Stre-e-etch That Food Budget

 "Shop once a week." "Don't impulse-shop."  "Buy in bulk."  "Don't shop when hungry." "Budget."  "Plan menus around sales and coupons!" "Co-op." "Don't buy brand names." And on and on.............

If you are interested in stretching your food budget then you probably know all this. This is what I find in economizing books that I have read. These are not bad books, they give very good advice. But to me, it's nothing new. But then I've been a full-time homemaker for almost 40 years so, many things are old hat to me! I do recommend them if you are just starting on this journey or if you find that you have come upon hard times and must cut back. Here's some more ideas.......

Ages ago when we only had one car I shopped by the month. Since things often changed menus, leaving us a little short at month's end,  I started something I called "pacing"---putting money (we now use a debit card or checks) for a week in envelopes and not borrowing from the next week. I also paced the food dividing cheese, nut butters, bread, butter, and other items into separate containers or marked big containers only using what was allotted for that week. I froze what was freezable so it wouldn't spoil. I bought everything but produce and dairy once a month. The downside of this: spending so much money all at once was scary. Organizing everything was lots of work. But it worked well for years.

Later, when my husband started his own business, I started shopping weekly because work was, at first, sporadic, always seasonal, and we never knew when work would come or when clients would pay after we billed them.

As our family, circumstances, and the health of our national economy changed so did methods of shopping. This is what I do now -----new ideas and old ones combined.

In coming up with weekly menus and frugal-shopping plans I consider:
1-our schedule: if hubby is working late I make meals that can handle waiting. If  we are going out,
  or to an event we need to bring food to, having guests or taking a meal to someone, I plan for that.
2-the weather: if it is hot we grill outside, have cold salads or homemade sub sandwiches. If  it's really cold,
   I make warming or spicy foods.
3-local sales and available coupons for things we use
4-what is in the freezer and what I have leftover that needs to be used up soon
5-what I can use for more than one meal, disguising leftovers and what I can make to freeze
6-nutritional balance: a heavy meal followed by a lighter meal the next day, etc. For example I would not

   make pizza one night, lasagna the next. I alternate types of meat (when I say "meat" I mean also chicken,
   fish, turkey, etc.)
*after you do this for awhile it becomes very quick and easy.

How I shop:-I make a list of what I need at each store and list sale prices. I also number where I need to go in order of
 importance because of weather (so nothing melts or freezes I buy those things last), traffic, store hours, and because
 I am directionally challenged and can end up driving way out of my way using up time and fuel when there
 is a more logical route.
-when I'm done with my list I cross off anything that I don't really need or can do without even if on sale.
-I buy by the portion, not the price per pound. This is easier when you are a single person, small family,
    newly-married or empty-nesters. I'd  buy a more expensive cut of beef  in a small portion that is cut-up   

    for a couple bucks and which stretches to two meals rather than spend over $20 on one big hunk of meat
    to cut up. The latter may be more economical in the long run but may not fit into that week's budget. If you
    live hand-to-mouth this is a better choice, I believe.                                                  
-I look for non-advertised sales. If something is out that is on sale I get a rain-check.I do not buy something
 just because it is on sale. I buy only what we need although I do stock up on some items if they are
 exceptionally inexpensive.
-when done I pull into a quiet aisle to look at my cart. Then I pull out whatever is not really
 necessary for that week, or at all, and return it. For example: I will only use real vanilla which is spendy. I
 rarely buy it because I don't think anyone will notice the lack of it in cookies or a cake unless of course that
 is the main flavor.
-I have a fairly good memory so after I quickly load the groceries onto the check-out stand I check the
 prices that are rung up. If I don't have time to do this, I do it in the car before I leave. Most often the store
 is right but sometimes I have been overcharged. Now, if you do this, you must be honest when you are
 undercharged and tell them that too. That is the right thing to do.

I hope this helps you. Please share if you have any unusual ideas about saving money on food. Thanks!
Kathi~