How to keep your sanity and remember the eggs

So last week I mentioned that I had some great grocery shopping tips that I would share. As you know I love to write lists, it is like a little slice of heaven for me. But this should work well for you non ocd minded folk out there, in fact it may even be more efficient for you b/c you won't be killing a forest with the number of times that you rewrite your list.

First of all, I do my grocery shopping once a month, and when I am really good I can make it stretch to about 5 weeks. I know, I heard the collective gasp, but it really is worth it. You see I plan a meal for each night (I factor in a couple take-out/restaurant nights and I also throw in some lazy night meals [grilled cheese & tomato soup, blts, frozen pizza, etc.] for when we just don't want to cook). When I am planning the meals I write down all the ingredients that I don't have on hand. Then I try to plan multiple meals that involve some of the same ingredients. I also scan the store flyer to see if there is any great sales that I could plan meals around. This allows me to a) buy in bulk, b) spend less time in the store & c) save money. For example; maybe Jewel is having a sale on Red Peppers, I will make Stuffed Peppers one night, Stir fry another night and maybe Fiery fettuccine w/ red pepper sauce. And b/c I am planning my meals for a month we won't be having 3 red pepper meals right in a row.

Once I have written down all the meals, I will write up the actual shopping list. I sort the list by store departments so that I don't have to weave back and forth while I'm there, this saves me time and it helps me to not forget anything (we've all done that, "oh, I need to go back to produce and get a cucumber" but then you never get there). I write down each item, the quantity I need and a brand name if I have a preference.

When I get to the store I shop for all the non perishable or general grocery items first. These items are often heaviest so I don't run the risk of my can of black beans smashing my head of lettuce. And for you germaphobes out there, if you shop for you frozen items and meats last they are out of the refrigeration for less time. Plus if they are at the top of the cart they will be touching fewer other items (but always wrap your meat packages in a produce bag or something b/c sometimes they do leak!).

Shopping less often and with a very specific list helps to reduce the impulse buys that I really struggle with. Lets say I am going to spend $15 on last minute crap that I don't need every time I go to the store, I will spend $60 a month if I shop each week but only $15 if I shop once a month. Couple that with the savings from buying in bulk and you are looking at a drastically lower grocery bill.

Don't forget to comparison shop either, if you are able to shop in bulk be sure to check the prices at the warehouse stores (Sam's Club, Costco, etc.) sometimes you can save a bundle, especially on paper products but other times you walk away with a huge bill and way more than you will ever reasonable use. I find that if I mix generic brands in as much as possible when I shop at my neighborhood store I don't really save any money going to Sam's Club.

Be sure to check the butcher counter and the deli counter b/c sometimes they have sales on meat that doesn't apply to the prepackaged version of the same thing. Sara Lee ham is often cheaper at our deli counter than it is in the lunchmeat section of the store.

Never shop while hungry. This sets you up for major binging. When you are hungry everything looks delicious, even foods that you never cook and probably don't own a recipe for! If you must head to the store hungry, go straight to the deli counter and get a little container of pasta salad or something to stave of the growls for the duration of your trip. This will prove to be invaluable for those of us who are prone to salivating over every single item we see. Mmmm, Cocoa Puffs, OOOOOHHH, Bacon wrapped filets, yummmm Spam (?!). You get the idea.

Once at the checkout counter, definately use the reusable bags if you can. They hold more than the traditional plastic, are better for the environment and have great handles that will save your back. I always request that they bag all the parishable items together and seperate from the non parishables. When you have little ones it is nice to be able to quickly grab the "must put away" items first and come back for the rest when you have more time. This has been a life saver on more than one occassion, especially since we have to haul our groceries up a flight of stairs!

So whether or not you shop once a week or once a month, these tips should help save your mind and your wallet. Josh still does not understand my shopping habits but he certainly doesn't complain when I check my receipt and realize that I saved over $50! It's also nice to only have to head to the store once every 4 or 5 weeks. It really frees up my time to do other things like hang out with my family, catch up on Project Runway and Flipping Out, oh and to clean my house!

I really need to work on the cleaning thing, my house rarely looks very messy but upon closer inspection you will see that I have not mopped my floors in over two years (Swiffer doesn't count), my carpets are begging to be shampooed and forget about washing my windows! Maybe I will start working on this. I'll make a list!