So it’s no surprise that we have been really focusing on our spending habits over the last year if you’ve been following us! Last year, we were able to pay off 9 credit cards, and we only have 3 more to go before we tackle our car notes! So during this process of paying off debt, we learned that we had to get our grocery bill under control! We are a family of 6, and it was much easier when my husband’s job paid for his meals FOR YEARS! Because years ago, his company paid for his meals, that was a big chunk of savings (that we didn’t save haha). Now, that we own our own restaurant Eggs Up Grill, we no longer have that luxury although we definitely are appreciating eating all the eggs, waffles and pancakes! I gained 10 pounds in the first 3-4 months of opening our restaurant. I digress!

So how in the world do you get your grocery bill under control!

The first step in getting your grocery bill under control is tracking your grocery bill for one month. By tracking your grocery spending for one month, you will be able to total what you are actually spending for your family! You can purchase a tracker in our shop!
Now you’re going to try to spend $50-$100 less than what you spent the first month. And I’m going to teach/show you how! So set your budget for around $100 less than what you spent the first month! So if you spent $700 for the first month, set it for $650 or $600!
Next, after you’ve set your budget, you are going to take an inventory of what you have in your home. Go in your cabinets, fridge, freezer, pantry, and see exactly what you have. Now you are going to use what you have ALREADY to make meals, only buying fresh fruits, veggies, milk, meats (if needed), bare bones. Buy only what you need! Get creative by looking on Pinterest to see what you can make with the items you have! Do this until you have no more meals to make! Then you can shop! But not until you read the next step!
Shop sales by researching what your local store has on sales. Our Fresh Market has meat on sale on Tuesdays, so we buy meat on Tuesdays there. Sometimes, we stock up and freeze it. Look at your store sales and research what’s on sale.
Now you are going to base your meal plan on what the stores have on sale. So if pasta is on sale, put spaghetti on the menu. If macaroni and cheese is on sale, put that on the menu! Make your menu based on what’s on sale AND what fruits and vegetables are in season. It is important to do it that way because the produce and foods will be much cheaper that way! So have a plan going into the store by already researching the sale items, having your meal plan (grab one in our shop), and shopping ONLY what you need!

The key to getting your grocery bill under control is to plan ahead. We shop 2-3 times per week as to NOT waste food. We go through our fresh produce only buying for a few days at a time, then we restock a few days later using INSTACART (a delivery grocery service), so we aren’t wasting food. For us, it works! And we have saved hundreds of thousands of dollars this way! What ways have you saved money on your grocery bill?

Until next time friends,

Shelly