgers and fish still frozen (and perfectly good!) in my freezer.
Meal planning is key for me. I do 1 ‘big’ grocery shop a month for the basics & meat. Then weekly I buy milk & produce that we need as well as use any ‘free product coupons’ that I come across.
I love doing number one because it challenges me and usually turns out better than expected! I had no idea number two was even an option. Thanks for the idea!
I try my best to meal plan regularly, but usually end up buying the basics to turn into different meals: proteins, fats, fruits & veggies, and grains.
Sometimes it’s hard for me to balance a budget and a healthy diet but I think I’m getting better week by week.
The “average” household should not exceed 10% of take-home income for food. The issue that I have, with my wife and I on retirement income, is that we do not have the average income those cited financial experts are talking about. We are literally only a few dollars above the thresh holds for receiving many of the governmental benefits that would allow us more budget boosters. The good news is that we have more time than money that we can use to get to our target, allowing us to have more by paying less. This is achieved with a combination of tools in our tool box. Stay tuned for a future post on what works for my household. I’ve found that we have been able to change our lives by changing our thinking and behaviors.
Couponing is just such a waste of time, right? I have a single female friend with multiple stores in her area wondering if she can hit a $3,000 total of savings from her local Stop & Shop by end of year. Not a bad part time “gig” in my opinion for a few hours of time here and there. ((Note: I have seen untouched photos from the same store chain in excess of $20k for a lady with a family very active with donating to charities)). I’m not as cuckoo for coupons but my wife and I do pretty well couponing… when it makes sense.
Another awesome way to save on groceries is by using the various “match up” web sites out there. Web sites like www.howtoshopforfree.net,www.krazycouponlady.com and www.livingrichwithcoupons.com all have individual store tabs that will show readers what items are on sale at stores that they cover AND point consumers to printable or online coupons, store promotions, rebate offers, gas perks for the craziest final price deals. If you’re a fan of getting the best bang for the buck (literally) check out how match ups can offer great deals, freebies and/or money makers.
Here’s an article from Penny Hoarder (November) with 32 Things Most of Us Don’t Do at the Grocery Store That Could Save Us $100 or More… It’s title is “32 Things Most of Us Don’t Do at the Grocery Store That Could Save Us $100 or More” ((glad I know how to copy and paste … LOL))
I save 75% or more shopping using coupons, bogo deals , discount meat/bakery deals and Ibotta. I rarely pay full price for any grocery/household items. Many items I get is FREE. https://www.facebook.com/Coupons4newbies/ (my website).
I shop once a month for meats and main items we need, then weekly for milk/cheese/fruits/produce.
Good points. Also, another thing I have had to realize is that when there is a “3 for $9” sale, etc, a lot of times the price per item is $3 each for the sale and you don’t have to purchase all 3 to get the deal unless specifically stated. Knowing this has saved me from spending extra money to get more than I actually need of something.
Two things that have helped keep my grocery bill down lately:
I do only slight variations on breakfast and lunch items I take to work, so that I’m not starting from scratch every time I meal prep. For instance, changing the seasoning I use on chicken makes the salad I take every day taste different from batch to batch; or sometimes I might add cheese, or another veggie, or something but not have to reinvent the salad wheel.
Man, my boyfriend took me to Aldi. What a game changer.
I love Aldi I save a lot of money on canned veggies, produce and milk. The only meat I have tried is pork chops and country style ribs and both were great .
I am a big time couponer (in Canada) but I have noticed that the coupons are getting a little more scarce since the fall.
I have a recipe box (well 2 actually) that I bought at the dollar store & some blank recipe cards (my MIL gave me hers that she doesn’t use) & wrote titles on them to create dividers. One is dedicated to Grocery Shopping specifically. I have dividers for grocery departments such as Produce, Deli, Dairy, Meat, Cereal, etc that sort my coupons into as I get them (so much smaller & more convenient than binders), then at the back I have cards for different grocery stores & include gift cards & reward cards & store specific coupons. At the front I have FPC = free product coupons so I see them 1st & am sure to use them!
My other box is for other gift card & coupons such as Automotive (anything vehicle related, gas gift cards & rewards cards, car wash coupons, etc), Movies, Department Stores, Restaurants - fast food, casual dining & upscale, US coupon & gcs (I’m in Canada but travel to US every couple months) & Misc which includes attractions, library card, dentist reward card, some train tokens, etc.
I keep them in a small bag that I can easily toss in the car with me or my shopping cart with my reusable grocery bags. It helps me keep all the coupons & gift cards organized & handy.
Good points shared by almost everyone. Here are my two cents for young parents. My wife is a stay at home mom and we have a 13 months old baby boy. My wife saved a lot of money by preparing all his meals at home.
So rather than buying formula baby foods from the grocery, if you can prepare the meals at home, I bet you it will save tons of money.
Good points shared by almost everyone. Here are my two cents for young parents. My wife is a stay at home mom and we have a 13 months old baby boy. My wife saved a lot of money by preparing all his meals at home.
So rather than buying formula baby foods from the grocery, if you can prepare the meals at home, I bet you it will save tons of money.
Good points shared by almost everyone. Here are my two cents for young parents. My wife is a stay at home mom and we have a 13 months old baby boy. My wife saved a lot of money by preparing all his meals at home.
So rather than buying formula baby foods from the grocery, if you can prepare the meals at home, I bet you it will save tons of money.
Happy Saving everyone!
-Sid
I agree Sid. I made my own baby foods, pureed foods for both of my kids. They were eating very similar meals to my husband & I, just in a different form. We have a backyard garden as well, so it was fantastic to use my own fruits & veggies. Now that my kids are older, they love to snack around the backyard!
Even if you live in an apartment, you can grow herbs, lettuce, green onion, etc on your window sill and if you are luck enough to have a patio, a tomato plant is fun, colourful & edible!
Good points shared by almost everyone. Here are my two cents for young parents. My wife is a stay at home mom and we have a 13 months old baby boy. My wife saved a lot of money by preparing all his meals at home.
So rather than buying formula baby foods from the grocery, if you can prepare the meals at home, I bet you it will save tons of money.
Happy Saving everyone!
-Sid
I agree Sid. I made my own baby foods, pureed foods for both of my kids. They were eating very similar meals to my husband & I, just in a different form. We have a backyard garden as well, so it was fantastic to use my own fruits & veggies. Now that my kids are older, they love to snack around the backyard!
Even if you live in an apartment, you can grow herbs, lettuce, green onion, etc on your window sill and if you are luck enough to have a patio, a tomato plant is fun, colourful & edible!
Excellent idea there about backyard garden. We live in an apartment but I think the balcony is sufficiently large to grow some vegetables. I guess now I know how I’ll be spending my entire Sunday today.
menonabudget, both your post on the 10% rule and the couponing were spot on. My wife and I used to coupon quite regularly, but then we stopped receiving the paper. Guess we’re going to have to start that again. We can also print coupons off. But, we saved over $4K in one year doing that. And we also go “gas points”…and this saved us on gas when the gas at Wal-Mart’s station was too high. Any time we could buy something with a coupon on it that was something that we regularly used, we did it. Again, I’m so thankful that I was raised by a “cheapskate” Father who always tried to buy things for the lowest price, and for a grandfather and grandmother who grew up in the depression and always told us to clip the coupons, share, trade or give the ones away that we’d never use. Helping others in these areas always comes back to us sooner or later. Blessings.
Continuing to look for ways to save in this area as it is the most “controllable”
expense we have. I have taught myself to be more mindful of what I buy and assess whether I really need something.
