Saving Money at the Grocery Store
We spend a lot of time in our lives eating, cooking or preparing our meals, but also shopping for food. With some simple planning you can cut back on that very large household expense item…groceries.
The most important thing you can bring to the grocery store is a list.
“Oh come on”, you say. that is way to simple. “Simple but true”, I say.
More time and money is wasted in the grocery store when you don’t have a list because you end up “impulse shopping”. The grocery store is laid out to entice you to stay longer and to pick up more than you really need.
Make a plan: Here is an good situation…but at minimum, make a list.
* On Sunday make a list of the week’s days and a dinner name next to each. (If you don’t want to do this every week plan the same thing every week like Monday-chicken, Tuesday-pasta, etc. You can change the actual preparation style to add some variety.)
* Note any evenings you will not be home…no dinner prep that night.
* Think through other meals you eat at home including brown bag lunches for kids and adults, breakfast, snacks.
* Think through perishables like fruits, veggies, eggs and bread. Check your pantry for staples like oil, vinegar, etc. Some basics you purchase every week.
* Develop your list from this quick weekly menu.
If you develop this preparation habit each week you are going to cut back on impulse purchases and also stop over-buying.
