Tips for Sticking to Your Grocery Budget

Grocery shopping can be hard. Especially when you’re hungry and tired. The last thing on your mind is taking your time to get groceries bought. You want out. And you want out now. Walking down every aisle is the last thing you want to do in this moment.

Do you ever feel like that when grocery shopping?

I do, almost every single time.

I’m not a fan of grocery shopping. It’s long, the store is usually crowded with people that like to stop in the middle of the way. You can never find the item on sale that you want. It’s just not my favorite thing to do.

Plus, I find it hard to calculate your total sometimes. Especially when J comes with me. I tend to keep my phone out so I can add up my purchases to stay within my budget. I usually know how much I need to spend before going in so I want to make sure I’m under it by the time I leave. If J is with me then I have to stick with him or have him tell me the total. He’s a guy so he usually says $3-ish. Well is it $3.19 or $3.99? I usually end up rounding up to be on the safe side, but it’s frustrating.

One time I had him in charge of the calculator while we shopped. Half-way through he looks up at me and it was like it’s gone. What do you mean it’s gone? He accidentally cleared out my total. So we had to just kind of guess at what was in the cart and keep going. I’m pretty sure we were right on the line that trip, but it ended up being okay.

I also don’t like having to keep track of my list and remember everything else you need to be getting. I’ve worked on organizing my list better and I’m sharing that in my Tip Number One down below. An organized list is your best friend when you don’t want to be grocery shopping.

I’ve come up with tips for sticking to your grocery budget for those really hard days.

Tip One:

Make your list into more of a game plan. I like to write out what I need then re-write it in order of the store. That way, I don’t have to scan my entire list when I’m in each aisle or back track. I’ve learned my Wal-Mart pretty well and know just about every aisle the items I need will be on.

That way I can start at the front door and only walk down the aisles I need to. Plus, my list goes in order so if I skip something then I know it’s because I couldn’t find it and I need to ask someone.

Tip Two:

Eat a snack before you go. If you’re headed there right after work then grab a snack. Nothing crazy or super filling, but something that will be enough to keep the hangry pains away. Otherwise you might find that box of Little Debbie cakes in your cart and will have no recollection of putting it in there. I also come up with crazy side dishes or snacks when I’m hungry. At the time they sound amazing and super easy to prepare, but when I get home I never want them. It’s a waste.

Tip Three:

Remember to use your money saving apps. They can really add up and help keep you on track with your budget. I’m a big fan of Wal-Mart Savings Catcher since that’s where I do most of my shopping.

Tip Four:

Don’t spend forever in the store. Once you have your game plan in hand, then get going. Don’t stall or get side tracked by other items on the shelves. Get in, get your stuff, and get out.

Tip Five:

Use online options when possible. I order our dogs’ food from Amazon. Not only does it save me money, but it’s one less thing I have to hassle with at the store. There are a few household items I order online each month or so. The less I have to buy in store, the better.