When someone asks me how my husband can support a whole family AND have money left over to continue to plug away at our own house build, how do I answer? I laugh, and say, it is HARD! Truth of the matter is, we are currently living paycheck to paycheck and trying to breathe in-between until the house is finished. BUT, that being said, although it’s not ideal, it’s not impossible to survive this way. Being frugal and not spending gobs of money on things we don’t need or have the money for is important, but on top of that, spending the money wisely on things that we HAVE to have is key. I’m talking groceries here. It’s a staple that EVERYONE has to buy, so the more efficient we can be with it, the better off our checkbooks will be!
First tip:
A meal plan every week is pretty important. Not only does it take the question out of “What in the world am I going to make for dinner tonight,” but it also helps reduce waste. Wasted food is wasted hard earned money. It doesn’t have to be elegant or even neatly posted on the fridge, but jot down your meal ideas for each day of the week. I like to consider what I already have in the pantry that I should probably use up. For example, I have corn and black beans in the pantry, some cheese in the fridge, and a pound of ground beef in the freezer. Add taco seasoning and tortillas to the list and I’ve got enchiladas. Boom, moving on to the next day. Side note: When I make dinner, I always make enough that my husband and I also have a serving for the following day’s lunch. Ta-da! Lunch and dinner planned at the same time!
Second tip:
Don’t go to the store hungry! I know you’ve heard it before, but it’s true. Don’t. Do. It. When you get to the store, only buy the things that are on your list unless you run across a fantastic deal for items that you ALREADY use on a regular basis. For example, I usually browse the meat department, whether or not meat is on my list, to see if any deals or sales are happening. I once found a 5 pound roll of ground beef on sale for $8.50 each. I don’t know if they thought they were labeling a 3 pound roll and it was just an accident, but I took FULL advantage of that happy accident and bought 4 rolls of it. My favorite store is Aldi, but you can go wherever – pay attention to prices though. Just because they say it’s a discount store doesn’t mean that it is a good value.
Final tip:
My last tip when it comes to groceries? Prep things when you get home from the store! If you’ve got ingredients or snacks ready to grab later, you are more likely to grab them and less likely to let them go to waste! Yay! If you bulk buy your meats when you find good deals like I do, you will want to make sure you freeze them until you are ready to use them. To see how I easily prep my meat for the freezer, no expensive tools or equipment needed, click here. Do you have any money saving grocery tips?? Let me know in the comments!
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