Meal Planning - Part 3

Grocery Shopping

*Before leaving for the store make sure to eat a meal or light snack.  This will make food less tempting and help you stick to the list.  

Staying Under Budget at the Store:

1.  Know Your Spending Limit

2.  Keep a Running Total

3.  Consider Buying Store Brands

4.  Buying in Bulk

5.  Using Coupons & Deals

Knowing Your Spending Limit:

     Our grocery bill per week needs to stay under $50, but we aim for $25 for a family of 4 in NYS.  To help stay under their limit some individuals bring only cash with them to the grocery store, so they are forced to spend no more than what they have.  

Keep a Running Total:

     For this you will need a calculator, or a cheap note pad and some basic math skills.  If you are in a state that has tax free foods you are in luck as you can just add your items together.  However if you are not lucky enough to be in a state that does not tax food you will need to calculate tax as well.  Most tax is just a few cents on each dollar.  You will want to know this before you get to the store.  

Example if your tax is 7cents on a dollar you would figure your sales tax like this.  

$5 X .07 = .35

$5 + .35 = $5.35

Consider Buying Store Brands:

     You might find yourself going over budget.  If you do the first thing to look at is what you have in your cart that you didn’t buy in a store brand that you could have.  

     I find that 8 times out of 10 store brands will be just as good if not better than the name brands.  When I find myself going over budget cereals are the first things I drop and pick up a cheaper box, or even bags at times.  

Buying in Bulk:

     Most things you can buy in bulk or large amounts for a much lower amount.  This will make your initial grocery bill go up, but will make long term bills go down.  

     For example, I can purchase boneless skinless chicken breast in a 10lb bag for 99cents a pound, but if I were to buy it in a small 4 pack it could cost anywhere from $1.99-$3.99lb.  

     Another thing besides meat that I frequently purchase in bulk is rice.  It is a good cheap filler.  I can figure if it is cost effective by looking at the unit price on the tag that is usually on the shelf.  Most stores will have all similar items listed with similar units, but don’t be fooled if they aren’t the same units.  Look carefully.  

Using Coupons & Deals:

     If I have any money left in my budget I might treat us to a box of brownie mix that is on sale for 50cents, or some extra fruits if they are on sale for a good price.  

     I never use a coupon unless I NEED the item that grocery shop, or the item is free or under 50 cents once the coupon has been calculated.  Coupons can be a way to save money, but are also a great way to draw you in to spend more money on foods you don’t really need.  

*Once you are home with your groceries don’t forget to keep a pen with you to change amounts as you add things to your kitchen.  

You can download a copy of this grocery list to print on 8.5 X 11in. paper HERE.