It's funny to think about how long I have known many of you and the topics of conversations that have spanned the years between us. It's gone from talking about the boy at school who asked us out, to were Ross & Rachel really on a break, to what college to apply to, to the man we think could be THE ONE, to screaming over the phone, "I'm engaged!!!", to wedding plans and marriage ups & downs, to pregnancy hormones and birth stories, to now grocery shopping and coupon clipping. Oh how I cherish the friendships that span the decades. I am a blessed woman with a handful of Decade Chicks!
So who would have thought we would one day be talking about grocery shopping?
I have come to realize in recent years that frugal women fascinate me. I love a woman who is happy to take care of her home, enjoys mothering and loves to cook for her family. These are the women I want to sit and pick their brain regarding their home caring/family caring routines. They are the ones that I want to spend a day with just to see how they fit it all into one day. In my married life, I have been blessed with godly women who have shown me the value in home and family caring. Their ability to care for their family without breaking the bank is also an inspiration to me.
Recently I stumbled onto a blog that has also inspired me in the saving money department. It's one of those blogs that I bookmarked so I can read the archives in my down time. I just can't seem to get enough or her money saving tips. Fascinating stuff!!! Click the picture to see for yourself.
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A few of my favorite articles are listed below.
One area her blog has inspired me is to get my grocery budget back on track. Menu Planning and Budget shopping was a hobby for me before Andrew came along. I enjoyed the planning and shopping of it all. Now I am just happy to get something on the table that is edible and not molding. {I ate a sandwich the other night that didn't taste right. Turns out the bread was on the way to being covered in green goodness. I was two bites away from finishing it before I looked at the rest of the loaf to see the cause of why the bread wasn't tasting right---gross!!!} I used to laugh at my friends who would divide up topics of conversation into the before baby and after baby category. Now that I am a mom I so get what they were saying and I apologize for laughing at you behind your back. {I am teasing--I never did that} I guess you can say Menu Planning was great... before baby. Now I want menu planning to be great after baby. I know myself well enough to know that I thrive with a well planned menu for the week and a grocery list in hand. Without these two, my husband is usually making a dinner run or picking up something at the store that I forgot to get while I was shopping a few hours ago. It's not pretty folks.
so friends let me ask you this...what are some things that have helped you grocery shopping after baby?
Are you a coupon clipper? Do you shop at one store or do you buy from a variety of stores with the best deal? Do you shop with the tot or do you leave him at home with Daddy? {I choose to keep Andrew home with Daddy so I can shop at my own pace or read People magazine without a baby crying a high volumes} Do you freeze meals to have on hand for those days you are in a pinch?
tell me your tricks. give me your grocery shopping treats.
I really am curious to know how you, dear friends grocery shop.
If you comment, I promise my next post will be nothing but pictures of the sweet boy--so please, comment away. The grandparents will thank you!
2 comments:
soooo - I just typed a lengthy comment on how we shop and it is gone!!!!!!
Basically, I shop once a month - saves time and $. Cannot buy perishables this way - so do have to go to store for those during the month.
1) Make a calendar listing of date/days on notebook paper
2) Fill-in days you know you will not be home for dinner - i.e.- wedding, potluck, football game, party, etc.
3) Fill-in from the top dinners that you have "on hand" to make
4) Star where the "on hand" dinners stop
5) Begin filling in the remaining days that are open with dinners you'd like to make
6) Make your grocery list from the calendar listing and, if your like me - you have a frigerator listing started when you run out of things.
7) Shop!!! (We do shop at Albertsons, WalMart and Costco)
8) You will need to break down the meat to freeze when you get home.
9) Add any dinners to your listing - i.e. if you bought meat on sale two for one and have an extra package, etc.
I do not follow the order of the meals listed on the calendar I made to make my grocery shopping list - but I can always look and see what I have on hand to make and decide what we'll have that week.
I cook for the "week" - usually 3-5 meals all at once. Usually, on Saturday or Sunday afternoon. This helps tremendously when the baby is fussy, or your day has been crazy and you haven't even thought about dinner, or when Andrew is older and has soccer or baseball practices.....
I have used this system for 30 of my 32 years of marriage - it has saved us $ and time.
Lastly, Bob and I shop together - he is a great bargain shopper and he is good about not "adding" to the cart! :)
Hope this makes sense - if it doesn't call me! :)
Lisa, great minds think alike. I used to find myself getting really bogged down in what we were going to eat or giving up completely and throwing in a frozen pizza as my husband was pulling up in the driveway. I also found I would get in ruts and so I finally started planning out my menus first I did 1 week, then 2 then 4. My husband gets paid once a month and he is in sales so some months are much leaner than others.
1. I have cash for my budget and different envelopes in my possesion for the different budgets (i.e. gas, groceries, christmas, fun money, etc). This helps a lot.
2. I cut coupons (I belong to coupon mom, Sunday paper and all you magazine). I only cut out the coupons I know I might use or should use. I will also price match at walmart.
3. I sit down and plan out my month worth of menus. I have some great two-fer meals that I can freeze 1/2 of and throw in the oven one evening when I don't feel like standing over a hot stove.
4. I make my list of ALL of my ingredients that I will need for the whole month and then cross reference with any leftovers from the pantry or freezer and come up with my list. I come up with my main list (all non-perishables and items for week 1) and then my much smaller lists for the subsequent weeks that can be added to as needed.
5. I have one main shopping trip in which I spend usually 1/2-2/3 of my budget for the month. That Saturday morning I go to Sam's, Walmart and Sprouts, maybe even Biglots.
6. I was given a small freezer that is out in my garage and that is when I became a lover of Sam's. First of all their diapers are so much cheaper (even with coupons). But you can get genuinely good deals on lunch meat and tenderloins there, Chicken breast portions, hotdogs, bacon, boca burgers and bread. In other words I plan double meals.
7. I plan atleast one night/week of not really "cooking" (i.e. pizza, boca burgers, etc). Then one night is a crockpot meal (chili, tenderloin, roast, soup) and every once in a while I am blessed with a leftover night. Doesn't happen very much.
I hope that helps, This is so much easier to show someone than explain in written form.
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