This week, I wanted to share how I have been striving to reduce my grocery expenses this month.
We all have those times when it seems like all the major expenses happen at once.
Car repairs. Doctors’ bills. Household expenses. Major semiannual bills due. Renewal fees or other work-related expenses.
Whatever the cause, I am sure many people know what I am talking about.
Well, April was that time for me. So heading into May, I decided to keep my expenses down and avoid all unnecessary spending.
Groceries have been especially tough for many people in the last year or so.
Thus, I figured it was worth documenting my expenses and what I made with what I had!
Week One (May 1-6)
Expenses: $49.78
Groceries purchased: discounted apples, ground beef, shredded cheese, frozen berries and peas; free items: 2 shredded lettuce, flour and corn tortillas, 2 taco seasoning
Tip: Watch your local grocery ads for the best deals. One store I pass often occasionally offers Buy 1 Get X items free deals in which you buy a signature item and then get 3-5 additional items free so that you can make a full meal. This week, in honor of Cinco de Mayo, they offered tortillas, lettuce, taco seasoning, and sour cream for free with the purchase of a value pack ground beef!
We aren’t big meat eaters, but this was worth a stop for me.
Check out my weekly meal prep post if you want to see a bit more detail about what we ate this week.
Week Two (May 7-13)
Expenses: $229.70
Groceries purchased: fruits and vegetables, frozen fruit, eggs, butter, almond milk, yogurt*, pesto, parmesan cheese, coffee*, kombucha*, apple juice*, gelatin*, burger and hot dog buns*
This week might seem expensive for someone on a minimal spend mission, but we had a birthday party for my youngest son, and A. and I are both striving to eat well (which means loads more produce to satisfy our substantial appetites). I also purchased a few special items (like 3 large yogurts, buns, gelatin, and apple juice) for the party as well as kombucha (for my son who has been having some gut-related issues that the fermented foods have been helping) and coffee (a stock-up item).
Tip: Try to plan ahead for holidays, family celebrations, and parties. Buying shelf-stable or freezer-friendly items piecemeal in the weeks leading up to an event can help you manage these expenses that might otherwise tank your budget!
Check out my weekly meal prep post if you want to see a bit more detail about what we ate this week.
Week Three (May 14-20)
Expenses: $69.44
Groceries purchased: produce, tofu, kombucha*,
We ended up having a fair amount of leftover food from the weekend, so meal prep was made easier – and cheaper! – this week.
Tip: Shop your shelves first! You will be amazed by what you can create from pantry, freezer, and fridge items.
Check out my weekly meal prep post if you want to see a bit more detail about what we ate this week.
Week Four (May 21-27)
Expenses: $113.16
Groceries purchased: produce, frozen fruit, vanilla extract, BBQ sauce, clearance Nutella, more produce!
I popped into a Stew Leonard’s this week and scored some discount produce! Joy had mentioned that they often have great produce and Stew’s did not disappoint.
I also grabbed a super cheap jumbo container of their brand “nutella” – which may have been a mistake since I find chocolate hazelnut spread irresistable! I opted for only one jar even though I picked up two initially to hopefully minimize the duration that temptation is in our house!
Tip: The easiest place to say “no” to temptation is in the grocery store. This is more of a health tip than a budgeting tip, but if you struggle to control yourself around certain food items, don’t buy them! It will save your wallet – and your waistline – in the long run!
Check out my weekly meal prep post if you want to see a bit more detail about what we ate this week.
Week Five (May 28-31)
Expenses: $82.73
Groceries purchased: herbs, tofu, chocolate, vegan cheese, other pantry staples (pecans and jackfruit)
I’m including the full total even though the groceries purchased will definitely carry us beyond May 31st. I usually shop for a full week (though there are often some mini trips to capitalize on great deals or discount produce), and since my meal prep often includes ingredients used throughout the week or for end-of-the-week dinners, it just didn’t make sense to break things down.
Tip: Minimize shopping trips if you struggle to stick to your list. I have learned to shop around over the years since I live in close proximity to multiple grocery stores and the deals vary from place to place. However, many people find that stepping foot into multiple stores ultimately leads them to spend more. If that is true for you, then stick to one trip per week, biweekly, or even per month; you know your household and lifestyle, so do what works best for you. There is no perfect approach!
Check out my weekly meal prep post if you want to see a bit more detail about what we ate this week.
Conclusion
Even with the expenses that provided groceries for the beginning of June too, here’s my final monthly total for groceries:
$544.81
Bear in mind that there were a few meals eaten out in the month of May that I did not factor into this total. We don’t typically eat out a ton, so May was anomalous for us in this regard.
I do usually factor all food – even takeout or dining out – into my same grocery budget because it just makes budgeting easier for me. For the sake of this breakdown, however, I opted to leave it out.
My goal is to maintain a grocery budget around $800/month (which I think should be sufficient for my household size and lifestyle), and even factoring in the meals eaten out this month, I did stay on track.
There are certainly even more extreme ways to manage grocery costs, but I hope this gave you a realistic picture of what reducing your grocery costs could look like. Making a conscious effort each week to reduce your expenses will result in savings if you stick with it.
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