Lowering Your Grocery Bill (Part 2): Before You Go To The Store

“It is wise to keep an exact account of all you expend —even of a paper of pins.  This answers two purposes; it makes you more careful in spending money, and it enables your husband to judge precisely whether his family live within his income.”

– Lydia M. Child, The American Frugal Housewife (1832)

      You will probably hear this Mrs. Child advice used so many times in this blog that you will start repeating it in your sleep (along with my absolutely favorite piece of her advice you’ll be introduced to in another post).  Some of the first lines of Mrs. Child’s introduction to her manual on being a good housewife are certainly among my favorites, and it’s not hard to find a place these can easily adapt to your own lifestyle.  One of the biggest places her advice fits neatly into our lifestyle is the dreaded chore of grocery shopping (on a budget)! 

      From the time I was a small child, I can vividly remember my trips to the grocery store with my mother.  She had spent the evening before or the early morning at home pouring over sales ads and clipping coupons from her in-law’s Sunday paper, carefully outlining what we would eat on that week’s menu.  Next came the compiling of the grocery list, and at last, a trip to the grocery store!  I do not remember my mother purchasing anything that was not on that grocery list when I was younger even though the ice cream on a hot summer’s day probably tempted her as much then as it does me now.  As a single-income family, I can understand now why the grocery list was strictly followed, and just why she added the price of each item off to the side of the paper, carefully keeping track of the money they had to spend.  Apparently her ideas rubbed off on me as I created our monthly grocery budget a few months after we married and set to work stocking our own kitchen.

      In our household two adults are provided for in “groceries” for $225.00 a month (and our ten friendly farm cats will add another $50 to our bill each month if no one has a doctor’s appointment, but honestly it’s fairly cheap entertainment, comradery and pest control), which even with the farm cats is less than a family of two could receive from the federal Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program or SNAP benefits each month.  (The maximum potential allotment for a family of two per month is $357 for 2015.  In case anyone was wondering, a family of four can receive up to $649 a month.  These allotments amounts will definitely help put your grocery bill in perspective!)  Our grocery category is likewise far-reaching encompassing all groceries, toiletries, medications, eating out, gardening seeds and basic necessities, canning and food preservation, and fishing and hunting licenses and supplies.  Before you presume we’re nuts and starving, living on Raman noodles and PB&J, rest assured that we eat pretty well! 

      Before I continue, I’m going to answer the already burning question in everyone’s mind.  Does this mean we always stick to our budget?  Unfortunately, no.  Some months we slide a little, as there’s around $20 of wiggle-room, especially if you need to do a massive stock-up.  We are human, and therefore imperfect, so quite obviously we will end up spending more some months, and perhaps less others.  In the end though, each month balances out the other, and therefore we spend approximately $225.00 a month on groceries.  

      So how does one live so frugally and not feel poor?  Although the latter part might not always be easy when you see your friends and family eating out weekly or daily in some cases, there are a few simple solutions we employ to lower our grocery bill on a regular basis.  This week, we’re focusing on three big things you can do before you even get to the grocery store.  

Plan your meals in advance.  Not everyone has the luxury of planning a month’s worth of meals like we do, but by planning your meals in advance, you’re less likely to just run down to the pizza joint or make a dozen trips to the grocery store each week.  When you plan your meals, take into account what you are likely going to be doing each day of the week to determine how many quick meals you will need.  Each week we have a few meals that take less than 30 minutes to prep and cook (our yard work day meals), a crock pot meal (if I plan to be busy all day), and at least one “big meal” (often on a Sunday or Saturday night) that takes longer than an hour to prep and cook.  The meals themselves are based off of four things: what is already in the pantry and freezer, what is available fresh from the garden, what’s on sale, and what there are coupons for.  Simply put, if I have more rice than potatoes, there will be more rice dishes then potato dishes, although those specific ingredients might not be used the same way each night and therefore would not become tiring as quickly.  (Tip: We've been adding some of our favorite recipes to our Healthy Homestyle page on Pinterest.  Remember to check back periodically, as we continue adding more!) 

Click image to enlarge.

Make a list and check it twice.  Once you’ve figured out your meals, start making your grocery list.  I like to categorize my grocery list into six sections – produce, meat and dairy, frozen foods, bulk goods, dry goods, and non-food items – as I will be shopping at more than one store, and not every store is laid out the same way.  For the above two week sample menus, our grocery list would look something like this:  

Please keep in mind that we already have some staples at home such as baking supplies, canned goods, onions and potatoes from the garden, and frozen meat and vegetables.  To help keep our budget in check, if I know I am going to run out of bulk items like bread flour, all-purpose flour or rolled oats in the next two months, I will decide which is the most important to get sooner rather than later instead of buying all three in the same month (and breaking the bank). 

Check the circulars!  I cannot stress this enough.  Some people like to do this step first, as this could amend your first two steps when you do it last, but personally this is last on my list.  I find that if I do this earlier, I’ll end up adding more to my grocery list because “that would taste good” rather than using up what is in my pantry and freezer first.  By comparing the prices in multiple circulars, you can easily figure out just where you plan to buy your groceries when your shopping trip comes.  

Checking the circulars online, saves the cost of a Sunday paper, and you can easily see multiple circulars at the same time.  (You can also print your coupons offline too.)  I find it actually takes less time then clipping coupons each week to check the circulars, and soon you'll notice that certain stores almost always have better prices then other ones.  The best way to figure out where exactly you want to shop, and therefore what circulars to check, is what stores are closest to you.  Our weekly grocery shopping is done in a 20 minute radius from our home, but for larger purchases that may only need to be made once or twice a year, we might travel an hour away. 

For example, the produce I need is on sale at quite a few stores in the area this week: 

Store 1: apples are $1.28 per lb., romaine lettuce hearts are $3.98 for a 3-pack

Store 2: apples are $1.99 per lb., celery is 2 for $4, strawberries are BOGO

Store 3: romaine lettuce hearts are $1.99 for a 3-pack

Store 4: apples are $4.99 for a 3-lb. bag, broccoli crowns are $0.99 per lb.

Consider if the sale prices are really sales.  Obviously, I’d rather pay $1.99 for romaine hearts than $3.98, but what if the sale prices aren’t really the cheapest you can get your produce?   As the early days of spring are upon us in Pennsylvania, I won’t be heading to the garden to get any fresh produce we may need, nor will the farm markets be open (or have amazing deals on fresh in-season local produce).  So I have to get a little creative, which is where the discount outlet comes in.  At discount stores like ALDI’s, Amelia’s Grocery Outlet or Sharp Shopper, you just might be able to find even cheaper produce.  We happen to go to a store similar to these in the area, so I know there is no way I am paying $1.28 per lb. for apples!  The discount store has them the whole “season” for $0.49 per lb.  Celery is rather expensive at 2 for $4.  I’d much rather pay the discount store’s $1.49 for the exact same item.   (And in most cases, they really are the exact same item you would find in the regular grocery store, just always make sure to check dates on canned goods and boxed items before you put them in the cart.)  Therefore our Store 5 (the discount store) is going to have some better deals:

Store 5: apples are $0.49 per lb., bananas are $0.39 per lb., broccoli is $2.15 per head, cauliflower is $3.25 per head, celery is $1.49, romaine lettuce is $1.19 per head, and strawberries are $1.98 per quart

      So the next time you start to make your grocery list try some of these early budgeting tips before you even leave your house, and see just how low you can go with the grocery bill!  Check in with us again to see our next installment, and if you missed the first part, you can find it here.