DO: The Great Thrift Challenge! Save on groceries before you leave your house!

If you have a family, groceries can make or break your budget. I wanted to share with you a few of the ways that I have blown it...(maybe you can relate??)

1. Forget my list, try to go from memory. Buy nothing I needed, but everything I wanted. Have to go back to the store and buy what I needed.

2. Don't make a menu. Just buy all the things I think we need. End up pitching half of the produce in the garbage because I overbought.

3. Don't make a menu. Too tired to think of something to cook. Nothing is pulled out of the freezer. Go through a drive-thru on the way home.

4. Don't preplan. Go to the grocery store every time we run out of something. Make tons of impulse purchases on each trip.

BEFORE I LEAVE THE HOUSE
So, to aliveate my "budget busting" at the grocery store....I realized, I had to make some serious changes BEFORE I left the house. I hope this helps you get organized with your shopping, spend less at the grocery store, make less impulse purchases and stop throwing out good food each week!


*** Choose a day for grocery shopping each week. Preferably when you can go alone! (Each person you take, adds even more impulse purchases each trip).


1. Begin a binder for coupons (more on this in a separate post) - Compare between your weekly store circulars. I found my new favorite grocery store this way!

My Binder: With loads of blank weekly menu templates

2. Begin a binder for favorite recipes: This is my most helpful piece of the puzzle. When I am sitting there looking at my blank menu for the week...I go blank. :) But, once I start paging through my "favorites" binder...I get inspired and usually run out of space on my menu before running out of recipes. 

I keep all my old menus - that's good inspiration when my well runs dry! :)

Plastic sleeves - protect recipes & make it easy to file random sized papers

4. Make your menu: I use this darling one from The Project Girl Menu Template.

My menu in use!

Here are some other cute printable options:
Cute Pots & Pans Dinner Menu
2 Menu Planner Templates by Tangarang
Nice Menu Planner


READY MADE GROCERY LIST: 
If you struggle with making a menu, another EASY way to make a menu is to go to Everyday Food (Martha Stewart) - they have a section on the website called "Grocery Bag". It gives you a menu for a week of dinners, and the recipes. The recipes are almost always family & budget friendly. The best thing is, they also supply the shopping list. It is awesome!
The Grocery Bag: Everyday Food


5. Make your list of items that you don't have in stock. Our family uses Cozi.com for our ongoing grocery list - my husband adds things to the grocery list from his phone and it is added directly to my list. 


6. Get your To-Go Kit ready! Bring your circulars, coupons, cash & your grocery tally sheet (more on that later, too!). Oh, and don't forget your list! ;)


I hope you this has helped you. If you have more money saving ideas regarding "before going to the grocery store", please leave a comment. We would all love to hear what you do, that helps you stay within your budget. Next up, "How to stay in your budget AT the Grocery Store". Become a follower and you will be notified when a new blog is posted!


God bless, Kristen