My Newest Endevor

So, one of my goals last year after finishing school was to feed my family better. Unfortunately(but also fortunately), I found myself pregnant soon after I made that resolution, and we feel back into the "whatever" meal plan again. Well, it is time to time to reclaim the menu, and I need to save money on my groceries too. I have been at it in earnest for a couple of weeks and I will let you in on some of the things I have learned.

1. My mom's way of shopping is not the best way. She admits that she is not the best bargain shopper. But she has a great excuse. She lives two hours away from any decent grocery store and when she is in town to shop she has only a short amount of time to get what she needs. So she hits one store, and hits it hard, eight gallons of milk, four loaves of bread, twelve pacts of TP, enough supplies for her six kids until she makes it make to the store. Needless to say, she does not always get the best deals. But she is a great supply stretcher, which is a trait that I have learned from her(she is always worried that she didn't teach us anything). That woman can make a perfect meal with anything. Twenty-seven years of not being able to run to the store when every little need arises will do that to you.

2. Meal planning is a must. I used to be a good little meal planner, but when Coverstar came into our lives and Adam started coming home later and later, I gave it up after too many meals where cold when he came home, or he would stop and grab some fast food on the way and not tell me.(notice how I put all the blame on others) So now we start the meal planning again. It has been great to have a few solid meals planned, to look in my frig at 4 in the afternoon and know exactly what my options are for dinner.

3. Plan your meals with the Grocery store specials in mind. Why not take advantage of savings? The Word of Wisdom even promotes eating things in their season.
3A. Most Grocery stores have recipes on their websites that feature their specials. Just this week we have tried Dijon Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops and Baked Chicken and Acorn Squash and they were both superb, while chicken, pork, and bread crumbs were on sale.

4. A List is also a must. I can't believe how much easier it is to shop when you have an exact list of what you need, even when you have a baby screaming on you hip and a four-year-old wandering the aisle. My grocery store's website can also help out with that. There you can create a list from the recipes you have chosen and you can add other items easily, both from the specials that week and regular priced items. The items are categorized by the department they can be found in, AMazing!

5. Finding and using coupons is not that hard. This is how Adam and I spend our weekend nights now, and we have fun doing it. We scour the grocery aids that come out on Thursday and Friday( btw, you can have those emailed to you as well) for great deals, then we hunt out coupons. There are many printable coupons which are great, and there are great websites where you can buy coupons for a small fee, 5 to 10 cents a piece, and have them shipped to you in a few days. We like thecouponclippers. We love it when we can find a great deal and stock up on our food supply. We are now GOOD on ketchup, pasta, refried beans, and pasta sauce for our three months supply. A few items at a time and we should be prepared in no time.

6. Those reusable grocery bags don't just label you as an environmental freak, they are also huge and can hold tons of stuff. It only takes me three trips from the car into the house to bring in all my groceries when usually it would take billions. And I don't have to feel guilty about my plastic bags in landfill( yes I am a little green, I do drive a minivan after all).

Some websites that have helped me.
thecouponclipper- buy coupons to be mailed to you
coupons -for printable coupons
pricechopper -my preferred store. They may not always have the best deals, but their website works well and they offer 10 cents off gas when you spend $50.
stopandshop - the expensive grocery store but they sometimes have killer deals
shoprite- the cheapest store overall, but their website is nothing to be proud of
e-mealz- a service that plans meals and creates shopping lists from sales at grocery stores.(I would totally use them, just they don't work with any of my grocery stores, but check them out. It is really cool and endorsed by Dave Ramsey, Adams favorite financial teacher.)

Do you have anymore tips? Tell me, I need to know.

One of the Kims I know suggested that shopping only on the outside isles of the grocery store can save you money by not buying the processed foods in the inner isles and your family will eat healthier too.