The Grocery Budget Challenge

I’m going to put it all on the table for you. The good weeks & the bad. The healthy foods and the junk.

I’m embarking on a grocery budget challenge.

It might last 3 weeks, and it might last 3 months, but I won’t stop until I’m satisfied.

Each week I’ll share with you my strategy, my grocery list, my meal plan, and how much we spent. I’m not going to set an actual budget, but I want to try and reduce our bill. Please keep in mind that my lists will be for two very hungry people!

The best tips I’ve received, from my last post and from asking friends, are these:

1. Plan, plan, plan. Plan your meals, plan your list, reference your coupons.
2. Clip coupons.
3. Don’t be afraid to try new brands or store brands.
4. Stock up on non-perishables when they are on sale.
5. Plan your meals around what’s on sale.
6. Be creative at the end of the week and create pantry/freezer meals.
7. Buy everything fresh (as in no packaged rice, frozen meals, etc.) This does not include frozen veggies, which are often cheaper than fresh.
8. Only buy what you need.
9. Shop only once a week.
10. Plan, plan, plan!!!!

Looks like being organized is the number #1 tip, and that is something I’ve slacked on in the past two years. I’m ready to do it again though.

Keep your eye out for my first post next week. I’m going to the market on Sunday and my goal is to buy everything we need for the week in one shot. I’ve already started my list.

From all of your tips in my last post, these are my favorite:

Michelle We use coupons, look for reduced for quick sale produce and meat items and stock up when there’s a great sale.

Stacy R. I try to keep 3 of our meal low cost and make 1-2 special meals a week.

I meal plan based on what is on sale (mainly meats and veggies) and what is seasonal and I usually have to go to 2 stores each week to get everything and stick to my list (it can be dangerous if I don’t go with a list). As much as I love to buy specialty items I try not to stray too far from the list and usually buy the store brand if it is the cheaper option.

Anne @ Your Kind of Salad

I try to have “eat the freezer” meals for a few days. I challenge myself to make complete, healthy meals with what’s in the pantry and freezer for a few meals; it seems silly; but honestly, there’s usually more proteins, frozen vegetables and grains in there than you usually know!

Amy

We try to eat like we’re going out of town all the time and eat most everything up before I’ll break down and go to the market again. I think part of what helps me is that I kind of hate grocery shopping, so I avoid doing long shops (hence only once per month!).

Big stock up shop once per month, produce + dairy + a few misc. items once per week. Not a lot of meat, either

rebekah

This is the same question I’ve been wondering about. My husband travels Mon-Thurs, and I STILL manage to spend crazy amounts on groceries. I still struggle with this, but I do know planning my meals helps a LOT, and eating simpler meals during the week when my husband is gone.

Kate

We spend $30-35 per person (2 of us) each week. The only way I can make this is happen is to go to the grocery store with all of the weeks meals planned out, and only go to the store once. I also try to keep the food for each week similar, so that I can use cross-over times (more Asian type meals with rice one week, Italian another, etc.).

Jules

They’re lame and not earth-shattering, but the things that have worked for me are:
1) reading the ads for the grocery store while meal planning for the week. I plan my meals for the week around the foods on sale.
2) making a shopping list and sticking to it
3) only going grocery shopping once a week. If we run out of anything that’s not milk, it can wait until Sunday.
4) not shopping on an empty stomach
5) buying and freezing proteins (fish, meats, poultry) when on they’re on sale
6) eating leftovers for lunch. I’m only cooking for 2, so if I make the full recipe for a family of 4, and we end up with lunch for the following day. This isn’t always possible, and when it’s not, I bring PB & J.

Sarah

I actually really like grocery shopping and trying to get that bill as low as possible! My husband didn’t have a job for a while, so it was my job to save as much money on food, but still making quality and healthy meals. Here are some of my tips for keeping the price down:

Clip coupons, and plan ahead. I maximize savings by doubling coupons with sale items. If I see a coupon for something I know we use, I’ll clip it and use it when I see that item on sale, even if we don’t need it right then. (this is mostly for pantry items, toiletries, and other things that have a long shelf life)

Look at the price per ounce. Even if you buy the least expensive item on the shelf, it may be more expensive per ounce than a larger container. If it’s something you use a lot of or that you can freeze, buy in bulk!

Buy generic on everyday items. I shop at Publix, and I feel like a lot of their store brand items are of a very high quality, for a cheaper price. I’ll splurge and go to Whole Foods or a local market for items like fresh seafood or meat, and sometimes fresh produce.

Frozen fruits and veggies have just as much nutritional value as fresh. Buy large bags, as they last a long time, and they are cheaper per ounce too. Skip the individually packaged meals or veggies that come with sauce – they jack up the price for a smaller portion, and you can easily get the same effect with some butter and dried herbs from your pantry.

I get really excited about saving at the grocery store, so I hope these tips were helpful!!

Want to join me? Start planning!