Ugh… Grocery Shopping

Grocery shopping can be time consuming and expensive! Here are some ways to make the experience a little more enjoyable while saving you money!

Buy in Bulk

To me, this one is a no brainer but apparently everyone hasn’t caught on quite yet (no offense if you’re one of those people). Have you ever seen the single guy doing his grocery shopping and he goes to grab the little 4 pack of toilet paper? Do you ever look at him and think, dude! Do you really think at some point you’ll stop using this stuff? Haha Why not get the bigger container which gives you a deal for buying more? You’re sure to need more than 4 rolls buddy.

The same thing applies to a lot of foods you’ll be using. If you’re family uses onions in a whole lot of dinners, buying a bag of onions will save you money since you’ll be using them throughout the week. This doesn’t sound like a lot of money being thrown back into your bank account… but the savings definitely add up as this becomes a regular habit.

Go for Produce That’s in Season

I feel like this will end up being my mantra as it’ll end up in so many things I write!

First off, fruits and veggies that are in season will actually taste better than the others. Secondly, they’ll be cheaper. Yep! Ever wonder why corn is 5 for $1 in the middle of the summer (thank you Frazier Farms)? That’s when it’s most abundant so farmers need to sell it while the crop is still good. Hence the wonderful prices on wonderful produce. Take full advantage so you can have the tastiest food that also saves you money.

Meal Plan

Now, if you’ve read any articles on food and shopping then you’ve probably already read about this song and dance. Want to know the reason people are always mentioning it? Because it’s important! Having a plan before going to the store helps limit you from buying unnecessary items which can really add up. Also, with a little planning, if you’re picking produce for one meal, you can incorporate the rest of the produce into another meal to eliminate waste and save money. The biggest benefit to meal planning (beyond saving money) is that all your thinking for food and dinner and lunches is done for the week! You just get to carry out the meals and snacks that you already planned for. Added bonus… going into the store with a plan makes for a much quicker trip!

Use the Ingredients

How many times have you gone to the grocery store with a great plan to eat healthy for the week and then dinner rolls around and you order insert: pizza, chinese, burgers or your favorite food not made by you?

The biggest waste of money to me is not using the food sitting in your fridge that you already spent money on. Feel free to plan a dinner or two out during the week to give yourself a little break. But if you bought the food, use the food! If you don’t, it expires and you just throw it in the trash. I know I sound like a giant dork with all of my planning… but I am a giant dork who will have a little extra money to spend on that dinner out that I have scheduled in because I shopped wisely earlier in the week.

There you have it! Some of the basics of saving money when grocery shopping. Give them a try and see if you save you and your family a couple extra bucks to be used on fun instead of a ‘chore’.