Money Saving Tip: Shop for Groceries Once Every Other Week

Here's a money saving tip from the Consumer Credit Counseling Service on how to save when shopping for groceries:

If possible, shop for two weeks of groceries at one time, a habit that really lessens impulse shopping. Sit down before you go to the store to plan your menus and make a specific list.

We could use a bit more of this in our lives. We go to the store about three times a week for one thing or another. If we went less often, we'd have a lot less exposure to all of the great new things we could (and sometimes do) buy and would likely spend a lot less as a result.

Here are some of my favorite money saving tip posts:

• 50 Ways to Trim Your Budget
• Found Money: Surprising Ways to Save
• Save Big on a Tiny Income
• Money Saving Tip: Ask for Free Drugs
• Five Surprise Savings Tips
• Comments: Money Saving Tip: Skip Dessert when Eating Out; Drink Water
• Money Saving Tip: Do Business with Companies that Back up Their Products/Services
• Easy Ways to Save $5,000 a Year
• Even a Small Leak Can Empty Your Money Bucket Quickly
• Shave $150 a Week off Your Grocery Food Bill

Comments

[kassy]

We shop every other monday because I have those mondays off and its been working out really well. One week we will go to Cash & Carry for veggies and the next week we'll go to either Grocery Outlet or a regular store to stock up on everything else. I like Cash & Carry a lot, its geared towards restaurants so everything is bulk sized and cheaper than a regular store and there's no membership fee like with Costco. Having fixed shopping days seems to have really helped us keep the grocery bill down since we don't do mid-week impulse shopping and have to have a list with us when we shop.

[Dan]

My wife does our grocery shopping, and I begged her to employ this strategy of going every other week. She would just go whenever we needed some things, which was typically at least once a week. Since there was no regularity, I found it difficult to know when she would be shopping and thus ration certain key items if we were running low. Not to mention, it saves time and gas, and probably money because we know we're buying two weeks' worth of food at one time.

After a couple of months, I positively love the change, and my wife is so-so. I don't think she minds it but doesn't see the point in it. But she's not as structured as me.

[KRamsauer]

This would never work for me. 80% of what I buy is perishable (veggies, fruits) that end up getting tasteless within days, not weeks. Surely if all I bought were twinkies and chips, I could do it, but good food doesn't last two weeks.