Hot Tip Tuesday: Taking control of the grocery bill

by Susan

Morning~ Jenn is enjoying some time with her family this week so I am writing for our Hot Tip Tuesday. It has been a busy couple of weeks and I haven't had much time to post to Fat Bottom Mamas. I pray everyone had a great Christmas. We did and I am pretty sure Jenn and her family did also; they celebrated their first Christmas with Elli. Those of you who know our stories of infertility know that this is a big dream come true.

On to the "hot tip".... As much as I do NOT like to grocery shop, I LOVE saving money on my grocery bill. Call me crazy but there a little bit of a rush when you go to the grocery store and save almost as much as you spend. I don't have a lot of time to run from store to store so it is important for me to get my list of groceries and plan out my attack. There are some great blogs you can find in your area that help you find great deals and meal plans that can cost as little as $5 for a family of four. I start on Thursday, I write out each day of the week and decide on what will be on the menu. I generally plan eight meals to have an additional option. Once my menu is in place I will list out everything that I need to complete the meals and then I head to the cupboards. Going to my cupboards after writing out my list is a big help; most of the time I will fine a few ingredients that I already have (money saved). I go to the same grocery store every week so I know how the aisles are set up and make my list to follow that floor plan. Once I get to the store I stay on track with the list. I can tell you from experience that if I do not stay to the list my groceries cost a lot more money. On a side note I don't usually go to the store until after bed time for my girls. Being able to get through the store quickly also eliminates additional spending.

Taking the time to walk through these steps has proven to save us money. I don't purchase a lot of "junk food" for the simple fact that as I am writing out my list I am more conscious of what I am writing down and not just grabbing for things of the shelves. I also use the same notebook every week. When I am stuck and cannot think of what to cook for the week I will look back through and pull something from previous weeks.

Just as Jenn has posted before get a plan and stick to it. It really does work.