Good Morning, guys. How was your weekend? Mine was ok, I guess. Started out ok, then hit a rough patch. Yesterday was pretty good. Started out as a lazy day, with a bit of “family fun”. The guys played Magic, while Sis played on the internet. Me, I obviously was in a photography kind of mood because I took some 700 photos yesterday. LOL
After that, I took off to visit my son’s Nanna. I love that woman. SO much.
My own mother and I have never been close. She left when I was three or four. But Nanna… Nanna swooped in, in my early twenties as my son’s babysitter. She has kind of filled in the Mom roll for me ever since. She treats not only me but my kids, as her own. I will be eternally grateful for her huge heart, forever. Anyway…
Afternoons with Nanna are like therapy for me. We talk about my divorce, she’s a great listener – and been through one herself, so she “gets” it. She understands HOW I FEEL, and lets me know Im not crazy. Well, as far as my feelings and this divorced are concerned anyway. lol
So…
Meal planning.
This week, my week is fairly simple.
| Monday | |
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| Tuesday | |
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| Wednesday | |
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Thursday
- Salisbury Steak
- Rice
- Steamed Veggies
Friday
- Beans
- Cornbread
Saturday
- leftovers!
Breakfast for dinner!
- Biscuits
- Sausage Gravy
- Scrambled Eggs
- Bacon
So, This week doesn’t seem like it will be such a big week. One “Left Over / Fend for Yourself” night, and boychild is cooking one night. He is a master at spaghetti. Which is good, since that is his favorite meal. LOL
Grocery wise:
Not sure how much I’ll be spending this week. Heading to the store a little later today. The list is long, but not as long as usual – AND – there are no bigger ticket items (like detergent which is $15 now!), so hopefully, my bill wont be huge.I usually spend around $250+ . I am desperately trying to figure out how to get that weekly total DOWN. Meal planning has helped a little, but if Im being honest… not that much. So if you have any tips, please share them! LOL
For more Meal Plans, check out:
Grocery budget tips...
ReplyDelete1. Buy only what you need. It's tempting to pick up that bakery bread or that ice cream that's on sale, but don't. If it's not on the list, it doesn't get bought, period.
2. Eat what you have. Before you even start browsing pinterest, cookbooks, etc, look and see what you have on hand that can be used up. Produce, pasta/rice, and meat in the freezer are always big ones for me. Once you know what you need to use up, plan your meals around those things.
3. Watch your food waste. Food waste is a huge problem. I've been working on preventing food waste for more than 3 years and still suck at it. But it's on my mind, so that counts right? ;) Eat up all your leftovers. Make sure your produce is eaten before it goes bad. Check expiration dates on pantry items and use them before they expire.
4. Combine coupons with sales. I am not a big couponer, but I do like to use them if I can. I clip from the paper and from online and only use a coupon for an item if a) it's on the list and I need it for the week, or b) it's also on sale. Tip number one applies here: just because you have a coupon doesn't mean you NEED that item. If it's not on the list, it doesn't come home with you.
5. Compare your receipts. What are you spending the most money on? Meat? Drinks? Produce? Snacks? Once you figure out what those high dollar items are, you can look at cutting back how much you buy, when you buy them, and what you use them for.
Good luck. Cutting down grocery bills is hard work, but your wallet will rejoice one day!
PS: I spent between $25-$50 a week on groceries, cleaning products, and toiletries. I'm only shopping for one, but I feed my boyfriend two or so nights a week as well. Just a reference point.
Holy crap, lady! I couldn't get by on $25/week EVER. Not even when I was a single gal with no kids and living off Ramen! lol!!! Thanks for all the tips! I totally agree, WASTE is a huge problem here because my kids just REFUSE to eat left overs. Like - go to bed without dinner rather than eat them. I also live in a small town and we don't get coupons here, which drives me CRAZY! Im trying to make myself check sales ads before I go get groceries since Walmart price matches, but its not really saving me a lot. Maybe $10/wk. Not a lot at all. Thanks for commenting, its nice to meet you! Followed your blog on BlogLovin =D
DeleteFor my own sanity, I follow the rule of I don't buy it unless I absolutely have to have it.
ReplyDeleteUnless a huge sale is going on. Right now I got a ton of stuff for pennies from Dollar General's 70% off clearance sale.
I have a rule that nice detergent is for our clothes only. Nice detergent is bought when it's on sale once every 6 months with coupons for 5 bottles for about $30. Everything else gets $1 detergent. But almost everything else on clearance or with coupons. Clearance sections are the best, especially if you have a coupon for it.
My Safeway puts 50% stickers on deli items and meat, and I put those in the freezer. I will watch out for those clearance meats and cheeses. I will snatch those up in a minute. LOL Even salads, but of course you have to use those right away.
Just the old rule of stock up when it's on sale for other things. I get a lot of things for free by following Hip2Save which texts great deals. Getting free razors, Jo Malone perfume, gift bags, makeup samples. Just little treats that come in the mail. And SavingwithVetta and Michelsfrugalliving on Youtube and others have the best coupon bargains.
I am cheap as hell now. I see the world through clearance stickers! LOL I will work a $3 Target clothes coupon on the 70% clearance rack and have a free shirt for me and my daughter. Just small things like that. No more dropping $40 at the store for "stuff." I will find the Claire's 10 for $10 clearance. or the Kohl's clearance with their $10 coupons they mail out. I use freecycle and mycokerewards and a bunch of others to get my magazines for free. I use my payless coupons to get clearance shoes half price at the payless away from the mall nobody goes to-then call the number on the receipt to get another $2 off and go take that to the other payless to get $6 boots. LOL I mean I won't spend over $10 for our shoes! LOL
At walgreens you can use a BOGO coupon on a BOGO sale where I get woolite for the carpet for free. I follow the coupon blogs so I know when mycokerewards puts out a free code for a free photobook from Shutterfly, so I just pay $8 shipping.
Groceries really is the hardest one. My best advice is eleminate snacks. Snacks really add up. If you have to get snacks get popcorn or pretzels or animal crackers and ginger snaps. That is one I still struggle with. I've tried lots of different things like freezing soups and things. Or going with those $1 bags of vegetables at the fresh fruit store and making a big stir fry. Basically it's a pain in the ass. LOL
I'm such a miser. The only things I splurge on is my face cream and bras!
You know, all the stores you mentioned - we DONT HAVE! haha. We have a Walmart, a Kroger (which is expensive as heck) and a Market Place (which is also over priced!). We have a Kmart, but its dirty, ummm... there is a farmers market *like a flea market* but I can never figure out what day or WHERE they are set up. @@ What I have been doing is making my grocery list and then checking the Kroger ad online and marking on my grocery list if something is on sale at Kroger - and trying to get Walmart to price match. The problem is, that if the sale at Kroger is like a 10 for $10 or "Buy 6 get 3 free".... Walmart WONT match! They said it has to say the exact amount the item is on sale for like .67 or what ever. Those Gatorades my son likes and the SoBe waters my daughter like are $1.89 at walmart but Kroger has them on sale 9 for the price of 6, and they were NOT going to price match for me. I was PISSED. I had to take the ad and POINT to where the damn thing said real tiny "making them .67!" They also wont match if its not the exact brand - like if Kroger of Market place has milk on sale - say Krogers brand... walmart wont comp a Walmart brand milk. I've been getting that at Walgreens because its $4.98 a gallon at Wally and $2.99 at Walgreens, and we go through about 3 gallons a week. :(
DeleteWe also don't get coupons. THAT drives me bonkers!
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