Today is my grocery shopping day and you’re going to love these grocery shopping tips on a budget.
This is a big shopping day for me that usually includes at least three stores. I shop the sales at several stores as a way to make my dollars stretch and get the most for my money.
Because this could very easily turn into a shopping nightmare if you are not well prepared, I thought I would share with you some tips for how I make this day a success.
First of all, make sure that you are not hungry.
If I go shopping while I am hungry it’s all over because I will ignore my carefully planned out list and grab every junky snack food item I can get my hands on just so I can much on my way over to the next store.
This wouldn’t be so bad except for the small fact that I need to stick to a very serious budget, so just adding one little thing can really throw things off.
And besides that $2 for a bag of Doritos can be spent in so many better ways.
You want to have a well thought out plan for your grocery trip.
I have a list of what I am going to buy and how much it will cost for each store I am planning to go to.
If I stick to my plan I am able to get everything we need for the week, and generally, stay within my $50 a week/$200 a month grocery budget.
Have a plan that helps cut down on the amount of time it takes to do a grocery trip.
I know exactly where I am going, what I’ll be getting from each place, and even which stores I’ll be going to first, second, third, and so on.
This saves me so much time, energy, and gas.
I do all of my running in one big trip for the week that way I don’t find myself needing to pick up milk halfway through the week.
These kinds of quick stops generally end up costing at least $10 for me, and that can add up pretty quickly throughout the month.
When you have a complete list of what you will be getting you don’t need to walk aimlessly around the store trying to remember what you need.
So, although I may stop at three or more stores each week, I only spend between 2-3 hours shopping altogether. I used to spend that much time just in Meijer before I learned to shop with a plan.
Are you a weekly shopper, monthly shopper, or just whenever you need something shopper?
Hey great post!
Hey great post!
Very good ideas. I used to try to do these things. I have fallen into the trap of thinking "just get it over with!" Taking 3 kids is a chore I don't enjoy. One store is all I can take. But, maybe I should think of it differently. Plus, I don't have a whole day to devote to this because of school.
Jenn
I fall into that trap too!
But once I get into the habit of planing my trip throughout the week, it really only takes a couple hours to get it all done.
And it's totally worth it when I "see" the savings! Maybe try getting the kids involved in planning or cutting out coupons.
Think of it as Home Ec class =)