Keep Your Money :: Tip 3+

Quit throwing Your money in the trash!

This is piggy-backing on my last post about coupons AND is two-fold.  We all go grocery shopping multiple times a month so this is really a great place to look for keeping more of your money.  When looking for ways to keep more of your money, first look at places that you spend money most frequently.

The first thing you need to do is go through your pantry and throw out what is bad and donate what you know you will most likely not use by the expiration date and then you won't be throwing away money; you will be helping those in need.  This will give you a fresh place to start and give you more room in your pantry and refrigerator.

Tip 3: Limit yourself to grocery shopping once a week.
Tip +: Buy food for 1 week not for a month or year.

How many of you have gone grocery shopping only to go back a few days later because you need something for dinner later in the week or you get invited somewhere and need a dish to pass?  I know I used to do it quite often (or I would send J to "quick" pick up something on his way home from work).

So some of you might be thinking...how is this helping me keep more of my money?

First, you will not be spending as much money on gas because you will be only going to the store once instead of 2, 3 or even 4 times a week.  Second, you will also be saving your time, which to some people is even more important that saving money.

In doing this, you should also focus on buying just enough food for a week and only buy what you are going to eat.  We used to throw away quite a bit of fresh produce.  Are you one of those people?  And that is why so many people think buying fresh produce is "so expensive".  If you are eating it all and not throwing it away then it is not expensive.

To accomplish all of this, it really does take some planning.  Figure out what you plan to eat for the week so you know exactly what to buy and how much.  Sometimes I have to buy more produce than I want for one meal.  When that happens, I make sure to incorporate it into the a different meal.  Usually, at the end of the week I will just see what is left in the fridge and figure out something to make with whatever is left.

My cart is typically 80% Fresh Produce, 10% Protein, 10% Misc.  For J and I to get 1 week of groceries it is usually between $45 and $60 a week.  Not bad, considering I almost always make my own lunch and J makes lunch 3-4 times a week and we usually eat 4-6 dinners a week at home.

Doing these things will save you some gas money AND prevent you from throwing your money away in the form of bad or expired food.

What do you do to be efficient in your grocery shopping?