Every penny counts

Since January I have been trying so hard to lower our monthly grocery bill. When I was working it was so simple and easy to just go to Walmart and buy everything in just one shot. I never really felt like cooking meals after working all day. It was always usually something frozen and I could just pop it in the oven. You don't realize how much you are spending on all of that "convenience" food. On top of the fact that it is just not healthy.

I decided that I would start cooking more meals. I looked for new ideas and combinations of food. I'm no chef but I'm pretty darn close to Paula Dean or Rachel Ray. Yeah right! I started putting together a menu plan. I planned out our meals 2 weeks at at time. I asked Matt for ideas on what he wanted to try or things that maybe his mom made that he liked. Once I had my 2 week plan I started looking in the weekly grocery ads for deals. I always had the notion that Walmart was the best place and had the best prices. And I have discovered that while Walmart does have good prices on some things, they are not always the best deal. I now shop at Brookshires, Albertsons, Walmart, CVS, and Walgreens. Don't count out CVS and Walgreens b/c you can find good deals on cereal, pizza, and toiletries.

I have been doing this now for several months. The first month I lowered our bill by about $20-$30. I was bummed b/c I thought I could do better but I kept going. The second month I lowered our bill by about $50-$70. Much better. This last month I lowered our bill by $150! Can you believe it? Let me just clarify too that when I use the word "groceries" that includes diapers, wipes, jar food for Levi (which now he is finally getting his molars so he can eat more normal food), toiletries, and of course food for us. What a difference it makes to save money. I wish I had only done this sooner.

On our blog you will see the links to some of my favorite blogs to look at and follow. You may think that it takes so much time to clip coupons and look at blogs. But it really doesn't once you have a system down. Now, I am still learning all the tricks and rules but if you ever want to know how you can save please feel free to ask me. Every penny counts!