We're beginning our 3rd week of the month of savings plan. Two weeks ago my friend Michelle and I started a 30 day plan to help save money on her grocery bill in order to help her family save money and time. The first week was quite shaky with several road blocks along the way such as a printer-on-the-fritz and a missing newspaper. If you'd like to catch up to speed on the whole project, just visit part 1 and part 2.
I am so happy to report that this last week has gone much smoother! Michelle's hubby was able to whip the printer back into shape, and a newspaper found it's way into her hot little hands on Sunday. I also heard about a complete coupon filing system (you go girl!)! These measures are soooo essential to a grocery shopping makeover, so I'm happy things are getting started.
As we were talking yesterday about how the system is working she told me one element was working exceptionally well: the menu plan. It has become very easy for her to minimize her shopping bill simply by planning family meals around the sales ad. Since she was unable to print or use coupons in week one, it became essential to plan around the sales in order to save money. If you think about it, this one step alone can help shave hundreds off your bill! Here's a test-menu so you can see what I mean:
Menu:
Chicken Parmesan with salad and breadsticks
Items needed: (regular price) (sale price + coupons)
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast ($3.29/lb) ($1.88/lb)
Italian breadcrumbs (bread - $2.19, italian seasonings, $1.99) (bread - $1.19, italian seasonings - $.75)
Diced tomatoes (for sauce) ($.99) ($.20)
Fresh parmesan cheese ($3.29) ($.49)
Egg ($1.50/dz) ($.75/dz)
Olive oil ($5.99) ($4.99)
Salad mix ($3.29) ($1.25)
Dressing ($2.99) ($.65)
Breadsticks ($1.49) (free)
If you were to buy these items at regular price, you would spend roughly $30.00 for this meal. I calculated prices based on what my local stores charge for these items on an everyday basis (this price is in black). This menu was also chosen because most of these items were on sale with matching coupons just this last week at my local stores! After I figure what I spent on these same items last week (this price is in red), my new total on all items with using the sale and coupons is about $14.00 - a savings of over 50%! Now, obviously you won't need the whole loaf of bread, the whole bottle of olive oil, and a dozen eggs to make chicken parmsean, but those items can then be used for lunch, breakfast, or any number of other meals! I'll admit $14.00 is more than I typically spend on a single meal, but I used this example to show how pricey some meals can be. We all like a treat once in a while, but you can have your special meals more often if you plan accordingly.
The main idea here is planning. It takes little time to sit and plan out meals for a week, but it will save you lots of time and money in the end! I have a method I've used now for several months (off and on I admit) that's super easy to implement: I bought a small index card sized box, index cards, and alphabetical dividers. I then sat down and wrote out all the meals I typically serve such as chicken fajitas, tacos, spaghetti, grilled chicken salad, etc.. on the top of each card. Second, I added all the items needed for that meal. If I typically serve chips and salsa with fajitas I write that down. If I serve salad and breadsticks with spaghetti I write that down. Then when it comes to deciding what to eat for the week, I can quickly see what items I need to buy to make the complete meal! This is especially helpful when planning a meal around sales - if chicken is on sale, pull out several meals that require chicken and see how many of them include other sale items. Then build your menu plan around meals that have mostly sale items.
My key point in this weeks' update is that with careful planning and determination, you CAN succeed at a total grocery makeover. Learning to use coupons effectively is a work-in-progress and takes a little time, but I can see a grocery shopping guru emerging in my friend Michelle! Just by paying more attention to what's on sale, what coupons she has, and what her family needs are, she's been able to realize that grocery shopping does not have to be a chore that's avoided - it can be an ordered, quick and dare I say pleasant event. :o)
As week three begins, she's now armed with fresh grocery ads, neatly clipped and organized coupons, and a meal plan in hand - stay tuned!
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