Even the thought of spending a lot of time tracking grocery
prices from store to store gives me a headache. I know a lot of
people who keep detailed notes of every grocery item they
regularly purchase and routinely note the price fluctuations at
the grocery stores they frequent.
I used to not pay attention to grocery prices much at
all. I have never been one to spend excessively, and have always
been pretty good about only getting what's on my shopping list (a
necessity!), but it took me awhile to realize that I could save
some extra money if I started paying a little more attention to
grocery price variations.
I recognize the fact that some people need to reduce their
monthly bills as much as possible, and how necessary it is for
some to spend as little as possible on groceries, especially if
you have a lot of mouths to feed.
Although we have no money leftover at the end of the month, so to
speak, I never tried to drastically reduce our grocery bill until
quite by accident I discovered that if I spent less on groceries,
I would have more money to spend on other things! That's when I
really started to change my ways. You'll find that my approach to
being frugal-minded is not as drastic as some, but I consider
myself to be a person who saves money when I can, and have made
it a personal challenge to not spend money I don't have to. If
you follow my advice, you will definitely see a reduction in your
grocery bill.
Like I mentioned previously, I have always made a list before
going to the grocery store. Every Saturday or Sunday I sit down
and figure out what to serve for dinner every night for the next
week.
This list also includes snack ideas and lunch menus for my
daughter. Every Wednesday I glance through the coupons in the
local newspaper and make a mental note of what's on sale and
where. Remember, just because something's on sale doesn't mean
you need it. Stick only to things you would have bought anyway.
If I notice chicken, hamburger, or pork chops are on sale, for
example, I might alter my menu to include one of these items.
I decide which store to shop at based on my findings in the
advertisements. I usually don't go to more than one store unless
one store is having a particularly good deal not found anywhere
else. The grocery stores in our area are usually pretty
competitive with each other; consequently, their sale prices are
fairly predictable.
I have never been one to stock up much, due to limited freezer
and pantry space, but I recently realized the value of buying a
lot of one item on sale. I usually avoid our neighborhood market
because it is a small store and often overpriced, but they
finally caught on to the idea of having specials to draw people
in. One day I noticed they had 5-lb. chubs of lean hamburger on
sale for .69 a pound! I couldn't believe it. I initially bought 2
chubs, and then a few days later couldn't resist going back to
get 2 more. I divided them into 1 lb. portions (20 lb.
altogether!), wrapped them in foil, and stuck them in the
freezer. I was psyched. That same weekend I found an unbelievable
deal on pork chops and chicken breasts at another grocery store.
I bought several packages of those also. I spent probably $40 to
$50 on meat that week, but it lasted for months! I was hooked . . . I
knew I had to start stocking up more when I could. It didn't make
sense not to. My freezer was packed to overflowing.
Just this last week I was lamenting the .89 per can price of
tuna and wishing I had stocked up more than I had. Tonight on my
way home from dropping off my daughter at her bible class, I
stopped at the neighborhood market to get some pretzels (1 1/2
pounds for $1.29!) and just happened to notice their Starkist
tuna was .59 per can with no limit! I couldn't believe my luck
and stocked up again. I also bought another bag of pretzels
because my husband and daughter are trying to wean themselves
from Doritos, which I'm trying to help with in any way I can!
Anyway, you get the idea. You may not see big changes at
first, but if you start stocking up here and there, you will see
your grocery bills getting lower and lower. You may find you
start spending that little bit of extra money somewhere else, but
at least you have the choice to decide where you want that money
to go. Don't feel like you have to spend a lot of money on
groceries--I'm living proof that you don't have to!
Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom who is the author of What's for Dinner?, an e-cookbook containing more than 250 quick
easy dinner ideas. For recipes, tips to organize your home, home decorating, crafts, and frugal family fun, visit Creative Homemaking at http://www.creativehomemaking.com and Suite 101 at
http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/creative_homemaking.
