Feeding your family is a big job, especially if you cook most meals and are on a budget. Because our monthly grocery bill is about as much as our house payment, I’ve been looking for ways to shop well for less.
There are a lot of resources out there that you can take advantage of but it can be very confusing and overwhelming. Yesterday I signed up for The Grocery Game and E-Mealz to help me plan meals and spend less at the grocery store. The cost for both is $10 a month ($10 every 8 weeks for The Grocery Game and $5 a month for E-Mealz).
The Grocery Game lets you choose a store in your area (or more than one if you want) and then they show you the deals for the week as well as which coupons to use and where to find them.
E-Mealz plans your meals for you. I liked it because it had a gluten free option and it has been highly recommended.
I have to tell you, though, that after all of my research yesterday I was so confused and overwhelmed that I ended up going to the store today without a list or a plan. I never do that. I just couldn’t face having to deal with it all anymore. What’s worse is that I spent more than I usually do. (To be fair, it’s Easter weekend and we were out of a lot of things, so that helped contribute to the higher bill.)
I’ve never been a fan of coupons, thinking that the things I buy aren’t going to have a coupon. I buy very little packaged or prepared food.
I have found out, though, from various sources including friends, that coupons are available for those kinds of things. In addition, it makes sense to use coupons for health and beauty items like toothpaste and shampoo.
I am determined to give these new ideas a try and hopefully save some money in the process. I’ll be sure to share my experiences with you so that we can all learn from it.