Grocery Lists 101
Let me be the first to tell you - from years of personal experience - that not having a grocery list will cost you anywhere between $10-20 A WEEK! Yes that's right ladies and gentlemen, $10-20 a week. You may not realize it at the time, but next time you go to the grocery store without a list just count how many things you came home with that you don't really need. Another thing to consider is what you got simple because you "thought you could use it" and three weeks later it's still in the fridge. To help combat that tendency, I've composed a little "How-To" lesson on compiling and implementing a weekly grocery list.
- First and foremost you should create a Weekly Menus. One of the easiest ways to save money is to simply plan ahead. Whether you list out breakfasts, lunches, and dinners is completely up to you. Personally, I just plan dinners and make my lunches from leftovers and buy breakfast stuff around once a month. The reason I recommend only planning one week at a time rather than once a month is simply a practicality answer. The reality is that most things you're going to get at the local grocery store don't have a shelf life longer than a week. There are a few things that you can plan farther ahead for but knowing what you can and cannot buy in bulk is essential.
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| Something along these lines would be helpful. Things like this can be found all over the internet and printed off for free! |
| Taken from the Costco website. |
- That being said, Costco can be both a money saver and a black hole for money. The key is figuring out how to utilize buying in bulk to the best of your abilities. Learning what to buy at Costco and what to buy at your local grocery store is going to be one of the single greatest ways to shave money off of your grocery bill. Below is a quick (and by quick I mean long) list of do's and don'ts for buying in bulk:
1.) Staple Items: These include things like flour, sugar, most dry baking ingredients, and oils (vegetable oil, EVOO, etc.)
2.) Pastas/Grains: Things like uncooked pasta, rice, and quinoa take an incredibly long time to spoil if stored properly. The key to storing them correctly means keeping them in airtight and dry containers. Generally I try and store mine in darker places like a pantry or cupboard, but it's not absolutely necessary. Things particular items tend to come in varying "bulk" sizes ranging from 2lb - 50lb sacks. Be practical when considering what size to get. Consider how much you use a particular item and in what quantities as well as where you'll be able to store it.
3.) Canned Items: In trying to keep with the organic/fair-trade motif, try your best to cut down on canned products as they contain lots and lots of preservatives. That being said, sometimes you just need a canned products so you might as well use those preservatives to your advantage. Most things you can either buy in one or two huge cans or a pack of normal size ones. Again, consider storage capabilities and usage when buying.
4.) Dry Snack Foods: First thing that comes to mind is Trail Mix. Costco sells 2lb (I think) bags of Kirkland brand trail mix for dirt cheap. The best thing about it is its GREAT trail mix. Other items like this include: Beef Jerky, Chex-Mix, Nuts, and Dried Fruits. They're almost always sold in resealable packages that make for extended shelf life.
5.) Meats: I was incredibly hesitant when adding this to the "Do's." My only stipulation is that you can only buy meat in bulk if you have the ability to freeze it. Places like Costco sell giant bags of chicken breasts (usually already frozen), sausage, and ground beef. If they're not already; divide them into meal-sized portions, put them in zip-lock baggies and straight into the freezer. If you don't have good freezer space, save meats for the local grocery store.
Don'ts
1.) Dairy: This, like most of the things on this list is obvious why you shouldn't buy in bulk. Unless you're absolutely crazy about milk and such, save it for the grocery store otherwise your double-pack of milk is going to go sour before you can get to it. The only exception to this rule is non-soft cheeses. Cheese like cheddar, Swiss, and harder cheese tend to have a longer fridge-life and even if it starts to mold you can simply slice it off and keep on cheese'n!
2.) Produce: Again, it'll spoil before you can get through your jumbo pack of lettuce.
3.) Toilet Paper/Paper Towels: This is simply a matter of storage practicality. If you have the space to store the 48 roles of two-ply toilet paper... knock yourself out.
4.) Condiments: Unless you're a ketchup freak, go to the grocery store where you only get one bottle at a time rather than two or three.
5.) Seasonings
- Remember, whenever you're compiling your list or find yourself wandering the grocery aisles there are always a few things to keep in mind. You must always consider your storage capabilities, the shelf-life of whatever it is your buying, and last but not least; is the item your considering practical and/or necessary?
- Another notable thing would be to keep a running list. There are a few things that will crop up in the middle of the week as you run out. I highly recommend keeping a magnetic list on your fridge. As you think of something or use the last of an item be sure to write it on the list immediately. Speaking from experience again, if you don't do it the minute you run out, more likely than not you will forget it at the store and find yourself scrambling when you need it again next.
I know that this was a rather long and boring post, but I hope that it helps in some little way. I've found repeatedly that lists can and will save you money on a weekly basis. There are a lot of different things that you can do to help save money in the kitchen, but at the base of everything lies a well organized and planned grocery list so....
Go ask your mom for one of those awesome magnetic list thingers (because you know she has one!) and get your list started tomorrow!
Until you read again,
Connor!
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