Coupons, Grocery Shopping, Menu Planning

You know those people who say saving money is like a game to them? That they just love finding ways to save money? That clipping coupons, finding sales, and getting a good deal gives them a high? Well, I'm not one of them. Don't get me wrong, I do want to save my family money, and it feels good to get a really great deal on something, but it's not something I derive a great deal of joy from. Clipping coupons and all that jazz is just a chore to me.

But I think the economy has affected us all... and choosing a job that allows me time with my family over one that pays as well, and of course the expenses of Sophia's out-of-state medical care, have made it more of a necessity for me to try to save us money.

I have come a long way. One thing that always drove me crazy was throwing away food at the end of the week. And one thing I do have fun doing is menu planning. So I've gotten good at choosing recipes that use many of the same ingredients. So, if I buy a stalk of celery, I will use up all of it by the end of the week. I vary up our meals, so that we usually have one chicken dish, one vegetarian dish, one pasta dish, one red meat dish, etc. throughout the week, but I do chose dishes that contain some of the same things - like parsley - so that nothing goes to waste.

Usually I will go to the Farmer's Market on Saturdays and pick up whatever looks extra yummy - this week it was beets, black-eyed peas, red onions, yellow onions, sweet potatoes (and lots of fruit). Then on Saturday night I sit down and, using those ingredients plus things I know are on sale an/or I have coupons for, and depending on our schedules and what I feel like, I plan out our meals for the week and make my grocery list.

Then I go grocery shopping Sunday nights after the girls are in bed.

I have figured out how to save money at the grocery store, even though I hate it. I used to spend $200 or more a week for our family of four. I know there are families of ten that claim to spend less than half of that, and I'd love to know what they buy, because as hard as I try, I cannot get it down that low. We do eat fresh produce every day and meat almost every day. But I'm also a brand snob, unfortunately. I've tried, I really, really have, but it just proved to me that nothing gets my clothes as clean at Tide and nothing gets my dishes as clean as Cascade and nothing stops leaks and diaper rashes on my kids like Pampers. So I started clipping coupons, stocking up when things were on sale, and really paying attention to when/where I bought things. And I've got my week grocery bill to around $80, which is a huge improvement over $200+ With $20-30 at the Farmer's Market added to that, I'm right around $100 (but that does include some non-food items, like diapers, which should be disappearing from our grocery bill any day now!!!)

So here's how I cut my bills in half, while still buying the same things:

I use the Sunday paper, the coupon mailer in the mail, online coupons and all other sources (like Pampers coupons in the box, and I sign up to get coupons from P&G and other companies that sell my favorite brands - check out all their websites for offers and to get on their mailing lists). I shop at Kroger (LOVE them! They always double coupons, they have cheaper Pampers than anyone else) - if you have a Kroger card, be sure your address is updated (you can do it online) because they will send you personalized coupons...last week I got a free pound of baby carrots and a free big box of Cheerios! Also, we have a coupon club at work - everyone brings in their coupons that they didn't use and puts them in a big basket - I get lots of duplicate coupons there.
I go through all of the sources and cut out every coupon that is for a product that I normally buy (don't clip coupons for stuff you wouldn't otherwise buy!)

You won't use your coupons if you don't organize them, so I have a little plastic envelope thing I got in the dollar section of Target - it has dividers in it, and I organize my coupons in that... one section for food, one for household items, one for baby items, one for medicines, etc. But I leave the very front pocket empty.

I have plans to wrap my little coupon holder in adorable fabric and decorate it... one of many, many plans that is just waiting for a little free time!

When I make my grocery list, as I decide which coupons I need to use that week, I move those coupons to the front pocket of my coupon holder - that way I have all of them ready to go at the store. I also weed out any coupons that have expired that week. If there's one that's about to expire, sometimes I'll go ahead and use that if it's something I can stock up on, even if I don't need it right then (like my toothpaste).

I only buy what's on my grocery list, except... If I'm at the store, I might notice that peanut butter is on sale AND I remember that I have a coupon for it - so I move that coupon into the front pocket and get one (or more) to stock up.

Right now I think the most useful thing about my pre-law school education is that I am really good at cramming lots of random information into my head. So I pretty much have the contents of my coupon envelope memorized - that way as I'm scanning the store for sales, I can be sure to catch things that are on sale and that I have a coupon for. This way I'm always stocked up on things like laundry detergent, and I never have to buy them without a coupon or a sale.

So there... most of you probably spend less than me at the grocery store, but those are my money saving tips nonetheless ha ha! And now, for some random weekend pictures (because I have a feeling I won't have much time for blogging this week - so this will have to last you a few days)...

Don't you love Amelia's monkeys? I love them, because she loves them - when she puts this outfit on, she starts bouncing around yelling "my Georgie!" (Curious George - she calls all monkeys Georgie).

Sophia's best friend Zoe came over Sunday to play. There is nothing sweeter than these two together - they've been BFF since they were barely two years old. They mostly played in the yard today, doing fun things like trying to make honey with flowers and water.

Some day very soon I'll share the recipe for this very LARGE pound cake, which was eaten by my family and the nurses on Baby T's floor all in one day - yes, it's that yummy.

As Sophia has been singing non-stop this weekend... and so I praise the Lord for giving me the things I need - the sun and the rain and the appleseed, the Lord's been good to me!