Trying to Find a New System of Savings
April 26, 2009 by Karen Weideman
Filed under budget, food, groceries, shopping
Last year, I wrote numerous articles about grocery shopping, saving money with coupons, stockpiling, The Grocery Game, and getting groceries for next to nothing. This year, I’m really struggling.
In December, our family moved to a very rural area. It’s beautiful out here. The neighbors have llamas, donkeys, horses, and cows. It’s nice and quiet. There’s just one problem . . . the only grocery store around is Food Lion.
Food Lion does have some nice weekly specials that I like to stockpile, but I am really missing my Lowe’s Foods. Each week, I would print out The Grocery Game list for Lowe’s Food, clip my coupons, and I felt a great deal of satisfaction when I rolled out of there saving such a nice chunk of change. It was a personal goal to keep our weekly grocery budget under $75. Many weeks I did not spend half that amount. Some weeks I did, but our cabinets were so full!!!! After my husband was laid off, we ate off our stockpile for months and was able to share with others too!
There are other groceries stores around in the larger cities, but who wants to drive 15-20 miles to the grocery store? I sure don’t. That takes a lot of extra time from my schedule.
Since moving here, I have had to increase our food budget by at least $25 per month. Now that we have an active, growing 11-year-old (who eats more than I do), I find I’m spending even more. As a very thrifty person, this is really hard for me. Sometimes I am spending over $100 per week on groceries!!!!!
I need to put all this out of control spending to rest. I think if I had a regular plan in place, I could start saving a lot more money. I’m thinking I need to plan one day each week to go to “the big city” (lol) to do my grocery shopping.
What do you think? How can this thrifty mommy get back on track?
We used to live in a very rural area (130 acres out in the middle of nowhere – major shopping was an hour away), and monthly grocery shopping worked for us. I chose one day a month to drive one hour each way, spend all day shopping for our month’s necessities, and then just picked up produce weekly at the local (tiny) grocery store – which was still 15 minutes away.
That means that you don’t get to participate in all of the weekly sales, but I loved only shopping once per month (so much that, even now, with major stores all around me, I still don’t shop every week). Shopping once per month can be a money-saver since those opportunities for unplanned purchases are less frequent…and you adapt to cooking only what you have on-hand, without running out to pick up oddball ingredients.
Here are some tips that may help…….
* Check that Day old Bakery rack. If the kids are going to make toast, or you are going to prepare a stack of grilled cheese or BLTS ….the slightly stale bread won’t be noticed.
* Stop at the Blemished Produce Section. I have lots of little ones under foot…so I usually cut up the fruit anyway….it’s easy enough to cut out a bruise from a pear….and you can save quite a bit looking for the marked down fruit. Bargain fruits and veggies are also great for grilling.
* Find out when your meat department has specials. I find some great buys on Sunday or Monday Mornings. The special items such as marinated meats or coated chickens not sold over the weekend, are often marked $2.00 off each package or even half price. Now these foods are usually not on my budget, but when I can purchase the lemon peppered chicken breast at a big discount, it becomes a great buy !
Gayle
I found out that a weekly grocery shopping is more expensive than 2x or 1x a month, so I’ve long opted to cut down by shopping less. Why not devote half a day to grocery shopping that’s good for a month? It’s tough but it’s worth the savings. I go around 3 local stores and drug stores then coming home and preparing everything – precook, freeze, cut. Everything takes 3-4 hours every 2-3 weeks, but this still saves me more time than going out every week and spend 1-2 hours anyway each week, plus higher $$.
We’re veggie and fruit eaters so this system can pose a challenge, but some produce are still fresh after a week so I adjust the menu accordingly. Potatoes, yams, carrots, cabbages are great even up to 2 weeks. Broccoli, cauliflowers, peppers can be fresh frozen after a quick blanch. Some fruits last well too – apples, oranges, bananas. And berries can be frozen.
good morning karen!!! i feel your pain…when i first moved here (25 years ago…my, how time flies when you’re having fun…lol) i felt like i was cut off from everything i knew and loved. there was one grocery store; no retail stores; not even a fast food place!!! the plus side was it was a small town where everyone knew everyone. you knew all the town officials and police and volunteer firemen by their first names and they watched out for your children. it was really a safe place (and still is) to raise children. since then things have sprung up in every cornfield and every vacant piece of land, giving me access to any store i need.
what stores are avaiable to you, within a reasonable distance? do you have walgreens; cvs; target; walmart (which i’m not a big fan of because they obviously never got the memo that they’re supposed to accept internet coupons..you have to carry a print out of corporate policy with you).
if you could let me know which stores are near you, i can help you make up some scenarios for free or next to free food and essentials on weekly or monthly basis. last week, i stockpiled close to $100 of food for a little under $14. my plan was to go out today (the excitement was mounting all weekend…lol) but i have three little tots with fevers today…looks like i’m not going anywhere.
I hope your little ones are feeling better! I I’m not sure which I would rather have 3 sick ones at one time or spread it out over 3 weeks. Will be praying for you and your family which is so sweet and adorable!
thanks kelly!!!! for me, i would rather just have them all sick at once rather than spread it out. this way, they’re all “down for the count” at the same time…especially with the dynamic duo…lol…instead of one sick and the other having to wreak havoc by herself. i just need some sleep though…they took turns last night waking up and crying…and then 3 ended up in bed with me…yawn. raining here, sick kids..and i’m chomping at the bit to do this whole shopping trip i have planned out…the stores are calling me…”freeeeeeeeeeeee foooooooooood…..” woe is me.
Hi Karen,
Congrats on your move. Living in the country is so lovely… but it does take some adjusting, doesn’t it. (We used to live 35 minutes from the nearest shopping area.)
I agree with what the other comments have already written, and would add a couple things myself.
First of all, get ready. Your 11yo child will eat more and more – and when he starts really hitting his growth stride, you will be amazed at how often he will be hungry! Your younger ones will follow in this trend (I am a mom of 5, 3 of them being boys… the 2 teen boys eat an astounding amount of food.) This is a GOOD thing. Also, I need to point out that most frugal writers I find on the web have 1 or 2 little ones, under age 5 a lot of the time, so their ideas will work well for their stage of life, but you’re entering a whole new ballgame
and it won’t be reasonable to expect to feed your family for $75 or $100 / week in most areas of the country.
The fact that your grocery bill has increased is not a sign of mis-management or a lack of self control on your part. You added a whole ‘nuther person to your family, and remember, food prices in most areas have increased by significant amounts over the past couple or years – on average 4-5% each year, plus the added effects of inflation. So it makes sense that your bills would increase, even if all other variables remained the same. Don’t beat yourself up!
It is worth your time and effort to shop weekly or every other week in the larger city near you. You already know how to effectively use coupons and deals. You know, too, about Farmers’ Markets and other local produce sellers. I’d recommend planting a garden, but I stink at it so I make use of stores for that
I highly recommend shopping at Aldi if one is near you. Some stores are better than others, but my Aldi is spotless, the produce, meat, and non-perishables are great, and the staff is friendly. By shopping at Aldi I slashed my grocery bill by at least 20%. I’m not sure where you’re located but don’t forget that most super Walmarts will honor competitors’ coupons as well as printed sales.
Keep using your shopping list – and if you’re not already doing it, try to create the list by first creating your menu for the week rather than trying to only shop loss leaders. (I LOVE to use Tasty Planner’s website. http://www.tastyplanner.com)
Just a few of my tips, and I apologize if you already know them. Hang in there, and enjoy the spring weather.
I can’t believe you! You spent $100 on groceries! OMG
I feel your pain. If I were able to cut my grocery bill down, I wouldn’t have to work so much. My Food Lion seems to be the best deal maker for me unless my Kroger has a really good selection on their 10 for $10. I say all this as I am hoping to go to my favorite local diner for steak and eggs this morning. But then again, I save my change and when I save enough, I get to treat myself.
I found out there is a Lowe’s Foods in another town. I need to mapquest it and find out how far away it is. If I do that once or twice a month and try to go to Harris Teeter for triples, then maybe I can save more. I sure hope so!