When people hear that we usually spend $400 a month on our groceries, they are shocked. It's well below the national average for a family of our size. If you want to see what the national average for your family is, look here.
I have some rules I follow that have helped me feed our family of 3 (with seconds and leftovers for my husband) a real food, gluten free diet, with as much organic food as possible.
You can find my first 5 rules for keeping the grocery bill under control over at Wife on the Go. Just follow the link:
Those aren't all my rules though! I have 4 more crucial rules for managing the bill while keeping your family healthy and I'm going to share them with you here on the blog.
We'll just pick up where I left off in my article....
Rule #6.
Discount Stores!
I touched on this one in Rule 5, but it's so important! We have an ALDI. That store saves me so much money! Cuts my grocery bill in half every week! You can check here to see if there is an ALDI in your area that could be helping you save money.
Also look for overstock stores and discount grocery stores. You never know what you will find at these kinds of stores. You can't count on being able to get all of your groceries there, but what you do find will be steeply discounted. Save money when you can! Don't be afraid of the sometimes dented boxes, often times the food inside is still in perfect condition!
Rule #7.
Don't Go Hungry!
You've probably heard this one from your mother. I know I had heard not to shop with an empty stomach many times, but I didn't realize the effect it could have until I made the mistake.
I was in a hurry to get to the grocery store and back while the baby was sleeping. My husband had agreed to stay home and watch our baby, but I wanted to get home before he woke up. In my rush, I didn't eat lunch. Half way through my shopping trip, everything started looking good and I found myself snatching up things that weren't on my list because they "looked tasty" or "seemed like a bargain."
Let me tell you that total quoted at the check out was not a bargain! I was a little embarrassed trying to explain why I went over our budget to my husband too. Don't make that mistake. Keep a snack in your purse in case you get hungry in the store. Peanuts or breakfast bars are great choices!
Rule #8.
Make It From Scratch!
Following this rule won't just keep you out of the red, it will help you stay healthy too! I make most of our foods from scratch. If I can make it at home, I don't buy it pre-made and pre-packaged. I remember the first time I decided to break down a whole chicken and use all the parts. It was comical! We had three meals off a chicken that cost me less than $5. After that, I was hooked!
Rule #9.
Portion Control.
First, educate yourself about what you should be eating and how much. There are some helpful tools over at Choose My Plate you can use for free.
If you have a meat-and-potatoes kind of man like I do, you can try my tricks of the trade:
- Fill the plates and then take them to the table.
- Leave the dishes containing the remainder of the meal in the kitchen.
If you have to get up and go to the kitchen for that second helping instead of having it staring you in the face, it's easier to resist. If you're really hungry, obviously you can go get more. If it's just your taste buds that are bent on gluttony, you won't have such a hard time resisting.
I hope my 9 Rules help you keep your budget in check. As always, I want to hear about your experiences and tips in the comments.
-Crazy Earth Mama
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