making a list, checking it twice

Without a doubt, the best way to save money at the grocery store is to make a list. I cannot say it strongly enough; do not go the grocery store without a list. Here’s how to make sure yours will save you time and money:

1. First, plan out your meals for the entire week.
   Every week, I sit down and plan out what we will have for dinner every night. I do this by referencing our calendar, noting if we have any date nights planned or any outings with friends that week. Also, if I know we’re going to have a busy Wednesday, for instance, I plan for a meal that will be quick and easy for that night. I make sure I plan for enough food to cover dinner all week. Because we eat leftovers for lunch, I also make sure I’m accounting for enough food to use for leftovers as well. Finally, I plan for any special weekend breakfasts.
2. Spell out your ingredients.
   Using the meal list I just created, I note all the ingredients I’ll need for the week. I make sure I include snacks for our lunches, treats for dessert and produce to munch on.
3. Cross check the list with the pantry and fridge.
   Finally, I take my list and cross check it with what we already have in our pantry and fridge. I also make sure to note any miscellaneous items that we write down throughout the week on our “pick up at the store” list.

And that’s it! It’s really as simple and painless as that.

I realize you may be reading this and thinking, “This sounds like pretty common sense stuff to me.” In fact, I hope you’re reading this and thinking that it is common sense. However, it’s been my experience that very, very few people make a plan before they go the grocery store. Trust me - that will only equal one thing - pain for your wallet.

Need a bit more convincing about how this saves you all money? First, you’ll have planned for the week, which means less nights that you’ll need to eat out because you can’t find anything. But even more importantly, you will not need to make several trips to the grocery store throughout the week. This will easily save you $80 a month. Think about it - every time you go the store, you will pick up more and more things, because you haven’t planned! This will cost you both time and money.

takeaway: Make a list. And instead of just jotting down a few things, take a few minutes and really plan out what you need. Trust me, the time and money saved by making a great list is well worth those few moments.

total yearly savings: Are you ready for this . . . $960! That’s enough for an amazing vacation or a home renovation project. Don’t you just love saving money?

photo by phototram

Tagged as: Add new tag, big payoff, Deal hunting