How I Easily Cut My Grocery Spending in Half!

Hello Sophisticated Spenders!

As the new year approaches, we all (hopefully) have goals of saving money.  I needed to get my grocery spending under control.  So back in September, I re-joined the $26 Grocery Game Challenge.  Click here to read that post.

So here’s how I cut my grocery spending in half!

The $26 Grocery Challenge main concept:

Can you spend $26 per week (per person) on groceries?

Why:

The main reason I jumped on board was because I used to throw my hard earned money right in the garbage trash.  I’d cook huge meals and get tired of them after the 2nd or 3rd day.  Or I’d buy more groceries than I could possibly cook before they expire (I’m looking at you Costco).  So it was time for a change!

Results:

Success!  While I did NOT stick to the $26 a week budget, I cut my spending (and trashing of food) in half!

How I Did It:

I keep everything simple.  I shop at the same stores and I love my new habit.  On Saturdays I go to the butcher (I’m lucky because they have Groupons) for meats, then I walk over to Trader Joe’s for fresh flowers ($3-$5), veggies, cookies (I don’t know WHY I can’t walk out of that store without some type of sweet treats), nuts and snacks.  I also shop at Costco for snacks because those items have a much longer shelf life and are crazy cheap.

I still attend my beloved happy hours because sometimes I just don’t feel like cooking and food is heavily discounted at that time.

The Food:  

I kept my menu simple.  I would season my meat and then throw it in the oven.  Or, I’d season and then pan sear my meat before throwing it into the slow cooker.  I normally drop the ball when it comes to side dishes so any tips and suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Pictures!!!

(*note if you are reading this in an email you may need to head to the website to see the pictures!)

I’d love to hear how YOU save money on groceries!

Shout out to my peeps over at the Canadian Budget Binder for the idea for the Grocery Game Challenge!