Grocery Shopping...It's All About the Planning!

Who would have thought that being organized could help save money? Food costs continue to rise with no end in sight! With a little planning and some organizational tips, saving money at the grocery store is a breeze. Here are some tips!

1. Create a standardized grocery list. Type up a list on the computer. Include categories such as produce, bakery items, dairy, etc. I like to organize mine in the same order as the aisles of my grocery store. That way, I minimize the time I spend walking back and forth (I save time too!). Once the list is created, make copies and keep them on the kitchen countertop or posted on the refrigerator. Write items down as soon they are low. This will save time having to recall everything at once. It also helps to eliminate extra trips to the store for forgotten items.


2. Plan out enough meals for the week plus one day extra. For twice a week shoppers, try to have at least 4 days of meals on hand. Keeping an extra day's worth of meals prevents the temptation of ordering take out if shopping can't be done on the regular day. I try to have a few things on hand to create a fast and easy meal if need be. Here are some good things to try: pre-cooked pizza shells and the fixings (pita crusts work well and the kids will have fun making their own mini pizzas), frozen ravioli (mix with jarred sauce, top with mozzarella then bake for a quick pasta dish that will delight the senses), and shredded cooked chicken (simmer in your favorite barbeque sauce and serve on rolls).


3. Organize coupons by expiration date. Organizing coupons by category tends to make it more likely that they will be forgotten. I only have two categories of coupons at home: one for retail stores/restaurants and another for grocery/drugstore items. Every week I look through the coupons that are going to be expiring soon and try to plan around these. If I know for sure I am going to use a particular coupon that week, I put it in front of the stack in a smaller envelope. This helps to save me time at the cash register as I don't want to be sorting coupons when I am focusing on putting my groceries on the conveyor belt. Try to resist purchasing items just because they are on sale or because there is a coupon. Unless that item is going to be used, it is actually a waste of money and has the potential to create clutter.


4. Clean out the pantry regularly. Every month, try to plan meals using what is already on hand in the pantry. Use the internet to research recipes for unusual ingredients. I once was told that canned beets can be used in a recipe for chocolate cake! Here are a couple good websites to try: http://www.recipesource.com/ and http://www.cooks.com/.

Happy Organizing!