The Art of Grocery Ordering...Update!

I know that I cannot be alone in feeling like my grocery budget has gotten totally out of control. Last week I spent $300 for my family of three with the groceries lasting a little over a week. My family of three consists of one adult and two children. It is time to get my budget back under control.
by: kathryne

Just for reference my grocery budget before moving to Florida was $75 a week (in Virginia), once I moved here three years ago, I quickly adjusted to $100 a week as my goal. Unfortunately, I have been spending well over $250 a week for months now. I have now adjusted to a goal of $175 a week, my kids are eating more as they grow.

At one point in my life we were barely able to afford food between paychecks. I vividly remember a day that I had $20 in my bank account, an empty gas tank and nothing to feed my family. I have lots of years of practice of making very little money stretch a very long way. Fortunately, I have a much larger food budget than I once did, but somehow I’ve lost touch with how to make delicious food on a small budget.

I need to get back to making great food from scratch, as I have been relying mostly on convenience food over the last year. My strategy needs adjusting.

As a first step to begin curbing my exorbitant spending, I stopped using grocery ordering Apps for my bi-weekly shops. The cost is definitely no longer worth the convenience, the prices are much higher and the fees they add on are now ridiculous. So I’m back to browsing circular adds on the Flipp App and shopping in person, which is most definitely my least favorite chore.

However, since it’s my least favorite thing to do I find myself spending less money when I shop in person. Somehow I am more likely to stick to my list or even decide against something because it cost more then I had anticipated. Shopping in store has also lead me to find some great deals on things I normally buy, prices that were not advertised online or even in the App.

After a few weeks of shopping in store, sticking to a strict list, and getting back to cooking from scratch I’m happy to report that my food budget is back down to $100 a week on average, some weeks more and some weeks a lot less. I’m finding myself more motivated to use what we have in the pantry and the fridge, and I’m getting more creative with my cooking again.