Get a grip on the grocery list. Take a sheet of paper, and make a list of items you buy from the grocery store on a regular basis. Leave space for additional items you might want to add later. Make photocopies of the list and the store where you can easily find them. Hang a copy on the refrigerator to remind yourself to check off the items you need. When shopping time rolls around, your list is practically done. The items not marked are also good reminders of essentials you may not have realized you need.
Cost-cutting strategy. Keep a list of the foods and other items you buy regularly. Make a note of the price you pay and the price you see in ads. You’ll get a better handle on what an item should cost and recognize a good buy when you see one.
Recipe for order. Store only recipes you have used and liked in your “working” recipe box. Keep those you think you’d like but haven’t tried in a file cabinet. You’ll save time when hunting for an “old faithful.” When you’re feeling creative, go to your reserve and select a recipe that looks appealing.
Meal planning magic. Save money, time, and electricity by keeping an inventory on the door of your refrigerator. When you return from the grocery store, make a list of all the food items you store inside. Also note the date. As you use things up, cross them off the list. With this method, you can plan meals at a glance without having to dig around in the fridge with the door open, and you’re less likely to waste food simply because it’s out of sight. For even more savings, make a similar list for the freezer door.
Spices A to Z. If you take a few minutes to alphabetize your spice rack, finding spices when you are in the middle of preparing a meal is easy. Also, when you are preparing your shopping list or using a new recipe, you can quickly check to see if you have the necessary ingredient without looking at all your spice bottles to make sure. This is a real time saver.
Bag it on Sunday. Enjoy the leisurely pace of a Sunday afternoon to prepare bag lunch items for the week ahead. Make all the sandwiches that can be frozen. Wrap them in plastic wrap, and store them in a large zip-lock bag. Then into the freezer they go. Just grab one eachmorning as you rush out the door. It will thaw out by the time you’re ready to eat it. You can put pretzels and carrots into individual baggies ahead, too. This is cheaper than buying prepackaged one-serving size bags.
HALT for smart shopping. To save money when shopping for groceries, remember the word HALT — hungry, angry, lonely, and tired. Don’t shop when you are feeling any of these. You’ll make wiser choices when your appetite has been satisfied, you feel rested, and all is well in your world. Otherwise, you are likely to buy more of those “comfort foods” you think will make you feel better.
© FCA Publishing
