article thumbnail

My #1 Tip for Trimming Grocery Spending

Family Balance Sheet

If you’ve read my blog, you’ve probably heard me say that our bills may not be negotiable, but our grocery receipts usually are. When finances are tight, often the only area we can control is our food spending. My #1 tip for trimming grocery spending is an easy one: Serve simple, frugal, scheduled meals. Don’t let a small grocery budget make you think you can’t feed your family well! Please welcome Heather from My Overflowing Cup for today’s post.

article thumbnail

31 Days to Slash Your Grocery Spending: Day 1

Family Balance Sheet

Do you feel like your grocery spending is out of control? I am hosting a 31 Days to Slash Your Grocery Spending challenge. Every day this month, I will post one simple challenge to help you get control of your grocery spending. I promise you the challenges will not be overwhelming, but instead simple changes and habits to change the way we shop for groceries. First, we need to determine how much are you currently spending on groceries each month.

Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

How to Slash your Grocery Spending in 31 Days

Family Balance Sheet

There is one place to look for extra money that maybe you haven’t considered–your groceries. If you don’t know what you spend each month on groceries, I encourage you to keep a tally for a month to give you an idea. You might be surprised and realize that YES, it would be possible for you to slash your grocery spending and still eat well. Slashing your spending doesn’t mean you’ll be noshing on ramen noodles either.

article thumbnail

Day 17 of 31 Days to Slash your Grocery Spending: Store Brand vs. Name Brand

Family Balance Sheet

Day 17 of 31 Days to Slash your Grocery Spending: Compare Store Brand vs. Name Brand. Buying store brand products is one of the easiest ways to save money on groceries. Personally, I purchase a lot of store brand products and it is a strategy that you should consider too as you’re trying to slash your grocery shopping. My main grocery store is Giant Food Stores and I have rarely had a problem with the quality and/or taste of Giant store brands.

article thumbnail

Day 21 of 31 Days to Slash your Grocery Spending: Weekly Recap

Family Balance Sheet

Also bookmark the 31 Days to Slash Your Grocery Spending category page so you can check in daily. The post Day 21 of 31 Days to Slash your Grocery Spending: Weekly Recap appeared first on Family Balance Sheet. 31 Days to Slash Your Grocery SpendingToday is Day 21 and I’m recapping the week’s menu and my shopping trips. This Week’s Dinners: Monday : Pasta with clams & fresh tomatoes and spinach & strawberry salad.

article thumbnail

Day 23 of 31 Days to Slash your Grocery Spending: Bread Outlet Stores

Family Balance Sheet

Day 23 of 31 Days to Slash your Grocery Spending: Shop at a Bread Outlet. They regularly stock English Muffins, sandwich thins, flat bread, kaiser rolls, hamburger rolls, hotdog rolls, tortillas, baked goods, snack foods, and more at prices of up to 50% off or more of the grocery store price. The best sale price I’ve seen at the grocery store is about $2.99, so the price is pretty good at the outlet store! 31 Days to Slash Your Grocery Spending

article thumbnail

Resolve to Lower Your Grocery Spending

Family Balance Sheet

Did you resolve to lower your grocery expenses in 2012? It can be intimidating to think about, but your grocery bill is one of the easiest expenses to reduce. In the meantime, check out these popular posts that are full of tips to help you reduce your grocery bill. Know Your 'Buy' Price on Your Groceries. My Menu/Grocery List Clipboard. Save Money on Groceries Without Using Coupons. Stock up and Save with Pre-Holiday Grocery Sales.

article thumbnail

Day 19 of 31 Days to Slash your Grocery Spending: Save Money on Meat

Family Balance Sheet

Day 19 of 31 Days to Slash your Grocery Spending: Saving money on meat. Meat is one of the more expensive items on a grocery list, so I’m always trying to get more bang for my buck in the meat department. I have an eagle eye for yellow stickers and I scour the sales flyers, but there are many other ways I save on meat that will surely help you slash your spending in the meat department. 31 Days to Slash Your Grocery Spending

article thumbnail

Day 11 of 31 Days to Slash your Grocery Spending: Avoid One Use Disposables

Family Balance Sheet

My grocery budget doesn’t just include food, but also household goods, paper products, and cleaning supplies which unfortunately can take up a chunk of the budget. Also bookmark the 31 Days to Slash Your Grocery Spending category page so you can check in daily. The post Day 11 of 31 Days to Slash your Grocery Spending: Avoid One Use Disposables appeared first on Family Balance Sheet. 31 Days to Slash Your Grocery Spending

article thumbnail

Day 20 of 31 Days to Slash your Grocery Spending: Stock up on holiday sales

Family Balance Sheet

31 Days to Slash your Grocery Spending. Today is Day 20 of 31 Days to Slash your Grocery Spending: Pre-Holiday Grocery Sales. Grocery stores completely capitalize on this and offer super low prices on holiday favorites in the weeks leading up to the holiday. Also bookmark the 31 Days to Slash Your Grocery Spending category page so you can check in daily. 31 Days to Slash Your Grocery Spending

article thumbnail

Day 15 of 31 Days to Slash your Grocery Spending: Plan this Week’s Meals

Family Balance Sheet

31 Days to Slash your Grocery Spending. Meal planning is really the cornerstone of smart grocery spending. When you walk in the grocery store with a plan, you will avoid duplicate and impulsive purchases, but walk away with enough food to get you through until your next planned trip. You’ll spend about 30 minutes each week planning your meals, but that time will make your grocery trips go much smoother. 31 Days to Slash Your Grocery Spendin

article thumbnail

Day 8 of 31 Days to Slash your Grocery Spending: Plan this week’s meals

Family Balance Sheet

31 Days to Slash your Grocery Spending. Meal planning is really the cornerstone of smart grocery spending. When you walk in the grocery store with a plan, you will avoid duplicate and impulsive purchases, but walk away with enough food to get you through until your next planned trip. You’ll spend about 30 minutes each week planning your meals, but that time will make your grocery trips go much smoother. 31 Days to Slash Your Grocery Spendin

article thumbnail

Day 2 of 31 Days to Slash Your Grocery Spending: Organize your kitchen pantry

Family Balance Sheet

Welcome to 31 Days to Slash your Grocery Spending. I can hear your sighs of dread now, but trust me, disorganization = disaster when it comes to our grocery spending. Also bookmark the 31 Days to Slash Your Grocery Spending category page so you can check in daily. The post Day 2 of 31 Days to Slash Your Grocery Spending: Organize your kitchen pantry appeared first on Family Balance Sheet. 31 Days to Slash Your Grocery Spending

article thumbnail

Day 14 of 31 Days to Slash your Grocery Spending: Weekly Recap

Family Balance Sheet

Also bookmark the 31 Days to Slash Your Grocery Spending category page so you can check in daily. The post Day 14 of 31 Days to Slash your Grocery Spending: Weekly Recap appeared first on Family Balance Sheet. 31 Days to Slash Your Grocery SpendingToday is Day 14 and I’m recapping the week’s menu and my shopping trips. This Week’s Dinners: Sunday: We went to our favorite local pizza/sub shop for lunch with my parents and grandmother.

article thumbnail

Day 7 of 31 Days to Slash your Grocery Spending: Weekly Recap

Family Balance Sheet

31 Days to Slash your Grocery Spending. Also bookmark the 31 Days to Slash Your Grocery Spending category page so you can check in daily. The post Day 7 of 31 Days to Slash your Grocery Spending: Weekly Recap appeared first on Family Balance Sheet. 31 Days to Slash Your Grocery SpendingToday is Day 7 and I’m recapping the week’s menu and my two shopping trips.

article thumbnail

Day 6 of 31 Days to Slash your Grocery Spending: Shop the Clearance Section

Family Balance Sheet

31 Days to Slash your Grocery Spending. Don’t be afraid of the clearance section at the grocery store. At my main grocery store, all of the clearance is marked with bright yellow stickers. Find out your store’s policy on clearance groceries being stacked with manufacturing and store coupons. Shopping the clearance section is essential for slashing your grocery budget. 31 Days to Slash Your Grocery Spending

article thumbnail

Day 5 of 31 Days to Slash your Grocery Spending: Create back up meals

Family Balance Sheet

31 Days to Slash your Grocery Spending. When I get in this lazy …let’s go with exhausted…mood, I have been known to call for take out, or pick up a pizza, or make an impulsive trip to the grocery store. Your assignment is to plan some basic back up meals of your own and put those ingredients on your next grocery list. Also bookmark the 31 Days to Slash Your Grocery Spending category page so you can check in daily.

article thumbnail

Day 3 of 31 Days to Slash Your Grocery Spending: Organize your Refrigerator/Freezer

Family Balance Sheet

31 Days to Slash Your Grocery Spending. Also bookmark the 31 Days to Slash Your Grocery Spending category page so you can check in daily. The post Day 3 of 31 Days to Slash Your Grocery Spending: Organize your Refrigerator/Freezer appeared first on Family Balance Sheet. 31 Days to Slash Your Grocery SpendingToday is Day 3 of the challenge and your assignment: Clean and Organize the Refrigerator and Freezer. YAY!!!

article thumbnail

Day 10 of 31 Days to Slash your Grocery Spending: Plan a Freezer Cooking Session

Family Balance Sheet

How Freezer Cooking Save you Money and Time: There is some time involved upfront with grocery shopping and prepping the meals for the freezer, but it saves considerable time when you are planning your weekly menu and the night that you are serving the freezer meal. It also prevents me from making impulsive trips to the grocery store or calling for take out. Also bookmark the 31 Days to Slash Your Grocery Spending category page so you can check in daily.

article thumbnail

Day 22 of 31 Days to Slash your Grocery Spending: Plan this week’s meals

Family Balance Sheet

Day 22 of 31 Days to Slash your Grocery Spending: Plan this week’s meals and shopping trip. Meal planning is really the cornerstone of smart grocery spending. When you walk in the grocery store with a plan, you will avoid duplicate and impulsive purchases, but walk away with enough food to get you through until your next planned trip. The goal is to make just one grocery trip a week, so be very thorough.

article thumbnail

Reduce Your Grocery Spending Without Sacrificing Quality | 31 Days to Find $1000

Family Balance Sheet

If there is one line item in everyone’s budget that can get out of control it is groceries. It is so easy to walk into the grocery store with an idea of what you will spend, walk out with a bill that is double and get home to discover that you have nothing to eat. Groceries can get out of control fast, but all it takes for you to get your grocery spending in line with your budget is PLANNING. Reduce Your Grocery Spending WITHOUT Sacrificing Quality.

article thumbnail

Day 16: How to Stop Food Waste in the Kitchen

Family Balance Sheet

Day 16 of 31 Days to Slash your Grocery Spending: Avoid Food Waste. If you’re following along with the 31 Days to Slash your Grocery Spending , then you will remember, disorder = disaster. Could it add up to a month’s worth of your groceries? Also bookmark the 31 Days to Slash Your Grocery Spending category page so you can check in daily. ** Source. 31 Days to Slash Your Grocery Spending

article thumbnail

Day 18: 9 Easy Places to Find Grocery Coupons

Family Balance Sheet

Day 18 of 31 Days to Slash your Grocery Spending: Coupons! Coupons are an easy way to reduce your grocery bill. The good news is that coupons are very easy to find and you don’t need to spend loads of time clipping them to slash your grocery spending. There are two types of grocery coupons and it’s important to know the difference between the two. 9 Places to Find Grocery Coupons. Grocery Apps. I love grocery apps.

Groceries 150
article thumbnail

Day 25: How to Save Money on Produce

Family Balance Sheet

Also bookmark the 31 Days to Slash Your Grocery Spending category page so you can check in daily. 31 Days to Slash Your Grocery SpendingFruits and vegetables are such an important of our daily diet. So it’s important to. Smart Tips to Save Money on Produce. If organic produce is important to you, joining a CSA will be a very cost effective option. garden. Look for Marked Down Produce. Buy In Season. local farmer’s markets. You Pick. freeze when on sale.

2016 100
article thumbnail

This Week’s Grocery Recap 05.28.16

Family Balance Sheet

Also bookmark the 31 Days to Slash Your Grocery Spending category page so you can check in daily. The post This Week’s Grocery Recap 05.28.16 31 Days to Slash Your Grocery SpendingThis Week’s Shopping Trips: I misplaced my receipt for the shopping trip below, but it was in the high 80’s. I also stopped by BJ’s and picked up a 12 pack of Annie’s Organic Mac-n-cheese and a 13.5 lb bag of baking soda, total spent $18.60.

Groceries 100
article thumbnail

Day 24: How to Save on Organic Food

Family Balance Sheet

Day 24 of 31 Days to Slash your Grocery Spending: Save on Organic. I work weekly to adhere to our grocery budget, so I am always looking for ways to save money on organic food. It is possible to buy organic foods even on a strict grocery budget and here are my best tips. This is a fantastic way to buy locally grown organic produce directly from the farmer and usually at prices below what you’ll find at a grocery store.

2016 113
article thumbnail

Day 13: How to Batch Cook Ground Meat & Sausage

Family Balance Sheet

This is day 13 of 31 Days to Slash your Grocery Spending. Meat is one of the more expensive items on my grocery list, so when I stumble on a great deal or markdown , I stock up. Also bookmark the 31 Days to Slash Your Grocery Spending category page so you can check in daily. 31 Days to Slash Your Grocery Spending Freezer Cooking

Cooking 100
article thumbnail

Day 4 of 31 Days to Slash your Grocery Budget: Pantry Challenge

Family Balance Sheet

31 Days to Slash your Grocery Spending. This week’s meal plan should already be complete–that was Day 1’s assignment–so we will use these meal ideas on Day 8 when we plan next week’s menu and grocery list. Also bookmark the 31 Days to Slash Your Grocery Spending category page so you can check in daily. The post Day 4 of 31 Days to Slash your Grocery Budget: Pantry Challenge appeared first on Family Balance Sheet.

2016 100
article thumbnail

How to Use Pinterest to Save Money on Groceries

Family Balance Sheet

This post is Day 12 of 31 Days to Slash your Grocery Spending. I have caught myself spending way too much time perusing the pins and boards in awe the laundry room as big as my living room and the Frozen birthday party ideas that must have taken 4 months to plan, but for the most part it has been a huge asset in my money-saving tool box. How to Use Pinterest to Save Money on Groceries. Pinterest is A Gold Mine for Money Saving Grocery Tips.

Groceries 100
article thumbnail

3 Monthly Expenses to Reduce Without Feeling a Sacrifice

Family Balance Sheet

Groceries. In 2013, our average monthly grocery spending was $635. I knew I could do better, so in January 2014, I made a commitment to reduce our grocery spending, but not sacrifice the quality of food and meals that I fed my family. Since January, our average grocery spending has been $450 a month just by being more disciplined and diligent with my planning. Are you looking for more ways to cut your monthly expenses?

2014 242
article thumbnail

Introducing the 2014 Grocery Budget Challenge

Family Balance Sheet

Are you spending more on groceries every month than your budget allows? Would you like to reduce your grocery spending? Are you an impulsive grocery shopper? The grocery bill can get out of control for me if I’m not careful. In fact, when I looked back on our spending in 2013, I was surprised at how much we spent on groceries–about $7600 for the year or $634 a month for my family of four.

2014 174
article thumbnail

8 Action Steps for a Frugal February!

Family Balance Sheet

The goal of Frugal February is NOT to feel deprived, but rather to find creative ways to get through the month without unnecessary spending. 8 Action Steps for a Frugal February: 1 – Write a budget/spending plan for February. One month in for the year!

February 130
article thumbnail

The Final Grocery Budget Challenge Post

Family Balance Sheet

Back in January I introduced the 2014 Grocery Budget Challenge. I really wanted to reduce our grocery spending for my family of 4 from the average of $634 a month in 2013 to a budget of $450 a month in 2014. It was a bold goal to reduce our spending by so much and I knew I would have to be very diligent with my meal planning. So I started the challenge to be more accountable and to be creative with our meals and grocery shopping so that we do not over-spend.

Budgeting 124
article thumbnail

Our 2023 Financial Goals

Family Balance Sheet

Plan our Spending. By planning our expenses each month to predict cash flow, I hope to avoid impulsive purchases and reduce some spending. After our mortgage, grocery spending is our next largest expense. I spent about $870/month on groceries.

article thumbnail

Breakfast Ideas and Menu Planning Tips

Family Balance Sheet

If your grocery spending has spiraled out of control, yet you often feel like you have “nothing” to eat", then head over to Money Crashers for 10 Family Meal Planning Tips and Ideas on a Budget. The website strives to educate individuals in making wise choices about credit and debt, investing, education, real estate, insurance, spending, and more."

article thumbnail

How to Save Money on Groceries

Family Balance Sheet

Are you spending more at the grocery store lately? Rising prices are affecting everyone’s bank account, and groceries are leading the way. Everyone is trying to figure out how to save money on groceries! How to Save Money on Groceries.

article thumbnail

The Final Day of 31 Days to Find $1000 ~ How Did You Do?

Family Balance Sheet

75 from reducing our spending and declaring October a “needs” only month. $25 We got rid of clutter by selling some stuff and returning unused purchases, we were able to reduce our spending by $100 during the month by being more deliberate with our money and I met some new blogging friends who were also participating in the challenge. Day 14: Reduce Your Grocery Spending without Sacrificing Quality. Day 25: Rethink Your Christmas Spending.

Finds 258
article thumbnail

Christmas Savings Club | August Meeting

Family Balance Sheet

My offer for a FREE Christmas Gift & Spending Budget excel spreadsheet is still available. I''m happy to report that I was able to reduce our grocery spending in August by about $50 and I''ll put that money in our Christmas savings. Our grocery spending has crept up over that last several months and it was time to rein it back in. It pays to take an inventory of what is already in your kitchen before you make a grocery list.

Club 100
article thumbnail

What We Ate this Week on our Budget 10.20.17

Family Balance Sheet

Grocery spending can get out of hand quickly, so I post our weekly menu to ensure that I am planning it weekly. Our monthly grocery budget for my family of 4 is $500. This week at the grocery store, I found a whole chicken marked down to a nice price. My oldest daughter likes to grocery shop with me and requested Alfredo sauce on our last trip. Want to lower your grocery bill? These posts will help: How to Save Money on Groceries WITHOUT Using Coupons.

2017 100
article thumbnail

What We Ate this Week on our Budget 10.13.17

Family Balance Sheet

Grocery spending can get out of hand quickly, so I post our weekly menu to ensure that I am planning it weekly. Our monthly grocery budget for my family of 4 is $500. Want to lower your grocery bill? These posts will help: How to Save Money on Groceries WITHOUT Using Coupons. 4 Simple Grocery Apps that Earn You Cash Back. Welcome to my weekly series, What We Ate this Week on our Budget.

2017 100
article thumbnail

25 Ways to Find Money for Your Emergency Fund

Family Balance Sheet

Consider setting the money aside in a savings account that isn’t immediately accessible and doesn’t have an ATM attached to it This will help to avoid any impulsive non-emergency spending. It is NOT a spending account. Do you know how much you spend on groceries each month?

article thumbnail

What We Ate this Week on our Budget 10.06.17

Family Balance Sheet

Grocery spending can get out of hand quickly, so I post our weekly menu to ensure that I am planning it weekly. Our monthly grocery budget for my family of 4 is $500. Want to lower your grocery bill? These posts will help: How to Save Money on Groceries WITHOUT Using Coupons. 4 Simple Grocery Apps that Earn You Cash Back. Welcome to my weekly series, What We Ate this Week on our Budget.

2017 100
article thumbnail

What We Ate this Week on our Budget 05.29.15

Family Balance Sheet

This series helps me stay on top of our grocery spending and currently our monthly budget is $500 for my family of 4. Would you like to lower your grocery bill? It’s been a busy couple of weeks and I wasn’t able to pull this together the last two Fridays, but I’m getting back on track. This Week’s Dinners: Saturday: We traveled to Corning, NY to visit the Corning Museum of Glass with my kids’ Girl Scout troop.

Budgeting 100