budgeting words from the not-so-wise

Let me just start off by saying that I have no authority whatsoever to be writing a post about how to save on groceries. I'm serious. I have blown our grocery budget every month since we got married except for maybe one or two. My kind husband insists it's because we didn't budget enough. And while I want to agree with this assessment, it has still always made me feel like a failure in this area.

Given my deep desire to not fail, I have sought out ways to save.

My most time-consuming effort has been couponing. Websites like Coupon Connections and Thrifty NorthWest Mom are good places to start if you're interested. Be warned - couponing is not for the faint of heart. But when I am intentional about not letting it stress me out, and making it work into our family's schedule instead of being ruled by it, I generally have really good results. And it's actually kind of fun sometimes.

I have also made spreadsheets. Many, many spreadsheets. I have tried to track the cheapest price for different items of food, what store to buy them at, how much each recipe will cost, etc. This, friends, is not my forte. I remember dragging myself through Fred Meyer one night, Charlie at my side with his calculator, estimating our final costs and determining if we should buy peanut butter this time or wait. This didn't turn out to be the way to go for our family. Maybe it is for yours. You gotta find what works.

Okay, so here are ten ways I have found to save money on groceries.

1. Sometimes I try to cook meals without meat because meat is the single most expensive item to buy, especially organic. I found a website that describes what complete proteins are: http://www.fitsugar.com/Whats-Complete-Protein-Inquiring-Vegetarians-Want-Know-165298. The main reason (besides taste) that meat is good is because of the protein in it, and so making a complete protein by combining foods (like rice and beans) works just the same. And I learned that you don't even have to have them in the same meal - for example, you could have rice for dinner one night and a bean burrito for lunch the next, and it still works! It's a little complicated so I'm still trying to work it into our system. But something like Cowboy Caviar is delicious and does make a complete protein (corn and beans) and is also a good filler for burritos.

2. When a recipe calls for meat, I usually cut the amount by 1/3-1/2. Like I will only put half the amount of chicken in Chicken Tortilla Soup, but since it's shredded it still goes a long way and there's some in every bite.

3. When I'm buying a really big chunk of meat like a pot roast I usually don't buy organic. We just can't afford it right now. I've come to terms with that. Maybe someday.

4. I have started checking couponing websites like couponconnections.com to just see what's on sale, and then I'll find a recipe based on that. Like last week I saw that eggplant was on sale, so I googled "eggplant recipe" and found Eggplant Parmigiana. To be honest, it wasn't very good, but it served its purpose as dinner for a night. Google also has a new feature...if you search for a specific ingredient, in the left side toolbar you can click "Recipe" and can check boxes to indicate what other ingredients you do or don't have, and it will automatically narrow your search results for you. Pretty cool. So I've been trying to buy stuff on sale or with coupons.

5. I limit what I buy organic to three top priorities: meat, dairy/eggs (excluding cheese - for some reason I don't care if my cheese is organic), and produce on the "dirty dozen list" - the top 12 foods with the most pesticides in them, and the top 15 "cleanest." I wrote them on an index card and keep it in my wallet so I can reference it at the store. The rest of my produce I've decided it's okay to buy non-organic. And sometimes it just makes sense - why buy an organic watermelon or orange when you're going to throw away the outside anyway?

5. Soups are really good ways to get lots of nutrition without spending a lot.

6. Look at your last grocery receipt and pick one thing you could have made instead of bought. Sometimes it's just not worth it, but other times it is if you have the time - homemade brownies, bbq sauce, mayonnaise, hummus, bread stuff, breakfast muffins, etc.

7. Snacks and lunch supplements made of fruits and veggies tend to be less expensive than store-bought, packaged stuff like chips or whatever. But it depends on what your family will tolerate :)

8. Generally I tend to split my shopping between Fred Meyer and Trader Joe's. TJ's produce has never really worked out for me, and Fred Meyer tends to have a good organic selection. Safeway, Albertsons, QFC and Top Foods seem to be more expensive and I try to avoid them unless I'm going in for sales, looking for managers' specials, or have coupons.

9. Buy from the bulk section. Fred Meyer, QFC, Central Market, and Whole Foods all have bulk sections. This is almost always cheaper than buying a package of something. I always try to buy things like spices, arborio rice, nuts, and specialty flour bulk. Saves a ton of money.

10. Buy dried beans and google how to soak and cook them. This is super cheap, but does take time and planning ahead.

Here's what I've learned: you have to find what works for you and for your family. There are a million ways to save money. Pick one and start there. Baby steps. Homemaking is a lifetime endeavor - you don't have to be saving in every possible way at once. I promise you will burn yourself out if you try.

Or maybe you don't want to work at saving on your grocery bill. There are a million ways to earn money to supplement your budget, even from home. This works too. Get creative.

But don't forget that the whole point is to be a blessing to your family. If a certain method or activity gets too stressful or time-consuming, it may not be worth continuing, even if it means spending more. Adding an extra stop at an out-of-the-way grocery store to save fifty cents on beans might not be the best way to love your family if everyone's already tired. Buy that item at the more expensive price and call it wisdom. I learned this principle from Charlie. I didn't believe him at first but now it's starting to sink in.

By the way, a great resource for more information and ideas is MoneySavingMom.com. I haven't explored it in depth yet but I'm excited to dive in.

Okay, that's all I've got. I'd love to hear other ideas about this - please leave a comment!