KA-CHING!

So I’m a little behind is keeping up with the blog these days. Haven’t had much of a chance to sit down by myself and get anything written…  This post is one for Auntie Brenda :) She asked me to talk about how I got out of the store with 6 dinners, breakfasts, lunches and snacks for about $100. (See “New Way of Thinking”) So here goes…

I don’t really have any exact formula for this kind of thing, but have learned I have to get things in order if I want to keep the price down at the grocery store.

First, make a menu. If I head to the store thinking I need to pick up food to make meals for the week, but don’t know what those meals are going to be before I get there, I will inevitably be stuck in the store A LOT longer and will end up spending more. SO – before I go to the store, I make a menu for the week. I don’t plan out what we’ll each on any exact day – just have a list of meals to pick from. It’s worked out really well.

Once you have your menu, make your grocery list.Now, I should mention that lately, since I’ve been really trying to make every penny stretch, I’m careful about what kind of meals I plan to make. If you really want to pinch some pennies, choose meals that share ingredients. For example, one week I might make meatball subs, spaghetti and meatballs, and Polynesian meatballs (a yummy, easy recipe). That way, I buy one of the bags of frozen meatballs, and it works for 3 meals, or more. It stretches your money, and it makes your grocery list much shorter (a plus when you’ve got a couple kids along for the ride!)

Stick to your list when you’re at the store. It’s all those little “extra” purchases that quickly cause your bill to climb. So if you’re wanting some extra (for me, it’s usually chocolate…) add it to the list and plan for it. You’ll feel less guilty about it, too. :)

Oh, we talked about dinners, but what about breakfasts, lunches and snacks? Well, I find the same principle of buying things that can be used for multiple purposes works well for this, too. Buy eggs, bread and flour (or Bisquick in my case! Then you can also make Taco Chili Bake for dinner!) and you can make eggs, pancakes, french toast, etc.  Get bread, lunch meat, and cheese and you can make lunch meat sandwiches, grilled cheese, grilled lunch meat sandwiches (changing it up JUST a little can help you not feel like you’re eating the same thing every day).

Coupons are helpful, as well, though it seems they’re harder to find in the paper these days.

My favorite place for grabbing coupons is SmartSource.com. You can sign up and set it to email you every time there are new coupons. You go through, pick the ones you want, and print them out. I’ve used them at multiple grocery stores and Wal-Mart. They work great! (and are for things you’d actually buy)  Usually, I end up using coupons on things like cereal (we go through a lot of cereal, but it can be so expensive these days!) and paper towels (always an essential), and similar items.

Okay, this is probably not broken up as well as it could be or as organized, but I admit to being sleep deprived and distracted by a 3 year old who won’t stop talking… Hopefully it lends a little help anyway!

Blessings!