Leininger Homestead

I told Ed that if he let me manage the grocery shopping, I would find a way to make it work. I set a budget for us. We were going to spend $200/month on groceries instead of the $500 or more that most Americans spend. I tried to achieve this a number of ways. But extreme couponing, meal planning at the store, and only buying what I needed each night, were all the wrong ways. 

Finally I found a combination of wise, intuitive techniques that really worked. With these four techniques, I'm proud to say that I only spent $220 this month on grocery items. And I'm still seeing areas that I can improve and cut costs. I'm really excited and I hope to share as much as possible about this change in discipline. 

Planning first entails writing up a meal plan for a two week segment, and making a list of the items you need. It also involves resourcefully using items in your pantry so that you don't need to buy as many new items.

Shopping less involves eliminating mid-week grocery trips by creating a thorough list and a detailed meal plan. Think of it this way: the less you go to the grocery store, the fewer opportunities you will have to "think you need" something, buy something you already have, or waste money on something you don't need.

Wasting less is a change I made within my home. I incorporated leftovers into lunch and dinner plans, changed the portions of how much food I cook, and began to creatively recycle leftovers into new meals. I also stopped buying produce in big bags. a whole bag of carrots is cheap, but buying two or three carrots is cheaper and makes more sense with my meal plans. 

Cooking smart has become my favorite part of this change. I believe that limitations are like the womb in which creativity grows. But when I ask people how they cook on a budget, they usually say "rice and beans." The title sounds really bland an uninteresting. But cheap food doesn't have to be that way. How about basmati rice with curried onions, tomatoes, and chick peas piled on top, served in a steamy handmade pottery bowl by yours truly? Yes, you can still be a culinary genius and feed two people (and a cat) on a shoestring. 

Since I started using these methods, I have so much more time and energy in the evenings. It's cut down on my stress level and allowed me to spend more time on creative things such as planning my wedding. I will be happy to post meal suggestions, details and recipes for anyone else who wants to try cooking  and shopping this way. Be sure to follow our blog so that you won't miss any. I'm in the process of writing out a few very detailed articles to help people learn to shop this way. 

I would also really love to hear how you save money on your groceries, and why it became important to you. Please comment below and tell me your story.