Grocery Guru

Linking up to Works for Me Wednesday at We Are That Family.

picture of our kitchen taken in the fall -  couldn't subject you to another picture of our messy pantry

Throughout the year, I have worked really hard to save money on groceries.  I was disgusted by the amount of food our little family of four was wasting.  Trash Day became Clean Out the Frig Day, which was when I noticed how much spoiled produce and left-overs I was throwing out.

After blogging about my grocery dilemma late last summer, I joined The Grocery Game. Several bloggers had mentioned it, and I thought I should check it out.  Quite frankly, it was a ton of work at the start.  It still is a ton of work - saving/collecting circulars, labeling them, checking out the list, comparing the listed coupons to my own, cutting, listing making, shopping, etc.  It's tons of work, but guess what?  It works.  Shocking, I know.  I have saved hundreds of dollars.  In the month of February, I saved almost $500.  I started stockpiling meats and a bunch of pantry items.  I also only buy what we regularly eat.  I found that I could still be brand loyal because, fortunately for me, a lot of the brands I like have coupons and go on sale.  

I used to grocery shop somewhat blindly.  I always had a menu, but I didn't base the menu on sale items or what I had in my pantry.  I also would get envious of the mom in front of me at the grocery store with her clipped coupons and $50 savings.  Now, I'm that mom.  I am more aware of what I have in my kitchen and storage area (shelves in garage) as well as the refrigerator and freezer.  

My pantry is still a mess, we occasionally throw away food (usually uneaten leftovers), but there is less waste.  I am hooked.  I am hardly a guru, but I like it.  It's not easy, but definitely worth it.  Have you tried The Grocery Game?  Does it work for you or do you have another system?