I had a few people ask me how I can feed a family of 5 on under $100/week without eating pasta and macaroni and cheese every night. Here's what I tell them:
1. I check the flyers of the 3 or 4 stores I usually go to. I don't even look at the 2 or 3 others that are more expensive consistently.
2. I circle the items featured that I know we buy pretty regularly, or that I want to buy that week.
3. I compose a grocery list, by store, of the brand and size, sale price and how many I want. This way when I get to the store I know I'm looking for say, Ocean Spray juices, 64 oz., 2/$3, and I want to buy 2.
4. I then plan when to hit each store. Sometimes it's all in one day in a circle since they're all pretty close together. Other times, I may plan to stop in on my way to something near there.
5. I shop only what's on my list, saving the non-sale items I need for the last place I go, because I know they're consistently the cheapest on most non-sale items anyway.
6. When buying non-sale items, and even compared to sale price items, I buy the store brand of everything unless the sale truly is cheaper. I can get groceries, including meats, dairy, and fresh produce, for a family of 5, for around $75 a week.
7. By keeping groceries to $75/week for 3 weeks, every 4th week (or so), I may spend an extra $50 or so to catch up on staples we've run out of, or stock up on a really good deal, or refill our meats in the freezer, etc.
8. I don't cut coupons, I find it's a waste of time for us since we buy the store brand. As an example, I can buy a $3 item with a 50 cent coupon, so it's $2.50. Or I can just buy the store brand for about $1.50 and save a dollar just on that one item! Store-branded stuff is just regular brands in the store's private label. All of it! This way the store can charge less by not paying the advertising fees.
For example:
If you really hate one store's brand of ketchup, they usually offer a great return policy, even if it's opened, then you can try another store's ketchup instead til you find one you like. Some may use Hunts, some Heinz, but it's all branded stuff in plain packaging.
9. I recommend to overspenders to try to bring cash, or withdraw that amount from the ATM first. This way you have to keep track and only spend what you have. If you happen to go over, you can still use your debit, credit or check, but you'll be over by a few dollars instead of spending $50 over.
10. Eat before you go! There's nothing worse than going shopping on an empty stomach. If you shop while you're full, or even sometimes just chewing a mint or cinnamon gum, you aren't as tempted that you "want it right now".
11. As far as non-food or junkfood is concerned...I don't buy chips, cookies, ice cream, cakes, or candy. If it's in the house, we'll eat it, and more than we should. I try to teach my kids that you should have to go out and get stuff like that, it should be a treat, not a regular staple item in the house. If you want it bad enough, you'll go get an ice cream, and if you don't feel like going out to go get it, then you've saved yourself empty calories, bad chemicals entering your body, and money!
So I hope that helps somebody out there. I know there's coupon games and stuff out there, but unless I buy branded stuff, it doesn't work as well as my system. Sure I can get a free toothbrush, or a protein bar for free, but I'd rather save $75 a week consistently, on stuff I buy every week, without filing through coupons at the store, or checking for expiration dates, or making sure I bought 4 to get $1 off, etc. Good Luck!
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