Grocery Shopping + Penny Pinching

 

image source: Getty Images

Grocery shopping is the bane of my existence.  It's a necessary evil that I dread each week.  I shop during my lunch break at work, generally on a Monday - it's a hurried, dispassionate experience.  Shopping during lunch isn't ideal but really is the only time I can find in the week to do it, as Chase is tired after I pick him up from day care at 4:30 and it really wouldn't be fair to subject him to that 1.5 hour ordeal so late in the day.  Anyway, he goes to sleep for the night by 7 pm, so those couple of hours after we get home are our special time.

 

I must admit, with the state of the economy so crummy, I find myself wondering what other families are doing to make it (especially single income households).  I think about money a lot - certainly more so than my husband.  Maybe it's residual paranoia from my days of living alone and having to penny pinch as a broke grad student...  Now that we're a "team" money isn't the issue that it was for me then, but I can't get out of that mentality.  And frankly, I don't want to.  I’m going to be honest here, as it’s certainly nothing to be ashamed of - I shop on a strict budget and have majorly cut back on unnecessary items.  I aim to keep our grocery bill as low as I possibly can.  Because we are both gainfully employed today does not mean that our circumstances couldn't change tomorrow, and I try to keep that in mind.

Unfortunately, keeping the grocery bill low can be a challenge when many of our favorite, staple dishes are pricey (salmon; dishes made with cheese) and sometimes I go over my self-imposed spending limit.  This is frustrating and, at these times, I often wonder how these moms I read about are spending under $100 per week, for families larger than mine!  I also speculate about how our grocery bill is going to skyrocket once Chase is a big boy and there are now two grown men/appetites to feed.  Omg, the amount of water and iced tea Derek goes through in a week....  Now add to that a big, strapping teenage boy who will likely play sports - dear heavens!

So if I'm to fit everything in during lunch, and also stick to my budget, my grocery shopping really has to be an organized and calculated experience.  Well, I try my best to make it that, anyway.  I have a few hard and fast rules that I stick to:

♥ make weekly meal plans
♥ before we plan for meals, I see what ingredients are left and try to plan meals around those

♥ never ever go shopping without a list
♥ stick to my list religiously

♥ member of the grocery rewards program

♥ use coupons when I can - don't have the time/patience to clip them from the paper, but I use what Waldbaum's gives me with my receipt

♥ try my best not to shop on an empty stomach - but sometimes I do, and I always end up with some random box of cookies or chips in my cart

♥ uneaten leftovers become my next day's lunch (since someone isn't a fan of dinner leftovers, unless it's one of his favorites :-)

I'd love to know about your grocery store experience.  What self-imposed rules do you follow, and how do you manage to save money?  I'm also curious to know how many people are in your household and what you spend monthly (if you're comfortable sharing that information).

Comments

[Melee]

Melee again! I just remembered a tip I learned somewhere. I'll buy a whole roasted chicken and use it to make caesar chicken salads, chicken salad sandwiches, or eat a couple slices as is with a side of roasted potatoes & salad, or chop up small pieces and stir fry with jasmine rice, soy sauce, and mixed vegetables. All these things stretch my budget. But the biggest tip is to never send your spouse shopping-I'm lucky if the BF drops under $200.

[Melee]

I also do most of the things you do. I spend $65/week and my boyfriend eats like Samson and, like your spouse, is not interested in left overs for lunch - no matter how good the meal is. So... sometimes I hide leftovers in new meals. Or, I'll make a large batch of ground turkey with red or white sauce and make pasta with meat sauce, and set aside some for shepherd's pie-which I make in small 7oz white corningware dishes.

Luckily, he loves pb&j sandwiches and is happy eating them every day for lunch! Oh yes, and menu planning for breakfast, lunch dinner, & snacks cut my grocery bill drastically. I always include a meal like pizza or make something that is similar to a fast food meal so we won't be tempted to buy at these restaurants.

[Carissa]

I do pretty much everything on your list. But I also look at the local circulars for all of the close grocery stores and compare prices. Most of the time combined, you can get everything on your list on sale.

I also make sure to get Rain Checks for sale items that may be out. This is especially important around the holidays when they put key items on sale like cheese, broths and other must have items that go fast.

I only have to feed a family of one but single ladies have to save too :)

[Adora]

I try not to shop hungry which helps budget and waistline. I'd say almost all of my grocery shopping is done between Kroger and super Walmart. For a grad student living alone, that works, although I too could be cutting more coupons. I also try to stick to buying produce in season if possible.

[Tatianna]

I def buy in bulk. If you can, invest in a SMALL compact deep freezer to store some items. I have one in my apartment and it doesn't take up much space. I also use a shopping list.

Uhm..someone better get over that "not eating leftovers" thing quick! LMAO!

[Stacey Walker]

I forgot to add that with Sam's Club, there is usually a Walmart really close by so for items you don't want in bulk, you could hop over to Walmart to get them at a good price in smaller quantities (and Wally accepts coupons). The Walmart in Secaucus is literally next door to Sams. Oh and don't forget to sign up for the ... Read Moresupermarkets' email list. They will automatically email you their circular every week so you can browse it with ease. Whole Foods has plenty of coupons in their circular. Harris Teether (southern chain) has special weekly sale prices on some items just for people on their email lists.

I could go on and on...LOL

[Cynthia]

Hubby and I spend about $150 and I look for sales! We also shop at BJ's and buy in bulk. It adds up but we don't need to stock up on those items for a while!

[Stacey Walker]

Check out couponmom.com. A site that tells you in advance about local circulars, best way to deal with coupons, etc. Also, I would suggest stocking up on stuff at Sams in Secaucus or Costco in Yonkers, even if you only go once every 4 months. NYC is expensive and who has time to constantly buy the same things over and over again every week. Remember: cheese freezes well.

If you are not a member of either, then BJs Wholesale club has a free two-month trial membership going on now. Check their website for details (typing on my phone otherwise I'd look it up for you). You have until 12/31/09 to start the trial. There is one in Brooklyn and a ton more across the way in Jersey. BJs accepts coupons and you could stock up on baby stuff, toiletries, nonperishables, frozen fruits/veggies, etc.

[Auntie Nabs]

this was an AWESOME post. i follow every single one of the things u mentioned on ur list to a T!!! what a coinkidink. another habit i have is absolutely not purchasing certain items when they are not on sale; more than likely, they will be on sale within the next week or two, so i just switch a meal plan around or substitute for something else. i also try to remain open-minded. for example, when i am shopping for cereal, i make sure not to go in there with my heart set on having a particular type, because i REFUSE to pay full price for these expensive cereals!!! at the same time, i dont like non-name brand cereals, so my sacrifice is to not get it until it is on sale, and then pick up a couple of boxes at a time when it is. in the meantime, i look amongst the cereals on sale, and choose one from amongst those.

another habit i have recently gotten into is purchasing things in bulk when there is a really great sale. i am real quick to put a 2nd loaf of bread in the freezer. i intentionally make larger meal sizes these days so that i can freeze half. i did that with the 4 lb roast i made the other day, and with the fufu shahid made a few weeks prior. i also freeze leftover pasta, cheese, and practically anything that i feel will still be tasty once it's thawed. i find that i save money this way, in addition to time--because a fabulous meal is often times just a quick simmer away.

besides shopping in bulk at the grocery store, we also shop at costco's on a regular basis, because u really do save money buying certain things at whole sale prices.

[Fatima]

I have a 16yr old football playing son and he can literally eat everything in the kitchen! I've begun purchasing sale item only and using coupons in conjunction with the sales at the store. It's been saving at least $40-60 a month. I shop every two-weeks(my paydays). It's really hard out here if you are on a limited income and or a strict budget. Juice is expensive, meats and poultry are out the roof and fresh veggies cost an arm and leg. This is why people especially "poor" people eat so horribly. Eating healthy is so expensive! A Mcdonalds salad is almost $8.00, it's cheaper to buy a cheeseburger and fries from the dollar menu!

[Nika]

As a grad student, I find that Trader Joe's is pretty inexpensive and fits my budget for some items. I'm realy going to start using coupons shortly as I know I could be spending a lot less considering it's just me. I'll also be buying certain items in bulk come next semester.

[Sara Broers]

As a Mom to two teenage boys- my 3 boys- hubby included, make my grocery shopping/meal planning interesting. They ALL eat!!!! The old saying, "They'll eat YOU out of the house." Is so true! I seriously do try to plan meals ahead- fewer trips to the store, means less money spent. On another note, we just butchered a pig and have that in the freezer, helps out a LOT! Kids gotta eat- feed 'em, nobody likes a grumpy kid! Hey, I'm also enjoying your blog and am now following ya!