How to food shop like you mean it!

In order to make all of the tasty meals I've featured in past posts, you probably should purchase the food and ingredients first. Food shopping can be a simple task if you're running in for milk and eggs. If you aspire to be a serious food shopper, there are many things you need to take into consideration before you plan a big excursion. In this post I want to share with you my personal experiences and some great tips to ensure you have a successful shopping trip each time you visit!

I have to be honest, I am in the food store at least three times a week, it's like my home away from home. I usually do a large shopping session on Sunday and then I stop in several times during the week because I either forgot something or I want to pick up more of something that is on sale. In order to cut down on the amount of times I revisit, I try my very best to carefully plan out my large shopping trip on the weekend so I have just about everything I need for the week. 

To achieve the best results, one should prepare and organize before leaving the house. The first thing you should do is pick the store you are going to shop at. In my area, we have three different food stores to choose from: Shoprite, Stop & Shop, and Aldi. Each of these stores have different sale dates so the most important thing is to know what day of the week sales start and end. From there, you then look at each flyer (I get mine in the newspaper, but you can always look online) to see what items are on sale and decide which day is best to shop for what you want.

Years ago, I always made sure that I had pen and paper on hand to start a shopping list. Nowadays I make use of digital shopping list apps for ease of use and convenience. Usually I look at what is on sale and then derive my weekly meal plan based on what I find. That way, I usually only buy what is on sale and use what I have at home to complement it. If something I need for a meal is not on sale, I add those items to my list as extras, but I'm extra mindful when shopping for them. Prices are often higher than if purchased on sale so I make sure to check all prices and make sure its really an item I need so I can stay in my budget. As a tip, make sure you put every item you plan on buying onto your shopping list; if you don't, you'll surely forget something. 

The next thing I do after looking at the flyers is check for coupons; I clip from the newspaper and print from online. I have several coupon sites that I visit. My top three are:

1. Coupons.com

2. redplum

3. SmartSource 

These three sites give the best coupons for items that are usually popular in your location. If you're new to couponing, I suggest you check out one of my favorite blogs, Living Rich With Coupons. At this site, which I also check weekly, the blogger gives amazing tips for shopping with coupons as well an extremely useful coupon match-up, where she links what coupons go with what sales and where they can be found. She also offers a coupon database with every coupon out there. This is extremely helpful when you want to buy items that are not on sale because you can usually find a coupon through her site. Any way to save money is a great thing to look into, especially when you're on a budget! 

Check out this video for some couponing advice from Cindy at Living Rich With Coupons:

Once I have my coupons and shopping list prepared, it's time to hit the store! When I am doing a big shopping, I am in the zone. I try to focus on what I am looking for and I usually go down each aisle so I don't miss anything or have to go back and fourth. I usually keep my shopping list visible at all times, and I cross off, or mark on my phone, each item I've added to my cart. This really helps to keep me on track. If I stop singing along to the music and focus, I can make it out of there in under an hour with at least $75 dollars of groceries. That to me would be considered a good shopping trip. 

When you're shopping, here are some tips to remember:

• Smell your food. Produce should smell fresh; meat should smell clean and odorless. You can even smell different body products so you don't waste and only buy what you like.
• Shop for your frozen and cold items last so they stay cool for your ride home. 
• Group items on your shopping list based by category so you can knock out a set of items in each aisle.
• Try to not impulse buy, you'll end up with more items then you planned on. Stick to your list!
• Double-check your prices while shopping and while on line, sometimes the sale signs are outdated or misplaced.
• Know what you want to spend on an item, if something is too expensive you can find alternatives or find it at another store on sale.
• Keep like items together in your cart for ease of bagging and unpacking at home.
• Get your coupons ready before you get to the register and match them up with the items you have in your cart so you don't miss a savings.
• Don't get overwhelmed when paying; check your prices as the items are being rung up. 
• Accept help or ask someone to bag for you so you can focus on your coupons and prices. 
• Do not be afraid to ask for a price check, usually the customer is right!

The greatest gift of all is feeding your family and knowing you shopped for them. I get on such a high after a great food shopping trip because I know I worked hard to get the hand picked products that look the best and all for a great deal. Preparing and cooking food for my family is an absolute joy, I hope you too can enjoy the experience from start to finish. Your family will love you for it, I promise!