Using Time Wisely

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Grocery Shopping: Creating your Grocery Lists – Part 1 of 3

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After a slight interruption last week with posting my grocery savings at Publix and Bi-Lo, I will return to my process for feeding my family. Before I step foot in the grocery store, I have already prepared to feed my family by creating a menu plan.

My Menu Planning Process

Step One: Choose a menu plan. My preference is the monthly plan, but in discovering your type of plan, I share links to other types of plans. Remember, a menu plan is a tool to help free you from the “5:00 p.m.-oh-what’s-for-dinner-tonight” quandary.

Step Two: Add meals to your plan from the food you have on hand. If you follow my system, you might not have many choices right away. You will need to build up your stockpile to have more options. When you start with the food in your house, menu planning gets easier.

For me, this second step was the hardest to accomplish. It was mind over matter. I had to re-train my thinking from choosing meals we wanted to eat to scheduling meals I could make now.

Though it took me about 2-3 months to “get it,” the savings are incredible. Using time wisely to change my thought process was time well spent.

Step Three: Continue to add meals. In creative inspiration, I shared times I am thinking about menu planning. By menu planning while putting away groceries and shopping, I can quickly make up a menu plan without much fuss. It takes lots of practice, but it is using time wisely to master menu planning. Your lowered family food budget will be a constant reminder of your success.

My Grocery Shopping Process

Step Four: Creating grocery lists. Today, I will begin a 3-part series sharing my tips for creating grocery lists:

    • Part 1: Identify needed items
    • Part 2: Select sale items
    • Part 3: Compile a list for each store

Part 1: Identify Needed Items

As I prepare to create my grocery list, I first identify my needed items. To do so, I will consult the pad of paper on the side of my refrigerator and then check my supplies for needed items.

Pad of Paper

In our household, we keep a pad of paper on the side of our refrigerator. Usually there are a number of items on this list due to the system we have in place.

When you remove the last bottle of ketchup, you write “ketchup” on this pad of paper. If you notice we are running low on butter or milk, these items also get added to the pad of paper. Other items on this paper might be snacks and lunch foods for my husband to take to work, paper products, and medications. With this system in place, I only need to check the pad of paper to see what items I need to replenish.

Supply Areas

I will then check the refrigerator, pantry, and both freezers for any items that are low in supply. I will add these items to the list on the pad of paper.

With a complete list of all the items my family needs, I am ready to select sale items for my grocery list. Come back next week for more tips on using time wisely in creating your grocery lists.

Question: How do you keep track of items needed in your household?

August 8, 2011: Publix and Bi-Lo Shopping Results

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After creating my menu from the ingredients I have on hand, I am ready to go shopping. Yes, I shop after I know what I plan to make for the week. I know that this sounds backwards, but this system really saves me money, energy, and time.

With my freezer, pantry, and refrigerator housing all the ingredients for my weekly menu plan, I am free to shop the sales at the stores. I am looking for items that are on sale at their rock bottom price, and then using any available coupons to maximize those savings.

This week, I purchased a few sale items. Here are my shopping results:

Photograph Credit: Publix

Publix

2 packages Quaker Chewy Granola Bars (on sale buy one get one free) – $1.40 each

1 Suave shampoo (22 oz.) – $2.19

1 Suave conditioner (22 oz.) – $2.19

2 Dean’s Dips (12 oz.) – $1.95 each

2 Elmer’s Glue (4 oz.) – $.33 each

Krazy Glue – $1.40

Subtotal:  $13.14

Minus the following coupons:

2 – $.55 Publix coupons for a Suave product

2 – Manufacturer coupons for a free Suave product up to $2.99 (took off $2.19 each)

2 – $1 Publix coupons for Dean’s Dip

1 – Manufacturer coupon for $1 off 2 containers of Dean’s Dip

New subtotal: $4.66

Tax: $0.39

Total: $5.05 – With the sale prices and coupons, I purchased $20.40 worth of product for $5.05 which is a savings of 75%.

By stacking coupons, which means using a store coupon and a manufacturer’s coupon on the same item, I was able to maximize my savings to more than the purchase price of the Suave products. Since I had 2 coupons for a free Suave item from the manufacturer, the 2 bottles of Suave where free. But, I also used the Publix store coupons (from the green advantage flyer), so the extra $1.10 of savings was taken off the end total since I had other items that were not free. I did not “make money” in cash, but I gained “overage” to save on other items purchased.

Photography Credit: Bi-Lo

Bi-Lo

2 packages Hillshire Farm sausage links (14 oz.) – $2.50 each (used buy one get one free rain check from previous week)

1 Southern Home Peanuts Fruit Snacks (6 ct.) – $1.79

2 Southern Home Cheese Sticks (11.5 oz.) – free (used rain check from a previous meal deal where these were free, but the store was out. On this visit, the cashier took the rain check, but did not ring up the two items – per his manager.)

Subtotal: 11.77 (plus the price of the cheese sticks)

Minus the following coupons:

1 – Publix coupon $1 off 2 packages of Hillshire Farm links

My Bi-Lo accepts competitor store coupons. Publix is a qualified competitor. Therefore, I used a Publix coupon and stacked it with a manufacturer coupon to maximize my savings.

2 – Manufacturer $.60 coupons for Hillshire Farm links which doubled to $1.20 off for each

My Publix doubles manufacturer coupons up to $.50, but my Bi-Lo doubles manufacturer coupons up to $.60. Since I had a rain check (savings) + store coupon (Publix) + manufacturer coupons + double the manufacturer saving, I had a great result from stacking the savings.

1 – Bi-Lo coupon for free Peanuts fruit snacks from previous customer survey (took off $1.79)

Total: $.68 (tax was $0) – I purchased a minimum of $11.77 worth of product for $.68 which is a savings of 94%.

These savings are due to a slow week of sales and cashing in rain checks and free product coupons. Now, I cannot make one meal out of this shopping trip, but I did not need to. I have plenty of food in my stockpile. By shopping the sales, I am able to stay stocked and maximize my savings.

This is not “extreme couponing” where I am purchasing tons of products I do not need and spending days working my deals. I do spend about 1-2 hours preparing for my shopping trips, but for me, the savings are worth using time wisely.

Question: Do you shop before or after making your menu plan?  

July 12, 2011: Publix and Bi-Lo Shopping Results

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In keeping up with the sales to maximize my savings, our family went grocery shopping together on the last day of the sale. (Hey, we still get the sale prices even if I wait until the last day of the sale. :-)) Here are the results of our trip:

Bi-Lo Purchases:

2 salad dressings

2 bags of chicken fries

2 X-14 toilet bowl cleaners

Subtotal: $22.24

Used the following coupons:

2 – $.50 off salad dressing (doubled to $1 off for each)

2 – $1 off chicken fries

2 – $.55 off X-14 products (doubled to $1.10 off for each)

New Subtotal: $4.90

Tax: $.02

Total: $4.92

On this trip, we received $22.24 worth of groceries for $4.92 which is a savings of 78%. I also received a rain check for the out-of-stock Orville Redenbacher popcorn to be used on a later purchase at the sale price. 🙂

Publix Purchases:

2 salad dressings

1 yogurt 4-pack

3 Bagel bites

2 sponges

Subtotal: $16.83

Used the following coupons:

2 – $1 off Publix coupon for salad dressing – (If I had had a manufacturer’s coupons, I could have stacked them. This means I could have used a store coupon and a manufacturer’s coupon together to maximize my savings. But I only had the store coupon to use.)

$.50 off yogurt that doubled to $1 off

$1 off Bagel bites

$2.21 off Bagel bites from Publix coupon (buy 2 and get the 3rd for free)

2- $1 off sponges

New subtotal: $4.18

Tax: $.12

Total: $4.30

For this transaction, we received $16.83 in product for $4.30 which is a savings of 74%. I also requested a rain check for the Welch’s yogurt snacks for a future purchase since the shelves had been cleared.

There is a downside to shopping on the last day of the sale with some items being out of stock. However, the rain checks allow you to still grab that deal at a later time. If you are short on coupons, then the rain check is a great option. You can get the rain check for the sale price and then wait for coupons to maximize your savings.

These are my shopping results. How are your savings adding up? Leave a comment sharing your savings.

June 16: Bi-Lo and Publix Shopping Trip Results

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After the break from shopping, I am back into the savings groove. Knowing I missed lots of sales that may not be repeated for the next 6 weeks, I am not sweating it. The sales will come back around, and my family will survive on what sales I can match with coupons.

Though the deals were not fantastic last week at my Bi-Lo and Publix, I did snag these good deals:

BI-LO

1. Dozen large eggs for $.99 each

2. Baby-cut carrots for $.99 each and paired with competitor (Publix) coupon for $2 off product item. Using the coupon with this purchase resulted in free carrots and $1.01 in overage. This overage was applied to another product, like the eggs. Since I had 2 coupons and each stated “one coupon per purchase,” I divided my purchases up into two transactions and used one Publix coupon per sale.

TIP: If you will have overage, like the $1.01 for the carrots, then purchase another item to absorb the savings in your transaction. For example, purchase the carrots and another item $1.02 or more (after coupons) in the same transaction. Most stores will not give you money back.

3. Bone-in split chicken breasts with rib meat at $.89 per pound. This price was lower than my rock bottom price of $.99 per pound. I purchased 3 packages which after cut up netted 15 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, 15 tenderloins, and 6 cups of chicken broth. Here is the tutorial for cutting up the chicken.

With my 2 transactions at Bi-Lo, I purchased $100.38 worth of product for $36.68 which was a savings of $63.70 or 63%. I was pleased with this trip with the limited number of deals this week.

PUBLIX

1. Tombstone Pizzas for $3.15 each

2. Package of smoked white turkey deli meat for $2.09

3. EGGO waffles for $1.29 each

4. Oscar Meyer Lunchables for $1 each

5. Yoplait Fiber One yogurt for $1 paired with $.50 coupon that doubled making the yogurt free.

My total at Publix resulted in $135.66 in merchandise for $60.06 which was a savings of $75.60 or 56%.

Both of my shopping trips resulted in over 50% savings which is my goal. Now that I am back to saving and restocking my pantry, refrigerator, and freezer, I am ready to shop again this week. How are your savings panning out? Please leave a comment indicating your savings from feeding your family.

Grocery Store Bound

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After avoiding the grocery stores for a month (due to a busy schedule), I have exhausted my staples. My pantry is still relatively full, but I have pieced together as many meals as my creativity can muster. Upon realizing that dinner was not to be had from my kitchen tonight, I requested dinner out.

Considering our choices, we decided to visit Firehouse Subs where kids eat free on Sundays and Wednesdays. With the allowance of 2 free kids’ meals for each paying adult, our family of 5 enjoyed 2 adult combo meals and 3 kids’ meals to the tune of $16.

Though I could have created a meal for far less, the night off was so nice. After watching another hail storm while at dinner and attending church, I came home ready to cut my coupons, organize my binders, and create a grocery list from the grocery store sales this week. With the help of Jenny Martin at southernsavers.com, I matched my coupons with the sales, printed my lists, and prepared myself for shopping tomorrow.

Although the sales were not outstanding this week, my family will enjoy having some of our normal meals again. I am pretty sure I have missed a ton of great deals and opportunities to buy ahead, but I chose to use my time wisely and hang out with my kids. Hope you are using your time wisely and able to snag some great savings while you feed your family.