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Need to get your grocery bills back under control?
The easiest tool to saving big at the grocery store is preparing a grocery list and sticking to it!
But creating a great grocery list is a little more challenging than scribbling down suggestions on the nearest scrap of paper.
Here are some simple tips to crafting a truly useful grocery list that will save you not only money, but time and stress as well!
- Shop your stockpile first. Readers often email me and ask if they can tag along on one of my grocery trips -- I think they think it would be a cross between Extreme Couponing and Supermarket Sweep to watch me in action! In reality, my grocery trips are usually pretty boring -- because I have most everything I need already at home. So the first thing I do when I am prepping a grocery list is to go through my stockpile. If I have, for example, pasta and sauce, sausage and rice, and eggs and frozen veggies, that's several meals that never even have to be bought! If you need help putting together a stockpile for your family, go here for my Stockpiling 101 guide.
- Review your weekly sales ads. I do NOT buy meat or protein products unless they're on sale. It just doesn't happen. Instead, when turkey or chicken or beef goes on sale, I buy enough to store in my freezer until that sale rolls around again (usually four weeks' worth will carry me through.) And of course, match back those sales to coupons whenever possible for additional savings! If you're new to couponing, go here for a F-R-E-E checklist to get you started.
- Meal plan before completing your grocery list. This saves you extra trips back and forth to the grocery store, and also cuts down on food waste. (And the less food your family wastes, the more $$$ you save!) If you need recipe inspirations, check out the folks over at Real Plans -- they offer monthly meal/recipe subscriptions that work for a variety of needs, including gluten-free, paleo, vegetarian, and more! Don't forget that leftover night qualifies as one or more of your meal plans. 😁
- Organize your list. If you're a pen and paper type of person, you can go here for a free printable template. If you prefer keeping everything on your phone, Techlicious has a roundup of the best grocery list apps to try!
What are your tips to creating a stress-free and foolproof grocery list? Tell me more on Facebook or in the comments!
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