Tuesday, January 12, 2010

the LIST


(photos by mikezenero)

I don't really like my grocery shopping strategy, but I can find no better way.

Landon and I have very different grocery shopping philosophies. I don't like grocery shopping. I adhere strictly to my list. Landon, on the other hand, enjoys grocery shopping. He shops with a list and then lets himself be inspired by great deals and yummy foods. Like last night we were shopping and I'm looking through my list and my coupons and Landon comes by and dumps fruit snacks and pop tarts into the cart. I was almost blown off my rocker. Those aren't even healthy!!! But, of course, I am not his mother, he is an adult and darn right should get to eat crap if he wants to. But on the other hand, I am also the maker and keeper of the budget and did not see Pop Tarts on the list.

I am open for suggestions, please.

Usually on Sunday each week I plan my menu for the entire week and make a shopping list. I try to stick to 2 meatless meals and 2 free-range meals. I also try to find recipes that have overlapping ingredients in order to save at the store. Then, with my shopping list in front of me, i search the internet for printable coupons:






(many of these websites overlap coupons)

and i even search the manufacture's websites. many of them have an actual "coupons" tab.

You would cringe in knowing that after my trip to the grocery store yesterda, i really only saved $3 with my coupons. Sometimes it's more. Sometimes it's less.

Any other ideas on how to save mullah grocery shopping?

oh, and fyi: if you have not heard of www.retailmenot.com, you should check it out. This Christmas, I put together my Christmas list and found great coupons for the items that I wanted to buy. If not for the items, then in most cases I at least got free shipping through the coupon codes on this website.

6 comments:

Erin said...

When I take Dave, we always spend more than what I have budgeted. He calls it inspiration also, I call it impulse buying.

My secret is shop by myself. Make the list, stick to it, stop on the way home from work so I don't have to go with all the crazy people on Saturday morning.

I go twice a week so I don't end up buying stuff I don't want to cook 5 days later. My trips into the store are about 20 minutes or less.

doons said...

in my defense, i must say that the fruit snacks (who doesn't like sharks?) and pop-tarts (haven't had them since high school) were on sale!

Brooke Hereth said...

haha! doons! pop-tarts are gross! i really just scan the aisles and see what i want, even come up with some recipes!

Maryn Forney said...

hannah i do what you do : ) i did the coupon hunting the first few weeks but realized i would save about $.75 after it taking like 3 hours to hunt through all of them...so I haven't done that as much. thankfully we have a grocery store here called "bottom dollar food" which is kind of a "run down" store but the items i feel safe buying (ones that look fresh or are shelf-life) are significantly cheaper than at the real grocery store - like spices are half the cost, vegetables are almost half, milk and cheese, etc are super cheap. you maybe don't have that option, but i can get a lot of the staple items at this store for super cheap and then i do the rest of the shopping at a normal store so i don't end up spending much each week.

landon, poptarts???

Unknown said...

Depending on where you shop sometimes you can get the value card that they offer and that helps save money (i create a new email address just to give out for sign up lists so that my "real" email doesn't get bulked up by their crap).

also, when i did used to shop and plan the meals, i tried to be flexible with the ingredients. maybe go to the store with an idea of meats and side items, but take a look at what is on sale and adjust accordingly? don't get me wrong, i love lists and planning things out but sometimes you just gotta roll with the punches and opt for turkey burgers over the pot roast you were hoping for that week if that's the cheaper route.

but really though.... who doesn't love the sharks? :)

Hannah said...

good call. thanks for the advice, friends!