I was recently asked about my grocery budget, so I thought I would share about it for today's Thrifty Thursday post. If you would like to view my previous post about meal planning and grocery shopping, click here. I live on a very strict grocery budget and I don't go over it! This helps me to prioritize what I buy and when and doing my best not to let food go bad before I use it. Meal planning really cuts down on my grocery expenses and also keeps me accountable for buying what is on my list. I always make a detailed list before I shop and very seldom buy things that aren't on the list. The kids know this and are over the moon when I bring home a surprise special treat! So how do I stretch my food dollar? Here are some of my strategies:
- I buy very few prepackaged food items.
- I stick to the outer perimeter of the store as much as possible. This means I am focusing on whole foods, which are healthier and more substantial.
- I buy things in bigger packages to get a better price per unit and then divide them up into smaller serving sizes for lunches and snacks.
- I don't allow my kiddos to control what goes on the list. Although they do have some input.
- We don't eat meat on a daily basis.
I feel like we eat like kings and definitely splurge on many things. I always buy organic chicken and 95% lean ground beef. I buy lots of fresh produce, many times organic and homegrown. We eat fresh produce at least once a day. I buy expensive fortified cereal but only when it's on sale. Every month I buy a can of all-natural whey protein for my daily smoothies. I buy Greek yogurt. My new personal favorite that I treat myself to once or twice a month - organic, dry roasted cashews. SO delicious!! :)
My food budget.................. $400 maximum a month. I am so excited because I came in at $390 for the month and I still have a fully stocked kitchen for another week or so.
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