Not another grocery saving post

Saving money at the grocery is not a new idea in the world of budgeting.  In fact, websites that match up your local ads with coupons have become popular in the recent months as many families are looking for ways to save a penny (one of our local favorites is Savings Angel).  Although these sites are helpful for some, I’ve discovered some questions that keep my grocery shopping under control.

• Why am I buying this? Ever find yourself finding such a sweet deal that you’ve suddenly convinced yourself how much you need this item?  When this happens to me, the voice of my mom comes to me, “Don’t go broke saving money!”  The bottom line is that even if something is a great deal, it’s still spending money if it’s not something you truly need or want.
• What else can I make with this? Your hot deals aren’t so hot if you end up wasting or throwing out some of the food.  Try to think through different menus to use the same ingredients in different ways.  For example, if I need to buy fresh mushrooms for a pasta dish, I’ll use the other half to make a pizza later in the week.
• Why am I in this aisle again? Unplanned items wind up in my shopping cart when I take more time circling back through the store because I forgot one thing.  The more I go up and down the same aisles, the more tempted I am to pick things up not on my list.  Again, I have to give the credit to my mom who created the grocery shopping list template which I use.  Download mine (below) or create your own that match the aisles of your local grocery store.  It’s a great tool to make sure you don’t forget your milk once you’re in the checkout line!

My Shopping List, With Aisles (.zip file containing .doc, Apple Pages, and .pdf formats)
My Shopping List, Blank (.zip file containing .doc, Apple Pages, and pdf formats)

Grocery shopping has become a hobby of mine—partly because I just love food, and partly because I love seeing how well Andrew and I can eat on so little money.  And with only $50 budgeted each week for groceries, we’re able to give or spend more on other things!
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Photo Credit: roboppy // Creative Commons