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After leaving my corporate environment, i enjoyed spending time with my family, no more deadlines no more pressures from work, The idea of returning to a corporate environment just did not seem to fit into my plans anymore, but the reality was that living off of one income was a bit more challenging that i thought it would be. After reviewing the family budget, things had to be reduced. There were the weekly shopping trips at the local grocery store not to mention the monthly big box shopping trips, as well as the monthly big box store shopping sprees. According to the monthly food budget calculator my food expenses for 3 people eating breakfast, lunch and dinner at home 7 days a week is supposed to be approximately $868.13 per month. To me that still seems high. That comes to $29.00 per day. If that was the case, why cook at all, surely we could find somewhere to eat out. Eating home should be saving money not spending more. To reach my goal of getting our grocery bill down to $300.00 x month, here are the changes that i made.
Make a list based on the sale items and stick with it. I base my list on what is on sale, marking down the aisle that it is on that way i can skip ailes in between in order to resist temptation to buy additional items.
Always put one thing back at the end of your trip. I am sure there is an impulse buy in there somewhere . LOL. Check your receipt before your leave the store. Most stores only keep ads for one week, so if you think you got overcharged you can get reimbursed before you leave the store. Publix offers the item for free if it rings up wrongly.
Invest in a good quality bread maker. My family eats a-lot of bread. I usually make a 1.5 pound loaf 2-3 times a week. We use old bread bags to store our homemade breads in.
The Cuisinart does not require special flour or yeast for bread machines. I purchase flour and yeast in bulk at Costco or Sams.
Buy in season and can for later or dehydrate. After all, canning is not just for jams and jellies. You can place fresh fruit in jars, Seal in a pressure canner or instapot.
Invest in a Food Saver. A food saver can allow you to buy food in bulk and seal it for later. A food saver can extend your frozen foods from months to years. I really like this food saver which is $37.99. You can open and reseal most food saver bags as needed.
Making Chicken Legs for Dinner, Save the bones and make homemade chicken broth. Homemade chicken/bone broth is extremely beneficial. I love this recipe from Natashas Kitchen
We use these plastic storage containers to freeze any broth that we are not planning on using within the next 7 days. I like these labels and chalk markers for storing leftovers in the freezer. They are re-usable. Just wash off.
Ibotta has got to be the best way to save money on things you already buy at the grocery store or big box stores. It is similar to an automatic rebate. The app will either automatically link to your account after set up, or you can simply take a picture of your receipt and upload. Once you get $20.00 in your account you can either get a deposit through Paypal, a check by mail or a gift card to your favorite store.
Some of the top grocery rebates this week on Ibotta are below. These rebates are updated weekly. Click here for a $10.00 bonus by signing up.
- Ocean Spray growing for goodness $2.25 rebate.
- Alba Botanicals Body Lotion – $8.00
- Jason Mouthwash – $4.50
- Floraster Probiotic – $5.00
- Organic Valley Milk – $2.00.
Consider a subscription to a Organic Food Produce Delivery Box. Misfits Market products are all Non GMO and certified organic. I have tried multiple services in the past, This one is by far the most budget friendly ranging from $20-$35 per box, Our subscription is weekly but they make it easy to take a pause for a week or more if you are just finding you are getting too much produce. Trust me, there is a lot of food in that box. Click here for $15.00 credit on your first order.
I am always looking for more ways to save money on food. Please comment if you also have unique ways to save.
