My Personal Plan to Save on Groceries
A few weeks ago I shared my inspiration for this blog and how I am going to put together a plan to save on groceries. I have spent the last few weeks getting just the essentials like bread, milk and fresh produce while using up what I can in my freezer and pantry. And with today being the first of the month I am ready to put my plan into action. My goal is to spend just $75 a week on groceries, which is probably about half of what I usually spend.
I am also going through the process of meal planning for the next week or two. In the next week I have a trip planned to Sams Club and also plan to give Aldis another try (I have shopped there only once but due to the distance never went back. Fortunately we recently got a new Aldis close by).
Shopping the Sales
Wegmans, which is my grocery store of choice will be reserved for shopping the sale items as well as fresh fruits and vegetables since I really like their produce there. I will also buy fresh produce at Sams club on occasion if I can find a family member that would like to split the cost since everything there is in bulk.
Farmers markets are a nice option for fresh produce but unfortunately the closest one is about 45 minutes away. However, soon our garden will be filled with plenty of ripe tomatoes, zucchini and summer squash, beans, beets and more. Hopefully our garden will give us plenty of excess so that I can give canning a try.
How I Plan to Save on Groceries With Coupons
I don’t buy the Sunday paper anymore since I read it online but I can still get coupons from family members. I also plan to use printable grocery coupons for items that I regularly use. I used to think it wasn’t worth wasting ink to do this but that’s silly considering the fact that I can find plenty of coupons for a $1.00 off with the cost of printing just pennies. And while I don’t buy a lot of name brands, it is nice to know that I can probably find coupons for the name brand products that I do buy.
When to Buy Generic
If you are just a casual coupon user then you may find that if you compare prices you may still get the generic product cheaper. However, many experienced coupon users know that pairing coupons with sale items means you can often get the item for pennies, or, in some instances free! This is something that I plan to take note of.
My Biggest Money Saver
I think that proper meal planning is going to be the key here. After all, if we can curb our take-out and eating out habit by cutting down to maybe twice a month instead of twice a week, that right there will save a lot. And with pre-planned meals as well as ingredients on hand for those last minute quick dinners it shouldn’t be a problem.
I am going to do my best to plan meals around the sales. Hopefully after a few months I will have a well stocked pantry so I can simply shop the sales for non-perishables and start stocking up. After all a well stocked pantry filled with items bought on sale is a sure fire way to save on groceries and avoid the eating out trap due to poor meal planning.