I have been searching for ways to try to save money on groceries for, it seems like,
forever. But, I'm not the only one. Moms (and Dads) across the country are looking for new ways to save, and there are a
TON of sites out there dedicated to just that. Here are a few I've found in just the last couple of days:
EACH of these sites are linked to
OTHER sites that have resources as well. Check them out, I bet you'll be just as impressed (and dazed and confused) as I am!
So, that started me thinking... if they can do it, even though they're all in bigger areas than our family is, then there's no reason why I can't do it. Yes, I have to travel 35 miles to make use of a lot of the deals I've found, but I have to do that anyway if I want to shop at Walmart, Dillon's, or Target. Why not take advantage of these deals, and make a
HUGE dent in my grocery savings?!
I'm sure all of you are thinking: "I already do this. Where has
she been?", but I've never been a coupon clipper. Most of the time, I buy generic brands, and I've seldom seen coupons for generics. However, I keep seeing the word
'FREE' on these sites... over and over and
over again. With the technique of 'stacking' coupons, these ladies are buying an entire grocery cart of food for $5 or less! Pretty amazing, don't you think?
Of course, these sorts of savings don't come without a
LOT of preparation. These people spend lots of time gathering deals, printing and clipping coupons, organizing them, and planning menus. I'm a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants type gal, but, hey, if it'll save me a couple hundred bucks a month then I'm all for it!
So, let's get started!
First, I've got to come up with a weekly menu plan. I don't know about you, but my family is
picky! So, in order to please everyone, I've got to carefully plan around everyone's tastes. I borrowed a week's worth of supper recipes directly from
Frugal Dr. Mom (with links) – they sound really good! And, I'll be adding breakfast, lunch, and snacks to the menu, too. I subscribe to
Clean Eating magazine, and they usually have a great section on healthy, budget friendly weekly meal plans – "FIVE dinners for $50" – not bad! Who says you have to spend a mint to eat healthy?! I'll definitely be including those recipes, too!
My goal is to cut my grocery spending in half, and go from there. Here's my tentative menu plan for next week (at this point I expect lots of changes, tweaks, and revisions):
Breakfast Menu- Monday: Apple Spiced Oatmeal
- Tuesday: English Muffin Bread with Spreads and Fresh Fruit
- Wednesday: Buckwheat Pancakes
- Thursday: Breakfast Smoothies
- Friday: Homemade Granola with Yogurt
- Saturday: French Toast with Syrup
- Sunday: Scrambled Eggs with Toast (ketchup optional!)
Lunch Menu- Monday: Chicken Salad Sandwiches with Carrot and Celery Sticks
- Tuesday: Grilled Cheese with Tomato Dipping Sauce
- Wednesday: Hot Dogs & Chips with Fresh Fruit
- Thursday: Cheese Tacos with Pico de Gallo
- Friday: Leftover Cauliflower Cheese Soup (see below)
- Saturday: Grilled burgers with picnic fixings
- Sunday: Leftover Baked Potato Soup (see below)
Snacks- Fresh Fruit
- Carrot and Celery Sticks
- Frozen Grapes, Strawberries, Melon Balls
- Homemade Granola
- Cottage Cheese
- Pickle Rolls
- Pretzel Sticks
- Homemade Juice Popscicles
Supper MenuPlease feel free to share your thoughts, tips and tricks, and ask questions! I look forward to hearing from you. Now, it's off to clip and organize coupons!
Cíao!
Steph
Things I'll be doing today: Clipping coupons, reading sales flyers, and spending hours in the sun at the pool watching my little one swim. More sunscreen, please!
