Penny Pinching Mom

Saving on Groceries

I’ve managed to get good deals on our home owner insurance, auto insurance and other recurring bills like that. But when it comes to everyday expenses like groceries, that’s where I have problems.

I was on a particularly tight budget the last time I went to the grocery store, so I figured it was time to go through those coupons I always get at checkout. I found several that were for things I often buy, and I separated them from the rest. I don’t attempt to make an official list because I never stick to it, but I wrote the essentials down so I wouldn’t forget them and headed out the door.

I got to the store (Food Lion, to be specific) and searched the aisles for the “variables” – the snacks, cereal and such that didn’t necessarily have to be a certain kind – looking for the best deals on stuff we would actually eat. And I did pretty well. I managed to get almost everything on sale with my MVP card. Awesome.

Most of my coupons were for frozen food. I got to the frozen chicken, and I was thrilled to see that the chicken nuggets that Pumpkin eats were on sale. Usually $6.99 a bag, they were buy one get one free. And it just so happened that I had two coupons for $2 off on one bag. So that brought the price down to $1.50 a bag.

I also found that the Lean Cuisine entrees were on sale, and I had a coupon for them too. But it was for $1.50 off of eight of them. I really couldn’t justify getting that many when I’m the only one who eats them and I already had some stuff for my lunches that was cheaper. So I just picked up a couple of them and moved on.

Altogether I managed to save nearly $30. That’s the most I’ve saved at the grocery store in a long time. So I’m pretty proud of myself.