Frugal February -Grocery Guru? Perhaps not. - Entry #2

Frugal February began with a trip to the grocery store. This is more significant than may come across on the surface. Going to the grocery store may not seem like a big deal, but when you're trying to spend as little as possible, it becomes a little more complicated. Let me indulge you:

Before going to the grocery store, I had to take inventory of my fridge, freezer, pantry and cabinets. What do we have? What do we need (as in staples). I realized during this step, that we really have a lot more than I thought. This is the result of many couponing frenzies when I would have been a fool not to get something for FREE or for mere pennies (more on this later). So I have lots of rice, pasta, canned goods, etc...that need to get eaten up! I also made note of all the fresh fruits and veggies that I have that will go bad if I don't use them soon.

After taking inventory, I decided on a meal plan for the week and beyond. I wanted to use all of my perishable foods without having them go to waste. I also purposed to utilize some of the aforementioned extras that are plaguing my pantry.

This week, for example, I am making Whole Wheat Bread, Canadian Stew, Turkey Chili, Barley w/ tomatoes & basil, Chicken & Sweet potatoes, Salmon Cakes w/ Rice, and Tacos.

Next, I checked my coupon stash and the store circulars to see if there were any can't-let-them-get-by-me deals. I tried to match up sales and coupons.

Finally, I came up with a list of about 10 items that I needed this week. This included a few items for the kids and a few that the recipes called for.

The next thing I knew, I was strapping Allie to my chest in the Baby Bjorn and wiping down the "car" cart with antibacterial wipes for Ella.

Here's a clincher...and I have to give myself a pat on the back for this one cause it's a true sign that I am really working hard on this Frugal February thing...I bought ONLY what was on my list. Even with Ella in the cart, I was able to keep my blinders on and work my plan. Yay!

Now, I know that there are some super couponers out there who are so savvy at this shopping thing that they regularly save more than they spend. That is not me. I will forever be amazed at some of these women who have the time, energy and organization to do that, but I'm at a place where I just can't be that person right now. I'll do what I can and not let myself feel condemned because I don't have staggering numbers to show off yet.

So that's it. I got all of our groceries for the week for less than half what I usually spend. It's a start.