My original plan with Max Your Menu was to give recipes throughout the week that help us stretch out grocery dollars. And, this is a good thing BUT it ALL starts at the grocery store.
For example, last night, I went to the grocery store for fruit and eggs for today's church picnic. I put in my basket: cherries, grapes, honeydew, eggs, a 2-pk of toothbrushes on sale, a diet brownie and a pack of sugar-free peanut butter cookies. I picked up another pack of sugar-free chocolate chip cookies to find out if they really were $6.49 and promptly put them back when I found out they were.
The total came to a whooping $43, about half of what I spent for a week's groceries at the grocery outlet the previous week. I looked at the register and said, "Wait, those toothbrushes aren't the sale I saw on the shelf." and "Wait, those cherries are $$11.39. Please take those off." Did my friends really need the heaviest fruit per pound on the market? I could stop by the produce mart on the way to the picnic and get three times that food for that price. (UPDATE: went to produce mart and for $13 bought same amount of cherries plus more grapes plus big bunch of bananas plus 3 apples plus carton of black berries plus carton of raspberries! Way cool!)
By taking off items that shouldn't have been in my cart to begin with, the bill came down to $23 which was much more reasonable for a quick stop for a few items on the way home. I still have could saved more not eating the brownie or getting the cookies but a girl just needs a treat sometimes and I HAD just come from the mall where I resisted MUCH temptation to spend on all the great end of the season sales.
So, what are you doing to save money on your groceries? I would love to hear the suggestions.
Some of the lessons I have learned this month are:
1) If you are going to make your own bread to save $, learn how not to kill the yeast. (You kill the yeast when you add it to ingredients that are too hot or too cold. See Lindsey mixing dough. Great arm workout. This was actually from Lindsey's Spanish bread project in the Spring that got us started on this kick. The great shot of her kneading dough is stuck on my battery dead camera this AM.)
2) When you can, buy ingredients not prepackaged food items. You will save on planning ahead and buying larger quantities of meat, spices, etc. that can be used in different ways.
3) If you going to grow a garden, plan for items that are cheaper than the grocery store, otherwise it might not be worth the effort. (Anybody know where I can get a raspberry bush? I am on a quest.)
4) Know which stores are worth the extra time and gas to get there for your shopping.
5) And, of course, combine shopping trips to save on gas.
Bottom line, a little planning goes a long way. Shop with your eyes open at the grocery store and you won't walk out with 2-3 times the bill you planned to spend.
I have much to learn in this area and would love YOUR suggestions!
UPDATE #2: Robin from Pensieve twittered: Don't Go Hungry and Don't Take Your Kids.
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