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Even the thought of spending a lot of
time tracking grocery prices from store to store gives me a
headache. I know a lot of people who keep detailed notes of every
grocery item they regularly purchase and routinely note the price
fluctuations at the grocery stores they frequent.
I used to not pay attention to
grocery prices much at all. I have never been one to spend
excessively, and have always been pretty good about only getting
what's on my shopping list (a necessity!), but it took me awhile to
realize that I could save some extra money if I started paying a
little more attention to grocery price variations.
 I recognize the fact that some people
need to reduce their monthly bills as much as possible, and how
necessary it is for some to spend as little as possible on
groceries, especially if you have a lot of mouths to feed. Although
we have no money leftover at the end of the month, so to speak, I
never tried to drastically reduce our grocery bill until quite by
accident I discovered that if I spent less on groceries, I would
have more money to spend on other things! That's when I really
started to change my ways. You'll find that my approach to being
frugal-minded is not as drastic as some, but I consider myself to be
a person who saves money when I can, and have made it a personal
challenge to not spend money I don't have to. If you follow my
advice, you will definitely see a reduction in your grocery bill.
Like I mentioned previously, I have
always made a list before going to the grocery store. Every Saturday
or Sunday I sit down and figure out what to serve for dinner every
night for the next week. This list also includes snack ideas and
lunch menus for my daughter. Every Wednesday I glance through the
coupons in the local newspaper and make a mental note of what's on
sale and where. Remember, just because something's on sale doesn't
mean you need it. Stick only to things you would have bought anyway.
If I notice chicken, hamburger, or pork chops are on sale, for
example, I might alter my menu to include one of these items.
I decide which store to shop at based
on my findings in the advertisements. I usually don't go to more
than one store unless one store is having a particularly good deal
not found anywhere else. The grocery stores in our area are usually
pretty competitive with each other; consequently, their sale prices
are fairly predictable.
I have never been one to stock up
much, due to limited freezer and pantry space, but I recently
realized the value of buying a lot of one item on sale. I usually
avoid our neighborhood market because it is a small store and often
overpriced, but they finally caught on to the idea of having
specials to draw people in. One day I noticed they had 5-lb. chubs
of lean hamburger on sale for .69 a pound! I couldn't believe it. I
initially bought 2 chubs, and then a few days later couldn't resist
going back to get 2 more. I divided them into 1 lb. portions (20 lb.
altogether!), wrapped them in foil, and stuck them in the freezer. I
was psyched. That same weekend I found an unbelievable deal on pork
chops and chicken breasts at another grocery store. I bought several
packages of those also. I spent probably $40 to $50 on meat that
week, but it lasted for months! I was hooked...I knew I had to start
stocking up more when I could. It didn't make sense not to. My
freezer was packed to overflowing.
Just this last week I was lamenting
the .89 per can price of tuna and wishing I had stocked up more than
I had. Tonight on my way home from dropping off my daughter at her
bible class, I stopped at the neighborhood market to get some
pretzels (1 1/2 pounds for $1.29!) and just happened to notice their
Starkist tuna was .59 per can with no limit! I couldn't believe my
luck and stocked up again. I also bought another bag of pretzels
because my husband and daughter are trying to wean themselves from
Doritos, which I'm trying to help with in any way I can!
Anyway, you get the idea. You may not
see big changes at first, but if you start stocking up here and
there, you will see your grocery bills getting lower and lower. You
may find you start spending that little bit of extra money somewhere
else, but at least you have the choice to decide where you want that
money to go. Don't feel like you have to spend a lot of money on
groceries--I'm living proof that you don't have to!
--End--
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