Today’s topic goes hand in hand with the last. Without each other, both ideas will fall apart. Tragic, I know, but the sad story is that money will be wasted. You have to write a meal plan if you want to do Today’s Experiment: Stick to a Grocery List. And you need to stick to a grocery list if you want to save money by writing out meal plans.
This concept is so simple.
Step One: Stick to your grocery list.
The end.
I feel like this is going to more of a pep talk than a how to.
I’m going to start out by being real with you guys. I write a grocery list every week. But sometimes I deviate from it. Gasp! Horror! I know. And when I do, do you know what happens? It has this horrible, money wasting snowball effect. I feel like if I can purchase one thing that isn’t on my list, I can purchase 25 things that are not on my list.
Okay, it’s not that bad, maybe just two or three more things. But it’s still wasting money and makes me feel bad when I realize what I’ve done. Especially because it’s normally junk food. I don’t normally impulse buy bananas.
So come along with me, Friends, in my quest to stick to the grocery list. Each week, I purposely turn a blind eye to junk foods, sale sections, and even my all time favorite place to splurge, Big Lots, just because I want to save money.
When I make my list at home, I always have good intentions and plan nourishing and healthy meals. In the store, I feel like I am tempted from every direction to buy food that isn’t healthy for my family and it not the best use of my husband’s hard earned money.
Even in Aldi, where everything is so cheap, I purposely look straight ahead as I walk through the chips and cookies, speeding along the aisle until I get to what is on my list. When I look, I’m tempted to feel that I need whatever delicious looking boxed cookie meets my eye, and I become unsatisfied with my ultra healthy grocery shopping list. I told you this was confession time!
In the end, our family is much happier when I stick to my grocery shopping list. Our bodies feel better when we eat healthier food, I feel good about myself for exercising self control, and my husband is gratified to know that I can be trusted to manage well the money he gives me to take care of our needs.
What are your grocery list tips? Give us your “how-to.”
Never take a hungry child or grandchild, and sometimes not even a husband who might influence a few add in the buggy items.
Good advice, Terry! Or go when you are hungry yourself!
Sticking to a grocery list makes me feel so good. It also forces me to sit down for a few minutes and really think ahead for the week about what we’ll need–so I don’t have to go back to the grocery store again. We go after working out at the YMCA, so being sweaty makes me want to get out of there as quickly as possible. HAHA!