Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Exit 2- Food, Food, and Food

Good Afternoon everyone! I have decided to show you a few techniques for the next couple of weeks that I personally use to stay on the right financial path. We all know groceries can be one of the biggest expenses when it comes to families or even singles such as myself.

I have narrowed it down to 2 steps that will help your grocery bill split in half: Price matching & Meal Planning.

Couponing has became one of the newest trends around the U.S today. There are many different strategies that are used in this process that I however find confusing or time consuming. Living in the fast paced and hectic world that we do taking the time to coupon can be too stressful. I have found the solution to this problem, price matching. Price matching can be one of the most helpful tools I have started using in my own personal life.

The first step when price matching is to create a list of the groceries you will be shopping for while also grouping them into categories such as : Produce, dairy, meat, etc.

Second you will determine which stores you would like to "Price match" with. I have found that it is much easier to surf the web for local stores around you that have an online weekly ad. If you are living in the Southwest region of Missouri here are a few that I find most helpful along with the link:

Next, you will go to each web page and find their weekly ad they have uploaded for you. Some stores have categories and some have a basic traditional ad. You can start by going through your list and recognizing if their are any of the items on sale. If so, then next to your item you will simply right the name of the store and the sale price next to it.


Along the way you will discover items that are not on your list that may be a very good deal. It's important to stay on track. However, if there is something you or your family may be able to put to use, add it to your list.

Once you have gone through each store and have your final list ready, now it is time for the fun part: Wal-Mart! I have found that Wal-Mart does not require you to have the ad's present. However, some grocers may require this. If so, you can simply print them off and have them along with you.

The Second thing that I have recently discovered very helpful financially is meal planning. As a single woman who works full time and also attends college full time I find that it is not only very helpful as far as financially but as far as time as well. Of course if you have a family to feed this can be even more beneficial. Some seem to be intimidated by meal planning, but it can actually be very fun and rewarding.

When meal planning, price matching becomes your ultimate tool. It gives you access to more foods for a lower cost. For the majority, most of us find the week chaotic. I like to set aside the weekend for planning and prepping. Of course, choosing whatever day will work best for you.

Planning your meals for the week will require you to gather what items you will need and what items you will need to purchase as well. It is also important to make meals that you will be able to incorporate into other meals later in the week. (Ex. Grilled chicken Monday- Chicken Enchiladas Thursday)

Once you have chosen the meals you will be preparing, the next step is what I find as my favorite.

MEAL PREPPING TIME!

Sunday's are my absolute favorite time to open my windows, crank up the radio, and get to cooking!
I cook up all my meats, veggies, and sides/soups that I will be using for the week. Once everything is prepared I then portion everything out into separate Tupperware.



Once Monday rolls around, I can grab one of my Tupperware (meals) out of the fridge and head to work. This not only helps on saving time and money, but can also be used to ensure that you are eating healthy meals versus vending machine lunches.

I have personally saved hundreds of dollars by starting this process. Over time it has become easier and apart of my every day life. I hope that you can find these tools useful within each other and your own home. Please feel free to leave any questions or comments below!

If you have any topics that you would like me to address I would also love that input as well!

Happy Shopping!!

                                                                                                                        Lindsey Lillard
                                                                                                                        Central Bank
                                                                                                                         Finance Major



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