No the money guru's know how to save money at the grocery?
By coffeebreak
@coffeebreak (17797)
United States
August 26, 2008 8:06pm CST
THe money saving guru's have been saying for years, that you should make a shopping list for your weekly menu before you go to the grocery store and buy only what is on your list.
Well, from one that's "been there, done that" in the saving money world... my question to you is... do you agree? Will it save you more money if you buy only what is on your list this week?
I mean, you want to have several chicken meals this week. That is on your list. But you get to the store and chicken is $3.99 a lb. However, 80% hamburger is only $1.99 a lb. Do you still buy the chicken just cause it's on your list? You might be saying, well, you use the ads and base your meal menu on whats on sale that week. Okay, still... you want hamburger, its' on sale, you plan to have 3 meals that week of the hamburger. If you use 1 lb of hamburger meat per meal, do you only buy 3 lbs? DO you not buy more to stock up while it is on sale? Or do you buy 10 lbs. use 3 this week and freeze the rest for following menus? It's not on your list to do that!
I tried several ways and came up with this one - make a general list of things you need like cooking oil, sugar, bread, noodles, ketchup - things like that, but then just go and literally buy only what is on sale. THEN once home, you create your weekly menus from what you bought.
What is your plan of attack at the grocery store to stretch your dollars?
1 person likes this
1 response
@cobrateacher (8432)
• United States
27 Aug 08
I've never thought of that, but it's the best system I've heard of. I can brag and say that I'm a really good cook, so whatever is there is going to turn into something excellent. Why be a slave to the ist? I think, in fact, I'll do the grocery store as I do clothing stores or shoe stores -- if it isn't on sale, I won't even look at it! Of course, there would be no compromising on some things - I don't want to change toothpastes or my beloved splurge -- marinated asparagus, although I realized recently that I can add fresh asparagus to the brine when the jar's empty, and before long, I'll have another, probably better jar!
Thanks for a great idea. Any time we can loosen up and just go with the flow, we're enhancing our lives. 
@coffeebreak (17797)
• United States
27 Aug 08
I"m that way to - if it ain't on sale, I don't buy it. And then I think - isn't that the most intelligent, smartest way to be? Why spend more than you have to? Yeah, we all have our favorite things that we are faithful too. NO problem, just buy that favorite thing when on sale! Okay, asparagus.. might just have to buy that weekly! But for the most part, at least to me... it just seems the only way to go.
