This is my first in a series of tips I have on saving money on groceries that even a very beginner can master this month. Whether or not you are trying to eat healthier,  feed your family more nutritious meals, or just get that paycheck to stretch until the next paycheck we could all save a little money on groceries. My hope that after you have learned and implemented my tips into your grocery shopping plan you will not think that eating healthy is too expensive and will be able to feed your family more nutritious meals at less than the cost of what you have in the past.

I’ve found that groceries can be a HUGE chunk out of your family’s monthly income, but with a few strategies up your sleeve you can greatly reduce that monthly cost.

In case this is the first time you have came to my blog my name is Shannah Holt and I’m a mom of 8 kids (and 8 furbabies; we had 9 up until a few months ago and unfortunately lost one). I’m also a SAHM that has homeschooled for about 15 years now, so I’ve had to learn the hard way on how to save money on groceries among other things and I’m willing to share my tips so you don’t have to go through as much struggle as I have.

How often do you shop?

Do you grocery shop 1 time a month?

Do you grocery shop 2 times a month?

Do you grocery shop 3 times a month?

Do you grocery shop 4 or more times a month?

Today, I am going to be sharing with you my first tip. It is to plan out your meals,  make a list, and shop from that list when you go to the store. For me this is a given, but I know a lot of people think they can just wing it when shopping for groceries, but that will possibly end with buying food that you don’t use before it is spoiled or not having all the ingredients on hand when it is time to make the meal.

I shop once a week mainly because we need produce and that typically doesn’t last longer than a month. Even though I shop once a week I plan my meals around a two week span. We have about 30 different dinners that we cycle through over the month based on what we are wanting, what we have on hand, or what is on sale that particular time of the month. We only really plan out dinners this way since breakfast and lunch are pretty much the same everyday of the week with a few different alternatives to throw in.

We sit down the day before we plan to go to the grocery story. This can also start days earlier do what works for you and your family. We decide what we want to have for each dinner for those two weeks. Then we list out all the ingredients that are needed to go into those meals. The next thing we do is to check the pantry, freezer, and refrigerator for those ingredients. It is good to know if you already have it so you can mark it off the list and if it won’t expire before you need to use it. Don’t forget about seasonings, butter, milk, and eggs. Those are common items that are not checked when looking at the meals. You also need to consider any side items you will be having with that meal. What kinds of vegetables will you have with it? Does it need pasta, potato, or rice?

Once you have crossed off items the next thing to do is to add on anything else you need on a regular basis and non food items such as toilet paper, paper towels, etc.

Now you are ready to transfer these items to a list broken down into categories depending on where they are located in the store. This right here is a bonus tip to save you time when you are at the store. If you have kids in tow you want in and out as quickly as possible right?

I also have a freebie for you! Here is a grocery list you can print and use with categories already filled out for you. There are no lines because then I would feel I needed to be neat and fit one thing on each line. Life doesn’t always happen that way at least not for me or my family.

You can get that here: Free Grocery List Template

If you enjoyed my tip please let me know in the comments! If you know someone that needs these tips share it with them! I want to help as many moms as I can this year!

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