I can't believe how quickly the week has gone by. Most of my day was consumed by shopping. I spent all morning trying to find myself and Noah some pants. We were both in desperate need but I didn't want to spend a lot of money. I ended up having the most success at Ross. I forget about that store and every time I go there I end up with some awesome finds like a great pair of jeans for $14.99.
After lunch and naps we went grocery shopping. I have to tell you that as of late I have had a grocery shopping revolution. In days past I couldn't ever go to the store without spending at least $100. Now that we have two mortgage payments and my grocery budget has been downsized I have learned some valuable things.
1. Sam's Club/Costco is a good thing. You can save a lot if you know what to buy and if you have a freezer.
2. Menus are a must. I decide what to eat for each meal and write my shopping list accordingly. My sister Darci also gave me some good ideas about the menu that has made planning much more simple. Make one night a meatless night and one night a breakfast night. These meals are usually really inexpensive. I have also recently made Saturday night pizza night. We usually make our own or buy the $5 Little Ceasars.
3. Take cash to the grocery store. Every week before I go grocery shopping, I stop at the ATM and withdraw my alloted amount of money. It helps me to not stray from the shopping list because I would be embarrassed if I had to put things back. I buy most of my groceries at Wal-mart, except for meat. If I have cash leftover, which I usually do, I go to Sam's Club.
4. Make as much from scratch as you can. I try to make my breads, pizza crusts, pie crusts, rolls, etc. from scratch. It is much cheaper than buying them every week at the store. I finally purchased a wheat grinder and am loving it. It makes me want to cook from scratch even more!
After implementing these things, I have spent $30 a week for the last few weeks on my groceries. I can't tell you how exciting it is to get to the checkout and realize I have spent so little. Hope these little tips can help someone else. I am also welcome to other suggestions.
Have a fabulous weekend!
3 comments:
Wow, I am so impressed! I am trying to budget too. I am really bad at it, It might be my addiction to gourmet grocery stores... I am going to try to implement some of your advice.
Really, only $30 a WEEK? For the whole family? You are incredible! Those tips are great. I'm gonna try to use them.
Thanks for these tips Amber. Lately I've been trying to figure out why we spend so much money on groceries! We miss you guys!
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