What works for me: Grocery Shopping

I've been writing about my new food items this year, and I wanted to throw a little something out there about how I shop at the grocery store.  Now, I need to make a disclaimer that by no means am I a total expert at this. This post is not about how to leave the store with $500 of groceries and pay $6.  I don't really use coupons.  What I will share is how we grocery shop so that we don't eat out very much and try to eat healthy.  (Try is the operative word there).

#1: Make a menu.  I usually do my grocery shopping on Friday.  So, Thursday night I sit down and make a menu.  I have a notebook where I keep the menus.  If I get stuck with what to plan, I look back at what we have eaten over the last few weeks.  I also have my cookbooks and recipes handy, too.  If I know ahead of time that we are going to be doing something on a given night, I can plan accordingly.  Now, this menu doesn't always get followed, but by doing this, I know that we will have everything we need for the meals listed.  I usually plan for one night of leftovers, but that doesn't always happen, as we eat leftovers a lot for lunch.

Notice the arrows.  As you can see, plans change a lot around here.

#2:  Make a categorized grocery list.  I go to the same grocery store almost every week.  I know where I start (dairy) and where I finish (fruit). So, I write my list in this order. I also check the pantry, freezer, and fridge to see what I already have before I buy it again.  When I don't, I end up with 3 containers of sour cream in my fridge (like I do right now).

#3:  Buy your meat first.  I try to get my meat from a local business.  If I find that a specific meat is on sale that week, I might change the menu plan before I hit the big grocery store.  Plus, you can always freeze meat. For example, I really like salmon, but if it's not on sale, I won't buy it, so the menu might have to change.

#4:  Stick to the list, for the most part.  I usually walk away with a few items that weren't on the list, but in general, if it's not on the list, we aren't going to get it.  The only exceptions I make are sale items that I KNOW we we use, or a good deal on fruit/veggies.

#5:  Shop the outside.  Most of us know this by now, but the outer edge of the grocery store is where most of the shopping should take place. The aisles are filled with processed foods.  We are not all-organic or non-processed food only  shoppers by any means, but if I don't have anything on the list for a specific aisle, I just don't walk down it.  I know that if I walk down the chip aisle, inevitably some snack is going to catch my eye, and then I will eat it.  I will confess that I have zero will power.  I love snack foods, so if they are in the house, I eat them.  If they aren't in the house, I don't have a choice.

So, there are my tips.  What are yours?  Please share!