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How I save hundreds of dollars a month grocery shopping… in fewer trips! Read through for my exact list.
Grocery shopping is such a hassle for me. Its just one of those chores that you have to do, but you always want to put off until you need to get it done. The one thing I’ve managed to do to make it more tolerable is come up with a rock solid routine – both at home and at the store – so I never find myself forgetting things. Nothing feels worse than getting home from the store only to realize you’ve forgotten something and either need to go back, or suffer without it until your next trip.
Makin a list
We renovated our kitchen in 2018 and it wasn’t until then that I really got the feel for grocery shopping and keeping a stocked pantry. We finally had the space to actually have a pantry and dammit!! I was going to take full advantage.
It took a little while to find out what products we were actually using and what was just sitting around until it expired. Once I found our groove though, I made a list.
The first list I made was all the recipes I found myself making on rotation. Keep note of those ingredients!
For the second list, I wrote down everything in the pantry, fridge, and freezer that we use on a regular basis. I also wrote down the specialty stuff I like to have but don’t necessarily need to buy all the time. I double checked to make sure all my favorite recipes’ ingredients were on the list. Anything missing, I added.
Checkin it twice
Then I broke down the list into grocery store departments: produce, canned goods, dairy, etc. That way when I was in the store shopping, I didn’t have to bounce all over my list (or the store) to get everything I needed. I could check off one department at a time and finish up ASAP.
Here’s where my list gets professional. Next to each item, I wrote down the quantity I like to keep in the house at any given time. For example: I use beans in a lot of my recipes. I like to keep 2-3 cans of each style bean I use in the pantry so if I just *decide* I want to make my 3-bean venison chili one night, I can.
Having my pantry and fridge set up this way ensures that I will always have the ingredients for our staple meals. This helps cut back on take out, over/under buying, and panic shopping. I am not exaggerating when I say this saves us hundreds of dollars a month.
Reverse shopping
I only have to go grocery shopping approx. every 2 weeks. I could go less, but we use a lot of fresh produce. On average, I spend ~$100 each trip.
“whaaaaaat?!?!?!?!”
Its because I reverse shop! I rarely need to make a grocery list. Everything I use on a regular basis is on my Big List. I check the list against what we have and whatever is low, I buy.
The only time I’ll stray from this list is if one of my stock items goes on sale (for ex: chicken will occasionally be marked down. I’ll buy a few extra packs and keep them in the freezer) or I’m shopping for a special meal, like a holiday.
Some bonus grocery hacks
Immediately after I get home from grocery shopping, I put all my meat in the freezer right away. Unless I know I’m using it in the next day or so – its going in the freezer. I do this because a) I have unintentionally let waaaay to many packs of meat go bad by forgetting they were in the fridge. And b) If I buy a bigger pack of, say, chicken breasts, I can pre-portion out what I’d use for one meal and take only as I need.
Another huge lesson I learned (the hard way, obvi) is to shop seasonally!! Summer is when you’ll find the best prices (and quality) on many fruits and veggies. Fall and Winter are great for root vegetables, squash, etc. If I want/need produce that is out of season, I always look for frozen or preserved. Its such a buzz kill spending $7 on a pint of flavorless strawberries.
Freebie Alert!
I know I just tossed a ton of life changing knowledge your way, but I have one last gift for you. MY LIST!! On it you’ll find everything I keep stocked in my pantry, fridge, and freezer at all times. All you have to do is write the quantity you want on hand next to each item and you are golden. I even flexed my graphic design muscle a made it real cute. Hang it on the fridge! Keep it handy! Use the money you save on groceries to treat yo’ self! (I’ve got some suggestions for you here and here)
Are you going to implement this list next time you shop? I’d love to know in the comments!
