Be Prepared for Anything

First of all, we don’t eat a lot of meat. Oh, we’re not vegetarians or anything. We’re just not big on meat - except for chicken and turkey which are eaten at most once per week, sometimes only once every 10 days or so.

We eat pasta, rice, fruits and veggies mostly. I try to buy very few convenience foods (although I do buy several frozen pizzas each month to keep on hand for quick meal fixes).

I make a lot of things from scratch - or at least not from a can or a jar: Breakfast muffins, pancakes, homemade pizzas, pasta sauce, macaroni and cheese, bread, cookies.

When I do my grocery shopping, I try to stock up on all-purpose flour (which can be stored in the freezer for long-term keeping), sugar, bread flour, oil, rice and pasta which are staples in my pantry.

I usually do count in my $300 budget items such as shampoo, soap, toothpaste, toilet paper, paper towels (although I rarely buy paper towels - I use dish towels and cut up socks in place of paper towels). Typically though, these items are bought on sale and with coupons so their costs are minimal, or I purchase as much generic as I can.

 I rarely buy name brands unless it is on sale and I have a coupon. I try to buy items in bulk whenever possible, but on certain items that’s not necessarily a cheaper (I’ve found that a 25-pound bag of flour is actually more expensive than buying five five-pound bags of flour).

Another tip I use is to shop at more than one store. This may not be feasible depending upon where you live. In my town, my favorite grocery stores are within less than a mile of each other. I make my list and divide it according to what items I know are cheaper at each store.

More tips later, but I would definitely love to hear some of your favorite tried and true tips to keeping your grocery budget down.

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