Grocery Shopping Strategy

A few weeks ago, I asked a rhetorical question, wondering how much people spent on food a month. In a twist of fate, one of my gardening groups on Facebook asked that question too.

The answers spread across a huge range from $100 to $800 a month (for an average family of four).

Some insisted they spent more because they only bought organic. 

Helpful Hint: It's only advisable to buy organic if you buy produce with thin skins or are highly porous, like strawberries, peaches, and grapes. The tougher the skin, the less likely pesticides will penetrate them, such as avocado, pineapple, onion and eggplant. 

It's been a while since I've done a yearly breakdown of what we spend, but I know I spend less on groceries now than I did then.

The reasons are twofold. I don't buy as much beef as I used to. We just don't eat the same amount any more. The second reason is that I grow a vast amount of fruit and vegetables throughout the year.

There's a third reason that helps a lot with the second reason. I've gotten better at preserving my food. I use my freeze dryer a lot for this. I can store a lot of fruit, veg and eggs for long periods of time. This comes in very handy because there's just two of us. Sometimes we just can't finish everything that has ripened at once. With a freeze dryer I can pull out what we need for dinner and vacuum seal the jar again.

I'll do a post on the freeze dryer another time. It's not perfect for every situation, but it's been a reliable workhorse for foods that can be freeze dried. 

If I were to venture a guess, I think we spend less than $400 a month, and far less during growing season.

We spend a ridiculous amount on soft drinks and flavored teas, which is something we can do without if push ever came to shove. I'm also including the food (both fresh meat and kibble) I buy for dogs, since they are part of the family. 

I guess we are a family of four after all. LOL! 

We buy in bulk whenever possible. I also buy on sale. 

Grocery shopping is really about strategy. I challenge any CEO against the Average Joe or Jane trying to buy just the right groceries that taste good, can be used in a variety of ways, and bought within budget. 

Greg often compliments me on my ability to save money when shopping. There's no trick to it. It's all timing and planning. Grocery stores run many sales in a cyclical manner. I time certain purchases so I run out of the item by the time it goes on sale again. (In many cases, about every three weeks.)

My other standby is to buy ingredients rather than packaged food. I usually make an exception for cookie mixes. Since I make them as quick treats when I cook for other people, it's easier to use a mix and have a dessert for them in under 15 minutes. (The exception to the exception happens on birthdays and holidays. I always make the effort to bake something from scratch for them then.)

Pay attention to holidays: Superbowl, religious events, and produce when it's in season. For example, it's currently Lent. Many grocery stores will put fish on sale because many devout Christians give up meat for Lent. It's been this way for as long as I can remember. 

During Superbowl, snacks, chips, and appetizers are always on sale. Winter is the season for apples and oranges. Spring will bring sales to asparagus, strawberries, and lamb. Summer is always good for burgers and sausages.

After-Christmas is the perfect time to stock up on ham. I slice it up thin and freeze them in small packages. Greg (and the dogs) are the only ones who eat ham, so I package it in the right portions that they can finish each bag within a week. 

Shop when you're NOT hungry. I make foolish choices if either of us are hungry. Too much novelty or snack foods. 

Try to shop when the store is emptiest. Too many people getting in the way tends to block my view and sometimes I miss things. I also hurry too much so I can get out of there and end up missing things that were on my list.

Work from a list. Be mindful of any good bargains, but stick to the list first.

I hate shopping more than one store, but sometimes they're out of things I want, or the produce is bad, or the traffic is a nightmare. Early mornings are the best times, but not always ideal for me. Sometimes you have to compromise.

Learn the patterns of your location, and stores. 

And finally, here's a trick I started with: Pick up grocery store flyers and hang on to them for 4-6 weeks. In six weeks time, compare them. What do they put on sale and when? Pay attention to the prices. Some weeks an item is priced lower than others. Once you start noticing a pattern, it's valuable intel. You've cracked that particular store's cycle. 

Do you shop with a list? What do you think you buy most? 

 

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