How I Shaved $200 Off My Grocery Bill – Part 2

Yesterday, I talked about how planning a monthly menu can help you save money on groceries. You can read part one here.Today, we’ll take it a step further and discuss the next logical step – your grocery list.

If you’ve created your monthly plan, your grocery list becomes a vital part in saving money. You’ve probably heard others talk about how going to the store with a list and sticking to the list stops the impulse buying. And it’s true. But this tip goes beyond the simple ‘stop the impulse’ in helping you save money.

For one thing – you’re shopping for the whole month, or at least as much as you can pay for with one paycheck. Because you planned a menu, you know exactly how much ground meat, frozen/canned veggies (or any other item that you can freeze or is non-perishable) that you need and buy in bulk. Family pack sizes of meat are usually less expensive by the pound than single size. (Warning- this is not always the case so when you are shopping pay attention to cost per lb of smaller size vs. large size).

If you have a Sam’s Club or Costco nearby, having your monthly grocery list will help you plan your shopping trips to the wholesale club. You’ll know what meats you should buy in bulk, etc. and rather than buying individual items each week at the store, you can buy the large boxes of veggies, spices and other items at a much better value for your money. While it may seem like a greater price tag on your initial visit, remember you have just bought most of your groceries for the whole month instead of just one week. The first time I did this, I ended up spending more than $300 at Costco, but everything I bought was something I needed and would have cost much, much more had I bought it at the local Safeway.  When you begin to think and buy in bulk, you can discover tremendous savings.

A tip about your grocery list – last time I mentioned I saved each month’s menu on my computer. You can do the same for your grocery lists. For instance, February’s menu has a corresponding grocery list that I also keep. When I start my list, I usually write every ingredient down that I will need and in what quantity. Then, I save this list (i.e., Februarylist.doc) to my computer, print it out and go through my cabinets and mark off what I already have in stock. How many times have you bought that extra jar of mayo only to realize when you got home that you already had one? Or, how many times have you assumed you had enough of an item and then get half way through cooking and realize you didn’t have quite enough? This list will save time and money and keep you organized in the kitchen. And, if you recycle menus like I do (I’ll rotate every few months or so), your grocery list is already made up.

To recap, once you’ve planned your monthly menu, your corresponding grocery list with quantities will help you decide which items, if bought in bulk, will make the biggest impact on your budget. Plus, double-checking the list before you go ensures you have the right quantities to get the job done.

Tomorrow – we’ll talk about how Part 1, Monthly Meal Planning and Part 2, Monthly Grocery Lists work together in Part 3, Once A Month Cooking.

Bonus Tip – When you cook an entree that requires ground meat (i.e., spaghetti, casseroles, etc.) cut your meat from 1 lb to 1/2 lb. It doesn’t impact the taste, you can fill up on veggies instead and your wallet and waistline will benefit!