thedifferentmomblogFor some, grocery shopping can be overwhelming, or stressful. But it doesn’t have to be. Everyone could save some money in this category of their monthly budget. I’ve come up with three tips to assist you in your monthly grocery bill savings.
Three mistakes you are most likely making, and are probably keeping you from saving money are easy to correct. Follow these three steps to lead you to monthly grocery bill savings you can count and appreciate.
These simple things are probably things you’ve thought about doing, but neglect to do it.
The first one on the list is so simple, you’ll kick yourself for not doing
Monthly grocery bill savings Tip #1 Make a List
Yep, just that simple. Make a list. Plan your menu , go through your pantry, and make your list of ingredients. Here is a free menu planner that I use to help me plan my weekly meals and also make my grocery list.
I know sometimes menu planning can get tedious, but this is my proven method. I use Pinterest a lot to get ideas, and I also solicit the help from my children. And here are a few meal ideas that can help you along or change up your menu.
The list shouldn’t just include the items from your menu. You’ll need to throw in your necessities and your staples (i.e. milk, water, and bread). But you still need to include these on your list.
Making a list will help you stay on a budget. It also takes discipline to stay on budget and to the list. It may take a couple of months to get it right, but this will help you significantly.
Monthly Grocery Bill Savings Tip #2 Save Money with Coupons
That is my next tip. I wonder if this is a lost art. I don’t know too many people that still do it. They don’t put a lot of paper coupons in the Sunday papers anymore. A lot are available online.
We make it a family affair when it comes to clipping coupons. This helps my children understand that clipping coupons will lead to monthly grocery bill savings. They usually know if it’s not on the menu, or something we deem as a necessity, then we need a coupon for it.
There are times we can wander from this, but for the most part, we coupon for a lot of toiletries and many of our groceries.
There are tons of bloggers and coupon experts online. But if you’re here in Oklahoma, this is the site I’ve been using for years and recommend.
Some stores she covers are nationwide as well, but they may not have the same deals at the same time. But it can’t hurt to check it out and try it. If you can’t use her, do a google search for coupon bloggers.
Go to stores or visit their website to learn their coupon policies. Sign up for reward programs. The majority of them can and do track your spending, and will send you coupons either through snail mail or email.
You can plan some if not all of your meals and menu items around the coupons you find or receive.
Couponing can be so satisfying when you see how much you saved. It’s a sense of accomplishment. It doesn’t have to take up your whole day, but it is a tried and tested method of saving money on your grocery bill.
Monthly grocery bill saving tip number three
Monthly Grocery Bill Savings Tip #3 Pay with cash
Yes! That’s what I said…to some it may seem archaic, but trust me, it works. Even Dave Ramsey recommends this to help people get out of debt. It may seem time consuming, annoying, or just an all around bad idea, but trust me it works.
I recommend paying with cash for just about anything, and using the Dave Ramsey get out of debt methods, check it all out when you’re ready for financial freedom. It is a game changer! It’s methods that work for anyone living an ordinary life.
But we’re just talking about paying for your groceries with cash. I literately mean, going to the ATM, getting out cash, heading to the grocery store, putting everything on that is on your list in your cart, going up to the cashier and paying for $250 worth of groceries in cash!
People may look at you strange, but guess what, who cares, you’re saving money. Just be grateful, pay with your cash, and walk out the store knowing you saved money.
I also do Walmart Grocery pick up. But I pay with my debit card. I still make my list, I know how much I need to spend, and I pay with my debit card. It’s the same as actual cash, because if you don’t have the funds in your bank, you can’t overdraw with many institutions.
Of course that requires you to make a budget huh? Guess what, you just opened up my bonus tip on
Monthly Grocery Bill Savings
Bonus Tip: Make a budget
Make a budget. So many people are terrified of, or ignorant to the fact that budgets help you save money. Telling every bit of your income where to go, rather it be groceries, utilities, vacations, or savings helps you stay on track.
It’s a must if you truly want to save money. It gives you no excuse. You can make your budget using excel or google docs. Or you can sign up to receive a copy of my budget template.
It takes all of 15 minutes of your day to plan a budget and a menu. You have no excuses when it comes to taking matters into your own hands and saving monthly on your grocery bill.
