Today I wanted to share with you a highly requested post of my weekly grocery list / my tips for saving money on your groceries. I've been sharing recipes over on my Instagram so I thought it would be helpful to share how I shop for those recipes.
The first thing I do every week is to plan my meals. I cook dinner 5 days a week and then one day we go out for dinner and on Sundays, we have dinner with my parents.
To plan my meals I figure out what protein I have at home that I can use. So right now I know that I have chicken breasts, ground beef, and black bean burgers in my freezer. I will then plan my meals around those proteins I already have.
My shopping list/ meal plan will look like this :
* As I put in my meals I add the ingredients to my list and determine what ingredients I already have for that meal. For example for the cobb salad I know I have chicken and bacon in my freezer so I won't add that to the list- additionally I have the ingredients to make a soup.
Produce
Head of Lettuce
Tomato
Avocado (2)
Spaghetti Squash
Mushrooms
Green Pepper (2)
Carrots
Celery
Asparagus
Yellow Onion
Clementines |
Meat
|
Dairy
Eggs (small)
Blue Cheese Crumbles
5 Yogurt
|
Dry/Canned
Canned Cream Corn
Brown Rice
|
Frozen
Cauliflower Tots
|
Extra
Hummus
Granola Bars
|
MONDAY: Corn Chowder & Cobb Salad
TUESDAY: Black Bean Burgers & Cauliflower Tots
WEDNESDAY: Spaghetti Squash w/ Meatballs
THURSDAY: Shrimp w/ Rice & Asparagus
SATURDAY: Chicken Sausage w/ Onions & Peppers
WAYS TO SAVE MONEY //
* If you notice on my list there is no meat to purchase- this is because I have it all in my freezer and have bought it in past weeks when it's on sale therefor I don't need to buy it weekly. If I am at the store and see that chicken is on sale and know I am low I will grab a pack and freeze it in 1lb bags- then I will defrost as needed. This will save you so much money! To get into the swing of doing this you might spend a little upfront to stock your freezer but it will save you so much in the end. This also helps to meal plan as you know what your main ingredient of your meals will be.
*Always have chicken, beef, sausage, black bean burgers, and a fish like shrimp or salmon in your freezer.* Do not buy junk! When you are walking through the store and see a new kind of chips do not buy them! This is where so many people waste money- on things that are not on your list. Only buy what is on your list and what you need.
*Plan what snacking foods you want to have at home/work. This will help so you're not spending extra money outside of your normal groceries on snacks. I usually buy clementines which are 3.99 for about 20 or so in a box, trail mix, carrots and celery with hummus, and granola bars. These snacks last kyle & I all week and help to cut down on extra food costs.
* You are probably thinking okay but what do you eat for lunch??? I like to have a yogurt, orange, and a fig bar for lunch and sometimes some deli meat for protein. As a teacher, I eat lunch pretty early in the day so I don't eat too much. I prefer to bring a few small things versus one big item like a sandwich.
I hope this post gives a little insight into how I save with groceries. Let me know if you have any tips or tricks!
XO,
Nicholle
I do something very similar when planning out weekly meals and making my list. I also started ordering my groceries online, it helps so much since I don't just throw stuff in the cart just because.
ReplyDeleteMy list is very similar! Luckily fresh produce is available almost year round since my state borders warm and sunny Texas!
ReplyDeleteTori
www.mooretori.com
I have a similar list but I usually skip the dairy section (except maybe twice a month to get almond milk). Buying meats in bulk on sale and keeping them frozen is a great idea!
ReplyDeletexo Deborah
Coffee, Prose, and Pretty Clothes
I am so guilty of spending money at the store on pre-packaged cookies and snacks like pita chips and pretzels. This year I'm trying to really only buy ingredients for recipes at the grocery store to cut my bill down!
ReplyDeletexoxo A
www.southernbelleintraining.com
we do the same thing with bulk buying meat! it really does save so much money!
ReplyDeleteI need to utilize the bulk meat tip! I have cut out buying most snacks though which has been helpful.
ReplyDeleteYou're such a responsible adult! Ha! My grocery list looks absolutely nothing like this. Come to think of it I don't even carry a list. Yikes, could be why I spend so much lol.
ReplyDeleteThis is extremely organized. Kudos to you!
ReplyDeleteThis is great! I should start mapping out my meals as well for the week!
ReplyDeleteThis is so helpful! I have found that meal planning for the week is so effective in saving money; it also gives me way more clarity when I grocery shop!
ReplyDeleteGreat tips - I always plan around what we have at home! I've been bad about planning the past few weeks but I'm always sketching out next week's meals :)
ReplyDeleteLove this!! I'm actually low key super nosy and love seeing what people buy each week. I try to have my grocery budget be able $20-$25 per week and cutting meat out has been a huge money saver!
ReplyDeleteI love this! It's soo easy to overspend when you go grocery shopping!
ReplyDeleteI WAY overspend on groceries because I am an impulsive shopper. I often go to the grocery store after the gym which is a bad idea because I am starving. I like your tips for saving and I like seeing what other people put on their grocery list.
ReplyDeleteLove this outline of what you buy and what you make with it! I'm also a big proponent of keeping meats on hand in the freezer. I also do bulk buys of lots of dry goods (http://areweadultsyet.com/2018/01/18/things-to-buy-in-bulk/) so I am never in need of beans or a starch!
ReplyDelete--
www.areweadultsyet.com