I have been following along for a while and I think that I have read most of the post... Good Stuff...
Here's my take on it for what it's worth... I added a few things highlighted in green...
First off you have to know what you are spending month for Food, Household items, bath and beauty items, personal hygiene products, as well as other item like sunscreen or if you self color your hair stuff like this, bug spray stuff you buy but not consistently...
Then I would suggest you do a through clean out of your pantry, so you know what's there... then do a pantry shopping trip, having a well stocked pantry is essential to keeping your monthly food budget in line... Stock your pantry how you and your family likes to eat, and how you cook, don't buy things to stock the pantry with that you don't normally use on a weekly basis....
I shop Aldi first, you can not beat the price for pantry items, sugar, flour, canned goods, stock, cooking spray, etc... then Walmart for what I can't get at Aldi, some of the items I pick up at Walmart are more name brand like thing like Vlasic or Claussen pickles, or Hidden Valley Ranch, as well they have a large assortments of condiments, and a better array of seasonings, bread crumbs, different styles of rice, as well I like the flash frozen seasonal veggie's.. good prices, and nice to have on hand...
I shop Walmart for OTC med's, shampoo, conditioners, some paper products, household cleaners, normally the price can not be beat... with that said.. I have scored some pretty good deals at BJ's warehouse, I have been buying my face lotion, vitamins,( getting almost double the amount for only like a 2 dollars more than what I paid at Walmart) shower gel, razors ( for both DH and I), deodorant (for both DH and I) paper towels, bathroom tissue, tide, dish washer tabs, DH bath soap (bars), here's were knowing your price points come into play...
Next up, Ad or Flyer sales, seasonal items, meal planning, 2 or 3 for 1 meals, freezer meals... Now all this take practice and getting use to cooking and planning for this, once you get the hang of it...it will become second nature and you can put food on the table quicker, with less money, so a win win.... I had the best teacher in the world my Granny, she knew how to stretch a dollar, and how to flat out make something out of hardly nothing... and make it taste soooo good...
When people say meal planning, there are so many ways to meal plan...
My process is I sit down and plan my shopping trips, I have a old school calendar planner, and I write it down the list on paper, yep you still remember paper and pencils right? Lol , I have tried the notes in my phone and it just doesn't get it for me..... anyway... first I look at the calendar for that month, looking at are their birthdays, gatherings, holidays, kids home from school days, vacation time whatever, and all this goes into planning... Why I do all this is so that when I make the list's, I can include items that I might need later on in the month, so I am not scrambling around having to go to the store for items... With the holiday's approaching quickly, I start what I call a running list on what I will need to for the recipes, and such... so that if I am in a store and they have something like say vanilla on sale, and I know that I am going to needed it, and I can go ahead and pick it up and be ahead of the game...
For me meal planning is not only the meal itself but what to do with everything that I buy, not letting anything go to waste... So if I buy a ham, what am I going to do with it, not just a meal or two, and then sandwiches, what can I use the whole ham for... Things like using the bone for ham and bean soup, which is a good freezer meal, as well you can chop up ham and freeze for use later in green beans or add into a breakfast potato casserole.... So the ham I baked to weeks ago, We had 2 meals, then Ham and rice casserole, ham and eggs for breakfast, sandwiches, DH took some for his lunch, I used the bone to make ham and veggie soup, and the rest I chopped and have in the freezer to add to recipes for later on...
Next I check the sales or flyers for the stores I shop in... making a list of each store and sales offers, and looking at what I need in the running list for the upcoming holidays.. as well working on the list for everyday... this is something that you can so use to your advantage, by knowing what is in your pantry, so you stock up when its on sale. Things like BOGO's or 5 for 5 or 10 for 10 deals... make sure you always know what the normal price is... As well things like condiments, and can goods, go in a cycle, so by the time you are getting low on somethings, it should be about time for them to come up on sale again to stock that pantry...
Shopping seasonal, or promotional is normally a good deal, I have found that a few times what seems like a good deal is really not a all the great... so knowing what you normally pay for something is important... things like fruit and veggies are always a good buy, so incorporate them into your menu rotation... don't buy them not unless you know what you are going to do with them...if you buy 15 bananas just because they are cheap, and then throw most of them away, is not a good deal... so with the 15 banana's, I am going to eat some for breakfast, take for lunch, and make banana bread or banana pudding with them... then that is a good deal..
Freezer meals, can save you from pulling your hair out especially when you have kids that are into everything, or you get stuck on the highway, or you have to stay late at work... Things like meatballs, and red sauce... I make 100 meatballs at a time, it really doesn't take that much more work to roll them, I buy the family pack on sale of ground chuck, and make a basic recipe... I bake them in the oven, on a rack, so they can get brown all the way, and the grease drips into the pan below, so that they are not sitting in fat, I turn them once or twice depending on the size... then we will have something with meatballs for dinner ( normally meatball subs), and then the rest of them go in the freezer - divided up. Same goes with red sauce make large pot, pulling out what you need for a meal if you are going to add in meat, or pasta into it, I divided it up, into Ziploc, you can store alot more in Ziploc... do put on a tray or something in the freezer under them until frozen, so that if you have a leak you can contain the mess, been there done that... red sauce freezes really well... you can use it later when life is throwing you curve, balls... things like meatball subs, quick spaghetti and meatballs... or throw in a crock pot with some Asian marinades for Sunday football, baseball, racing what ever you enjoy they make a great appetizer...
This is alot to take in at one time, here are some of the ways I found the time to make it happen...
I would work on my shopping list at lunch time, as well I use to clip coupons at lunch... I had a hour, so it used it wisely... Check out your favorite stores website, I know with Publix, you can load coupon to your account, and create a printable list, and it will print by aisle in your home store, as well you can add items, and it is as simple as putting in your phone number at the register... and they still take paper coupons...
We would cook on Sunday afternoon, for the week ahead.... DH might grill a bunch of leg quarters, and potatoes and other veggies, I might make a pot of red sauce, and make meatballs...for later in the week and freeze part of it... or a whole roast for beef stew or french dips...
Absolutely do not go to the store hungry... rookie move... as well, if you can keep from taking anyone with you work great, you can really focus on what you are trying to accomplish, I know that sometimes and situations don't allow for this... If you take kids with you, bring them a snack or something to do, once they get older there are this is a good time for a life lesson, teaching them how to shop, and make good food choice's. Really teaches them about budgeting.
Shop from your list - paper and pen in hand... I am saying not to be so ridged that you miss a good deal, sometimes stores will have a store special on something the other stores in the chain won't due to over ordering or items that missed the sales AD... if you are going to buy it and its a great price what are you going to do with it...
Holiday shopping, normally before the holidays get into full swing, most store put it on sale before the holiday rush... check out BOGO's, things like large cans of pumpkin in the can on BOGO, well I don't need both for Thanksgiving, I can use one for Thanksgiving for pumpkin pie and the other for Christmas for cookies or pumpkin bars or treats... by planning ahead and knowing what you are going to use items for, saves money and time...
I shop at Aldi, Walmart, BJ Warehouse, Traders Joe's, and Publix... these are my go to stores... Target and Whole Foods are a sometimes shopping stop, normally it is for certain items...
Good Luck I think that you can do it...
Keep us posted on how you are doing..
but in general-YES, know the best sale price and stock up (i'm guess bbq related stuff will be on sale this week so it may be a good time to grab condiments, beans and such).
