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Other days I remember that I have been forgiven much and am to exalt Christ, not myself.
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Other days I remember that I have been forgiven much and am to exalt Christ, not myself.
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Every day I have peace because of Christ's righteousness, not my perceived self-righteousness.
Welcome back! Last post I discussed how I budget for groceries. I've decided to narrow in on groceries because I believe it is one of the easiest ways to cut back on spending. Today, I am going to share the things I do to help save money when shopping for groceries. If you aren't sure how Scripture can inform your grocery budget, please read the following posts:As I compiled this list I was surprised at how many things I do. For me they are easy, BUT I have added these over the past nine years. When we first got married it was a successful grocery shopping trip if I found the vinegar aisle on my first attempt :) I was also working full time and did not have time to do some of the things listed below. Start small and implement one strategy for a couple months (or longer) until you feel like you have the hang of it. Did I mention start small?
Okay, onto the list. I tried to list these in order of how I added them for myself. I am easily overwhelmed so I started with the ideas that seemed simplest.
Figure out a good price for three items you buy regularly.
- For me, this meant milk, eggs, and chicken. By doing this I would take advantage of a good deal. I would also use these three items to help determine which grocery store I would shop at for the week.
- This one takes no prep work. You just need to take a moment to see if there is a cheaper option (generally a lower shelf). Most of the time there is no quality difference. While thirty cents for a cheaper can of corn might not seem like much, the savings can add up quickly.
- We are not vegetarians in our home and so meat is a big part of the grocery budget. Having a predetermined cap per pound makes it easier to stay in budget. While I don't always stay under this amount, it does make choosing recipes simpler. If a meal calls for bison fillets, I'm generally not going to use it :) It has also led to us enjoying more expensive meat as a special treat.
- This point actually has two steps. The first is that you should meal plan. By making your grocery list ahead of time, you are less likely to impulse buy and forget things you need.
- The second step is choosing your meals based on what's on sale. This step becomes faster as time goes on. My favorite site is allrecipes.com because you can search by ingredient. If you try this site, make sure you read the top three comments on each recipe. They usually contain helpful tips and suggestions for making it even better.
- My favorite app to use, both on my phone and online, is Flipp. It allows you to word search ads and circle sale items to put in your grocery list. My sister likes Basket because it tells you what store to shop at based on your shopping list. Another friend uses a highlighter with her weekly grocery ads. Experiment and use whatever method you find easiest.
Determine which coupons are worth your time.
- My brain can only handle keeping track of so many things on any given day. I also have an amazing talent of cluttering any area I'm sitting at. After using coupons for a few months, I decided it was not worth the time and energy. I found that most generic brands were cheaper than the name brand with a coupon. Due to these three things, I only use coupons at Costco and for makeup (compliments of our weekly newspaper).
- This one has become easier to do as our family has grown because we consume food faster. When we were first married, I only bought nonperishable items that we had room for. Also, it's worth noting that bulk items are not always the best deal. Check the price/oz or price/lb before buying.
Have a few cheap recipes ready to go when the budget gets extra tight.
- I have a small list of inexpensive (mainly vegetarian) dishes we use when I'm short on grocery money. At the moment lentil chili is our favorite. Having some "emergency recipes" ahead of time makes it significantly less stressful when funds are limited.
Have an extra freezer.
- Technically this didn't save us money in the short term. But, in the long term, it definitely has because having an extra freezer allows me to stock up on sale items I've budgeted for. I use our small freezer chest to store extra meals, bread, avocados, herbs, baby food, fruit, cheese, and meat. Google is your best friend when it comes to figuring out if you can freeze something :)
See if you have any sort of produce rescue program nearby that you can buy from.
- This is one of my favorite ways to save money because I can currently get about 60 lbs of produce for $10. However, it is worth noting that this also requires at least half a day of work to prep, cook, or freeze the produce. If you're able, splitting with someone else makes these deals a lot more manageable. Some helpful google terms to search include: produce rescue, food recovery, and fight food waste with your state or city.
- Generally, homemade is cheaper, healthier, and more delicious. It does come with the trade off of time though. Some of the things I now make include spice mixes, oatmeal, brownies, refried and fresh beans, granola, salad dressings, salsa, and pizza dough. I'm pretty sure I've added about two of these a year, which is why this is near the end of this list. Look for recipes/instructions in a future series, if you're interested :)
Start creating a list of items you buy to price compare.
- This year I started using the last three pages in my planner to keep track of prices. I have my lists grouped: A-H, I-P, and Q-Z (as shown in the image above). I currently use it to figure out if the bins at Sprouts are worthwhile, but you can use it for whatever random items you wonder about. I simply put the item under the correct subheading, list it's unit price, the store name, and note if it's a sale price.
Ask close friends for ideas and tips.
- While the above list represents things I do and have found helpful, this list is not the be-all and end-all of ideas. Talk with other friends who you know budget. I have a handful of friends whose brains' I pick, from time to time, to see what they've found helpful.
For me, living on a small grocery budget is a practical way to serve my family and help us meet our financial goals. It may not be what your husband wants you to do and that's completely fine. My hope is that this post encourages you to consider what practical things you can do to bless your family. Ask the Lord to help you wisely steward the finances and time he has given you.
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* Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash.
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