Photograph Credit: Flickr (Jerry Whiting)
Are you seeing any increase in your savings? Have you implemented any changes to your typical grocery shopping trips? Though saving 40-60% each week is my goal, be thrilled with saving 10-20% as you implement a new savings strategy. Saving little by little will add up as you continue to find tricks that work for you.
As we near the end of this series on my food cycle, here is a quick overview up to STEP SIX out of seven total steps:
My Menu Planning Process
Step One: Choosing a menu plan.
Step Two: Adding meals to your plan from the food you have on hand.
Step Three: Continuing to add meals.
My Grocery Shopping Process
Step Four: Creating grocery lists.
- Part 1: Identify needed items.
- Part 2: Select sale items.
- Part 3: Compile a list for each store.
Step Five: Gathering your savings.
- Part 1: Entering the store.
- Part 2: Shopping your list.
- Part 3: Checking out.
Step Six: Giving your groceries a home.
- Part 1: Unloading your savings.
- Part 2: Organizing your savings (future post).
- Part 3: Preparing for future savings (another future post).
Surviving the grocery store process with three active children and lots of savings, I return to give my savings a home. Before relaxing on the couch with a little one on each side, there is still work to be done. Having accomplished deep savings, I do not want these groceries to spoil. Therefore, I begin unloading all these savings.
Unloading the car
With my children occupied either inside or outside, I begin by bringing in the bags and boxes. My long kitchen counter holds most of the bags. If I need additional space, I will either moved to the counter by the refrigerator or place my non-food savings on the floor. Once my vehicle is unloaded, I close the trunk, car doors, and garage door before returning to the kitchen.
Unpacking the groceries
With the bags on the counter, I start at the beginning of my counter as I walk into my kitchen by taking all the items out of the bag and placing them on the counter. The bag is then either folded (reusable) or tossed on the floor (plastic) for later. When one bag is done, I then proceed to the next until all the groceries are on the counter and all the bags are off.
Unloading the car and unpacking the groceries on my counter allows me to see where I need to concentrate. The next post in this series will explain how I organize my savings from this point. Though this process seems to take quite a bit of time, the more it is repeated, the quicker I become.
This process works for me. If you have a small space in which to work, then find a system that helps you be efficient. Willing to try a new way of doing things helped me save 40-60% off my grocery bill. You can do the same. Just be willing to try. Happy experimenting!
Question: What odd-to-you idea have you tried that really worked beyond your expectations? For me, making a menu with what I had on-hand and then shopping only the sales was a “weird” idea that really works! Now I cannot go back to paying full price for items that will soon be on sale. Keep your comments coming! Love to hear your answers.