Part 4: Grocery Shopping Simplified

Effective Grocery Shopping

You are well on your way to being super organized and saving some serious cash on your next grocery trip!  Today, we’ll talk ways to making this trip quick, and kind to the wallet.  

1. Set up your shopping list the way that your grocery is set up.  Envision the space, and start your list where you will enter.  The majority of the time, this is the produce section. So, first on the list; produce.  Last on my list is typically dairy, as that is what is at the opposite end of the store.  And everything else falls between!

2. STICK TO THE LIST.  I mean it.  Don’t be tempted by sales, or talk yourself into buying something that “just looks so good.”  If you effectively planned for this trip (which you did), you already know what’s on sale, and probably have it on your list anyway.          

3. If you have kids, be prepared with snacks.  LOTS of snacks.  It’s hard to buzz around a store with a cranky child.  A whole apple is always a good choice for us--provides 15-20 minutes of solid, sticky entertainment.  

4. Consider a smaller store.  The bigger the store, the more choices, and let’s face it, the more madness.  Choose a smaller grocery in your area to make your time spent there most effective.  

5. Opt for fresh foods.  Doing this forces you to remain on the PERIMETER of the store.  While there are certainly exceptions, most of what is found in the aisles is overly processed, overpriced and not-so-good for you anyway.  Avoiding the aisles as much as possible leads to a quick and effective shopping trip!

6. Stay away from the self checkout line.  You don’t know the PLUs, you will probably scan something incorrectly, and I guarantee you something will go wrong that that damn scale.  Then, you will need to wait 3 minutes for someone to come over and scan their card to turn off your blinking red light.  Meanwhile, the person who entered the “long” line next to you is already on their way out.  Let the cashier do the work for you.  Bonus?  They will more than likely do the bagging for you, to.

What are your tips for survival? 

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Looking for parts 1-3 of the meal planning series?  Get in touch!  Contact me directly HERE.  

Meal Planning 101: Part 3

Money.  We all have it, we all spend it.  It’s the HOW we spend it that gets us most often,  Today let’s talk tips to saving the moo-lah when shopping for food.

STEP 3:  DOLLA DOLLA BILLS

Let’s first get back to getting in tune with your kitchen.  Since you now know what is IN your fridge, you know when it needs to be cycled OUT.  We don’t always get around to using every last bit of everything, even though it is our best intention.  At the end of each week, take a look at what’s in your fridge and PRESERVE.  The easiest way to do this is to prep and freeze.  Just about everything can be frozen and used later--let’s look at some examples.

Kraut is super easy and a delicious way to preserve a giant cabbage.

Veggies:  Braise and freeze.  I’m talking greens, broccoli, carrots, peppers...Just about everything (with an exception of lettuce & celery) freeze well for later use. Chop them up, braise in salted, boiling water for a few minutes, drain and pop into a freezer baggie to use in your next culinary creation.  Don’t have time for this? Start a freezer baggie for not-so-hot looking veggies to make a broth for later.

Half open containers of just about anything:  I’m talking the half used quart of veggie stock, the half can of beans in the tupperware, the cup of  cooked rice left from Wednesday.  Measure it, mark a freezer baggie, and pop in the freezer.

Leftovers:  Again, the majority can be frozen--even if it is just one portion.  Great to pull out of the freezer on a whim for lunch or dinner down the road.

2.  Buy in bulk.  You don’t have to be a member of Costco to take advantage of purchasing bulk food.  Buy QUARTS of yogurt rather than cups, BOXES of crackers rather than snack packs, 5lb bag of carrots instead of baby carrots and shop in the bulk section of your grocery store for grains, nuts, and other goodies when it is an option for you.  A pound of organic rolled oats in the bulk section at Whole Foods will run just over $2.  A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.

3.  Commit to one plant-based meal a day.  This will, without a doubt, keep some money in the bank.  Bonus?  Better for your health and the environment!  

4.  Join a CSA!  A CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) is basically a local farm share.  There are so many great options and benefits here.  Our CSA typically breaks down to $23 per week, and provides all of the veggies (plus some fruit!) that we need for the week.  Most farms offer a budget plan, which allows you to spread out payments across a few months.  Ccheck out LocalHarvest for one near you! 

CSA Shares from 2017

5.  Commit to ONE grocery shopping day per week.  You’re using that list you created while meal planning, so no excuses here.  Chris and I were the KINGS of stopping to get “one thing” on the way home from work and would come out $40 in the hole.  Multiply those “one thing” stops by 3, and you’ve spent some serious cash!!  There is a rare exception we allow ourselves to revisit the store each week.  Make that a rule for yourself and stick to it.  

6.  Consider making 2 grocery stops.  Go ahead, call me crazy.  If you are serious about saving money, you should DO THIS!  We make 2 lists each week--one for Aldi, a discount food store in our area, and one for Whole Foods.  The stores are located just miles away from one another.  We get what we can from Aldi, and then get the rest from Whole Foods.  I am more and more impressed with the organic options available at Aldi, and their selection is always changing.  

7.  Commit to the Dirty Dozen list when purchasing produce.  The clean 15 represents produce lower in pesticide residue, while the dirty dozen is the highest, so best to buy organic.  By sticking to this list, I feel good about what I am feeding my family and doing my part to protect the environment from the pesticide funk.

What tips do you have to saving the moo-lah?  Share below!