My Grocery Trip Planning Routine

I was recently out with a close friend who recently moved away from home and began managing her own finances. In the midst of our conversation she told me that she spent about $200 on a single grocery trip, for her and her fiancé, for one week. I was both shocked and hurt. As an avid frugalist(yep, I made up a word, sounds better than cheap) I don’t want anyone that I care for spending $200 on a week’s worth of groceries.

So, when I was doing my next planning session for my weekly grocery trip I decided to write down the steps I take and take some pictures and send them to her. Then blogger brain kicked in. How many other people are arbitrarily writing down a few items and then going shopping and over spending? Hopefully my little system will give you some ideas to help cut down on that.

Meal Plan Around Similar Ingredients and Dependable Meals

First step is to plan out one to two breakfast options, two-three lunch options and a few dinner options per week. Try to use similar ingredients so that you are stretching your ingredients. So in one week I will choose oatmeal and parfait for breakfast, salad and lettuce wraps for lunch,  and chicken, pasta and veggies for dinner. So my grocery list will consist of similar ingredients that can be used in multiple meals.

Write Out Your Grocery List

Write out each thing you need to buy. Make sure to leave space next to each item for price and coupon information. Go through your cabinets and make sure there aren’t any staple items that you like to keep that you are low on.

Add Prices to Each Item on the List

Go through the websites of the stores you plan on buying from and write down the prices. Choose the best price or where you prefer to buy that item and denote the price and where you plan to buy it. I place a T next to Target, W next to Walmart, etc. If a price is unavailable I try to make an educated guesstimate.

Check Money Saving Apps & Coupons

Go through any money saving apps. If you find a deal or coupon, make a note of that next to the item. I place a C next to things on Cartwheel and an I on things found on Ibotta and so on. My main three go to apps are Target Cartwheel, Ibotta & Checkout 51. If you use my Ibotta link here you can receive an instant $10 of cash back. If I am planning on going to Whole Foods I will take a look at their app also. At this time I also check my coupons to see if I have any usable ones. I don’t like to buy based on a sale or coupon so I check them after making my list.

Take Sales and Discounts into Account and Adjust if You’re Over Budget

Finally, I quickly add up the prices before money saving options and after. If it goes over my weekly budget before and after money saving options I see if I can adjust by cutting things from the list.

This seems like a lot but the more you do it, it becomes routine. You can adjust and set up your own routine that benefits you. I have found that being this prepared allows me to get only what I came for, remember to use my apps and coupons and in turn save money. It also cuts down on my time. I can leave home and go to two grocery stores and be home in about an hour. Either way, having some sort of a system makes the process much more streamlined.

Happy Shopping!