The Dreaded Grocery Store

People always ask me how can you afford to eat healthy? Let me tell you the first few months were hard! Every aisle reminded me of something that I once enjoyed. The bulk of my budget is spent on produce and meat (Oh yeah and Sugar-Free Pumpkin Spice Creamer that just hit the shelf this morning ❤ ) My normal trip sounds like this: Babes we need bananas and milk, can we go to Aldi’s? Sure honey, I gotta get food for the guys too it’s my week to cook. My husband is a fireman at two departments. One of which there are 4 to 5 guys on shift and they rotate cooking. I have a very picky 3 year old who is just now learning to “try” different foods. So on top of a normal household, I am shopping for my husband’s work meals, our together meals, my alone meals and toddler meals. Did I mention I do this on a budget? So I had to learn to be creative. Back to our Aldi’s trip this past weekend. We walk to the produce section, I grabbed overly ripe bananas and green ones. Why because I bake with brown and Chase has some that can ripen for him through the week. I decided this week our breakfast would be egg muffins so I needed spinach, onion, green pepper and bacon. While going down the aisle, I was like why don’t I fix that jalapeno popper casserole tonight it will use up the rest of the bacon from my egg muffins. Then I said well it needs cream cheese and I just grabbed spinach so we can do stuffed chicken this week. See where I am going with this? I do not waste food!!! I bought peppers and what I didn’t use I have already cut and froze. My leftover zucchini is being used tonight for lasagna in place of noodles. Everything I buy I mentally make at least 2 meals out of some of the ingredients. So essentially I am cutting my bill in half. Then on Tuesday I look at Food Lion’s specials and it will give you a sneak peek of the next day’s ad. I can compare to see which day I want to go and sometime’s I go both. Utilize shop and earn, download those coupons. Most of the time the coupons on are cleaning, laundry and personal care items. I will only buy those when they are on sale and can tack my coupon on top. My way of thinking is I have to buy it anyway so that $2 I am saving is like free food. EVERY DOLLAR COUNTS! As much as I have tried to explain to people my thought process I guess it’s one of a kind, seems I get blank stare and you can hear the crickets chirping in the background. So maybe if you are more visual create a weekly menu. Add in lunch and breakfast. Now take a look at the entire picture and see if you have duplicate item’s you need. Do you need bacon for breakfast and for wrapped asparagus one night (It is Amazing). How much will you need for each meal, can you combine or eliminate an ingredient and still achieve the same results. I am not an extreme couponer I promise, but I get a thrill out of saving money and seeing how low I can get the total bill down. My hubby is pretty impressed with that feature too and tells the ladies at Food Lion, my wife will get me if I use her reward dollars. (He learnt the hard way) So, to sum it up I like champagne taste on a well water budget. It is possible, it takes practice and once you see your grocery bill going down maybe you will feel that thrill too!