Three ways to cut the cost of groceries without coupons

Saving money on grocery shopping seems to be a popular topic on search engines. Many people seem to find themselves at my site because I discuss going to the grocery store once a month and I happen to be single. With all the other costs in my life (cat has a prescription diet and a chronic condition, a mortgage and associated utilities cost, etc.), saving some money on food and keeping my grocery spending allocation the same is a challenge.

Regardless, I have stuck with my tried and true method of creating a grocery list and putting the items in the order in which I shop (minimize backtracking in the store) and using my calculator to see how the numbers look (giving me feedback on whether I am overspending or no). While meal planning is not as important, I do keep in mind what I enjoy eating as I make up my list prior to the once monthly grocery trip.

For many people, price points are important when figuring out where and how to shop for groceries. With that in mind, I have some tips for those looking to pinch those pennies:

Club memberships: If bulk buying suits your needs (i.e., something you use often, have room to store it and will use it before it spoils), consider sharing a membership to Costco or Sam's Club. To find out if either option will fit your shopping needs, get a trial membership or ask if someone has a membership and would allow you to join them one day. I really only want a few items in larger quantities so purchasing a year-long membership seems unnecessary. Finding a friend who has a membership and asking to use their card once or twice a year, or sharing a membership cost with a family member or colleague is less expensive than purchasing one alone.

A calculator is handy to make sure you are getting a better deal than in your usual grocery store. This is where a trial membershop or trip with a friend is useful--for calculating the unit costs and determining if the membership gives a better bargain. Again, you need room to keep all the food or bulk items and then use them in a timely fashion so nothing spoils, thus eliminating the savings in the bulk purchase.

Food buying clubs: Recently, I have learned there is the Angel Food Ministries option in my area. While I am still debating whether I truly want to purchase some of my food from them, it seems like a nice assortment of items. Again, much of the food is processed and seems heavily packaged from the description, not the greenest items. However, there are fresh produce options, something I would consider buying. There is a minimum purchase amount but if these are items you normally buy, this food buying club may save you some money--if there is room in your refrigerator and freezer for all the items.

There are other more state-centric food buying clubs. One in my state has a pickup just a few blocks away at a church and offers organic and fresh produce options as well. Local clubs may also feature more local produce and food items, a way to support local farmers and save some money.

Food transportation and delivery: This is a combination option. That is, you offer to help an elderly or disabled neighbor by shopping for his or her food and then charge a small fee to do so. Since you were going to the grocery store anyway, you are not using more gasoline, the intended recipient is your neighbor so little additional cost in gasoline there and you just need to spend a little more time finding the neighbor's items as well as your own. A modest fee for convenience would counteract some of the total on your grocery bill and you help out someone else at the same time.

Alternatively, you could offer a rideshare with a neighbor that has no car, and for a little gas money, get some company and a helping hand for unloading groceries. Again, a small fee discussed between parties could decrease your grocery spending each month and give someone the opportunity to shop for more than the few things he or she can carry by hand or on a bus, resulting in a mutually beneficial relationship.

Will you try one of these strategies?

Eating what you want for less

I love dairy products. Part of this is a legacy of growing up the daughter of a dairy farmer but I also really enjoy dairy foods. Give me a glass of milk with my meal, cheese on whatever I can, sour cream in dishes, ice cream for dessert, yogurt for a snack, cream cheese in sweet or savory dishes, butter spread on freshly baked bread or toast, heavy cream whipped to top my pies, and half and half in my cream sauces. My position is dairy is about 50% of my diet. This may not be the healthiest especially the items made of cream and full-fat milk but they are very satisfying. However, they are also quite expensive. How do I afford my dairy habit?

1. I buy in bulk.
Not all items are amenable to this and you will need a chest freezer or similar to store your purchases. However, I have found that purchasing three pounds of sliced American cheese is cheaper than a single 12 ounce package (and has less plastic as well). Furthermore, the sliced cheese can be frozen. The same holds true for cream cheese, 1% milk and butter. For the sliced American cheese, butter and 1% milk, I noticed no change in taste or texture. For the cream cheese, the texture become more grainy when used but loses no flavor. If you purchase shredded cheese, that can also be frozen and thawed when needed.

The bulk buying comes when you know the price is good and you have room to store it in your freezer. For the American sliced cheese, I keep out one pound and store the other two. Milk needs to have liquid removed from the top prior to freezing but stores fine. Of course, a good price on ice cream means you can stock up.

2. I buy whole cheeses rather than presliced or shredded.
Aside from American cheese that I use in toasted cheese sandwiches, I buy cheese by the pound and shred it myself. When the price of dairy went up last year, I found this saved me money so I could still buy cheese in the same amount. Preslicing and shredding are conveniences and the price reflects that. By slicing the cheese and shredding it yourself, you save money with only a minor time investment.

3. I go with what tastes good and has a reasonable price.
I will buy cheese from a lesser known cheesemaker that costs less and continue to do so if I like the flavor. I select milk from a smaller dairy because the milk is 10 cents cheaper than the big name. I comparison shop and chose based on both price and flavor. Your price point may be different from mine but I have found little difference in taste but a great difference in price per pound of cheese.

These strategies keep me well-stocked with dairy products and add to the quality of the food I make and eat. Not everyone shares my love of dairy but these principles can help you with your preferred food group like meat, wine, fruit and vegetables. Do you have any tips on saving money on your desired foods?

What do I have in the house?

Can you tell I am on an organization kick? In reading other blogs from mostly women who are homesteading in urban or rural environments, I realize I need a list of what I have in my pantry, my shelving and my chest freezer. To be honest, creating the list now with all the stuff I have will be painful. If earlier postings have not made it clear, I stockpile things. However, while I have a decent memory, I still have either bought items I already have or not purchased something I need.

An inventory would tell me how many jelly/jam jars and how many pint and quart canning jars I have. Looking at the number of boxes stacked on my storage shelving, I have enough to keep me busy. Whether the harvest will allow me to fill all those jars is another thing altogether. My chest freezer is not the most organized with nice rectangular containers like the boxes of butter with gallon containers of milk. The pantry is well-stocked, but I know I have not used some items that do have a finite shelf life. Having a list would remind me that those items I have not used in a while, or purchased with the best of intentions should be used before it goes bad.

I am not sure where I will fit all this in the midst of my decluttering efforts, but the inventory needs to be done. Adding extra items to my freezer or pantry that I already have is not the best use of my money. Therefore, an inventory, while painful to generate from scratch, would help me manage my stockpile more effectively and minimize unnecessary spending.

Shopping the loss leaders

I am uncertain how common this is, but I have recently begun to only shop loss leaders. While I still undergo my once-monthly grocery pilgrimage to supply the bulk of my groceries, I have started looking at the flyer for the local grocery store and seeing what the deals are. I began noticing great prices like $1.50 for a pound of butter, 98 cents for 4 pounds of granulated sugar, and $1.49 for 5 pounds of flour and thought hey, I should stock up.

Then there are the unadvertised specials. Recently, I went into the store looking to purchase shampoo for 88 cents and found the same size, different brand for 59 cents. Which do you think I chose?

My grocery store is not the only location for good deals. I have been looking at the Walgreens flyer online for any deals I could use. I have not quite gotten the rhythm of what is on sale when or even if it is a good deal. However, I have noticed in the last six weeks, none of the Neutrogena products I use have gone on sale. But when they do, I am prepared to snatch them up.

Between the loss leaders and my monthly grocery trip, I can add to my pantry (or freezer) and save a bit of money buying items that are cheaply priced. Do you only shop the loss leaders?

Sliced cheese dilemma

I love my dairy products. It is all about the milk and all the lovely items derived from it including cheese, ice cream and butter. This is not an inexpensive addiction, but one that was fostered by my childhood on a dairy farm and happily carried into my adulthood. For me, life would be quite unhappy without milk or its derivatives. One item that I like to eat is American sliced cheese. This is a great cheese product for toasted cheese sandwich or melted on top of burgers (beef or tofu), both quick dinner items when I neglected to plan a meal. However, this is one item where frugality and green living collide.

I can purchase American sliced cheese in a plastic package with each slice individually wrapped in plastic for $1.89 for 12 ounces or $2.52 per pound. I feel ridiculously wasteful unwrapping 3-4 slices of cheese from their plastic packaging to make one crispy toasted cheese sandwich.

Where I shop, the deli counter has sliced American cheese without packaging, but it is $4.99 per pound, almost twice as much as the prepackaged cheese slices. However, with the reduced packaging, these deli slices have a lower garbage footprint. I would not be throwing away 3-4 pieces of plastic every time I make a sandwich! So, what is a frugal dairy-loving gal to do?

This last shopping trip, the urge to live greener won. I paid more for American sliced cheese from the deli counter to reduce the amount of garbage I generated. I do not understand why it costs less to have a greater amount of packaging, but I am happier to not be throwing away several sheets of plastic every time I want a sandwich. There was a bonus to visiting the deli counter--I found the price for pepperoni was less than the packaged version.

Frugality and grocery spending

Like most people, I have noticed the increasing cost of groceries. In fact, my last grocery trip, half of my spending allocation went to meat and dairy products. I love my milk and cheese! Part of the reason for the large purchase was I would be hosting my family for dinner. However, until this most recent trip, I did not realize how great a share the meat, cheese, milk, sour cream, butter and cream cheese take up in my grocery spending. I can certainly see how people insist going vegetarian is not only green, but may help the pocketbook. Being the woman I am, I will not be changing my omnivore habits (heavy on the dairy) any time soon.

In my various postings on my monthly grocery trip, planning it, what my allocation is, and the tools I use, I realized I never discussed how I kept my grocery spending fairly steady. Yes, I occasionally exceed the amount of money in my spending plan for groceries (this month is one of them). However, as I became more aware of the cost of items, I adjusted my purchases to give me the best value for each dollar. For example, I used to purchase shredded cheese for use on pizza and in recipes. However, using a bit of elbow grease to shred my own cheese resulting in lower spending for the yummy dairy product and a bit more room in my grocery spending for another item that may have increased in price. As I did more of my cooking and baking, and purchased fewer convenience foods, I could keep the amount of money for groceries the same but without decreasing the quantity of food.

Most frugal and personal finance bloggers would say to bank the money not spent. In fact, this would have been the ideal use for the extra cash my behavioral changes freed up. However, I have only increased my grocery allocation by $5 in the last three years of using my spending plan. Even with the price of food rising astronomically, I have no plans to increase the money for groceries. I have been able to occasionally buy in bulk (I have enough dried milk for a couple years), buy larger quantities (purchasing 10 pounds of bread flour saved me more money than purchasing 5 pounds) and occasionally buy items at farmer's markets.

As I take a look at what I eat and my grocery spending, I can see as I took on more of the baking and cooking myself, I was able to leave more cushion in allocated amount for price increases. Baking my own bread, experimenting with new recipes, discovering the joy of making my own freezer jams, and growing my own food make it easier for me to keep my grocery spending steady without sacrificing the items I do want. Yes, I do crave highly processed foods (potato chips and soda!) and have five or six frozen entrees for lunches if I have not cooked something with leftovers to bring to work. However, my efforts at being frugal coupled with my desire to live a greener life by minimizing plastic packaging mean I stretch my grocery dollar a bit further and learn to be just a bit more independent. Now if I could only learn to cook and enjoy eggplant and peppers...

The once-a-month grocery list

As I have mentioned earlier, the key to shopping once a month is meal planning, a grocery list, calculator and a large grocery store. The meal planning keeps me focused on what I truly need to buy for one person, the grocery list makes sure I get all the items needed to prepare meals and my calculator tells me if I am overspending. The large grocery store benefits me with a wide selection of items and the power of bulk pricing without a membership fee.

While I discussed the necessity of keeping track of items that run low or run out using a magnetic pad on my refrigerator, I have not explicitly explained how my final grocery list is generated. When the items I decide I want to prepare for dinner are complete, I compare the required items for the recipe with my pantry and freezer. I am not perfectly organized in either area, but I have a good sense if I have a can of crushed tomatoes. However, I will have to check if it is the 15 ounce or 28 ounce size. This makes sure that the only items on my grocery list are the ones I either do not have or do not have enough of to create the meal.

I have small stock piles of various foodstuff including rice, beans, cans of tuna, cans of soup, various cans of tomato products, flour and other baking supplies. With the meal planning, my current stock and items that have or will run out, my grocery list is well populated. My grocery list to feed a single person for at least one month includes:

• One or two fresh fruit items


• Granola bars


• Two or three vegetables including white onions


• Assorted meat products (bacon, ground meat or meat pieces)


• Meat substitutes (veggie crumble)


• Cheese products (cheddar, mozzarella and American)


• Dairy (milk, sour cream, yogurt, butter)


• Eggs


• Frozen juices (concentrate)


• Four or five frozen entrees


• Soda (two 2L bottles)


• Distilled water (for the cats)


• Baking supplies (leavening, sugar, salt, spices, flour)


• Prepackaged fruit (canned, applesauce)


• Soups (condensed)


• Cereal (generic, bagged)


• Condiments (mayo, ketchup, salad dressing)


• Treats (pudding, cookies, ice cream or chips; only one or two of these selected)


• Toilet paper

This list is not all inclusive especially for all the meals being prepared that month, but the basics of what I buy every month. I usually have enough of an item it is not critical I purchase it immediately. For example, I have two cans each of condensed cream of mushroom, celery and chicken, the base for many casseroles. Recently, I opened a can of condensed milk and put it on my to-buy list as I have only one in the house at a time. Few recipes I use call for this item.

For many people, the dairy items are fewer than what I consume. I drink at least four gallons of 1% milk, eat 32 ounces of yogurt, use 16 ounces of sour cream, slather on 3 pounds of butter and consume 3 pounds of cheese. However, these products, as delicious as they are, are also expensive. Select items you enjoy eating, but compromise on how often you eat them if your spending plan does not allow for all of them.

My grocery spending is about 4.5% of after-tax income. [The after-tax income takes into account the pretax contributions to my 401(k) and Flexible Spending Account.] This allotted amount is solely money I spend at the grocery store for food (excluding nonfood items and eating out). Ten months out of the year, I hit this number or below it. If I exceed this number, I subtract the amount from my eating out budget. It has been harder to hit this number recently, but I also have not been cooking from scratch as often as I had previously.

Poor food choices and their consequences

Recently I have been feeling overwhelmed and consequently, have not been doing as much as I need to. Oh, I take care of the garden and begrudgingly mow the lawn, but the indoor chores tend to slide more often. Even with food coming in every week with my CSA box in addition to my supplies from the monthly grocery shopping trip, I have not been cooking or creating meals from scratch. My lunches are sandwiches or a frozen entree, my dinners are as simple as possible (and tend to dip into the chips and dip area more often than not). What are the consequences of this neglect of my more frugal moves?

Increased cost
Prepackaged foods whether a frozen lunch entree or deli sliced meat will add cost to each meal. While these options are less expensive than a lunch purchased at work, the cost is lower taking leftovers to to work for lunch than preparing a lunch every morning (and usually a bit quicker).

Wasted food
I am especially guilty of this regarding my CSA box. Much of the reason all of it does not end up in the compost bin is because I give it away. Many of the greens do not get me excited, radishes are not my thing and I am not enthusiastic about eating lettuce and spinach. Since I am not cooking as much, I tend not to experiment with some of the items I receive and they are relocated to make compost rather than feed me. This is not the best use of my locally grown produce.

In addition, I have also thawed meat that sat too long in the refrigerator before I remembered I was intending on making meatballs or some other dish. This is expensive and wasteful.

Poorer health
Despite my vow to eat healthier and exercise more, I have reverted to old habits rather than adopting new ones. Many prepackaged foods have more fat and sodium than recommended, and may lack many nutrients needed by the body. Decreasing my bottom line and adding to my rear does not help me get closer to my goals.

So, what can I do to rectify this? First, I need to organize my kitchen (messiness is always a barrier to cooking) and choose a recipe to make. With my time and energy constraints, finding something to cook can be a challenge, but trying something new is fun as well. I plan to look up recipes the night before and get out items to thaw if needed. With an organized kitchen and recipe in hand, I will cook the meal (hoping there are leftovers for one more meal, lunch or dinner the next day).

If there is a weekend looming, cooking can be made an even higher priority. I usually have more time available so cooking long-simmering sauces or dealing with multiple preparation steps are less onerous. Making a list is important so I will have to decide what to make and post the resulting list in a prominent location.

The hardest part: not stopping by the store for the craved chips or sweets. By making a vow to only eat something I have made and supplying myself with a variety of items to eat, I lessen temptation and improve both my diet and my financial bottom line. Making time for cooking will only help me keep within my spending plan rather than exceeding it.

Do you have similar food challenges?

Recession and me: how will my behavior change

At Consumerism Commentary, there was a posting about how people were cutting back on their food expenditures substituting chicken for steak as an example. Sasha then asked readers what they were doing to cut back on expenditures. I commented I was reconsidering purchasing as much meat as I did before and buying block cheese rather than grated. I saved some money as I am not paying for the convenience of someone else grating my cheese for me. However, I really could not think of anything else other than buying fewer convenience items.

My food budget has remained unchanged for nearly two years. My last change: I increased my monthly grocery allotment by $10. Since I cook my own meals and buy fewer convenience foods, I have been able to purchase more than other people who buy frozen pizzas, Easy Mac, presliced cheese and frozen dinners. I still buy granola bars, soups and even four frozen entrees, but mostly I buy items I have to assemble and cook myself. Homemade dinners bring the cost per serving down dramatically even if Lean Cuisine is on sale.

Other than the category "gas" and "car insurance", I have not increased the amount in my spending plan for any other item. I take care of my car, generally drive the speed limit (rarely more than 5 mph over when I do speed), and plan errands in clusters to minimize gas usage and car wear and tear. While I live about 14 miles from work, most of those miles are driven at 45 mph or greater, a 20-minute commute in good weather.

My automatic transfers into various savings accounts have remained unchanged and I do not anticipate decreasing my contributions. While I could lose my job dramatically affecting my financial state, at this particular point, I believe the likelihood is small. Even if I do not get a raise, I would survive an economic downturn with most of my finances intact. I doubt I will remain unscathed, but for the moment I have needed to make few changes.

One thing I am more conscious of (and that was even before the "R" word was spoken) is my total savings accumulation. I could afford to buy many items without losing much of my savings, but I am extremely reluctant to touch more than $200 for anything. That money is my safety net and I want it there for emergencies, not there for me to spend. While I might fritter away small amounts of money, for larger items, I really think about if I want it and what it will do for me. For example, I would love to buy a 17" MacBook Pro for my own use. Do I need one? No, I have a perfectly usable iBook G4, a bit older but quite functional. Something shiny and new would be faster (and bigger), but a frivolous purchase I do not need. Want, yes. Need, no. (Technoenvy is not pretty but I still lust after shiny new Apple Computer hardware.)

While I sound confident, I cannot predict what the future will hold. Any number of things (injury, sickness, totaled car, fire, etc.) can change my financial state from secure to precarious. I do the best I can, save my money, continue to invest in my retirement vehicles every month, eat better, consider the balance of items coming in and out of my life and hope it brings me to a better financial situation. Any safety net is better than none and I have family close enough to help if I am in real trouble. I hope the doom and gloom talk is just that, but I have prepared the best I can just living frugally and saving as I have for the past few years. These strategies should help me weather this storm and get me to the other side safely. What do you think?

Food (you are always on my mind)

It is just after noon on a Saturday and my stomach wants something to fill it. However, my ongoing health issue means my usual (typically high fat) diet is out. I love cheese, drink milk by the gallon, slather butter on my toast and pancakes, and enjoy using sour cream and cream cheese in my recipes. Raised on a dairy farm, I enjoy all the various products that can come from milk.

I have mentioned in earlier posts about my monthly grocery shopping I have a monthly menu planned to help me shop for the items I need. I try to balance between items that need preparation time (e.g., a casserole or pizza from scratch) and items that can be prepared immediately. How do I do this?

As I have mentioned, I like cheese. Therefore, an easy meal would be toasted cheese sandwiches. All that is needed is two slices of bread, butter (or margarine or even vegetable oil) and two-four slices of American cheese. Other cheese can be used but I like how smoothly American cheese melts. Butter one side of each slice of bread, place one slice on a warmed pan, add the slices of cheese (as much or as little as you prefer), place the second slice of bread, butter side up, on top, and flip carefully when the bottom side is toasted. I find that a quick and satisfying meal especially with a glass of milk.

I have mentioned pizza before. It is both a great meal to prepare during the weekend when I have more time as well as during the week when I do not feel like doing much after work. Since I generally eat alone, I do not need a full-size pizza. Once my bread maker is done kneading and allowing the pizza dough to rise, I divide the dough into three pieces. Two go into the refrigerator and one is used immediately. Before the end of the dough cycle, I cut up the onions, grate the cheese and prepare any other toppings. I do not think it is time-consuming, but additional grated cheese can be prepared for later and refrigerated.

I am old-fashioned so I roll out the dough, slide it onto my pizza pan, wet the edges and roll up the dough to form the pizza crust boundary. Since I use so much flour to roll out the dough, the water removes the excess flour and allows the dough to stick. Next comes the sauce--I tend to be heavy on the sauce then I generously sprinkle on the cheese, add the toppings (I like onions and pepperoni) then brush olive oil on the crush. It bakes up nicely in about 15 minutes and I have a thin-crust pizza fit for one.

The leftover dough can be used for meal preparation during the work week. I have kept it for a week without issue. If you like thick-crust pizza, consider making a larger batch of dough and dividing it in half. With premade dough, I can cut down my preparation time to just ten minutes from rolling out the dough to baking in the oven. That is easy enough, right?

Pasta dishes like Country Supper (smoked sausage, Velveeta, onion, macaroni) usually make several servings so enough is made for dinner and then lunches and dinners to follow. One day of cooking if it takes an hour or two and the result is four to six meals is a good investment of time. I do put the more time-intensive recipes on the weekend, but there are some that I need only an hour for that I like to prepare during the week. I have not advanced to batch cooking where meals for weeks or even a month are prepared during a day. I am limited by freezer space so this is not practical for me. If I am adventurous (and have enough containers), I might have two different leftover meals to choose from during the week.

So my menu is typically a balance between more time-consuming food preparation and simpler, quicker meals that I can prepare anytime. The items above are just a few examples. Salad is a nice change of pace and takes less than fifteen minutes to prepare. Think of a few recipes you enjoy, figure out where they fall in the preparation time scale and learn to balance when time is premium versus wanting something more than a sandwich.

Grocery lists and calculating costs for the monthly grocery trip

For my once monthly grocery trips, I consider more than just menu planning. The magnetic list on my refrigerator is an important part of planning my grocery trip as well.

Not only do I have a list of planned dinner and dessert items on my refrigerator, each of which get crossed out when made, but I also have a running list of items I use up or am running low on. For example, I did not plan my flour purchases well for the month of December and ran out of unbleached all-purpose flour. However, I did have plenty of bread flour which substituted well in cookies but not so well for sauce thickening. Therefore, I needed more all-purpose flour. I also used nearly all my cinnamon so I put that on my list of grocery items I needed to purchase.

This running list is important so I keep it in a location that is easy to access. The magnetic pad on my refrigerator is easy to find and I have a pen just a step away that I can note whichever item I need to purchase. The key to continually using an item: make it simple and easy to implement.

In addition to necessary items to stock and the planned menu foodstuffs, I need to keep under budget. This can be a challenge. In fact, my grocery trip for this month, January 2008, was barely under budget. Since I had run low on more items than I anticipated in December and the cumulative effect of trying three new recipes in one month, my purchases added up quickly.

However, I usually end up with more breathing room than $1.96. Therefore, I can add staples to my pantry. When I noticed that I was going through five pounds of bread flour a month, I started purchasing 10 pound bags. While the initial outlay of money was more, I lowered my overall costs (lower cost per pound of flour) and that left a bit more room in the budget. I have stocked various condensed soups, tomato paste, tomato sauce, canola oil and other staples I use regularly with the room left in my grocery money allocation. This helps decrease food costs as I have an item or two needed for a dish I want to make and do not have to purchase it the month I want to make the dish.

The best way I have found to keep on budget? My calculator. Each item I place in my grocery cart, I punch into my handy calculator. This tool is also useful for deciding between items of two different sizes and prices. I write down my current total on my grocery list and then divide the price by the unit size of the item I am considering. This ability helped me determine that the largest size of a box of powdered milk really was a better deal than the generic brand at the large or medium size. And it will take me a long time to go through 64oz of powdered milk.

Among my posts on my once monthly grocery shopping trip, I believe this covers the planning that goes into my trips. One final note: I used my eight hemp bags and they fell short by one bag on the trip. If you plan on reusing bags you have or are purchasing some reusable bags, bring or buy a few extra. It does not hurt and may give you a per unit break on the price of reusable bags. Let me know your thoughts and comment!

Menu planning for the once monthly grocery trip

While my blog's comment rate is low, I have seen quite a few hits to my once monthly grocery shopping trip posting. Since there is interest in single people trying to keep grocery costs (and hassles) to a minimium, I thought I would expound on the topic. Here I will cover my menu planning.

The goal of the once monthly grocery shopping is cover all your needs for an entire month. I do make one or two trips at the end of the month if I need to replenish an item (e.g., need another gallon of milk) or there is some room in my budget and I cannot go another day without those potato chips. (I really try to fight those temptations but I do succumb occasionally.) So how do I do this? I plan what I will cook to cover three meals a day. Generally this means that what I make for dinner will be lunch and dinner for a two or three days. I also plan for quick meals like toasted cheese sandwiches, meals with moderate preparation like homemade pizza as well as the full cooking experience.

For example, here is what I have eaten this week:
Monday:
Breakfast: Two slices banana-cream bread toasted, buttered and sprinkled with cinnamon; glass of milk
Snack: Bag of Baked Cheetos from vending machine
Lunch: Part of 1/7 portion of Shrimp Pasta Pie, microwaved and ice water
Dinner: Made Bacon-Cream Cheese filling and baked into crescent rolls with glass of diet cherry cola. There are another three servings of the Bacon-Cream Cheese rolls so refrigerated for later.

Tuesday:
Breakfast: Two slices banana-cream bread toasted, buttered and sprinkled with cinnamon; glass of milk
Snack: Slice of pound cake spread with strawberry cream cheese
Lunch: Remaining 1/7 portion of Shrimp Pasta Pie, microwaved, applesauce and ice water; dessert Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese bar
Dinner: Bacon-Cream Cheese Crescents with glass of diet cherry cola.

Wednesday:
Breakfast: Two slices banana-cream bread toasted, buttered and sprinkled with cinnamon; glass of milk
Snack: Bag of Harvest Cheddar Sun Chips
Lunch: 1/7 portion of Shrimp Pasta Pie, microwaved and ice water; dessert Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese bar
Dinner: Bacon-Cream Cheese Cresents with glass of diet cherry cola.

I project that my menu will continue to be the same for Thursday and Friday with the exception of dinner on Friday. Currently, I am considering making pizza dough in my bread maker so I can have pizza or a quick salad or I might cook the Spaghetti and Meatballs recipe I chose to try. I might save the last item for Saturday where I will have more time to cook and fewer demands from the empty stomach.

One complaint: I am getting awfully tired of the Shrimp Pasta Pie. Here is where more freezer space would come in handy--freeze it for another time. However, it is obvious that the Pasta Pie did last for lunch an entire week and that is usually what happens to my leftovers. Plus one loaf of banana-cream bread will last an entire week for breakfast. So what other items do I have?

Breakfast: bagged cereal, pancakes, toast
Lunch: leftovers, frozen prepackaged meals (limited to three or four a month), occasional eating out
Dinner: homemade pizza, salad, toasted cheese sandwich, casseroles, meat dishes, ethnic foods, rice
Desserts: bars, apple-based desserts, cookies, chocolate
Snacks: popcorn, salad (I like crunchy!), nuts, chips, toast

I do not break down my menu into a day-by-day listing. I do have the menu items I specifically bought groceries for listed on my refrigerator to remind me what they are and put out items to thaw in preparation for them. My pantry is well-stocked if I want to try something not on the menu. Therefore, I really only make a separate trip to the grocery store for milk. Otherwise, my meals are planned and give me enough variety I tend not to get bored except when I have the same leftovers four days in a row.

Does this information help you? Do you want other details? Please let me know.

The once monthly grocery shopping trip

I do not enjoy going to the grocery store. I have to drive there, find a parking spot, search out the items I want (trying not to get too many things I do not need), check out and haul the load home, fighting people and cars to get out of the parking lot. Then I have to unload the car, put it all away, drop on the sofa and eat junk food to numb the pain. Okay, I have eased up on the last part, but the sentiment remains the same. My feelings did not always reflect such a dread. I used to even run to the store just to satisfy a junk food craving. Now I practice getting as many errands out of one trip as possible to conserve time and gasoline.

To balance out my need for food to feed myself and my less-than-enthusiastic response to grocery shopping, I came up with the once monthly grocery trip. As my current spending plan stands, I spend less than 4% of my gross monthly income (excluding those "extra"paychecks I receive twice a year) on groceries. There are four weapons in my arsenal: 1) meal planning for the entire month, 2) my calculator, 3) my grocery list, and 4) a large grocery store (great selection with warehouse prices). I do not have a price book and I rarely use coupons.

To facilitate my once-a-month trip, I learned that planning on meals that should get me through the entire month was the big key. I do not calculate the serving size and how many meals. That is likely to be a better method than my "that number seems right" sense, but as I am a single person feeding myself and I have done this for a few years, this works for me. I usually have three to four big recipes (e.g., beef parmigana), two or three quick recipes (e.g, fixings for a homemade pizza), a sweet treat or two and a new recipe I have not tried before. There are several recipes I really like on heavy rotation and it can get to the point I just get tired of them. Trying a new recipe expands my horizons and may add a new favorite to my lineup. Since I am feeding one person (me) and the recipes can be anywhere from three to ten servings, I have leftovers for lunches and dinners. Hence, a few recipes can go a long way.

With a frugal grocery budget, I have learned that making my own meals really does save money. I do purchase some convenience foods, but they are a treat, not a necessity. In fact, my purchase of a bread machine has really helped with my bread expenses as well as introducing me to pizza dough (a staple in my house) and a wide variety of breads I never would have experienced otherwise.

With the list set, I choose an evening after work to visit the large grocery store. My work is closer to the store so to minimize the gas usage, I plan a trip on a weekday evening. Following the list, I punch in the cost of each item into my calculator and cross the item off the list as it is added to the cart. For items where there is more than one size choice, I use the calculator to divide the size by the price to figure out which is the better deal. I use the store brands for some items (e.g., condensed soup), but there are not always generic choices or I decided I like the tast of the name brand better. My calculator not only makes sure I have the best deal on items, it also helps me keep on my budget. Especially at the end of the trip, I know whether I can get that last item or if I have to decide to put back an item or two to keep within my budget. As my pantry has become better stocked with staples like flour, sugar, various condensed soups (for casserole dishes) and pasta, my budget has more ease in it for treats like soda or chips.

While I do only one major trip a month to the grocery store, I usually make at least one more trip for milk or other items at the end of the month. I drink at least three gallons of milk a month and fitting more than four in the refrigerator is difficult. I do not eat a lot of fresh fruits or vegetables, but I am working on improving my diet and these items are perishable, likely needing a second trip to replenish my supply. Depending on the items I need, I may choose to visit Walgreens, which offers milk and snacks as well as cold remedies.

These practices have kept me within my grocery spending plan for over year. It took me some time to get it down and learning that the less I spent on convenience foods, the more ease there was in my budget so I did not run into the red. Consider planning your meals for a week and then shopping for those meals rather than grabbing a few items for dinner that night. You might find that it saves you money, time and aggravation. You might end up in the once monthly shopping plan as well! It simplified my life and I cannot say I have nothing to eat!