FAB GROCERY SERIES: 4 TIPS TO GROCERY SHOP A LITTLE BETTER THIS YEAR.
Ummm the groceries are costing quite a bit of moneyyyy. But that will not keep us from eating fabulously.
We are in a brand new year and groceries are becoming higher than ever. Long gone are the days of filling your home with groceries from one main store and cooking fabulous meals from said amount of groceries. As we move forward into a new year, I feel like you are going to need some ninja-like tactics to fill your fridge and keep a little money in our wallets. Here are my 4 tips for grocery shopping a little bit better this year….
READ: How To Grocery Shop Effectively In Times of Uncertainty
Time or Money, Pick One To Grocery Shop With - This is such a classic saying but in today's climate, it even stands true for groceries. ‘You either have time or you have money’ and when it comes to grocery shopping it's just that…. you either have time to look at all the sales flyers, make the lists, go through the kitchen and clip the coupons OR you have the money to buy what you want or know what you need without taking the time to scan your kitchen. I do BOTH and recommend doing both as well. I utilize 3 grocery stores and every week whether it's 30 or so minutes on my day off to scan the weekly flyers or clipping a few digital coupons on my evening commute home ( I also recommend having the grocery store app & signing up for the member rewards cards) using some time to help better plan my grocery money helps so you aren't aimlessly walking around in the store. I then use my money for fun things like truffle oil, flavored salts, a new bottled water I want to try or a new viral food product.
Multiple Small Trips to The Grocery Store Through Out The Week OR Incorporate 1 Grocery Delivery Service - here is where the ninja like tactic will need to come in at. We are all busy but when there’s a sale that can benefit your fridge and your wallet you have to make a move on it. If you have access to a grocery store in the path of your every day routine, going in and out of the grocery store a few times throughout the week will help you keep your overall grocery budget in some kind of evenness. (This is where the time would come in at) If you do not have a grocery store in your every day path, implementing a grocery delivery service can help fill in the gaps when you are short on time but need to stay ahead of your grocery needs. Remember, it’s best to implement a delivery service that can meet a bulk of your overall household needs so it doesn't seem like an added cost. If you can get some groceries, and some household essentials like paper towels and dish soap from the same place in one delivery this is just another way to help have some kind of control over your food/grocery budget.
Multiple Meals w. One Thing Will Even Out Your Budget - to maximize your grocery budget this year you must learn how to make multiple meals with one item. My go to tomato sauce recipe is the perfect example of starting with a base (tomato sauce) and making multiple meals with it: spaghetti & meatballs - baked eggs - pan roasted lobster… you get the idea. But you have to have your kitchen essentials stocked to be able to do this. You want to be able to reach for things easily in your kitchen to make meals out of.
Use Every Holiday As A Chance to Play Catch Up - In my last 2 grocery shopping posts I used Black Friday + Feast of the Seven Fishes as ways to utilize the holidays to stock up on things for your fridge. Valentines Day just passed… did you take advantage of all the lobster/shrimp/steaks/chocolate that was on sale? The next holidays coming up are Passover/Good Friday and Easter and this is a great time to stock up on any fish, meats (i.e. lamb and ham) and seasonal vegetables like green beans and potatoes. Looking ahead to the following month is Memorial Day, which normally bbq items are highlighted to get the summer bbq season started. While I don't bbq per se, I like to use that time to stock up on large size mayo, ketchup and bbq sauce. Think of stocking up on paper plates, canned sodas, chicken and group beef which you can freeze and more.
I hope these grocery shopping tips help and start to help make going to the grocery store a little more fabulous. Leave me a comment below and let me know if these tips helped you in any way !
