How I Bought Groceries for the Week & Only Spent $25

Yesterday I bought my groceries for the week and only spent $25.  And no, I am not a coupon-er! This doesn’t happen every week, but when it does – it is always welcomed!

So, how do I get these weeks?  Well, I have a few standard practices that I stick to.

1. Shop from a list.  This is like “don’t go grocery shopping when you are hungry.” Without a list you end up buying things you don’t need. A list keeps you focused and it also prevents repeat trips to the store (where you will likely buy other extra stuff). Make a meal plan. Make your grocery list from that meal plan. And shop from that list.

2. Buy in bulk. Buy items like rice, quinoa, grits, and other grains in bulk. They are cheaper this way. I also buy meat in bulk, because family packs can be less expensive per pound that smaller packaged meats. Additionally, if I find meat on sale I buy extra. Separate what you need and freeze the rest. You can cook it before you freeze it or freeze it raw. This keeps you from having to buy meat every week. And meat can be a big part of your grocery bill. This is also the case for snacks like nuts, dried fruit and air popped popcorn. The snack sized or single serving packages are priced higher. Buy the big bags and separate them into servings yourself using Tupperware containers or snack sized ziplock bags.

3. Buy in season. Produce that is in season is less expensive. Coincidentally, it is also better quality in terms of nutrients and flavor.  You will notice the change in prices, but you can also google a list of in-season produce.

This list may help you plan your meals based on what is in season. 

4. Cook from scratch. Prepackaged or premixed dishes can be costly. Buying all of the ingredients and cooking from scratch allows you to get more bang for your buck because you can make more servings or meals. Freeze extras or plan your meals around the ingredients that you have on hand.

5. Shop around. I got this from my grandfather. Some items are cheaper at other stores. So, if your grocery store doesn’t price match, learn which stores have the best prices for particular items. Of course, this is only practical if you have a few grocery stores within close proximity.

My $25 week happened because I shopped from a list, didn’t have to buy items that I previously bought in bulk, the produce I bought was all in-season and I only bought whole ingredients and not packaged or premixed items. 

My food as I began to prep for this week.