Shopping on a budget

Happy New Year (a little late) Ladies and Germs! I'm not really one for Resolutions. I don't feel like you need a specific moment in time to improve your life. To me, it's a constant process of developing and changing who you are in order to feel better about yourself. I've been attempting to become more organized. The most recent change I've made has been with my grocery shopping. Here is a little insight to my process:

(photo source: http://www.metrofoodland.com)

1 - It starts with Menu Planning: When I get the ads for the week (usually on Wednesday) I flip through them for sale on items that we typically eat. I circle the item in the ad. Then I compare the ads to see if there is a cheaper price on any of the circled items.When I plan my menu, I use whatever is leftover in the fridge, freezer, or pantry that can make a meal, then I incorporate sale items that I've circled, and lastly my recipe box for inspiration.

2 - Now that I know what my menu for the week is going to be, I have my hubby list off the ingredients one by one for the dishes we'll be eating. If we don't have the item in our stock, I write it down under the appropriate column (Dairy, Freezer, Produce, etc) on my list.

3 - Here is the part I've added this year to allow me to stay in budget and let me tell you, IT MADE SUCH A DIFFERENCE! I estimated the cost for each item line by line. Here's the thing, I didn't know the prices for everything, but I had a good estimate for the majority of the items. Don't be scared, just write down your best guess. Here's why: While your shopping, you'll know what your budget for each item is. For example, I budgeted $5 for shredded cheese but it was on sale 2 for $5, so I was able to buy two and I knew it wouldn't throw my budget off. Another example, I budgeted $2 for garlic, however, they were only 2 for $1, that meant not only could I buy two, I had a $1 to spend on something else if it was more than I guessed. The point is that it's easier to know how much you are staying on budget if you view per item. I estimated that my total bill would be $110 and my actual total was $111.24...and I got a few extra items because I knew that I could!

I'm not sure if this is news to anyone out there, but I found it to be the most helpful thing so I had to share. I hope that this helps someone out there. :)