Grocery Shopping Basics-making a menu

I can honestly tell you that this part is not easy for me. Making the menu and grocery list ahead of time is critical to saving the most money at the grocery store. In theory it doesn't have to take that long, maybe an hour at the most. For some reason, this is always a struggle for me each week. I am always trying to make sure that we are not eating the same thing we had last week and I tweek the list a lot to ensure that it is as cost effective as can be. Part of the reason I was excited about doing this blog was in order to stimulate conversation with others to get fun new meal ideas. I appreciate the tips that some of you have shared with me.

There is no one way to make a list and menu, but here is how I do it. I start by listing the days of the week in the top right hand corner. Then, I put the meal next to each corresponding night. That way I can tear off this portion and hang it on the fridge as a reference for the week. By listing the days out this way I can easily check my calendar and see what is going on each night. Often times we may have a family dinner or something else going on where a meal is not needed.

Next, I try to take an inventory of what food I already have on hand that I can work with. I try to keep my freezer stocked with chicken breasts and at least one other kind of meat. Often times there will be one meal that sounds really good and then I will work out from there. Example, last week I made the pork loin with mustard sauce. The sauce required green onions so I still have several left over. So, I took that into consideration this week and I tried to come up with one or two meals that I could use the green onions I already had (baked potato soup and spinach enchiladas). This is a key to saving money. I try to avoid buying special ingredients that I will only use for one meal. If I do that for each meal of the week I will be spending a lot of money and probably end up throwing extras away.

Along with reusing ingredients I also try to re-invent our leftovers. I like to call this make-overs, not left-overs. Sticking with the pork loin example, we had that last night and I still have pork left over along with some sauce. I will get some kaiser rolls today and make that into sandwiches with homemade oven fries (I will get a bag of potatoes for the soup and use some of them for the fries) for Saturday night.

Finally, I always have my Kroger circular handy when planning my menu as well. If there is a certain vegetable or meat on sale I may try to incorporate that into our menu. I also have coupons nearby to compare with the sale items of the week. I don't use a lot of coupons, but there are some that save a good bit of money. Cereal has become expensive over the last few years. I always check the circular for which brand of cereal is on sale. Usually, I will have a coupon for that brand of cereal and so I will stock up. Depending on the sale, there have been times when I have purchased 3 or 4 boxes at a time and then I don't need to worry about cereal for a couple weeks.

I watch the prices on the items I buy most often and so I usually have an estimate of how much I will be spending before I even get to the store. Sometimes, I will jot the estimated price (rounding up to the next whole number) next to each item on my list. This is helpful when my list is long and I am worried about going over my budget.

Yes, all this does take some time and planning on the front end, but it is so worth it. I am able to get in and out of the grocery store in less than 30 minutes because I know exactly what I need. Also, I am only buying what I need so I am saving money.

Happy shopping!

Grocery Shopping Basics-what's in a name?

Let's talk for a minute about name brand versus store brand. I have found that this is an issue that stirs up very strong feelings in people. So, I proceed with caution and aim to simply share my thoughts on the matter.

As a general rule, my goal is to buy the best quality food for my family for the least amount of money. Keeping that in mind I have found store brands to be a great asset in achieving this goal. In fact, this has saved me from thumbing through pages of coupons because I have learned that in most cases I can save more money with the store brand than I could by using the coupon on a name brand item (there are exceptions to this rule of course, but not many).

When it comes right down to it this is a discussion about personal preference. For the most part, I am happy to buy the store brand and can't tell a difference in taste. Now, there are some particular items that the taste is noticeable and I am willing to pay the extra money for the name brand. So, the trick is to find the items that your family really can't skimp on and cut costs other places. For example, my sister-in-law Ashley LOVES mustard. She is willing to tolerate my Kroger brand mustard when she comes to my house, but I can tell you that her fridge is stocked with a variety of French's mustards only. I can't tell the difference on mustard, but when it comes to ketchup I don't want anything but Heinz. To each his own!

You may say that it is just a difference of 20 cents. Well, sometimes it is more and either way 20 cents here and 30 cents there adds up fast when you are shopping for a family. So, try a store brand item this week and see if your family notices the difference.

Grocery Shopping Basics-heading to the store

I thought I would spend a few days sharing how I go about planning a menu and shopping at the grocery store. There is a rhyme and a reason; usually based on cost and efficiency. So, today here are a couple tips on when and how I shop.

1. I shop on the same day each week.

I know that I save money by doing this because I get everything I need for a week of meals in one trip. For some reason when I go to the store for one or two items I am much more likely to come home with two or three extra items that I didn't need. So, one trip keeps me focused. Also, this way I am prepared to cook each meal on my menu and I don't have to panic at 4pm in the afternoon about what's for dinner.

2. I always shop in the morning.

The store is less crowded and freshly stocked. I am able to get in and out fairly quickly. Plus, since I am pushing the extra-long car cart with Jack down below I can count on less people to maneuver around in the aisles!

3. Know where the sale sections are.

My grocery store has a great bakery clearance section. This is where I get all of our Italian of French bread/rolls to eat with our meals. Our favorite is the Private Selection Potato Rosemary bread ( normally $3.99, on clearance for .99 cents) Also, it is a great place to find treats like trays of cinnamon rolls, danishes, and boxes of muffins. I don't ever spend over $1 for anything. I freeze the bread and pull it out as needed for dinner. The sweet treats freeze as well and are great for a special Sunday breakfast before church.

The Manager's Special in the meat department has great deals as well. As I have mention before I always look here for steak. As long as I freeze it when I get home it doesn't matter that the "sell by" date is tomorrow.

My store also has a random clearance section in the back. I don't always check this out, but occasionally I will find something worth getting.

*This is one of the only times that I veer from my pre-made shopping list. I try not to get carried away in these sections, but if there is a really good deal I can't pass it up. Some of my best finds have been Wesson Vegetable oil for 49 cents (I bought 6 bottles, fried chicken anyone?) and Crest toothpaste for 69 cents (I bought 9 tubes!).