Grocery Shopping List

Options
ashmarie0806
ashmarie0806 Posts: 14
in Food and Nutrition
I am an avid couponer and my grocery shopping trip typically revolve around the circulars and sales in my local grocery stores. It saves me a lot of money, but that does not mean that all the sale items on my list are healthy choices. Now that I am trying to make a conscious effort to eat better, I want to still save money, but make healthier choices. Anyone have any tips on grocery shopping essentials? What makes your list?

Thanks!

Replies

  • denimandroses
    denimandroses Posts: 43
    Options
    I try to shop for fresh fruits and vegetables that are in season or buy frozen. Watching the circulars for sale pricing (as you already do) is helpful, too. I've found that coupons are mainly for processed foods, and rarely for healthier options, so I rarely use them anymore. That said, I try to remind myself that I'm saving money on health expenses down the road. Also, I don't know if you have an Aldi in your area, but I can save a lot of money shopping there over anywhere else in my area. Happy and healthy shopping! :)
  • LizAnn925
    LizAnn925 Posts: 20 Member
    Options
    I know what you mean...honestly, if you want good quality food that is unprocessed and organic, you have to dish out the money for it. Anything that is cheap is cheap for a reason - those apples that are on sale have probably been frozen for a year and are just being sold now. There are some ways I have found to save money. For example, I found a bag of quinoa in the health food section at walmart for about $13, but I went into the Mexican food aisle and found quinoa for $7. Why the other bag was more expensive, I'll never know. Check out the ethnic food sections to see if what you are looking for is there for a better price. You can also try to find Mexican or Asian food stores near you. The food is often much cheaper, and those stores contain healthy things like seitan that you can't even find anywhere else! It's all about weighing out your options. Sometimes you just have to break down and go to the health food store for some items, but other healthy items can be found for cheap in stores that people don't really think of going to.
  • ashmarie0806
    ashmarie0806 Posts: 14
    Options
    Thanks so much for your insight! I did find that the coupons in the Sunday paper and online are mainly for processed food product. That said, I will probably just stick to couponing for paper/cleaning items. I went grocery shopping yesterday shortly after I posted this and was able to get a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables on sale (at two different stores). I think just paying attention to what is in season certainly helps.

    Thanks again :)
  • ashmarie0806
    ashmarie0806 Posts: 14
    Options
    Thanks so much for your insight! I did find that the coupons in the Sunday paper and online are mainly for processed food product. That said, I will probably just stick to couponing for paper/cleaning items. I went grocery shopping yesterday shortly after I posted this and was able to get a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables on sale (at two different stores). I think just paying attention to what is in season certainly helps.

    Thanks again :)
  • kganc001
    kganc001 Posts: 317
    Options
    When purchasing my own groceries, I stay on the outside of the supermarket. This time of year, I purchase seasonal veggies and fruits, since they're cheaper than buying things out of season. Right now it's mostly zucchini, melon, cucumbers, strawberries, etc. Anything abundant. It's easy to find good sales :)

    As for meat, I buy a lot in bulk, and keep the extra frozen. Since I plan my meals, I'm able to take the chicken/fish out of the freezer by time I need it. My favorite is tilapia, since it thaws so quickly. I buy soy milk and Kraft/Sargento cheese, and there's usually coupons for those types of products. :)
  • corgicake
    corgicake Posts: 846 Member
    Options
    Know your sale cycles and buy what you know you'll eat. Earlier this summer was the good time to tank up on beef. Around here (mind y'all, this is cow and farm country) 85% was two bucks a pound, but now even the 73% is two and a half and my guess is it will remain in the realm of highway robbery for the rest of the summer. I've got the food budget of an undergrad and have learned to choose my battles - yes, I buy my share of rubbish for the sake of my pocketbook sometimes.
  • msarro
    msarro Posts: 2,748 Member
    Options
    The sucky news is this:
    The foods you really ought to be eating don't come from companies that make coupons, but they do occasionally have sales.

    As you probably know, processed garbage is where 99.9% of the coupons go. Also, cleaning products get them too which is useful but usually generics are cheaper.

    Rarely you can find coupons for milk, but that's about the closest I've found.

    The whole grains we use I order in bulk from amazon with their "subscribe and save" option, which saves me 15% off the price tag. It's something to look into, especially if you use Amazon a lot.
  • UrbanLotus
    UrbanLotus Posts: 1,163 Member
    Options
    I've never been a coupon/sale flyer person, but I always try to buy whats on sale and go to a few diffferent stores - I buy a LOT of produce. After a while you figure out what stores have cheaper produce, like there are certain things I always get from Trader Joe's (bagged arugula, haricots verts, big box of grape tomatoes), and for every day fruit I buy whatever is on sale at my regular grocery store. I buy produce that is in season as its usually cheaper.

    If there is a good deal on frozen chicken or something, I'll buy extra and freeze it.

Categories