Recently, i.e. Sunday, I blew my grocery budget almost for the entire month in one trip. Whoops. However it's provided good material to share with all of my readers coming along with me on my journey to be financially savvy! Here are 5 tips to help you save!
1. Have A Plan
I ended up at the store, spur of the moment with Mom and Boomer. I had no plan and ended up just throwing things into my cart. Recipe for disaster. I'm not saying you need to have a complete meal plan (although it helps), but having a general idea of what meals you'd like to prepare and what you need to replenish is important.
2. Have Time
I didn't drive myself, and we had an overtired Boomer. Which means I was rushed. So once again this led to me throwing random things in my cart. I'm not saying you need to set aside 2 hours to grocery shop, just make sure you have the necessary time to prepare.
3. Eat first
I was so hungry when I was in the store Sunday, which means in addition to not having a plan, or time, my stomach was driving my choices. So I ended up with nacho fixings, and three boxes of instant oatmeal, but no idea what to make for dinner that night once I got home with all that crazy stuff! Also...the combination of feeling rushed and being hungry led to Hangry Whit. All bad.
4. Go for the off brand
Trust me. Kroger oaty-o's taste exactly like Cheerios. As does the instant oatmeal. I'll confess though. I will put nothing but Aunt Jemimah's Butter Lite syrup on my pancakes...so...cut back where you can.
5. Take advantage of coupons and store savings!
I am a loyal Kroger customer. So sometimes I get special coupons based on my shopping habits. Also I use digital coupons that I can load directly to my loyalty card, which in turn adds up to savings on gas too! Lots of different stores offer different programs, and there are a TON of blogs out there that tell you the best deals based on coupons and store sales.
So basically. Do the complete opposite of what I did Sunday, and you should be GOLDEN.
Any tips from you ladies on how to save the green when shopping for food?
7 comments:
I love Kroger coupons/deals.. it really does add up and help over time! I'm with you.. I CANNOT go without some type of plan. If I don't have a full-out meal plan, I try to only shop for the next 3-4 days instead of 10 days or more. That way I think more realistically about what I need and what I can make for the next couple of dinners!
It's so true about going grocery shopping on a full stomach! I always buy so much more food when I'm hungry in the store. I usually end up snacking on something I'm going to buy as I'm shopping lol.
great tips. i try to sorta plan ahead before i shop when i can. if i go when i'm hungry, it's the worst! and i do get generic on some items but there are others where i have to have a certain brand as well.
We don't have Kroger near me, I most usually shop at Shop Rite. Althought Ive fallen off the bandwagon the past few months (must get back into it) I was a coupon fiend for awhile. I use a website called www.livingrichwithcoupons.com
I try so hard to make sure I'm not hungry when I go shopping. It just doesn't turn out well for anyone.
And I totally agree about off-brand. There are some things (Philadelphia cream cheese) that I won't compromise on, but for the most part, store brands are just fine.
I rarely go into a grocery store without a list. Ask the Prince Consort. I plan for 4-5 dinners a week plus there are the staples such as fruit, Eggbeaters, half and half, cheese, Morningstar Farm Patties (yes, I have succeeded in the name of vanity to get the Prince Consort to eat them). I use digital coupons and I'm ok with some off brands. But I pay more because I insist on going to grocery stores that recognize my Queenliness and do not make me load the groceries in the car or return the cart. I have enough to do when I reach the castle.
These are such good tips! Whenever I go hungry I always spend so much more!
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