My 30 Day Grocery Challenge is over and done with. I have come out on the other side a little wiser, a little healthier, and more money is in my pocket. If you are new to my blog, here are the other 30 Day Challenge Posts.
30 Day Grocery Challenge
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Basically I wanted to see if it was possible to feed 3-4 people healthy unprocessed food on $50/week. My purpose in doing this experiment was to debunk the thought that eating healthy is too expensive. I was hoping I would find that you wouldn't have to sacrifice health for frugality. I'm not going to lie and say it wasn't hard, because it was. Overall it was a success and although I am not going to continue to spend only $50 a week on groceries, I now know that it can be done and can use it for emergencies or when we want some extra cash for something special. Here is what I learned from the entire process in no particular order:
1. It takes a lot of planning but can be done.
PLAN YOUR MEALS! I can't stress this enough. Look at your grocery stores' fliers and see who has the best prices on meat and produce that week. Buy the cheaper produce that stretches further and plan your meals around what's on sale. For example, if ground beef and avocados are on sale, I know it's a good week to make tacos, taco salad, meatloaf, taco soup, or burgers. If chicken is $3/lb, I know I'm not going to be eating chicken that week unless I have stockpiled it from a previous week. (See #4)
2. The junk + healthy food is what eats up the budget.
I found that once I spent my $50 on my healthy food purchases for meals, there wasn't any room for extra junk. When I say junk, it's not what you typically consider junk, just not the most wholesome choices. For example, popcorn, granola bars, sugary "princess" yogurts, and juices didn't make the cut. Prioritize your food.
Also I promise you you'll be more likely to eat all your produce if you don't have something else to fall back on.
3. Making stuff at home is frugal and so much better for you.
I made yogurt, whole grain buns, pancakes, salad dressings, chicken broth, taco seasoning, and tortillas at home with stuff I had in my pantry already. Just by making those things myself, I saved at least $10 off my bill each week. They also aren't full of preservatives, additives and junk that are found in the conventional items at the store.
4. Shop sales and stockpile
If chicken is $1.50/lb that week and beef is $3.99/lb that week, buy extra of the chicken and put it in the freezer for another week. Wait for the beef to go on sale and then stock up on that. Pretty soon you'll have a freezer full of a variety of items to choose from at a cheaper price. The same goes for all other items. When you find a great sale or combine a sale with a coupon, take advantage of it and buy extra!
5. Don't take your kids with you when you shop if you are on a strict budget and are new to the idea.
The first three weeks I went by myself and was focused. I came under budget. The last week I had both kids and was distracted so I slightly overspent. I lost track of money spent and ended up just trying to get out of there. I paid for it literally at the register. If they must come, stay calm, stick to your plan, and have something to keep them occupied. Let them help you but DON'T let them talk to you into impulse purchases that you don't need.
6. Take cash ONLY and a calculator with you when you shop.
You are far more likely to stay under budget when you don't have your debit card to fall back on. I took cash with me each week except for the last and made SURE I was going to stay within budget. Who wants to not have enough money at the register? It's embarrassing. I also found that tallying up totals on my phone calculator as I put items in my cart was helpful. Once I got everything I "needed" in my cart though, sometimes I had to prioritize and put back some items because it was going to put me over budget.
7. Shop your pantry and freezer first.
A well stocked pantry is essential to keep a grocery budget low. One day I'll include what I have in my pantry and freezer at all times but not in this post. Look for meals you can make just out of items that you have on hand and try to include at least one of these meals in your weekly plan. Plan your meals around what you already have.
8. Soups are extremely healthy and stretch a long way.
Most weeks I made at least one soup because they are extremely cheap and make great lunches. I tried to make them early in the week so I could have leftovers for lunch. Chicken soup is so frugal and easy. Boil a chicken, use the broth for soup and split up the chicken for soup and other meals if you wish. Add whatever produce you have on hand. Season to taste. Simple, easy and delicious.
9. Do without and procrastinate getting items.
We ate a lot of salads and I really "needed" dressing. It just wasn't in the budget every week so I was forced to come up with something on my own. For ranch dressing I made a dry spice mix and mixed it with yogurt. For vinegarette dressings, I used a combination of olive oil, lemon juice/vinegar, garlic, and spices, and sometimes honey. It cut down on expenses tremendously. Here's another example. One night I made taco soup. I love to put cheese, sour cream and avocado on mine, but I didn't have the funds for it. Guess what? I didn't buy them, it still tasted great, and it was a little healthier for me as well. Your kids don't NEED the extras. You don't NEED the toppings and extra snacks. Look for items you can make yourself or do without to slash your grocery bill.
10. Shop the perimeter of the store.
To stay away from the processed food temptations, stay on the outer most parts of the store. Don't go in the middle aisles. That's where the dangerous food is. You'll get trapped there. :) Your more "whole" "real" foods are going to be on the perimeter of the store. Think about it. Produce, meat, dairy, frozen food, and eggs are all on the outer most parts. Your junky stuff is in the inside. The only things I got from an aisle the entire four weeks were canned tomatoes, olives, and natural peanut butter. There are exceptions to this rule, like olive oil, nuts, etc, but they are few and far between. For the most part this rule applies.
11. Buy a combination of fresh and frozen produce.
I found buying a combination of fresh and frozen helped me waste less. I tried to use the fresh earlier in the week and the frozen later in the week. If something comes up, and your meal plan gets pushed back a few days, if you have frozen produce it's not a big deal and won't go bad. Frozen fruits and veggies that I like are peas, greens, long skinny green beans, and corn(limited amounts), all berries (for smoothies).
12. Connect your meals.
I love doing this especially with a whole chicken or a large pork roast. The idea behind it is to use a large piece of meat or a meal and then turn it into something else another night. For instance, from a boiled chicken you can get soup, chicken tacos, and chicken salad. You don't need large amounts of meat if you use them in this manner and it drastically stretches your food budget. This can be done in so many ways. Get creative with it!
13. You don't need as much food as you think you do.
I don't know about you but I often throw away a lot of food when I normally shop. On this $50/week challenge, I hardly wasted ANY food, and guess what? We didn't starve. Imagine that!
$50/week is extremely frugal for most people in America but it is extremely wealthy for the rest of the world. It was truly an eye opener on how spoiled and blessed we are. It was convicting and challenging to me to use wisely the funds that God has provided me in which to use to nourish our family. Will I spend it on lots of junk or will I take some extra time and spend it on fewer quality items that will further our health?
