I am an IFOF Ambassador for our “Affordable Food Tips For Your Family, From Our Family Series”. This is a sponsored post in cooperation with IFOF (Indiana Family of Farmers).
Are you struggling to stick to your grocery budget?
Kids are back in school. This one has soccer practice {and he’s hungry}, that one has cheer {and she’s hungry}….oh, and this one just remembered to tell you you have to bake 5,211 cupcakes for the classroom by tomorrow!!! Gahhhh! Does this sound like you? Grocery budget is all out of whack?!
It’s hard to save on groceries at times…but we need a plan, man!
Convenience is expensive. That’s why we spend twice as much for milk in a “convenient” store than you do at the grocery store, people!!! Americans (well, me!) love convenience but I love my money more. I was actually surprised to find out that Americans spend less of their income on food than other countries?! I had no idea until I read about it through my IFOF (Indiana Family of Farmers) ambassadorship. With the grocery affordability series I’m part of, I’ve been learning some wonderful things! I wrote a post about it, and also included a 7-day meal plan, which all together was just under $50. Just goes to show that we can spend less on groceries than we think!
Plan your Grocery Budget…and stick to it!
I’ve learned that planning – or at least STARTING a plan can and does save so much money, and TIME! Don’t forget about time!! I wanted to share some tips to help you SAVE some time and money and how to stick to your grocery budget, especially during this crazy and hectic time of year. Put your grocery budget back to work for YOU! Then save that exra money you would have spent for datenight!! Or donuts…Yeah, go with donuts! And coffee. And maybe a mani/pedi. Just kiidddding!
Okay, so here are some tips to help you stick to your grocery budget when life is just crazy and hectic! Also, remember that you can still eat healthy on a budget!
13 Guaranteed Ways to Stick to your Grocery Budget
- Prepare a weekly menu. (breakfast, lunch and dinner)
- Make your shopping list according to your menu(s), and stick to it.*
- Make only ONE trip to the grocery store through the week (so don’t forget the coffee, bread and milk!).
- Never go to the grocery store hungry. EVER.
- Cook dinners that are freezer friendly.
- Make double or triple batches of freezer friendly meals to heat up for busy weeks.
- Slow cooker meals save so much time and you always have leftovers for the week.
- Pack snacks/drinks into the kids’ backpacks or gym bags for quick after school/before practice or games.
- Buy snacks like chips, crackers, nuts, in bulk and portion out in snack bags vs. buying pre-packaged.
- Buy meat in bulk or family size packages. Separate and freeze. Usually the more you buy, the less it costs per lb.
- Use your store loyalty programs or savings apps, and coupons.
- Make coffee at home in the mornings vs. hitting Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts.
- If you or your family members make waves about the drive-thru spending, give each member an allowance weekly and once it’s gone, it’s gone! This includes your “running late” coffee stop in the mornings.
* When making your shopping list, be sure to include the extras like snacks, condiments, bread, milk, and other food staples.
Do you have other ways to save on your grocery budget during the busy times of the year? We’d love to hear them, make sure to leave a comment below!!
the chick behind this blog! I'm your ordinary, everyday wife and mom to an incredible pair of stinky guys! I am a self diagnosed coffee addict with a ginormous sweet tooth, preferably baked goods!! My hope is to help you, teach you, and entertain you on your way to a more thrifty and frugal lifestyle! Along the way, you'll find awesome recipes, great tips, and tons of randomness! We have loads of fun, so ya'll come back now, ya hear?!
Great tips – for me only buying items on my list is key for me to stay on budget. Buying items that are on sale also saves me tons of money.
I am going to have to try some of your tips. I am terrible about going over budget.
I stock up on staples when they go on sale. Last week I bought 10 cans of beans for $5 which combined with what was already in my pantry will be enough to get me through until the next sale. They do it every 6 weeks. I also order my groceries online at my grocery store. I pay about $2 a week for the service but it stops impulse buying and I can see my total so there are no surprises at the register. Plus they give me items for free or the bigger package for the same price when they’re out so I usually come out ahead. Plus I don’t have to drag three kids through the store.
I tend to stick to the same things week after week unless I am planning a recipe for my website. Since I don’t use coupons, I try to print what I can. I shop at stores like Aldi to save money. I do shop at Kroger as I have figured out when they put meats and bread on the clearance racks. I plan meals around sales fliers. All of these things help.
Meal planning is definitely one of the best ways to save money on groceries. It also saves time.
Great tips! Thanks so much for sharing.
We meal plan like crazy, but sticking to my list always saves me cash. Great tips.
I am most definitely in need of a list of tips like this. Thank you so much for helping me stick to my grocery budget 🙂
Being prepared is my number one way to stick to my grocery list. I never ever go to the store without a detailed list.
Thank you for these great tips! I know it is definitely hard to stick to a budget, especially for groceries.
My biggest tip is to always look for discounted meat. If I ever see meat on sale, I stock up and freeze it.
I have a few staples that I always buy. If I can, I buy those in bulk. Bulk is a great way to save money.
One of the best ways to save money is by buying in bulk. Get yourself a Sam’s Club card, and you will save.
These are all great tips. I’m usually pretty good about sticking to my budget. I am guilty of a few of these though. Going to the store hungry? Yep, guilty!
Oh that dreaded weekly menu! I have the best plans for that…but then my kids happen
These are great tips. I really do need to make a little time each week to plan a weekly menu. I know I spend way too much money on groceries. I also spend too much time in the grocery store day in and day out.
Great tips!
I am always going over my budget.. Mostly, impulse buys.
I always try to do the menu planning but… it’s the thought that counts, right? 😉
love your tips and I actually follow all of them. The only thing I wish is that my local grocery store had a card to use, that would make saving that much better. But another thing is, at least with our store you can use the sales from the week before and the current week on Wednesdays. So it helps to double up a bit.
our store offers discounts on home shopping. it’s a great way to avoid impulse buys for just a few extra dollars. I pull up, pay and load my car with the groceries that have been shopped and bagged already
I definitely make a list to help me stay on budget. And then no impulse purchases helps as well.
We make so much food anyway, that it makes good sense to freeze it instead of pretend we’re going to use it for leftovers and then end up chukkin’ it.
I buy organic and my grocery bill is ridiculous. I will have to make note of these tips
These are really great ways to stay on budget! Thanks for sharing!
These are great tips! This is one are I struggle to keep on budget.
When life gets busy I find that my budget gets blown. I just don’t have the time to shop smart, I try to get in and out as fast as I can.
I always have a hard time sticking to my grocery budget. These are great tips i will have to try these when i do my grocery shopping next week.
Great tips. I wish I could have 7 days on $50 on healthy, non processed foods. Unfortunately, it is not easy to do that=(. If I lived in a place where I could have my own garden this would most certainly help. None the less, you make some great points, and I need to stay on a budget, so thanks!
This are all great thing to remember! I will try and remember this when I’m going to the grocery store next time.
Great tips! I have a hard time sticking to my budget when I go out, I really usually blow it out of the water! Oops.
saving money is always a good thing.You have created a great list of tips i’m going to have reconsider the way I shop.
We started planning our weekly lunches in advance. It became a bad habit to buy a bunch and it go bad before we ate it.
GREAT tips! For me, shopping at Costco has really helped my budget as well!
This is one area I struggle in BIG time. Thanks so much for the great tips!!
These are great tips! I am going to share them with my husband because he is the one that grocery shops!
Very good tips. So right to never go shopping when you are hungry.,