KIS - Grocery Shopping

My goal this year is, quite simply, to buy as much food as I can for as little as I can get away with.  Making each dollar count and stretching them as far as possible.

I've had the same budget for a very long time and although I've questioned raising it as the price of groceries have risen, I have yet to do so.  The main reason is because I thoroughly enjoy the challenge of making my current budget work.  So how, exactly, do I do this?

We have a set monthly budget based on a formula I came up with when my son was very young.

$33.00 per person + $25 per person (age 16 and over)

For my family it currently works out like this:

$33.00 X 3 = $99.00 (rounded up to $100) + $25.00 = $125.00/month

Sales cycle regularly so I can count on items I use going on sale on regular intervals.  When those items go on sale I purchase at that time.  I try not to purchase anything that isn't on sale and to further reduce costs and stretch my dollars I use coupons whenever possible.  I get most of my coupons online and from a friend of mine that saves them out of her Sunday paper for me every week.  I also look for coupons given away at the grocery store in little dispensers attached to the store shelves.  Being a loyal customer to two stores and by using their rewards cards I am able to further save.

I use Fred Meyer as my main store and as a result they send me coupons for items I buy regularly from them as well as a periodic rebate based on the total amount spent with them.  Additionally I earn "gas points" which give me significant discounts on gasoline I purchase from their station.

Every week I check the adds online to determine which store I shop at and what items are on sale that I need.  Often the store's website will also have coupons available to print and use.  I also check Walgreen's ads as they have a small grocery area and often advertise loss leader items.  I find that most of my laundry and dishwashing detergent comes from Walgreens because of this.

Buying good quality fresh produce makes good sense in that it lasts much longer and I am less apt to have spoilage and waste.  Therefore I rely on Fred Meyer and Albertson's almost exclusively for my produce.  There is another store in town that offers produce for less but I found it wasn't as fresh and more prone to quick spoilage.  Sometimes it is just best to spend a little more for better quality.

I have a Pantry List that I update periodically as our needs change and I use it to make sure I have adequately stocked my pantry, refrigerator and freezer.  I print a copy off every month and circle the items I need or are running low on.  I try to rotate the items I purchase so I can get them on sale as well as so I am not having to buy everything at once.  For instance, one month I will buy ground beef, the next ground turkey and then another month will be chicken or ham.  Same with my condiments, pantry staples and baking supplies.

My favorite money saver is the markdown section.

The $25.00 per adult portion of my budget is designated for stocking up on items that go on sale, although I often spend part of my regular budget on stock up items too.  As the sales cycle through I know that pasta will go on sale one month and coupons will often be issued too.  I will stock up on pasta at that time.  Same with canned goods, condiments, etc.

Grocery sales are also guided by the seasons.  At the holidays the big sales items are baking goods so I will stock up on chocolate chips, cocoa, sugar, flour, butter, nuts, and so forth.  In the summer I find ketchup, mustard, BBQ sauce, hotdogs and buns are the big loss leader items to stock up on.  At Easter it is definitely eggs and hams while at Thanksgiving it is all about the turkeys.

This grid shows how most of my grocery dollars are allocated each month:

I find that most of my grocery shopping is done for the future.  Milk and fresh produce is purchased as we need it while everything else is purchased and stored to be used later.

My grocery budget month is based on my pay days rather than a calendar month.  For me this means my grocery budget begins anew on the 20th day of each month.  This allows me to use my dollars as they become available and I am able to shop ahead and base my meal plans on the items I already have.  It also allows me the time to prepare my grocery budget post and get it up for you to review by the end of the month.

Over time I have managed to learn the sales and prices, perfect my strategies, change them as needed and stock my home well with the things we need all while staying on a tight budget.  Our meals are delicious and nutritious with enough variety that we don't get bored.  As a result we are blessed to have plenty.