how to plan.

My food averages  1/2 price.   Our USDA stats for thrifty meals comes to 146.00 a week.  I spend 75.00.  That's almost half of the total figure and that includes keeping a stock.   Actual cost of eaten food is probably a little less.  

Eating on the cheap does not have to consume a lot of time.   I have more time now that I'm not working at a job, but still have plenty to keep me busy.  

• I  write once a week I write  this blog.   
• Once a week, usually Tuesday, I analyze the ads ( here) and figure out which two chains have the best buys on what we need.   
• Once a week , about Wednesday, we clean  the fridge and take note of things that need to be used up soon.   
• After deciding which stores we need to go to, I plan my trip.   Check FAVADO for prices on  things that aren't in the ad and coupons that might me stacked.  
• Then, I check Ibotta for any rebates at that store that I might take advantage of.   
• I take a cooler, my coupon  binder, the ads, and a calculator with me. All this is probably an hour expended.   
• When I get home, I post the receipts to a spread sheet.   
• Once a month , I download coupons,  file the new coupons, and throw away the expired ones.    
• Once a week, I make out meal plans. The same day I clean out the fridge and list what we need to use and what we need.   

Not including shopping time or cleaning the fridge, this  is about six hours a month planning time.  

At a savings of three hundred dollars a month, that's about fifty dollars an hour.   

Thanks for stopping by 

Please share and follow

Jane 

Example of why you plan

Yo plait yogurt .85.  On sale for .50.  Coupon .50 off five.   Now it's .40 ( half price ) in comes Ibotta .20.   Now it's .20.   That's roughly 25 percent of retail.

Snowball effect.....take the .20 yogurt, add a glass of fruit juice, freeze in a mold ( at the dollar store or better ones at Fred Meyers) and you have icy treats for .30 instead  of four dollars.