5 principals of groceries on the cheap

Ok, continuing with the five  series. .....five principles of groceries on the cheap.

In order to stay on a very frugal budget and not feel deprived or run out of food before the end of the month....

1. Never pay full price for anything.    Identify the things that you use on a regular basis for your main dishes.   Find the RBP for these "target" items and buy in quantity when they are on sale.....just enough to last you until you can find that price again.  Set a stock number.    I use three months on some things.  I keep one of other things.   Just enough to not have to run to the store in the middle of cooking.
2. Plan meals to avoid the " take out demons." .  Develop your matrix to make meal planning quick and easy.   
3. Buy one loss leader protein a week.  Buy enough to last you for that kind of meal for a month rotation in bulk.   Batch cook, or portion control soon after you get home from the store.  This gives you the best prices and saves a lot of time when things can get hectic around dinner time. When everyone hits the door after school, or daycare and work, things can just be crazy.   
4. Plan your grocery trips .  Being hungry without a plan and going to the grocery store is a recipe for disaster.    Because you already have the basics in stock at home, you are only looking to replace any short supply of your basic stock items that are a RBP, , a so called loss leader protein to rotate, and the produce in season and dairy you will need to finish your meals.    Make a list and stick to it.   Check the flyers of the stores that have them, check favado or the store web sites of the ones that don't. Make your list  and check to see if there are coupons to match up.   Pick your 2 best stores that will fulfill your needs.   
5. Plan to go to 2 stores.   This gives you the best prices of two stores and the best produce selections,   Last week, I checked Safeways and Winco and both of them had rotten grapes in their bags.    Usually, however, you can find good between two stores.    This gives you the availability of two stores sales.  

KNOW YOUR PRICES.   I have saved the most important for last.   You don't have to know every price of everything in the store-- just the things on your target list.    My mother used to say...." Some people wouldn't know a bargain if it came up and bit them in the butt."   Don't be that person,