Save Money on Groceries by Going Back to Basics

When I had my first baby we were watching our pennies, so I diligently searched through all the grocery store circulars, clipped coupons, made menus from what was on sale and drove to as many as five different stores to take advantage of coupons and sales. This was a fairly successful strategy to save on groceries – until the second baby came. As many moms know, that second child changes everything. I also went to work when my children entered school. With these additional demands on my time, there was precious little of it left to search out and clip coupons, let alone drive all over town shopping each week. But how do you save money, time and your sanity? Purchasing expensive convenience foods may seem quick and easy, but it’s hard on the budget and also on your family’s health.

Tiffany Doerr Guerzon offers some sage advice on the subject in her book Save Money on Groceries Without Losing Your Mind..

Take inventory

“Start by taking inventory of what you already have,” writes Tiffany. “Go through your freezer, pantry, and refrigerator and throw out any expired, spoiled or freezer-burnt items.” Get rid of food your family doesn’t like and won’t eat, she advises. Donate unexpired packaged food to your local food bank. Label all remaining boxes and bags of food clearly and post a list of foods in your freezer on the refrigerator door to use when planning meals.

One week challenge

Now you know what you have that is truly usable and your family will eat as a base to make food purchasing decisions. “For one week, challenge yourself to cook and eat solely from what you have in your pantry, fridge and freezer”, supplementing with fresh produce. Tiffany says this is the chance to get creative and have fun in the kitchen. Cooking apps can help. Enter your ingredients and several recipes pop up that include those ingredients.

Stock up on staples

Making a weekly menu seems like a no-brainer, but if you don’t have some basics stocked in your pantry, you might find yourself rushing to the store to get that bottle of spice or flour while trying to get dinner cooked and on the table before children become hangry. Here is a list of staples Tiffany recommends stocking in your pantry, with a few additions from my own staples list. Adjust to suit your family’s tastes and any allergies.

• Flour (white, all purpose, whole wheat)

I also always have bread flour and cake flour on hand, as I am often called upon to bake breads and cakes.

• Sugar (white, brown, powdered)
• Dry milk (if you are baking bread)
• Rice
• Broth (Chicken, beef and/or vegetable)

I also keep jars of chicken, beef and vegetable broth concentrate in the refrigerator.

• Baking soda and baking powder
• Cooking oil (olive and vegetable)
• Canned diced tomatoes

I also stock canned sauce and good quality jarred pasta sauce

• Tomato paste

I keep a jar of tomato paste in the freezer and scoop out what I need, which is usually only a tablespoon per recipe.

• Canned vegetables
• Canned beans (pinto, black and white beans)
• Oatmeal
• Nuts
• Dried spices
•     Basil
•     Italian spices
•     Powdered garlic
•     Dried minced onion
•    I also keep powdered onion on hand.
•     Turmeric
•     Cumin seeds
•     Ground cumin
•     Oregano
•     Taco Seasoning

I also keep meatloaf mix in the cupboard for those nights I need to make a quick, easy meal and am too tired to be imaginative.

Save money on produce

Tiffany advises shoppers to purchase produce in season. “Watermelons in winter are way more expensive than in summertime.” Double check warehouse store pricing, she cautions. “Often larger packages of fruit will be cheaper per pound than the regular grocery store, but this only helps your bill if you actually consume it.”
Tiffany’s book Save Money on Groceries Without Losing Your Mind. offers easy ways to make tasty and less expensive substitutes for prepackaged snacks, (and avoid all that single us plastic packaging), advice on how to reduce food waste and many more tips to help you tame your food budget. Her book is available on Amazon.com.