Patience~Grocery Shopping/Planning on a Budget, The Finale

Here is my last post on being Patient when learning to grocery shop with coupons.  If you missed the first 3 posts they are HERE, HERE, and HERE.

The next time you plan to go shopping is going to be a bit different.  If you stockpiled some of the good deals and steals you found from your last trip, you should have some extra things in your freezer/pantry you can use for your Meal Plan this week.  Remember, you have to stick with the flow of things to maximize your savings. 

You are going to follow exactly the same process you did last time. 
-Itemize what you already have
-Determine your meals for the week
-Make your list
-Add to your list deals and steals from the store ads, and online resources

What I found ended up happening, is that I was able to make almost my entire week of dinners from things I already had purchased.  SO, when I made my shopping list, it was for produce, lunch meat, dairy, and then whatever deals I could find.  I take cash to the grocery store.  I buy the deals.  I mean I BUY the deals.  If you come to my house and go in my freezer today, (as I type this), you will find 3 lbs of ground beef, 2 Hillshire Farms Kielbasas, 1 Whole Chicken, 4 Chicken Breasts, 6 chicken thighs, and more.  AND I'm planning to go to the grocery store tomorrow.

However, when I go to the store, my envelope contains $80.  I buy the needs first, then I buy the deals.  When the money is gone, I stop.  OR-if there are not any great deals we can use, I stop.  The money will not get spent, if there is not a great deal on something that we can actually use.  Some weeks, the deals just don't match up with our needs.

We were spending in excess of $550 a month on groceries.  (We also include household items in this category; cleaning supplies, garbage bags, cat food, etc.)  When I started shopping like this, I realized I was spending only $100 a week.  I made the plunge, and decided only to give myself $80/week, and the $20 difference didn't change the game plan for me one bit.  No one in my house has noticed a difference, other than the bursting freezer and pantry!

We have saved loads of cash, and my cart gets fuller each week it seems!  Try it...what do you have to loose?

Patience~Grocery Shopping/Planning on a Budget, Part 3

If you have gotten a good handle on writing down your meals for a week at a time, and making your shopping list, then you are ready for the next phase.  This includes 'stockpiling.'

-This time after you make your meal plan, and grocery list, look for good deals.  This includes anything that is on sale, or BOGO (buy one get one) at Publix, or has some great coupons out there.  Once again, use the internet as your resource for finding these match-ups. 

-You are going to add onto your list things that are a STEAL, but only those 'steals' that you will actually consume, and that don't have to be used immediately.  Cereal for BOGO with coupons that costs $.27/box is considered a STEAL.  Juicy Juice for $.32 a bottle is a STEAL.  Chicken thighs for $.99/lb, a steal.  And so on...

-The things that you will use, that are deeply discounted, you are going to 'stock up' on.  You will add them to your list, and purchase them whether you need to replenish them at home right now, or not.  If you have coupons to buy 4 bottles of Juicy Juice at the above price; you will buy 4 bottles. 

-Take your list and coupons, and go shopping.

Patience~Grocery Shopping/Planning on a Budget, Part 2

If you have managed to get some coupons coming your way, and have figured out how to organize them, you are ready for the next part.

-Meal Plan. Start Slow. Go through your freezer and pantry FIRST. Make a list of 7 meals you can make, using things you already have first.


-Write your grocery list. If its not on the list...you're not buying it. If you can pick it up FREE, then go ahead; otherwise...not on the list...not purchasing!

-Look through your sales ads.  Check here. (shameless plug) Check out the grocery store(s) you frequent on A Full Cup.  Figure out which items you need that your store has on sale.  Check through the coupons you have collected, and cut out the ones that match up with items on your list.

-Next week, do the same thing again.  Once you master this part of the process, you will be ready for the next stage.

Patience

Well this post is 'titled' patience for 2 reasons.  The first is that I need your patience, while I work on fine tuning things on the blog.  I know things are 'hanging out' of the sidebar, etc.; I am trying to continue posting, while I 'pretty-up' things around here, and still maintain a balanced home.

SO-please be patient with me.

Second; I have been wanting to do a post about meal planning and grocery budgeting; and there is NO better title, than patience for that topic.  You can not, and I certainly did not get my coupons, grocery budget, and meal plan delivered to my door all wrapped up in a pretty package.  It is most definately something that takes patience, time, and baby steps to accomplish.  If you go out, buy 5 newspapers, try to plan your meals for the month, and slash your grocery budget in half all in one fatal swoop, that is exactly what it will be.  fatal.

Here is what I did, or what I wish I would have done in baby steps.  I'll continue to add to the list slowly so it is not overwhelming.

Where to start:

-Purchase a subscription to a local paper.  For me Wednesday and Sunday are the mandatory days.  Wednesday includes the store sales fliers, and Sunday includes the coupons.  I got a deal for Orlando Sentinel delivered 4 days a week, for the price I was spending to pick up a Sunday paper on the way home from church.  I save in 2 weeks what it costs me for a 3 month subscription.

-When you get your coupons out of the Sunday paper.  Three hole punch em', and stick them in a binder.

See...not so bad!  Baby steps; but you are on your way to saving money by the cartful!