Grocery Sense

Thought I might share how we stretch the food dollar around here...

• Make a Plan: Menu plan before going to the grocery store, make a master list of items that you'll need for recipes and then hunt in your pantry and fridge for items you may already have and scratch them off your list. I like to do it in this order because many times I thought I had an item when I really didn't (requiring another trip to the store and I never leave with just that one thing..) OR I buy duplicates of things I already had right here in the house that I didn't even realize - wasting pantry space and money.

• Another Plan Ahead Tip: Sunday lunch out to eat with the entire family is such a trap! (an expensive trap too!) What I do: I make Sunday lunch on Saturday - leave it in the pot and put the whole thing in the fridge. When we get home from church around 12:00 just throw the pot back on the stove to heat it up and presto... quick lunch on the table. If you don't want to cook the entire meal that far in advance - then at least prep everything by measuring out seasonings or liquids and doing all your chopping in advance... this will dramatically cut down kitchen time when you get home from church. I know Sunday lunch out with the fam sounds so romantic and ideal... but it never was for us.. crazy toddler climbing on me and screaming tired for naptime is not my idea of spending $30. {a monthly savings of $120 - hmm... about the same as the electricity bill??}
  


• Pack a Lunch: Talk about saving mega money.. think of it like this: Your hubby goes out to lunch every day, sometimes to McDonalds $6, and sometimes to a sit down restaurant with colleagues $10... On average lets say he spends $8/day. Multilpy that times 5 work days a week and then times 4 weeks a month and you come out with $160/month JUST for him. If you also work outside the home double it to $320/month ON LUNCH! ouch. This adds up to almost $4,000 a year (talk about a raise if you cut that out!). THE SOLUTION: use those leftovers. Most of the time people have leftover food after a meal that ends up in the trash in about a week (if you don't, then just plan to cook a little extra) Immediately after the meal, during kitchen cleanup time, pack it in individual serving size containers. Throw it in a lunch bag with a couple of extra items like a yogurt, small bag of chips and a bottle of water and voila! It is ready for him to grab in the morning. Stay at home mamas this goes for you too.. don't go places during lunchtime with the kids... I run errands early morning and after naptime.
  

• Do Some Math: Yes you may be thinking I spend a fortune at the grocery store every week... however - if you eliminate eating out, notice just how cheap you are eating each and every day. For example: You just spent $150 at the store for one week of groceries and it is only you, hubby and one kid. {This is a generous example - i typically spend between $100 and $135 .. I know most of you can shop for less each week - and have more kids than I do}. OK - you meal planned so you have a list of 7 meals on the fridge and all the ingredients in the house to make all 7. So that is 7 days a week x 3 meals a day = 21 meals. Divide $150 by 21 meals and you get $7.14... divide that by how many mouths you are feeding: if you have three family members you get an average of $2.38 per person per meal - If you have 4 mouths to feed you are looking at an average of $1.79 per person per meal - for breakfast, lunch and dinner. So DON'T feel bad paying a lot at the grocery store... You are saving a ton, if you don't go out to eat in addition to the $150. Notice that the $7.14 to feed your husband for the entire day is still cheaper than what he's been spending at just one meal. Do the math with what you typically spend.. the formula: (amount spent at grocery store) / 21 meals = _________. Take that number and divide by how many mouths you feed.
  

• Do Some More Math: I know, I know - math wasn't my thing either.. but pay attention to the tags at grocery stores. They have a label that usually divides out cost per ounce for food items. You don't have to do it for every single item but you'll save some money in the long run if you just compare - the trickery is in the packaging.. they make you think you are getting much more than the actual. Sometimes you see huge differences and the "off brand" isn't always the cheapest way to go.
  

• Shop without your kid(s): Early Saturday mornings or during naptime on weekends is ideal. I rarely get this opportunity for some reason - but if you can work it out - you can be more focused and actually enjoy grocery shopping.