Wow, $200 a month on food for two people. I bet you are saying well she doesn't have a family of four like I do or you may be thinking that it just doesn't seem possible. Trust me, I was that person shaking my head saying “Yeah right!” too. I was like, there is no way I can spend only $200, $50 a week on food! But you know what; I have been doing so for a whole year! And although we are a family of two, we like to eat, but we always have tons of left overs; so really each meal can feed four people. Needless to say, we eat left overs a lot in our household, but it’s so worth it!
How Do You Save Money?
1) Make A Budget & gradually spend less:
Making a budget takes time and a lot of patience! Before I started making a budget, I would spend anywhere from $400- $300 month on groceries! That’s over $4800.00 a year on food!! So in an effort to cut my grocery spending, I started a budget. It was hard to stick with it at first because I felt as though I was “cutting myself short” but in reality I was spending way too much on food that was being wasted!
Tip: Start out slow and gradually decrease your spending amount each month. I started with $400, the next month I went to $350, then $200! I gradually learned how to spend less!
2) Use Coupons & do your Research:
I typically clip coupons, print coupons from coupon sites, load coupons to my Kroger card, Look at Ad after Ad, do Research, and more Research, Check deals, look at weekly Match-Up Deals on the internet, and Research some more!
In order to Save Money, you have to Take Time and do your Research!!
3) Make a Menu Plan & relieve Stress:
At first I was like, really, a Menu Plan? You’ve got to be kidding me! Well, I’m not kidding ya’ll! Menu Planning not only helps you keep a little extra cash in your pocket, but you don’t have your hubby asking every day, “Hey what’s for dinner?” It keeps you organized, and hopefully stress Free once you get used to it!
Tip:
If your family loves Spaghetti and meatballs with Garlic bread, then make sure you try to have that at least once a week. You could even try to make your own pasta, homemade meatballs and even cheap garlic bread (bread with garlic salt). **This kills 3 stresses with 1 stone* 1. You make a dinner everyone likes. 2. You can make it cheaper by making it from scratch 3. You have 1 main meal planned for every week!
4) Make a List & stick to it:
Once you’ve checked all the ads, clipped your coupons and made a Menu Plan and did all your Research, Make a list of what you plan on buying and Stick to your list! Making a list and sticking to it will actually help you from making unnecessary purchases. It will help you stay on track and buy the “needs” instead of the “wants.”
5) Buy Store Brand vs Name Brand
Yes Store brand may taste better, but take a minute and think about it. You are paying for the label (name of the product) or the lack or addition of an ingredient! Sometimes you find the exact same product with the exact same ingredients but in different quantities. You are paying for the name brand because it looks prettier or because you “trust” it based on commercials, how it taste, etc. Now this is not to say that name brands don’t taste better, because some do. It’s basically a matter of how much money you want to spend for that name brand product or the taste of the product. The choice is up to you.
6) Buy in bulk & Save more:
One of the easiest ways to save money is to buy in BULK! It will save you money in the long run. A prime example: baking soda. Baking soda is used in many homemade recipes and you can use it in basically anything. You can use it to cook with, clean with, use it in homemade laundry detergent etc. So why buy a small box of baking soda for $1 that you will get maybe a few uses out of (but in the back of your mind you’re thinking hey it’s only $1) when you can buy a bulk supply of it for half the cost?
Tip: If you have multiple uses for a specific product, try to buy it in bulk to save money.
7) Pay Special Attention to “Sale” Items & take Extra Time:
Just because it is on sale, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the cheapest! That’s why it’s important to Take extra time to read the labels and calculate the price per ounce, lb, etc. You may be thinking you are getting a deal but you really don’t know until you calculate the price per ounce, price per pound, etc.
8) Stock up & make a Stock Pile:
If you find yourself with a great sale, make sure you stock up! Again, if it’s a product that your family uses often and it is on Sale, and you’re getting more for your buck, stock up on that bad boy and put it in your Stock Pile!
9) Learn to Eat Left Overs & be Jolly:
Left overs aren’t all that bad once you get used to them. You can bring them for lunch the next day or heat them up when you’re stressed for time after work or when you just really don’t feel like cooking.
Extra Tips:
1) Take Advantage of the “perks” when signing up for News and Coupons from your favorite stores. Kroger Mailing List, etc. **Every Friday Kroger sends out an email (if you’re signed up) telling you what their Freebie is for this Friday.
2) Say you make a Grocery budget, $200 month on groceries, and you don’t use $200. Put the money you don’t use back for the next month’s trip. So if you find something on sale or you want to Stock Up on something, you won’t feel guilty doing it and you won’t actually go over budget!
3) Make and put your plan into action! Your plan of action for saving may be different than someone you know. You may need $500 month on groceries while your neighbor only needs $300. It’s okay! Everyone has different needs!
