Shop the sales
There are two ways I use sale prices to my advantage. The first takes the most planning (so I don’t use it very often!) The second is easy to use and doesn’t take much prior planning, but it does take a little space in your pantry and freezer.
Option #1-
You will need to either get the Sunday newspaper for the grocery store flyers, or you can find them online at the store’s website. The Oregonian Food Day also has flyers and comes free in the mail if you live in Portland.
Look at the ads and see what meats, fruits, canned goods, etc. are on sale. Make a list of which items your family likes and uses. Once you have that list, make your menu using as many of the sale items as possible. This is a great option if you have a little bit of planning time and don’t have any space for storing extra food. Beware! Not everything in the ads is a good deal! You need to know the high and low prices for common items, more on this in a future article.
Option #2
This is the method I use the most. When you are shopping, have a list of what you need for the week based on your menu plan (see tip 1.) Don’t buy anything else, unless it is a GREAT deal AND you use it on a regular basis. You don’t save money if you buy things on sale that you don’t usually use. Just because something is on sale doesn’t mean it is a great price, more on this in a future article. Most items go on sale about once a month so you only need space for about a one to two month supply. Costco is a great place to get good deals, but be careful. You can often get the same product for less on sale at a regular grocery store and you don’t have to buy in large quantities.
Don’t think you have enough room? Our family of five lives in an apartment that is about 1100 square feet and our last place was even smaller. You just need to be a little creative. I have a small chest freezer and I bought a cabinet at Home Depot (it was made for garage organization) for my extra canned and boxed goods.
The second step comes when you plan your weekly meals. Try to plan 2-3 meals for the week using items in your pantry and freezer. Take a look at what you have before you sit down to plan. This makes the best use of the good deals you have accumulated and keeps things rotated and fresh.
There are two ways I use sale prices to my advantage. The first takes the most planning (so I don’t use it very often!) The second is easy to use and doesn’t take much prior planning, but it does take a little space in your pantry and freezer.
Option #1-
You will need to either get the Sunday newspaper for the grocery store flyers, or you can find them online at the store’s website. The Oregonian Food Day also has flyers and comes free in the mail if you live in Portland.
Look at the ads and see what meats, fruits, canned goods, etc. are on sale. Make a list of which items your family likes and uses. Once you have that list, make your menu using as many of the sale items as possible. This is a great option if you have a little bit of planning time and don’t have any space for storing extra food. Beware! Not everything in the ads is a good deal! You need to know the high and low prices for common items, more on this in a future article.
Option #2
This is the method I use the most. When you are shopping, have a list of what you need for the week based on your menu plan (see tip 1.) Don’t buy anything else, unless it is a GREAT deal AND you use it on a regular basis. You don’t save money if you buy things on sale that you don’t usually use. Just because something is on sale doesn’t mean it is a great price, more on this in a future article. Most items go on sale about once a month so you only need space for about a one to two month supply. Costco is a great place to get good deals, but be careful. You can often get the same product for less on sale at a regular grocery store and you don’t have to buy in large quantities.
Don’t think you have enough room? Our family of five lives in an apartment that is about 1100 square feet and our last place was even smaller. You just need to be a little creative. I have a small chest freezer and I bought a cabinet at Home Depot (it was made for garage organization) for my extra canned and boxed goods.
The second step comes when you plan your weekly meals. Try to plan 2-3 meals for the week using items in your pantry and freezer. Take a look at what you have before you sit down to plan. This makes the best use of the good deals you have accumulated and keeps things rotated and fresh.