Shopping only once a week and going to the store on your busiest day is the key to spending less on groceries. Over the past few months I have stuck to a simple rule: Grocery shopping once a week.
If you are not in the store, you cannot spend money, you can't fall prey to slick marketing and "buy more, save more" types of incentives. With the exception of baby items (formula, diapers) I have found that the once a week schedule works just fine. If we run out of milk or eggs, I just become more creative by using other stuff and patiently wait until "shopping day".
Now I am taking a huge step forward. I sat down one day and looked at the calendar. I realized that if I go grocery shopping on certain days, I will not spend much time in the store. For me it's Mondays. I work late on Monday and just want to get home as soon as possible.
If my "once a week" shopping trip will take place on Monday after work, I will speed in and out of the grocery store and follow my list. No more meandering down each aisle. I tried it this week and only spent $32. Compared to more than twice that the prior weeks.
Try it; it works great. Requires discipline and creativity (substituting ingredients or postponing certain recipes until shopping day).
By Bella Swan from Forks, WA
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I agree (regardless what Bella Swan's identity might be)--good tip.
One more thing to consider. In addition to YOUR schedule, consider the store's sale schedule when you pick your day of the week. For example, two of my local groceries run sales from Wednesday through Tuesday. But if I shop for sale items on Wednesday, often the sale price isn't yet posted on the shelf and/or entered into the computer, and it takes longer to accomplish check-out because I tend to look over the cashier's shoulder and argue every wrong penny.
Most grocery sales are either W-Tu or Su-Sa. Find out your preferred store's schedule before you make yours.
Saves time as well as money. I shop once a week also. No longer drive; once a week saves on cabfare. Following only my list and keeping pantry stocked ahead a few days avoids emergencies.
I've been doing something like this for years - before I start my list I make a "menu" for the week. And I do this based on the ad from the store, to utilize their sales or just to get a suggestion. Then, I can make my list 'cause I know what I want/have/need! I also make my list based on the different departments - so if I'm making meatloaf I put the ground beef under meat, eggs under dairy, and baking potatoes under produce (gotta have potatoes w/meatloaf!) I will also check on the breadcrumbs, ketchup, and sour cream, too.
Good thought-you also tend to eat more nutritiously if you aren't picking up food from the gas station because you have nothing in the house!
Many, many years ago I started the policy of shopping only once every ten weeks! At first it was once every 3 weeks and eventually I got better at planning and now I only go out once every ten weeks.
I go once a week to but going on my busiest day doesn't work for me. At that time I'm in a hurry to get out and pick up things in a hurry and not as likely to make price comparisons.
I do this as well but I also make a menu of what we will be eating for the week. Its cut down on our grocery bill tremendously! I check online ads first then do the menu keeping in mind whats on sale.
Since I no longer have the use of a car during the week I have become a weekend shopper. I have to fit all my errands into the weekend. I have found that I spend less money since I now sit down with the ads, plan meals for the week and make a list for each store. 95% of what I buy is on sale and when on sale I stock up if it is something we use a lot. My question is for those of you shopping every 3weeks or as someone said every 10 weeks what do you do about fresh items such as eggs, cream, milk? I would love to cut down on my shopping even more if I could so I could enjoy the weekends a little more.
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