If you're like me, my best coupon deals are not on food. That means great prices on toothpaste and shampoo, but what about the food you put on the table every day? Recently, I've tried to focus a little more on getting that grocery bill down.
Keep in mind that I am currently only shopping for two. Don't use my numbers for your family of four or six!
The last two times I've been grocery shopping, I have been able to get my total near $50.00. One week was $55, and another was about $60. My shopping trips before were closer to $100, and often over. The last couple of weeks I haven't had to buy many household products or bath products (thanks to my stockpile!) so that has helped keep my total down. This week will be higher because I'm getting a few out of the ordinary items, but I hope that it will still be lower than normal.
What I've been doing: The biggest thing is that I'm PLANNING! Simply choosing the recipes you are going to cook for the week or two weeks between shopping trips makes such a difference! I've found a free recipe organizer online called ReLiSImple that can sync across multiple computers if you have more than one. There is also an iPhone app, but you have to pay to download it. Besides storing your favorite recipes, there is also an integrated shopping list so you don't forget anything.
The other important thing I am doing is planning meals for the week that have similar ingredients. My favorite way to do this is to use multiple recipes that use either cut up chicken or browned ground beef. I buy a whole chicken or a 5 pound roll of hamburger, and when I get home I cook all of it right away and then separate it into the portions I will need throughout the week. This website teaches you how to boil ground beef so you don't have to brown the whole roll of beef and suffer the grease popping on your arms!
I've also been cutting up all my vegetables (onions, bell peppers zucchini YUM!) right after my shopping trip. This isn't a money-saving tip, but it sure saves some time when I get home from work each night. Cooking is a lot less trouble when the meat is cooked and the veggies are ready to toss in the pan.
The last tip is something that shouldn't be new to you as a couponer. Check the grocery ads! If zucchini is at a rock-bottom price this week, start looking for recipes that use zucchini. Research which vegetables freeze well and if you find a really great deal, you can freeze what you won't use right away.
Go check out the Facebook page for one of my recent favorite frugal recipes and post your own recipes or tips for frugal cooking!
