Get real with grocery savings. SAVE YOUR MONEY!!!

Yesterday was grocery shopping day in the household! After spending bookoo bucks to fix my husbands car yesterday it was ESPECIALLY important to stick to our challenge of $100 monthly food bill. Unfortunately we live two minutes away from a Festival foods which is great in a pinch. Unfortunately with its charm of being a small grocery store it also comes with few choices and higher prices on occasion. Due to this issue I have decided to do two part shopping on grocery day.

Walmart's prices are hard to beat and I like the added bonus of not having to cut coupons as much because they are already cheaper then some of the competition. For all my carbs, snacks, dairy, and all other needs I hit up Walmart on my way home from work because it's conveniently on my way home :) Then I will throw all my stuff in the fridge/freezer and head to Festival foods and purchase veg, fruit, and any meats I can get at "buy one get one" (I love those!) or with another coupon.

Now you have all learned by now that I have a number of staples in our cupboards/freezer/fridge that are non-negotiables. Having creamer in my fridge, non-negotiable. Lots of different cheeses, non-negotiable. Condiments of all varities, also non-negotiable.You need to learn what things are really important staples to your daily cooking and how you pack the punch in your kitchen. So for some of these things I will try to buy them at the best price possible but recognize that these are my staples that I am willing to chip in the extra $0.50 for.

Do you see the number of condiments in there???

Meat I never buy unless there is some kind of deal because it's just not worth NOT doing this. There's always a deal so take a minute to look. I just bought pork chops with a "buy one get one" coupon. I NEVER cook with pork chops but I got them and will use them and they WILL be delicious. It's great to challenge my cooking mind and try out new things.

Fruit is a luxury in my book. If I have a coupon for the fruit that's in season and it's a good buy I will absolutely get it. But I will not buy mango's, berries, etc. unless I find that deal. Which I am always able to do ;) But don't get me wrong. My husband and I eat well balanced meals. We are always trying new foods and new ways to prepare them. Grocery shopping on a budget has hindered my cooking just added a challenge to the possibilities.

I just want all ladies to know that I am absolutely a novice shopper. I have only been married a year and the first time I went to the grocery store with my husband I think I spent $177 on food and a third of that bill was on produce and veg that went bad before we could use it! I have learned a lot over the last year about what we like, what our standards are, where the sales are at, and how to not waste my pennies!

A couple rules of thumb to leave with:
-Try not to buy anything without a coupon unless it's a non-negotiable or you know it's the best deal
-Pay attention to prices as you buy so you can learn what items costs generally and know when you're hitting the jackpot!
-Don't be afraid to shop in two or more places. It literally doesn't make or break my night once a month
-Add things up in your head as you shop so you don't go over budget

I was thrilled when I finished up at Festival and the last grocery was put away knowing that we stuck to our budget and this was my best shopping trip yet. I got some awesome stuff that will be really versatile in my cooking. Which in the end.....is REALLY what I care about anyways :)