Grocery shopping done. We are full and probably don't have to go shopping next week. Chicken was a good buy at Fred Meyers so I will be roasting a chicken today. It's Cinco de mayo so I think we will have chicken nachos tonight. Nacho chips were a dollar at Fred Meyers.
Now is the time to talk basics . I try to do that once a month around the first of the monh. Making both ends meet after a month with extra bills os a good time to start economizing on the grocery budget.
The premise of groceries on the cheap is not to pay full price for anything. That doesn't always work, but if you can identify the things you use most often and diligently find the best prices on those things , the rest will take care of themselves.
Take a few steps to get started, and reap the rewards many times over.
1) identify the inexpensive sources of protein your family will eat. This is getting harder with rising meat costs, but it is doable. I find us going vegetarian a couple of,nights a week. But, even the cost of cheese os going up.
2) write down the meals that you can make that use the sources of protein.
3) write down the frozen or shelf stable items that you use to make these dinners. No box mixes here. Just real food.
4) start tracking the prices on these foods. Use a spread sheet or a small notebook.
Pasta, 16 oz
Date. Store. Proce. Coupon? Net price
Soon you will see a pattern. Stores out things on sale about every 8-12 weeks. Some put dairy or a certain meat in on a rotating basis.
When meat, or other protein goes on s ale cheap, pick one meat a week and buy enough to feed your family for a month. You're not buying 30 portions. if you eat hamburger twice a week, buy enough for eight portions. When you get home, or shortly after, cook it and portion it in bags for each meal.
If you rotate meats, you will save time and money.
I rotate hamburger, chicken, pork loin, and cheese/eggs.
That's probably enough to absorb for one day. LOl. More tomorrow!
Thanks for stopping by
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Jane .
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