How to Save on... Groceries: Meal Planning

If you read my first post that is about my inspiration for this blog, you will find that a grocery budget is something that I have struggled with since getting married. You could say I'm a "foodie"...and loving to cook doesn't help either! I have come a long long ways past my $400+ spending sprees and have learned a much better way to save money on groceries... while still eating GREAT!

Yes, you can spend little on groceries and still fill your family's bellies... with little work, too!




There are a few important things to keep in mind:

1. Throw in vegetarian meals throughout the week. Also vary types of food and meats for variety.
2. Shop the ads for the best deals.
3. Shop seasonally.
4. Shop after your own belly has been filled.
5. The smaller the shopping cart, the less it can be filled with!*
6. Shop meal-oriented.
7. Don't forget snacks and lots of produce to nibble on.
8. Try to forget about brand names (except when paired with coupons or if it's something you'd rather splurge on!).
9. Shop weekly rather than monthly or even bi-weekly so you can get sale prices! -- This also leads to smaller and less overwhelming shopping trips, a more spread out food budget, and fresher food!
10. Enter the grocery store with an exact budget in mind, not a "goal". If you go over your budget, you have to put something back!
11. Price everything by the pound. Cheese might seem cheap when it's only $8 when ground beef is $10, but that $8 of cheese is for two pounds and the beef can hold 5.
12. Just because it's a good deal, it doesn't mean you need to buy multiples of that item. It's not worth paying for more items if they are going to expire before you can eat them!
13. Don't buy more than you can eat within the expiration date. Also don't over-buy on produce or other items that spoil quickly.

 Not too bad, right? Do you have anything you would like to add to the list?
*#4 is something I have just started to try out. It had never occurred to me that just like keeping meal proportions in check by using smaller plates, I can use smaller carts to keep my budget in check too!




Here is how we do it: 
     I am going to make up a fake shopping scenario so it is easier to understand. I'm trying my best to use realistic prices that I see often. Next time I meal plan, I will post some photos. Enjoy!
  
    I prefer to do my meal planning and actual shopping on different days... 


 1. Gather your weekly ads, coupons/coupon inserts, your favorite cookbooks/computer with internet, a few pieces of paper, a highlighter, and something to write with.

 2. One at a time, go through each ad, circling great deals. I    keep my eye out for meat and produce deals to base my meals off of. Example: chicken might be a great price, but ground beef is spendy this week, so I'll plan on a couple meals with chicken. Also, if a store is having a special deal, such as 10 for $10, circle that deal on the front page of the ad.

 3. After you have circle all of the great deals, on your first sheet of paper, write across the top your options of places to shop. Above the store name, write the store deal.
              

4. Underneath each store, on the far left side of the page, list the great deals. 



5. Under each store, write the particular price for each item next to the appropriate store. Remember to write the price per pound or per each item and keep it the same for each item.


 6. Obviously we can see that some of the stores have competitive prices. For each item, highlight the best price.


 7. Fortunately there never seems to be all the awesome prices at one store. You can choose to make multiple shopping trips, hitting each store for their prices, or you can pick the majority and pay a little bit extra for an item. It's really up to you. It gets too complicated for me to make multiple trips and I really don't have time. So, in this scenario I would pick Macey's. (Which I believe is a Utah based store, in case anyone is wonder. They compete with Smith's in my area.)

    Now we know the prices of good deals. We also know what store we would like to shop at. Think we're done yet? Not quite. A couple more steps, hang in there! 

 8. This is where your stack of coupons or coupon inserts come in to play. Do any of your coupons match with your list? Chances are, if they are meat or produce items, they won't. But with those crackers and cereal you have on your list they probably will! Cut out the coupons that match with any deal items listed in your ads. Next to the item that you have a coupon for, write a "C".


 9. You still there? Good! This is when we get past the numbers, and into the cookbooks! In our scenario, our best deals are on chicken breasts, asparagus, baby red potatoes, medium cheddar, bell peppers, apples, sour cream, and pasta. We are going to use each of these for a couple of meals (obviously this amount of food wouldn't last anyone for a week...again, just a scenario).

    We're sick of ground beef. While it isn't a bad price, we're going to stick with the chicken. Our favorite chicken recipe is for Parmesan Crusted Chicken. Asparagus and baby red potatoes would pair well with those! So we're also going to make Roasted Asparagus with Italian Roasted Baby Reds.   

   On another the other side of the sheet of paper, write your grocery list. Beside that, write your planned meals.

 10. Missing anything? Ohhhh... I already have enough leftover chicken breasts in the freezer, cross that off of the list! See that pasta, cheese, and sour cream? I bet we can make something out of that...
     Check your pantry, fridge, and freezer for items on your list. If there is something on your list that you already have, feel free to cross that off of your list if you don't want to stock up this week. Check your food at home for items to go with other deal items on your list.

•  Cross off what you don't need and change your list accordingly. As OCD as a person can be, I know it sucks to have a messy shopping list, but don't worry! We're almost done.

  11. Add additional items to your list that your family needs, you are out of, or will pair well with sale items. 

  12. Add up an estimate of the total cost of your shopping trip. If it is over your budget for the week, you will need to adjust your shopping list. Try to keep it well under what you are expecting it to be to add room for tax and those "OH we are out of that!" moments.

 13. Go shopping! (See next section on tips for the shopping day!)




 Are you all still there? I know, that was a lot to process and seems like a ton of work, especially if this is the first time you have made a real meal plan. Next week, it will be even easier for you! Soon enough, you will be able to meal plan like a queen. This next part is just some tips for the actual shopping day. 





On the shopping day...

1. Clear out any expired/old food and rearrange your food area for your new groceries. (You don't have to do this on the shopping day, it just helps me remember.)
2. Get plenty of sleep
3. Eat a good meal before going, but not enough to make you exhausted.
4. Pack a few snacks in your purse, just in case!
5. Leave the kids with a sitter if you have the option... it will be easier to stick to your plan that you worked so hard on! If you do bring your kids, make sure they also have had good sleep and food in their bellies.
6. Don't forget your list, coupons, and a pen. I manage to forget a pen far too many times, it's so frustrating!
7. *Bring a calculator/your phone calculator. Calculate the cost of each item as you shop = no big surprises at check out! I promise noboby will even notice you hovering around your phone, they all do it too* :) 
8. Once you get in the store...make sure your bladder isn't as full as your stomach. There's nothing quite like pushing a cart of groceries with a full bladder...we've all been there.
9. Don't be afraid to change up your plan once you are shopping. Sometimes prices aren't how you expect them to be, the fruit isn't very ripe, or they have something out of stock. Try to be flexible. :)
10. Stay calm, breathe, bring your iPod. 
11. Remember you might be new to this. If there are problems, it's okay! 

             
 
When you get home:

1.  Unload your groceries starting with perishable items, such as milk, eggs, and meat, saving items that go in another room or in a cupboard for last.
2. Pull out a cutting board, good knife, and vegetable scrubber. Prepare all of your meat by freezing it (better now than later when it's been in the fridge for 4 days and starts to go bad - Yes! This has happened many times to me! Ahh!). Clean all of the vegetables that you are using for tonight and others that keep better washed. Keep the others unwashed so they can stay better, longer.
3. Hang your meal plan on the fridge, or other place so you can remember what the plan is for the week. Remember that what is not used this week, can carry over to next week.
4. RELAX! You just did awesome :)

Wow, thanks for staying with me through that. What else is a person supposed to do on a sleepless night? ;)

I hope you try out this method. Let me know what you think! This has worked out really well for me and my family. We don't end up with too much extra food, we have well rounded meals, and we don't go over budget. It feels awesome to able to stay within a food budget, especially when it is so easy to go over on.


Thanks for stopping by! I love my readers! Seeing my page views go up every time I visit my blog, makes me excited. I love that others are seeing my ideas. Thank you!

What meal planning tips do you have?

What helps you stay on budget when grocery shopping?

What process do you follow when you meal plan?

What would you like to see next? :)