Last week I shared how I thought that if I only went to the grocery store at least 3 times per week to only pick up the stuff I actually needed, would save me money. I would plan my meals 2 days in advance to use up everything in my house. This way I could use up the produce and bread products I already had so I didn’t throw them away.
I would say this first week was a success. When I do a big shopping trip, I spend about $150. I hate to throw things away – so I think this method is going to work for us. Here’s what I spent:
- Kroger – $18
- Walmart $26
- Kroger $15
Most of the items I bought were milk, lunch meat, bread, and produce items. I spent $59 – which is a lot less than the $150 I usually spend. Plus we didn’t throw away much this week.
It works out well for us because stuff comes up and I don’t get to use everything I have already bought. For example – a doctor appointment runs long and you are far from home and you still have to run errands – so you grab lunch while you are out. Or someone invites you over for dinner and you now have an extra meal that you can prepare for the week.
Since my kids start school this week, I went to Kroger last night. I did spend $100 on things so that they have items for lunch and snacks for the week. They were having a lot of sales so I picked up a few things that should also get us through this week and next week of school. I am sure I will just need to grab some fruit and bread.
So far I think this is going to help our grocery budget. I am not a big fan of stockpiling anymore. I don’t like the clutter and we do waste some of the food I buy. Plus I don’t have time to be a full fledge couponer. I will use the digital coupons (Kroger has excellent digital coupons) and I will get a Sunday paper for coupons. But I don’t plan on running from store to store just to save a few bucks anymore.
So what do you think? Do you think this method of shopping will work for you? I understand if you live very far from a store that this couldn’t work. But my Kroger and Walmart are less than a mile away.
You can read my original post Why Grocery Shopping More Often Will Save Me Money to see if this method could help you!
If you like to make a meal plan make sure you check out my 40 Crock Pot Freezer Meals. I love to have these dinners in my freezer for our busy days. It’s also perfect for Back to School time! I even have a printable grocery list to make it easy!
Erika
Sunday 23rd of August 2015
Ahh! This post is a breath of fresh air! I stopped stockpiling last year because both me and my husband noticed it was actually costing us more money. A year later we STILL have some of those items and had to throw away a bunch that expired. I've been going to the grocery store more often and trying to get just what we need, being more creative with what we have in the fridge so we use it up, and am finally seeing my grocery budget go down! It'll be interesting to see how this plays out the next few months since we are just now starting to "eat down" our food and meal planning less (another thing going out the window that supposedly saves money but not for us!).
Janell
Monday 24th of August 2015
I am so glad you agree with me :) I think it's a much better way to shop. I will still have some extra items in the house like cereal, egg, etc - I don't want a bare pantry. I just don't want a full pantry.
Paula
Wednesday 19th of August 2015
I've been doing this since early spring. I only started because I was busy and unorganized at the time and just wasn't getting around to planning weekly meals and a shopping list. At first I felt guilt about it. But then I realized it was working pretty well for me. One of the grocery stores I shop at is right on the way to my daughter's school, so it's easy to stop in before I pick her up or on the way home from dropping her off. The other store is only about a 1/2 mile longer, so that's not a problem to get to either during the week. When I'm only shopping for 2-3 days, I can more accurately anticipate what I really need. I still stock up on sale items during at least one of the trips. It's also been helping me be more on top of using up what I have on hand.
Janell
Wednesday 19th of August 2015
That's awesome! I will still be stockpiling a little bit - I don't want to run completely out of food but not every week. The sales repeat so I don't need to have too much stuff. Plus it helps me to be creative and use up what we have in the house.
Michelle
Tuesday 18th of August 2015
I've been mulling something similar to this, and I love this idea. I drive by the store at least four times a week, so this could easily work for me. I am a Costco shopper, but with a family of three I am always throwing out stuff. Granola bars go stale, the large bags of produce don't get eaten, the stuff my family would eat gets hidden behind the big container of stuff that needs prep. I've been thinking of not purchasing in bulk, but I really like the idea of only buying what we need for the next few days. Thank you.
Janell
Tuesday 18th of August 2015
I love that feeling of having lots of food in the house but you are so right - it gets hidden and then thrown away.
Faith Still (Home Ec @ Home)
Monday 17th of August 2015
This is exactly what I do. I stop in quickly usually to ALDI and Ruler Foods 2 to 3 times per week when I am already out doing errands. I think shorter trips are easier with kids and we always have fresh produce in the house. I always make at least one 30 minute trip into Ruler Foods each week while my oldest is in Kung Fu for an hour. It's so much easier to shop with just two children instead of three. With school starting up soon, I will have more time to shop, but this works for me especially during the summer. And I don't spend much on these short trips, usually less than $30.
Janell
Monday 17th of August 2015
Yes! I love the shorter shopping trips with kids :) They don't have the chance to ask for everything they see because we don't go down every aisle.
Laura
Monday 17th of August 2015
I personally like to plan our menu for a week.. If errands or appointments are on the schedule, I make sure I pack a lunch.. Something simple like a sandwich, fruit and a cup (lots of ice )w water.. Otherwise, I would find myself spending $3-6 meal making that $18-24 monthly if I venture out to run errands 4 times a month. It defeats the purpose of saving money for us, even a small amount like this to us long run in a year is $300!!! Every family is different so it doesn't work for everyone.. It takes alot of self control for me not to cve in to cravings.
Janell
Monday 17th of August 2015
I really do try to avoid eating out. I always have coupons with me so we don't spend too much money when we eat out. My kids received a bunch of coupons for free meals for reading books over the summer from the library and it was actually cheaper for us to eat out vs making dinner. (I love these nights!) Sometimes it's just unavoidable. I think my biggest problem is I never get through all my meals (unless I do freezer meals) and that is where I waste the most food. Now that my kids are back in school and we have baseball, I will have to try harder to find quick and easy meal ideas that are budget friendly. Plus I am using up my stockpile from all the meals that never got prepared :)