Grocery Shopping on a Tight Budget

Friends often ask me how I manage to keep my family well fed on such a tight budget. A glance at my grocery store receipts often elicits exclamations over how well I shop, often followed by requests to know "my secrets." It started out as 5 simple rules I learned from my mother, that I have followed since leaving the nest. My mother is a wonderful woman who managed to feed a family of 5 on a military salary. Her "tricks" have helped me keep my own family fed in lean times and save a lot of money even when I didn't need to.

Rule # 1: The List

Always write a grocery list. Check your refrigerator, freezer, pantry, bathroom and laundry room. Make a note of everything that you need. Don't forget to check your cleaning supplies. Allow for 1 or 2 items that are not on the list, but otherwise stick to your list. Know how much you need of everything-if you only need 1 box of cereal, then only purchase 1 box of cereal. Be specific, what kind of cheese do you need? The only allowable generalizations are "meat" and "produce."

Rule # 2: Know Your Grocery Store

You've undoubtedly been to the same grocery store several times. You know the layout. Put the list in order of the aisles in the store, or as close to it as you can. You won't do your budget any good if you have to do a last minute run back thru the store to find items you forgot and happen to pick up a few other impulse items that catch your eye.

Rule # 3: Plan Ahead

Have one or two specific meals in mind, preferably meals that leave a decent amount of leftovers that your family will eat. Stew, chili and pasta dishes tend to be the best choices in this regard, but go with what your family likes. This will save you the expense of trying to plan a menu as you shop. Just make sure you add any ingredients you don't already have to your list.

Rule # 4: Skip Brand Names

With few exceptions, store brand is just as good as its brand name counterpart and can save you a lot of money. The only items I don't ever purchase a generic alternative to are toilet paper, ketchup and mac & cheese. One addendum to this rule-if the brand name is on sale, and as a result is less expensive than the generic version, then go with the brand name.