Grocery shopping mistakes that are keeping your grocery budget high.
Learning how to reduce your grocery bill is one of the fastest ways to start fixing the entire family budget. Since groceries are not a fixed expense like your mortgage or rent, it’s possible to tweak your shopping habits in order to reduce the amount you’re spending on groceries each week/month.
If lowering your grocery budget is your goal, you’ll want to read on to learn how to fix your unintentional grocery shopping mistakes. Are you committing any of these grocery shopping faux pas?
1. Visit the store several times each week.
I’m guilty of this one more times than I’d like to admit! Going to the grocery store more than once a week can be a real grocery budget killer. After all, going to the store for “just a few things” almost always means you’ll be picking up more than “just a few things” because admittedly, grocery stores have enticing sales and products. So by sticking to shopping once a week you can avoid many impulse purchases, especially if you’re prepared with a list and meal plan.
2. Go to the store around meal times or when you’re hungry.
One of the golden rules of grocery shopping on a budget is to never shop when you’re hungry. Trying to stick to a grocery list when you’re hungry is nearly impossible. Soon you’ll find bags of chips or expensive granola bars hopping into your cart because they’re easy to eat as soon as you get to the car. The best course of action is to shop right after you’ve eaten a good size meal.
3. Don’t plan a menu
I’m a firm believer that planning a menu each week is a big key to sticking to your budget. When you have a plan laid out, you will know exactly what you need to buy at the grocery store in order to execute the meals you have chosen. That way, if something jumps into your cart that isn’t needed, it’s easier to put it back in order to stay within budget because you know that your eating needs are met with your meal plan.
4. Never use a list
Going hand in hand with planning a menu, creating a grocery list is crucial to staying within your budget. I keep a running grocery list on our fridge so I can write down pantry items that I need to replace as soon as the item runs out. As I’m planning our menu for the week, I grab the list from the fridge and jot down everything I need to buy to complete each meal. Sometimes my list is small because I have many items already on hand in the cupboards thanks to some sales in previous weeks on staples.
5. Don’t bother looking at the store flyers for sales.
Reviewing the grocery store flyers and noting what is on sale will save you tons of money. Especially when you buy the sale items and then plan your menu around them. Over time as you regularly buy items that are on sale and stock up on them as much as you can, you’ll always be eating “cheap” food, and your grocery budget will be very happy.
6. Take the kids with you.
Kids can be pretty good negotiators (at least mine can!), especially if you want to be as fast as you possibly can in the grocery store. Sometimes it’s really tempting to buy them something (anything!) just so they’ll be quiet. Even if it’s something little, it all adds up and may not be a good healthful choice.
7. Don’t take inventory of what you already have on hand.
Buying unneeded items can be wasteful. Especially if they’re fresh items that can spoil. Take a few minutes to review what you already have in your pantry and fridge and you can save hundreds of dollars each year.
8. Don’t pay attention as the cashier is processing your purchase.
Put down the magazine and pay attention to what is being rung through. I was recently charged for two watermelons when I had only bought one. Thankfully, I noticed and it was fixed right away. But imagine if each week there was an error on your bill, that could add up to hundreds of dollars that were literally spent on nothing. So do yourself a favor and pay attention as the cashier is processing your purchase. Also, if you bought items on sale, watch closely, you may get several items for free if they scanned wrong since many stores have a scanning code of practice.
9. Throw the food into the fridge without any rhyme or reason.
By taking the time to carefully put your perishables away and dividing items you bought in bulk into smaller portions will save you money in the long run. Washing and storing produce properly will make it last longer in your refrigerator. Make sure you have designated spots for each item so you can easily find your purchases, or your grocery budget will be wasted on moldy, forgotten items.
10. Throw away leftovers.
Not a fan of eating leftovers? Well, that will have to stop if you want to lower your budget! If you’re throwing away leftovers, you’re almost literally throwing your money in the garbage too. There are plenty of recipes online that can help you reinvent leftovers into something tasty. Maybe it’s not that you don’t like leftovers, maybe you simply forgot they were there. One solution is to put leftovers in clear containers with a dated label so you can visually see what’s there.
Are you guilty of any of these grocery shopping mistakes? I know that I am. It’s constantly a work in progress for me! But knowing where you’re making mistakes is half the battle to getting your budget on track. Knowing the ways in which we’re ruining our grocery budget allows us to focus on one area to fix at a time. Baby steps 🙂
10 grocery shopping mistakes you are making that keep your grocery bill high.
Grocery shopping on a budget doesn't have to mean you only eat rice and beans each day. You can have a wonderful well rounded diet of fruits, vegetables, meats and great sides when you plan accordingly. While I always recommend you menu plan to help stay on top of your pantry and freezer supplies as well as your shopping list, these tips are really where the savings come into play.
1. Make a list before you shop.
Going into a grocery store without a list is setting yourself up for failure in the biggest way. A list is vital to making sure you are grocery shopping within your budget. Divide your list by aisles and categories. If you know approximate or sale prices on items, list those to the side so you can easily track your expenses while you shop and verify prices are as stated in sale advertisements.
2. Use Cash
It's so incredibly easy to go over budget at the grocery store when you're paying with a debit or credit card! When you are forced to use cash, it's harder to justify buying items that aren't on your grocery list. You know, that last second bag of chips or the candle that's on sale. Having your grocery money in a cash envelope is a fantastic way to stay on budget.
3. Keep a calculator on hand while you shop.
As mentioned before, sale prices are important when grocery shopping on a budget. Make note of what is suppose to be on sale and watch not only for that price to be reflected on store shelves, but also at the checkout counter. For all other items on your list, use the calculator you have on hand to make sure you aren't going over budget. Make notes as you add things to your cart and add up your purchases as you go so you know when you may need to choose a different size or brand because you are nearing your budget limits.
4. Utilize coupons as much as possible.
Using coupons is a pretty obvious suggestion coming from Simply Frugal. But while using coupons is a great way to save money, it can also cause you to spend more when you are buying things you don't need or won't use. Use coupons only on items you would normally buy, and always verify pricing on generic equivalents to make sure you are getting the ultimate best deal possible.
Sales are a great way to save money on big purchases like meats and of course, produce. There are things called loss leaders often in these sales. These items are usually far below regular price and are designed to entice you to come into the store and make a purchase. They believe if they entice you with a low price on one item you are more likely to purchase additional items. These can often be great prices to stock up your pantry for things like pasta, sauces, soups and other pantry staples. Also consider stocking up on seasonal sale prices of meat and produce to freeze or can for off seasons.
6. Sign up for reward clubs and programs.
Many grocery stores offer reward programs. These can give you high value coupons specifically for their store, points that you can redeem for free products, great VIP day discounts and insight on upcoming sales. They are a great way to be in the know and get rewarded for shopping at a favorite store.
7. Buy in bulk when possible.
Bulk purchases are often a great way to manage grocery shopping on a budget. Just make sure to check the unit prices to make sure they really are cheaper to buy in large quantities versus individual packages. Read here to learn how to buy in bulk toactually save money.
These tips for grocery shopping on a budget are great reminders for how to make the most of your money in the grocery store.
I'd love to hear your biggest tip for saving money at the grocery store. Let us know in the comments below!
Your grocery budget probably needs a little revamping like mine does, and so I came up with a few tips for creating what I believe, is a functional grocery budget. This method of dividing up your expenses will help you to make sure you aren't overspending, and of course, help you to make the most of your money.
3 Steps to creating a grocery budget:
Track your grocery spending. Track your spending over a couple of months and come up with an average. Or look at your receipts from the last couple of months to figure out an average. You will want to look at what you are spending at the grocery store and restaurants. It will be a big help to have these separated so you can see where you need to cut down your spending most.
Set your grocery budget - Because you now know the average amount you spend at the grocery store and restaurants each month, you can set your goal for your grocery budget. For example, if you've discovered you spend on average $800 a month, you might want to set your goal at $700 by cutting down on restaurants and prepackaged grocery store food. I don't recommend drastically trimming your grocery budget right this instant. Give yourself some slack and don't put pressure on yourself to come up with an impossible-to-stick-with number. You'll get discouraged and may end up giving up.
Make your grocery list with your new grocery budget in mind. Having a plan for your grocery budget is how you are going to succeed. Pick recipes and ingredients that are simple. Plan for leftovers to stretch the budget.
In addition, here are some practical tips to help you stay within your newly created grocery budget:
Don't forget to budget for all meals and snacks, not just dinner.
Many menu plans include only 1 meal a day – the evening meal. This doesn't help you to create a shopping list or functional grocery budget when it doesn't provide for breakfast, lunch or snacks. You need to focus not just on the menu plans that give you low budgets for one meal a day, but also plan for your breakfasts, lunches and snacks.
Make healthy foods a priority.
One thing often seen in a grocery budget is not enough room for healthy foods. If you are sacrificing your health to save a few dollars each month, it isn't worth it. Feeding your family great nutrient-dense meals and snacks isn't an option – it is a necessity. Consider the 40/30/30 rule when shopping for groceries. 40% of your grocery budget is fruits and vegetables. 30% of your grocery budget is lean meats and dairy. 30% of your grocery budget are things like dry beans, rice, spices and other items to fill in gaps in the menu plan.
Use coupons only on items you need.
While I'm a fan of couponuse, when it comes to your grocery budget it is important to not get carried away. The thrill of the coupon hunt can quickly become a reason to spend more money for the sake of the “deal”. Make sure you are couponing for items that truly are needed and the best deal possible. Just because there is a coupon available doesn't mean that they should be used.
Plan meals that can be used multiple ways.
Not only do you want to plan low-cost meals, but you want to plan for things that will provide you with leftovers for lunches or a second evening meal. You may also want to look for meats and protein sources that are versatile. Things like a roast or hamburger can be used in multiple recipes making them easier to buy in bulk packages and stretch further. A roast cooked on Monday can have leftovers used in a quick beef and vegetable soup, stew or even tacos or chili. A whole chicken can be shredded and added to soups, casseroles, salads and sandwiches. Using every bit of the cheaper cuts of meat throughout your weekly menu plan can easily make your grocery budget manageable.
Follow your local sale cycles to stockpile as needed.
Sometimes it's beneficial to buy extra of select items when they are at their lowest prices. This could be vegetables and fruit in the summer months to freeze for later, or could be canned goods in winter months. Watch your local stores' sale cycles and stock up accordingly to provide your family with food at the best prices possible year round.
These tips for creating a functional grocery budget are just the beginning. To really do well you also need to take into consideration your area, sale cycles and your family needs. A functional grocery budget is one that provides your family with great meals while staying within the expense plan you can afford.
Budget meal planning is vital to the health of most household budgets. Nobody looks forward to rice, pasta and beans for every meal, but sometimes a financial strain means you have to really look closely at your food intake as a place to eliminate extra expenses. These tips for busy moms to help budget meal planning become easier, are perfect for keeping you well fed and your finances in order.
Stick to what your family loves.
One of the biggest budget meal planning blunders around is trying out too many new recipes each month. Unfortunately, what looks great on a blog, television or in a magazine may not meet your families taste preferences. Stick mostly to those tried and true recipes and flavors you know everyone will eat so you aren't wasting money on food that ends up in the garbage. Try 1-2 new recipes a month and if they are enjoyed, add them to your rotation. Here's a list of our family's favorite meals.
Keep accurate track of what you have on hand.
A pantry and freezer list is a must when you are budget meal planning. Your meal plan should include items you have in stock in your pantry. Knowing what you have on hand keeps you from spending too much on items you don't need. Basically, it will keep you from making last minute stops at the grocery store and spending extra because you forgot an ingredient.
Get to know your butcher.
Whether you use a traditional butcher shop or your local grocery store meat counter, knowing the butcher is a great way to find the best deals on meats. Not only can you talk to them about the end pieces of meats that are perfect for stews and chili, but you can find out when they are running a sale, or when something is about to be marked down because it is near the end of its shelf life. These little things can save you a ton of money on meat purchases.
Create a core base of ingredients.
Many families like specific flavor profiles more than others. When you figure out what your family tends to gravitate toward, you can easily start shopping for those items in bulk. Whether it is a type of meat, produce or base like pasta or rice you can find most groceries in bulk for less than individual servings would cost.
Plan meals for leftovers.
One of the best ways to save money while meal planning is to actually plan your menu for leftovers. Not only can larger batches of some meals save money on a second evening meal, they can save money on your lunch expenses. Soups, casseroles and many one pot meals are perfect for leftovers. If your family doesn't like eating the same thing multiple times in a row, you can easily create the double batch and store it in the freezer until later in the month. Then all you have to do is thaw and reheat in the oven or slow cooker.
These budget meal planning tips are perfect for moms who are busy juggling kids and work. Not only will they help you stay on budget each month, they will provide you with great meals your entire family will enjoy.
Moms, how do you stay on budget each month when it comes to groceries? What are your tips for making food stretch further?
If you are looking for a way to make planning, prep, and meals easier and faster you may want to begin by prepping in advance as soon as you bring home your groceries. Spend a couple hours on Saturday or Sunday to do food prep and you will be amazed at how much time you can save and stress you can avoid throughout your busy week.
The first part of good food prep is meal planning. If you sit down and work out at least a week’s worth of meals in advance on paper, it serves several purposes in making everything run smoother.
You save money grocery shopping if you have a plan.
You won’t be wondering what’s for dinner at dinner time.
You can make healthier choices and set yourself up for success.
Meal and snack time options will be more plentiful.
Meal Plan & Shop
So sit down, make a list of dinners, lunches, breakfast ideas, plus your family’s favorite snacks then make a grocery list. Grab the list, your coupons, and your wallet. Next head to the grocery store and load up on everything you need. Bring it home and set it all on the counter. Most times before I do a big grocery run I also like to scrub and empty out the refrigerator so it’s ready to be loaded up for the week.
If you need some inspiration, this book is a good resource with meal and snack plan ideas.
Once you have done your shopping for the week (or maybe even the month) and brought home bags overflowing with fresh vegetables, canned goods, pasta, meat, dairy, etc… Now what do you do with it? How do you prep it all for the week ahead so that you are not stressed with coming up with dinner every night at 5:00? I’m going to share with you my favorite tips, methods, and tricks for making weekly food prep work for you. We’re going to prep for all 3 meals including bag lunches, and snacks.
Gather Your Tools
Make sure you include these items on your shopping list if you are not already stocked up: Mason jars, freezer bags, sandwich bags, and plastic lidded containers in various sizes. These are key tools to meal prep success so I suggest designating a shelf or basket for storing these items handily. Reusable containers like this or like this are perfect for prepping lunches.
Bring home your groceries and set them out on the counter. You can go ahead and put away things like milk, butter, etc.. into your clean fridge. The idea behind meal prep is to get as much done in advance when you have time so that during the week you are just doing minimal work to get dinner on the table and lunches packed. Now you are ready to get started on The meal prep….
Fruits and Veggies
Wash them well to remove wax, dirt, and pesticides that may be on them. Place them in strainers or on paper towels to drain. Check your weekly menu and pre-prep your veggies for meals. Slice, dice, shred, etc.. I have a mandolinand I absolutely love it for food prep, makes it quick and easy. I just rinse between different items and move on to the next one. Once I’ve finished the slicing and dicing, I divide them up into bags and smaller plastic storage containers. Don’t forget to designate some for healthy snacks and put them in special containers. Carrot sticks, cucumber slices, apple wedges, grapes, cherries, etc… If salad is on your menu for lunches or dinners make those up as well. Mason jars are great for this.
Prep and cook meat
Again, looking at your meal plan, you can pre-cook a lot of your meat and freeze it for quick reheating and adding to your meals. Chili on your list? Brown and drain 1 pound of meat. Hamburgers? Go ahead with seasoning and flattening them. Place them in freezer bags divided by sheets of wax paper. If you buy meat in larger bulk packs to save money, but don’t want to cook it yet you can still divide it up into smaller portions before refreezing it.
Divide up snacks in individual packs
I tend to not buy many things already individually packaged because it costs a lot more. It’s cheaper to buy a large bag of chips and divide it up yourself and really, it only takes a couple minutes to do. This is great for snack time or for packing lunches, you can just grab one or two items and toss them in the lunchbox.
Prep Lunches
If you have kids, my favorite trick is to turn an entire loaf of bread into peanut butter & jelly sandwiches. If you have the freezer space, make them all ahead and place in freezer bags, stack in the freezer then simply pull one out and pop in the lunches and it will be thawed and ready by lunch. You could do this with lunch meat and cheeses as well.
Make slow cooker meals
Make up your favorite slow cooker or Instant Pot meals in advance. Place meat, starches, veggies, and seasonings in big freezer bags. Freeze, and pull them out in the morning, dump into slow cooker and come home to a hot meal ready to go. Or pull it out and cook it quickly in your Instant Pot. If you don’t already own a slow cooker or Instant Pot you should definitely get one…or two. 🙂
Now, you’re pretty much done and this gives you a fabulous start to your week with just a couple hours of preparation! Now grab a cup of coffee and put your feet up, you deserve it!
I do the bulk of my food prep in one day but during the rest of the week you should think ahead. If you make pancakes for breakfast then make a double batch and freeze extras in baggies for popping in the toaster on busy school mornings. Having soup for dinner? Freeze the leftovers in small plastic lidded containers for lunches.
I’d love to know how you prepare for the upcoming week. Let me know in the comments below!
Summer is in the air and your local farmers markets are open and ready to provide you with super fresh and flavorful produce. Wandering the market makes for a perfect morning or afternoon and supporting local farmers is a great bonus. Here are 5 fantastic reasons to get out there and buy local produce.
5 Reasons to Buy Local Produce
Flavor & Freshness.
Buying fresh fruits and vegetables at the peak of their season provide you with the best flavors and are perfect for your favorite recipes. Vendors usually put the best of their crop up front, so get there early.
Support Farmers.
Smaller family farms rely on their yearly crops and benefit from us buying directly from them each season. You can also stimulate your local economy by shopping at your grocery store when you look for locally grown produce.
Sense of community.
By supporting local farmers and buying their produce, you can feel a sense of community while shopping at the farmer’s markets. It’s a chance to get to know who’s growing fresh fruits and vegetables in your surrounding area as well as ask questions about how they are grown.
Healthy eating.
When buying local, the fruits and vegetables you buy and cook with are ready to eat. They are filled with their natural nutrients and provide a healthier option on your dinner table.
Environmentally friendly.
By visiting your local farmer’s markets and buying fresh produce, you’re helping to protect the environment by cutting down on the travel expense of transporting from province to province or even country to country. Overall air pollution is lessened and truck fuel is saved.
For the best experience, go early and enjoy visiting all of the vendors at your own pace. Some vendors will offer samples so that you can taste what you are buying. Many times you end up finding fruit and vegetable varieties that you may never have heard of before. Enjoy the fruits of their labors all season long!
If you need some inspiration, 
Bring home your groceries and set them out on the counter. You can go ahead and put away things like milk, butter, etc.. into your clean fridge. The idea behind meal prep is to get as much done in advance when you have time so that during the week you are just doing minimal work to get dinner on the table and lunches packed. Now you are ready to get started on The meal prep….
