Recently, my son came to me and asked, "What eats more than a teenage boy?"
He stood there tall and proud with a goofy grin on his face.
You see, he recently turned eleven years old. The boy can eat! He is so proud that he is getting closer to that mysterious and alluring title of "Teenager." I smiled back at him and replied, "Two teenage boys!" I felt pretty clever with that answer, and he giggled in agreement. He has a younger brother who is too quickly approaching teenage boy status. They are already eating me out of "house and home" at ages eleven and nine! Hopefully, some of the tricks I've learned over the years as our family has grown will help us succeed as our five children grow up!
I don't know about you, but I like the hunt for a good deal. It makes me feel like I am supporting my family by being a good steward of our finances. Getting the best bang for my buck is exciting! I spend time during my grocery planning to ensure savings. Depending on the week, I will save more than others, but I never skip over the steps I've created to get the best possible outcome. All right! Here's what to do!
4 Saving Tips
Make a Budget
Creating a monthly budget is crucial to saving money on groceries. It can feel overwhelming, but it will give you a great reward in peace of mind. You are simply telling your money where it needs to go. Here are some things to think about when preparing a budget and meal plan. 1) How many people am I feeding? 2) What are our health goals, and how will our food choices reflect that? 3) What items are non-negotiable? So let's get to it!
The first thing to consider when writing your budget is pretty simple (here's a quick-start budget form). How many mouths are you feeding? There are a few different ways to determine your monthly grocery budget. First, you can go the route of a percentage of your income. Dave Ramsey has an excellent plan that helps you break down your monthly expenses to be sure you are not overspending based on your income. His recommendation is for your grocery budget to be 10%-15% of your monthly income. Another recommendation is to apply $100 per person each month. So, for our family of seven, that would put our budget at $700 per month. That made sense in my head, and it's simple math! Both are great ways to keep your grocery budget on track.
Secondly, every family eats differently. Some families have strict eating plans, some have allergies, and others have strong convictions on animal and environmental treatment. These different situations will make each budget very unique. My list and budget would never work for your family's situation. So, looking on the internet and just trying to copy someone else's plan probably will not work in the long run. That's why I want to give you some tips and tricks, not my specific list of delicious food!
Lastly, what are those items you are not willing to skip? For example, we like to eat some organic food because some of my children react to non-organic grains. So, I buy organic produce, dairy and cereals. My kids love cereal! But if it is not organic, it becomes a health problem. Therefore, I have to budget for it.
Check out these resources for information on how to create the proper budget for your family.
"If you live like no one else, later you can live—and give—like no one else." - Dave Ramsey
Online Grocery
Many grocery stores are providing online grocery ordering and pick-up now.
It… is… awesome! Especially with five children!
With online grocery, I can stick to my budget by limiting impulse buys ( that tempting pack of donuts or the beautiful new pitcher I have to buy because it is there and "On Sale"). I can easily stick to my meal plan by searching for specific items instead of wandering down every aisle in the store. I can create a "regulars" or "favorites" list so that the things I love can quickly go into my cart. It may just be me, but I have experienced the "checkout of shame" where I have to hand off all of the items that are now "go-backs" because I went over budget. With online grocery shopping, I can arrange and rearrange my cart without anyone impatiently watching as I nervously start putting the essential items ahead of the lesser important things. It's a game-changer!
Digital Coupons
I was never a coupon clipper, but I loved watching that TV show about extreme couponers. Such dedication! I did not have the time or patience to collect and cut coupons. I always felt like the coupons in the Sunday paper were for items I did not want to buy anyway. One way to blow a budget is to buy a bunch of "On Sale" things you don't need! However, times have changed, and I love digital couponing. A Google search will come up with many options. However, my favorite option is the grocery store's rewards card, which has digital coupons linked to it through the store's shopping app. I have been able to save thousands of dollars using this process. I compare prices between the two online grocery stores I use (Walmart and Smith's/Kroger) and 'clip' coupons on the Smith's grocery app (Kroger digital coupons). They have made it so simple and very efficient. One of the features I love is that their coupons often reflect the items I frequently buy. In addition, they have bonus coupons based on your purchase history and even free items. I am not just getting coupons for junk food but the good organic produce, cereals, and dairy I want! I have not mentioned this yet, but we have two kids in diapers. We often get great discounts on toiletries, diapers, and wipes. It has been a blessing for our family. Check your local stores to see what their rewards programs offer.
CashBack
Who doesn't love to get paid to buy what you are already going to buy? This tip isn't immediate savings on your grocery order, but this is passive income from your purchases. I have earned about $100 over the past few months using a few cashback apps. I know that is not a huge amount, but it is free money. The rule of thumb should be, do not just buy the $5 item you do not need so you can get $1 on your cashback app—that defeats the purpose. Instead, use the CashBack apps as a bonus when the savings make sense! A Google search will offer several CashBack apps. My go-to's are Ibotta and Fetch Rewards.
Why It Matters
The most important thing to our family is not to worry and stress over our finances. Sometimes, that is easier said than done. However, that focus is essential for our marriage and relationships. Money, or the lack of it, can be a massive point of conflict in a marriage, and it is not worth losing the loving and caring marriage relationship over money worries. Money can cause stress and contention in any relationship when not handled well. So we keep God's Word at the heart of our home.
Matthew 6:26-34 (KJV) says, "Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? So, why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field which, today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, then will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore, do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day its own trouble."
This Bible passage is a beautiful image of God's heart providing for us. Not only do we receive provision for our daily needs, but also we receive grace to not worry about if God will meet those needs. So let's honor the Lord with our finances and trust in Him. When we trust God, there is no room for stress or resentment. Dave Ramsey says, "If you live like no one else, later you can live—and give—like no one else." That is an incredible place to be!
In Conclusion, your grocery list doesn't have to be a burden. Grocery shopping is an opportunity to honor God with a simple, mundane life task. Using these steps and taking the encouragement to heart can help bring joy to your grocery shopping and saving experience. Not only saving you money but saving you time! Your wallet and your family will thank you!
Happy saving and God bless your home!
Enjoy a free shopping list!