Money Saving Tips: Cut that Grocery Bill in Half Part 1

I've been working on this blog in my head for a while, but just now found the words to write it. I used to let the grocery store control my grocery bill instead of me controlling it. I would make a weekly menu, get what I needed, but then also just browse the aisles tossing in what I wanted not paying attention to the price of anything. Then we decided to start budgeting....now I was in trouble for mindlessly shopping! I usually don't share anything about our budget because of its personal nature, but I finally decided our grocery budget was something worth blogging and being proud of. A couple of months ago we were working on our budget and figuring out how much of our money would go where and I told the husband that I would take on the challenge of keeping our grocery bill under $100 a week. Prior to this, it probably cost about $120-$150. After a couple of weeks of being diligent, I realized I could get it all with about $90 and then one week using certain strategies my bill for the week came to $78 and I was hooked! Now I strive to keep it between $60-$80 a week and so far I have been successful.

Are you letting this control your spending instead of you?

Do you DREAD shopping because of how much it costs?

By now, you might be skeptical and must have a few questions:

• So you're wondering how I do it right? 
• Am I a crazy couponer?
• Do I deny myself and my family of certain things?
• Do I buy only processed/ cheap food (you would only ask this if you did not know me)?
• How can I afford fresh fruit, veggies, and meat?
• I'm only feeding two people and a baby....so that must be why it's so cheap
•  

I'll answer the easy questions first:

• No, I am not a crazy couponer, but I do use coupons when I find them for the products I buy. I mean why not? It's basically free money that the manufacturers are putting back in my pocket.
• I don't deny my family of things we like (my husband probably wouldn't agree, but that's because I try not to buy unhealthy food and ALL he likes is the unhealthy stuff).
• Half my grocery cart or more is ALWAYS fresh fruit and veggies, along with fresh meat when we need it.
• I almost NEVER buy processed food*; I buy cereal occasionally for my husband and canned beans because I haven't taken the time to make my own.
• Feeding only two adults and a baby is the same as a family of 4 or 5 because most meats, veggies, etc are priced/ packaged to be sold in that quantity already.

*Processed food definition: anything pre-made for you that contains a TON of preservatives like microwaveable meals, pre-made oven meals, pretty much anything in the frozen section (I can't even name that many, because I NEVER shop that section).

Now for the hard question....how do I do it?
First you're going to have to change how you shop, but mostly how you THINK about shopping.
When you can change how you think about shopping, basically you'll revolutionize HOW you shop.

1st: The next time you go grocery shopping and from here on out start paying attention to the price of items along with how much you're paying per ounce, lb, bar, sheet, etc. If you don't know the prices of the items you buy, you WON'T know a really good deal when you see it!

2nd: Make a list of things you absolutely need--I mean absolutely...none of this, "we might run out soon stuff"--If you don't need it, don't put it on the list.

3rd: Once you have your list of essentials, begin looking at your local grocery store's sales ad. If you have been paying attention to prices, you will know when something is actually on a good sale and when the stores are just using a "gimmick" sale's price to lure you in. From the sales ad, build your list. When you see an item you use and it's listed for a good price, add it to your list and buy multiples.
   *Ok, stop for a second! I don't mean buy gross amounts and hoard food, toiletries, etc. But stock up enough of the items for your family to use until they go on sale again. Also note that items on sale run in 4 week to 6 week cycles. Most likely if you find it on a good deal now you won't see that price again for 4-6 weeks. Keep that in mind when you're buying things.

4th: Begin writing down what sale item you would buy, from what store, the price, and the quantity you would like to buy. I'm sure most of us have a favorite grocery store or one place that we buy the bulk of our groceries. Fortunately, I get to shop at the commissary because my husband is in the military. Their groceries are usually priced $1-$2 lower than any other store. This is why I write down the sale's price of things I would like to buy. I take that price and compare it to the commissary price and usually it is cheaper at the commissary. If you aren't in the military and cannot shop at a commissary, then you can do this with your regular grocery store. Compare the other store's sales to your grocery store and buy that item where it is cheaper.

5th: Once you have compared prices, you want to build your shopping trip. If there are multiple stores within your vicinity (I have 3 within 1/2 of my house), then you can choose to visit each store to get the best prices OR you can ask if your store price matches. MOST stores do. If you shop at a Walmart or a Super Target, they absolutely price match. You won't have to go to multiple places AND you will still get the great prices.

6th: What to look for in the sales ads to buy: Don't buy everything that has a sale; only what you need. Otherwise you'll defeat the purpose of trying to lower your grocery bill. Sales on fresh meat are one of the things you want to buy first. You can also look for good sales on non-perishables (toilet paper, toothpaste, razors, etc), things that have a longer shelf life (oatmeal, cereal, cans of beans, pasta, and so on), or things that can be frozen (fresh fruit for smoothies, peppers, meats). Unfortunately, you can't freeze fresh vegetables without usually blanching them first, but it would be nice if you could!

7th: Now that you have a list of things you need and sale items to buy, you can begin shopping. Remember to STICK TO YOUR LIST! This is probably the hardest thing for me...I'll find extra things on sale or pass by something and think I need it. I almost NEVER need it right then.

Here's some of the great deals I found the past couple of weeks:
 King Soopers:
Blackberries and Raspberries: $1.98 (bought 3 of each to freeze for smoothies)
Soy milk: $1.59  (my husband drinks it like its going out of style)
Avocados: $.89
Powerade: $.59/ per bottle (Yes, I'm kind of ashamed to admit I buy this for my husband, especially since I do not like all of those artificial colors and sweeteners, but it's one of the few unhealthy luxuries he gets to enjoy.) I bought about 25 of these the week I found them because he drinks them when he works out AND because I told him I'd only buy it (since it's so unhealthy) if it's on sale. So, basically if he's out then he's out until the next time they're at this price or cheaper.

Safeway:
Red bell peppers: $.99 (I bought 3 and I plan on cutting these up and freezing them)
Salmon: $4.99/lb for fresh salmon...great price!
Fresh Express Salad mix: $.44

Commissary (my fave):
Bananas: $.39/lb (Bought a bunch because we eat a lot of bananas and froze some for smoothies also)
Carrots: $.59/lb
Cucumber: $.39 for 1
Strawberries: $3.99/ 4lbs (This was a fabulous deal! bought 2 and froze most for smoothies)
Blueberries: $1.98 a pint (bought 6; froze some, used some for my yogurt, and I want to try some in my dehydrator)
Boneless, skinless chicken breast: $1.14/lb
Baby back ribs: $1.99/lb
Boneless, skinless chicken thighs: $1.39/lb

This is a list from a couple of weeks back

 I know this looks kind of obsessive, but I'm super anal and this helps me keep everything straight. For things I always buy, I know the prices of what they cost off the top of my head and I usually save my receipts in case I need to look at the price of anything. On the right side is my list of things I buy regularly or need and on the left side are the items I found on sale that I would want to buy.

These are only part of the tips that you need to gird yourself with before you go shopping. Since this is already a long post I will post the rest in a day or two! So start by paying attention to the prices of items you buy.