• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
This Silly Girl's Kitchen
  • Home
  • About Me
    • Contact Me
    • Disclosure & Privacy Policy
    • Work With Me
  • Recipe Index
    • Appetizers
    • Baked Goods
    • Drinks
    • Main Dish
    • Side Dishes
    • Snacks
    • Sweets
  • Seasonal
    • Spring
    • Summer
      • 4th of July
    • Fall
    • Winter
      • Christmas
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
Home » Lifestyle » Tips & Tricks » Three Ways to Lower Your Grocery Bill

Three Ways to Lower Your Grocery Bill

November 10, 2012 By Dana DeVolk 21 Comments

Pin
Share
Tweet
Share

A while ago I was contemplating the meaning of life while washing my hair. As we all do. Unless, of course, you’re one of those people that like to sing in the shower… I would do that but then I would be embarrassed if anyone heard me singing…so I just…don’t. I contemplate life. Anyways! Then it hit me! Why don’t I write a post about a list of ways to stretch that grocery bill, as I try to do each week? Genius! I know. So, of course that is why I am here now. See how much I love you? I will risk getting soap in my eyes for a good idea!

 

 1. Plan ahead!

Now, I know this doesn’t come to a shock to any of you but until about a year ago I was horrible at this. Have something on your fridge where you can write down when you’re running low on something. I made myself just a simple printable on my notepad to print out, instead of buying those cutie pads to hang, much cheaper since I go through those like crazy. Also, write down a sample menu for the week as well whenever you get an idea of what you might want to eat during the next week. Doing this ahead of time will make writing a  final grocery list much easier, you won’t be scratching your head wondering what to make!

2. Coupon & make a final grocery list.

Every week Hubby will get up early on Sunday mornings and go out to purchase the Sunday paper for me. This has drastically cut our grocery bill. These little gems, the coupon books as well as the ads, are a God sent. Okay, yes I am exaggerating just a wee bit but, seriously! Clip out all the coupons that you think you will ever possibly use. Even if you know you don’t need them that week because, (duh) they have expiration dates so you can use them in weeks to come (duh, again.). I also go to Coupons.com, CouponNetwork.com, Target.com, SmartSource.com and RedPlum.com and print off any additional coupons I see on there as well. My real money saver is from Target, they have store coupons as well so it’s very easy to double coupon there, as well as Publix but, they are horribly over priced so I hardly ever purchase anything there. Next, check the ads and decide where to go on your trip. Normally, I double my target coupons up and make a separate list of what to buy only at target, also after a while you will know what is cheaper there as well and put that on that list too if anything additional is needed. Then everything else I need I buy at Wal-Mart. So, I almost always have a smaller trip to Target then I go to Wal-mart for everything else. Also, I take all my coupons organized with me wherever I go, just in case I see something on sale that I want to pick up. I keep the coupons I’m definitely using in a separate area for convenience while checking out.

3. Don’t waste anything.

Seriously… are you listening? Don’t. Waste. Anything. I buy whole chickens every week. 1. Because we love chicken. 2. Whole chickens are insanely cheaper than cut up parts. 3. Chicken is super versatile and fast! Cut your own chicken up, it’s not hard after the first couple times you do it, I betcha you can even find a YouTube video tutorial or two on it! When you do this will you will definitely have scraps left over. Save this. If you just have a little scrap put it in a freezer bag and the next week add those chickens scraps to the bag until you have a decent amount. I will take my scraps from two chickens, throw them in a pot, add my veggie scraps (YES! You save those too, the same way as the chicken) add about 1 tablespoon of whole pepper corns, 1 tablespoonkosher salt and a few bay leaves, cover with enough water to submerge the scraps and simmer that goodness for at least an hour with no top. Strain this. My friends you have yummy yummy (FREE) chicken stock! I make soup with this every week, take the chicken scraps and pick off any meat, you will be surprised how much meat is still there. Skim off all the fat from the top of stock (if you let this still in the fridge overnight the fat will rise to the top and solidify, making it very easy to remove, and save this too great for sauteing veggies in!) add the chicken, add some veggies, let this cook for a few hours and then serve over rice or noodles….super easy lunch from things you would normally throw out!

 

Well, this has gotten pretty long very fast so I think I will stop with these three steps. I have more ideas but will save that for another post! I hope I have given you a few good ideas! Thanks for reading.

 

–Dana

.

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Dana DeVolk
Follow me
Dana DeVolk
Dana is a professional Chef turned blogger, recipe developer, food photographer, cookbook author, brand ambassador, local tv personality, and more! Her passion is writing about food and posting recipes while offering tips and tricks of the trade. She lives in Florida with her Hubby and fur babies. Interested in working with Dana? Email her at [email protected]
Dana DeVolk
Follow me
Latest posts by Dana DeVolk (see all)
  • Cookies and Cream Red Velvet Brownies - January 20, 2021
  • White Chicken Chili (Low Calorie Recipe!) - January 18, 2021
  • Stuffed Pepper Soup - January 15, 2021
(Visited 10 times, 1 visits today)
Pin
Share
Tweet
Share

Related

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER.

Get my latest recipes goodies straight to your inbox!

I hate Spam as much as you do so, No Spam I promise!

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Disclaimer: By clicking on the "Yes, I want in" button above you are giving me your consent to collect and use your information according to the law and My Cookie Policy Privacy

*If you are an EU Citizen please join the list through this GDPR link: this GDPR link

Filed Under: Tips & Tricks Tagged With: chicken, dinner ideas, lower grocery bill, Random Thought

Previous Post: « How To: Oven Roasted Brussel Sprouts
Next Post: Brown Sugar and Cinnamon Pumpkin Seeds »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. ChiWei

    November 10, 2012 at 3:20 pm

    I found your blog through Jenny’s Thankful for Our Community Blog Hop. I have to say, I’m terrible at planning meals (I usually ask “What’s for dinner?” around 6pm every night), but we do use all our scraps in our house – who needs to buy stock anyways, right?

    Reply
    • This Silly Girl's Life

      November 10, 2012 at 3:39 pm

      I’m so glad you found me! I tried checking out other blogs through the blog hop but my computer was having a brain fart… or a… hard drive fart? I unno… I’m glad to hear that you do use all the scraps! I get a few free lunches every week out of them!

      Reply
  2. Liz

    November 11, 2012 at 9:11 am

    Great tips, Dana! I make a list but seem to have trouble with impulse buying!!! Happy Sunday, my friend~

    Reply
    • This Silly Girl's Life

      November 11, 2012 at 12:37 pm

      Haha, I know… a lot of things “mysteriously” will wind up in the cart whenever I take my Hubby with me…Happy Sunday to you too!

      Reply
  3. Mackenzie

    November 11, 2012 at 10:35 pm

    Great tips Dana! I need to start buying whole chickens… I typically buy chicken breasts and I know they are way more expensive… Thanks for sharing this on Saturday Show & Tell on Cheerios and Lattes this week! We love having you join us! Have a great week!
    Mackenzie 🙂

    Reply
    • This Silly Girl's Life

      November 11, 2012 at 10:52 pm

      Thanks for hosting!

      Reply
  4. Meg

    November 11, 2012 at 11:07 pm

    WOW! I love these tips! And you’ve inspired me to buy whole chickens. 🙂

    Reply
    • This Silly Girl's Life

      November 11, 2012 at 11:17 pm

      Yay!! Great news, thanks for reading!

      Reply
  5. Lisa @ Flour Me With Love

    November 12, 2012 at 2:37 pm

    With groceries being so high now, this is very useful information. Thanks so much for sharing at Mix it up Monday 🙂

    Reply
    • This Silly Girl's Life

      November 12, 2012 at 3:15 pm

      Thank you! Thanks for hosting as well.

      Reply
  6. Meredith @ Wait Til Your Father Gets Home

    November 13, 2012 at 8:52 am

    Girl, you’re speaking my language! Great tips!

    Thanks for partying with us at Keep Calm & Link Up last week! xo, Meredith @ http://www.waittilyourfathergetshome.com

    Reply
    • This Silly Girl's Life

      November 13, 2012 at 9:27 am

      Lol, thanks! Thanks for hosting!

      Reply
  7. Katie Drane

    November 13, 2012 at 1:16 pm

    Awesome tips! Thanks so much for sharing.

    Katie
    http://www.funhomethings.com

    Reply
    • This Silly Girl's Life

      November 13, 2012 at 8:19 pm

      Thank YOU!

      Reply
  8. Connie

    November 14, 2012 at 9:56 am

    Love your tips. This is how I think and how I practice saving money. It’s so important and most people don’t take the time to do it. And the irony of it all is if you will follow these tips, you will save time as well as money. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
    • This Silly Girl's Life

      November 14, 2012 at 11:16 am

      Thank you! Thanks for hosting. (-:

      Reply
  9. Erin Branscom

    November 14, 2012 at 4:06 pm

    These are awesome ideas. We try to waste nothing either! I am pretty creative with leftovers. We also only shop weekly because we use up everything before we shop again! 🙂 Great post!

    Reply
    • This Silly Girl's Life

      November 15, 2012 at 10:01 am

      Us too, yay! Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply
  10. Michelle Muckala

    November 14, 2012 at 11:21 pm

    I finally just started getting good at meal planning, and I only buy enough groceries for that weeks meals. I spend a lot less and don’t end up with a fridge and pantry full of food that ends up spoiling. It’s amazing how much you save when you meal plan! I love the chicken stock idea!! I will add that to my next to do list, I love chicken and always buy my stock from the store.

    Reply
    • This Silly Girl's Life

      November 15, 2012 at 10:04 am

      I used to buy 1 to 2 boxes of chicken stock every week… what a waste! Meal planning is definitely key to me, buy only what you need and rotate, so simple but it’s hard to get out of bad habits. So glad you stopped by, thank you!

      Reply
  11. Jessi @ Practically Functional

    November 19, 2012 at 6:45 pm

    Great tips! My grandmother always bought whole chickens and used all the “bits” for soup. 🙂

    Thanks for sharing at The Fun In Functional!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

HI, I’M DANA!

Dana from This Silly Girl's Kitchen Blog

Dana is a professional Chef turned blogger, recipe developer, food photographer, and more! Her passion is writing about food and posting recipes while offering tips and tricks of the trade. She lives in Florida with her Hubby and four fur babies.

Read more about me HERE…

Categories

Subscribe

Join Our Newsletter
Join Our Newsletter

Get my latest recipes goodies straight to your inbox! I hate Spam as much as you do so, No Spam I promise!

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Disclaimer: By clicking on the "Yes, I want in" button above you are giving me your consent to collect and use your information according to the law and My Cookie Policy Privacy

HOLIDAY FAVORITES

Whipped Cream in bowl square image

Chocolate Whipped Cream

Close up of Tiramisu Pie on plate Square image

Tiramisu Pie

Chocolate Layer Cake on cake stand square image

Chocolate Layer Cake

Close up of Southern Collard Greens on white plate square image

Southern Collard Greens

Cranberry Orange Braid

Eggnog Pudding in glass topped with whipped cream square image

Eggnog Pudding

Popular posts:

  • Monterey ChickenMonterey Chicken
  • The Best Fluffy Buttercream FrostingThe Best Fluffy Buttercream Frosting
  • Cinnamon Cream Cheese CookiesCinnamon Cream Cheese Cookies
  • Fluffernutter DipFluffernutter Dip
  • Key Lime Pie - Mini No Bake Pies!Key Lime Pie – Mini No Bake Pies!
  • Apple Cinnamon Cream Cheese Roll UpsApple Cinnamon Cream Cheese Roll Ups

Footer

FEATURED IN

AS SEEN ON

COPYRIGHT © 2012-2020 · THIS SILLY GIRLS KITCHEN | POLICY PRIVACY.