Grocery Shopping on the Cheap 101

I've been asked many, many times how in the world I keep our grocery budget so low. It's not as low as some, but it is consistently low ... and there's something to be said for that! I do not use coupons. It's not that I see anything wrong with them, but I've only gotten myself in trouble with them - spending more than I intend by buying items I don't usually purchase. My husband has coupons figured out quite well. Heaven help us if he ever starts a blog about couponing! Stores will be forced to shut down for all the money flying out their doors! If you are like me and lack patience as well as long for simplicity - these hints should help out a little (if you're a couponer like Cooper - simply combine my techniques with your couponing & be ultra-efficient).

1. Before heading to the store, make a menu. Before making a menu - look around your pantry & freezer. Ask yourself what you have that can be used in other ways. Be creative and open up that culinary mind!
2. Peruse weekly grocery store circulars to find what items are the best deals. Just because something isn't on your menu shopping list doesn't mean that you shouldn't buy it - i.e. 89 cent cake mix is a good deal!
3. Head to the store(s) - you have a list of items you need for your meals as well as any pantry or freezable items you can buy for later use.
4. Only buy what's on your list - if you do really well, splurge on US Weekly (I won't tell)!!!

Before I composed this post, I followed my own advice & tallied up the supposed cost. Here are my notes:

Brookshires: $13
onions 99cents/lb. (estimate buying 3 lbs.)
apples 99cents/lb. (estimate buying 3 lbs.)
Pillsbury cake mix 89 cents (buying 5)
potatoes 10 lbs/$2.50

Kroger: $13
hamburger buns 70 cents
Grands biscuits 97 cents (buying 2)
Romaine lettuce 77 cents
green bell peppers 3 for $1 (buying 6 - to blanch and freeze)
peaches 99 cents
asparagus $2.99/lb.
cabbage 2 lbs./$1

Market Street: $12
Grapefruit 5/$1
Food Club Green Beans (for pantry) 5/$2 (buying 20)
Simply Potatoes hash browns (for freezer) 2/$3

Tom Thumb: $20
whole cut up chicken (to freeze) 99 cents/lb.
Fritos $1
baby carrots $1
grapes 88 cents/lb.
campbell's soup (for pantry) 10/$10 (buying 10)

Albertson's: $15
oranges 4lbs./$2
Schepp's 1/2 gallon milk $1 (buying 4)
Pork butt roast (to freeze) $1/lb.
Pork loin chops (to freeze) $1/lb.
eggs $1
bread$1

Total: $73 - enough left over for that magazine!

Buying items when they are on sale and freezing or storing them really does save a ton of money. I found boneless skinless chicken breast for $1.42/lb. at Sam's one day. Needless to say, I brought home an obscene amount, repackaged them in usable amounts, and froze them. When I make my menu on Monday, I take whatever I need from the freezer and place it in the fridge. That way it can thaw slowly and I have a visual of what I'm using that week.

So what do you do when you see, say - cake mix for 25 cents a box? Clear the shelf!! You can use cake mix for muffins and cookies as well as cake. The same goes for numerous other items - when in doubt, bust out that iphone or blackberry in the grocery isle and google the clearance item followed by "recipes" and see what flows forth!

That's it! Isn't it easy?! A little forethought, a little preparation - and you're ready to go! I promise you, this isn't difficult! When you've done this for a week or two or fifty, you'll never look back and think it was a waste of time - it's just too convenient & easy!

Happy shopping!

The Glamorous Chef