Menu Planning on a Budget

For those of you who know me well, you have probably heard me rant and rave about the importance of planning a menu before shopping at the grocery store. Why am I so passionate about this? Because I've done it the other way, shopping 3 or 4 times a week and buying impulse items....and watching it destroy our checkbook AND our health. I have made an appoint to set aside time each weekend to prepare a menu and set-in-stone grocery list....and we have been so happy with the results!

Here are some tips I will offer up....things I have read about, tried, and now do on a regular basis to help streamline my shopping and spending!

1. Make pretty forms to print out....I have a form for comparisons of weekly sales at grocery stores, forms for my shopping lists, and forms for menus broken up by the day of the week. It's so much easier to get organized (in my case) if I have pretty little sheets on which to write and plan! :-)
2. Don't toss those ads! You might find out that one particular grocery store has chicken breasts at an incredible low price....buy extra, stock up in the freezer, and enjoy for the next few weeks! I do this with the 7% lean ground beef, too, since it's so expensive. When it hits $2.79 a pound or less, I buy 3 or more pounds, separate and freeze it in 1/2-lb. bags, and I'm set for a couple of months.
3. Stick to the list! We know ladies, that hormones and even moods can make us want to reach for extra things from the shelves....but try to resist past one or maybe two special things...it will increase your total bill more than you'd like (and most likely, they aren't healthy choices, either!). (Shopping when I'm full, not hungry, also helps!)
4. Clip the coupons. The extra effort this requires really pays off, especially if your grocery store doubles or triples the coupons valued under $.50 (many do). Sometimes you can get name-brand, better-tasting goods for the same price as the generic version by using coupons. (But still watch...some items are still cheaper to go with another brand and forego the coupon!)

These are the things that work for me.... Here is an awesome site that gives even more good tips and info....check it out. http://organizedhome.com/content-50.html



Meg :-)