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13 Guaranteed Ways to Stick to your Grocery Budget

September 17, 2014 by Jenni 166 Comments

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).

grocery budget

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!

 Affordable Food Tips (1)

 

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!!

 

Filed Under: Family, Miscellaneous, Money Saving Tips, Thrifty Thursday Tagged With: Budget, Grocery Budget, save money, Save on Groceries, shopping

How to Look Fantastic and Beautiful on a Budget

July 2, 2013 by Jenni 70 Comments

budget


How to Look Fantastic and Beautiful on a Budget

Shopping for clothes and accessories online can be so much cheaper than actually shopping in the stores. You can always find savings like these myntra discount codes that help save some cash! Plus, there’s nothing worse than taking piles of clothes into a hot and sweaty fitting room. Shopping from the comfort of your home is usually the way to go!

I have a few rules that I follow for staying on budget when shopping for clothes, accessories, cosmetics and the like. I don’t shop for myself a lot but when I do – I prefer to save as much as I can.

 

budget

Shop the clearance sections. I find that most times, what’s on clearance is still relevant to the season. So I still have plenty of time to get good wear out of it before putting it up for the summer, fall, winter, or spring.

Use coupons or coupon codes. If shopping online, search for some coupon codes before heading to shop. If you’re going instore, take a look on the store website to see if they have any sales and printable coupons. Often times, the store will have an email subscription you can sign up for future savings.

Borrow before you Buy. If you have to have something for a special occasion, go to your friend’s or sister’s closet first. Need some pretty dress or outfit for a wedding or other special occasion? You’re looking at spending upwards of $100 or more for the clothes, shoes and accessories. You could save that $100 by invading your friend or sister’s closet!

Here’s a fun idea! I’ve heard that friends have got together in groups like once every month or so and brought clothes, shoes, accessories, and hand bags and would trade!

Shop consignment or thrift stores. Scope out your local thrift or consignment stores from time to time. You can find gold mines in there. I once found an authentic Coach back pack for $5 in a Goodwill store. This was years ago though. I’m sure that the worker who was doing pricing that day had no idea what she had in her hands! You can even find some great deals at local yard/garage sales.

Use cash back sites. There are several cash back sites that you can register for. Most of them will give you a percentage or a set amount of cash back when you shop online through them. The cool thing about using these is that you can still also use any discount codes that you might find.

 

budget

DIY Mani’s and Pedi’s. Sure – enjoy the occasional pedicures and manicures at the salon occasionally just to get some pampering time in but you can save a fortune by doing your own at home. I highly recommend that you only visit clean nail salons though. Make sure that you see them cleaning their tools and steer clear of those fancy pedicure stations with the whirlpool jets. Those machines aren’t usually sanitized well and bacteria and infection breed in those little tubs. I know they feel good, just be safe!

Visit Pinterest. If you’re not already using Pinterest then you’re really missing out. I check out Pinterest often for easy beauty and fashion DIY ideas. From do it yourself facial scrubs to do it yourself foot scrubs. You’ll find any and everything there. Use common sense though and do a little research before trying anything that could potentially be harmful to your skin.

Shop drugstores for cosmetics. Mandy drugstores have rewards programs and often run rewards deals on cosmetics, skin care, body care, and hair products. Combine those reward deals with coupons from your Sunday paper and you can score a nice amount of beauty products for super cheap!

Do you have other ways that you stay on budget while looking fabulous? We’d love to see your tips and hear your comments!

Filed Under: Money Saving Tips, Thrifty Thursday Tagged With: Budget, DIY, Fashion Budget, How to Look Fantastic on a Budget

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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?!

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