A couple days ago I posted about how one of my goals for 2017 was to cook more at home in the interest of trying to save money. It's been a pretty huge success.
Darryl and I kind of have a rotation of the same meals we normally do, but I've tried a few new things that have been big hits with him (seriously, pickiest eater in the world, so when he really likes something, it's a big deal). We usually do simple things - some staples are pizza, Hamburger Helper, grilled chicken, tacos, burgers, etc. As far as sides, it's stuff like frozen green beans, peas, mac & cheese, fries (usually fresh cut), baked potatoes, etc.
Before I started doing this meal-planning thing, we'd go out to CJ Maggie's, Beander's, Applebee's, Burger King, DQ....or we'd order pizza in from Domino's, Papa John's, or Pizza Hut. It varied, and it wasn't every night, but even a few times, even for just the two of us, adds up really quick.
So I started trying to plan for the kind of food we might get if we went out, but that I could make at home. Insert meal planning stage here. I don't do this part with an app or on the computer - it's all old fashioned, drawing out a grid on a blank piece of paper and inserting the dates, usually just for about 15 days or so (basically a pay period for us - we grocery shop right after we get paid so we get everything we need and don't have to go back until the next paycheck).
I check through what we have on hand if I can't remember off the top of my head, and I try to plan for that stuff first because that's something I know I won't have to buy.
I start putting in what I want to make for dinner each night. I don't typically plan lunches unless it's for Saturday/Sunday. We come home to eat because we both only work about 5 minutes from our house, and we usually just eat something quick and easy to make, so when we shop, we just grab stuff we know is quick and simple.
I fill out my boxes with meals I know we like, and a lot of times, I'll pick a day or two to try something new, but other than that, it's tried and true stuff. I like fixing stuff at least a couple days that I know will give us leftovers so we can have it for lunch or for dinner the following night and cut down on some time cooking. Taco soup, brown beans, or shredded buffalo chicken are usually my go-to's for leftover meals.
Once I have everything planned, I go through and make a list of things I know I don't have to make the meals with. After I've figured out what groceries we need, I check around the house for any household items we might need and add them to the list.
When I really go all out, I use the Flipp app on my phone to go through the circular adds for the stores in my area to see if anything I need is on sale. Every cent counts, and it adds up when you find multiple things.
The apps I use the most for price-checking are Flipp for sales, and Kroger and Walmart apps for general price look-up and comparison. And FYI, Kroger and Walmart's store brands are usually just as good as other regular brands. For the vast majority of stuff we get, if I can get a store brand, I at least try it once, and I've not often been disappointed. I'd rather do that than pay extra for a name when it's going to end up tasting the same.
Unless I see that it's cheaper somewhere else, we usually go to Walmart or Kroger for what we need. I have a Kroger account, so their stuff is priced pretty well, and with Walmart, I scan in our receipts and let it find if it's cheaper somewhere else and credit me for it on my account. I'm currently saving up my money I get back from Walmart so that if there's something we need for the house that we can get there, we'll have a little to put toward it that's not out of our pockets.
So once I've gone through and price-checked things and double-checked with Darryl that there isn't anything else he can think of, I usually see what each thing will cost and add it up. Stuff that's specifically for me or for the dog that I take care of, as well as stuff Darryl gets that I know I don't use, is left off this list. Everything else gets added up and divided by 2. To Darryl's half I add his specific stuff so he knows about what he'll be paying. Then I take my half and add back on my and the pup's stuff so I know what my portion will be.
If we get other stuff when we go to the store, we just sort of keep track of what's just for each of us and what's for both of us and figure it up real quick when we check out. Darryl's portion goes on his card, and mine goes on mine. We just ring everything up together and tell the cashier how much we want on the first card and whoever goes second takes the remaining balance. It probably sounds pretty complicated, but since we already know about what to expect when we go in, it's a lot easier, and we usually stay fairly close to our list, since that was the whole point of making it in the first place!
Once we get home, I portion out anything I'm going to freeze (so basically, any meat not going to be used in the next 2-3 days), so that I don't have thaw an entire package of hamburger or chicken for one two-person meal. Everything else gets put away, and voila! Done until next time.
Our budget has to be pretty tight to afford the things that we have. We work hard to have what we have, so we have to make every penny count or it doesn't work. I know a lot of other people are in the same boat, so what do you do as far as planning your shopping trips? Does anyone else have a routine they follow to save money besides just making a list?
