One of the most popular posts I’ve shared on the blog is how I’m spending $60 a week on groceries. Extreme couponing led my husband and me to start our debt-free journey!
It’s only been an eight-year journey but it’s been a WILD ride and we are debt-free except for our mortgage BUT we have a plan in action for that too.
I made a quick shopping trip and stumbled upon some awesome coupons in store. It inspired me to share with you that a family of four can still get groceries for $60 a week and meal plan with it!
3 Things You Can Do Right Now to Lower Your Grocery Bill
Let me give it to you straight.
- Pantry Stocked with The Right Ingredients
- Meal Plan
- Sales Flyer
You have to have your pantry stocked with the basic essentials for creating quick and simple dinners. If you have no idea what should be in your pantry read this here.
You can also grab my Meal Planner to keep everything organized.
Each week you want to grab items that are on sale ONLY! This is key to saving money on groceries every week. When you start to watch the sale cycle each week you will quickly realize it’s not hard to wait week after week
In addition to my pantry items you need frozen veggies are another must have item. I prefer to get big bags from BJ’s or Costco. Nothing is easier then steaming frozen veggies as a side for the family.
For a more in depth look at how to create cheap and simple dinners read this
Meal planning goes hand in hand with a grocery budget. With all the technology at our finger tips there is no excuse to not cook a few meals a week for you family.
Okay, I’m sure some of you will be able to leave a comment below with an excuse for me, but the point is, even if you don’t have time to cook a meal every night, YOU can still save money on your groceries. Take a look at pre-made frozen foods. They are cheaper than taking your family out to eat.
Although I would encourage you to try making your own meals from scratch frozen meals are a better option then going out.
If you are curious if the cost of eating out is actually more expensive look at this article here.
HERE IS AN UPDATED TIKTOK VIDEO in 2023 SHARING MY MENU AND SHOPPING!
MORE MEAL PLANNING GROCERY TRIPS:
- The Simple Kitchen Shortcut Every Busy Mom Wishes She Knew
- How to Meal Plan When You’re a Busy Mom
- Galentine’s Day Brunch Ideas to Celebrate Your Favorite Ladies
- Best Things to Make at Home to Save Money
- Healthy Super Bowl Snacks That are Low Carb and Affordable
Check out the video below or read on for the menu and more.
Alright, Let’s Get to the $60 Groceries & Meal Menu
This week I ventured to my two favorite grocery stores ( and I new love of mine is Costco! It’s actually right next to BJs these days!)
I stumbled upon an amazing $3 off off-ground beef coupon at Tops! Hey all you grocery pickup people, you’re leaving the sweet coupons for us savers! No complaints here 😉
I already knew from scanning the sale flyer Chi Chi items were BOGO this week. The coupon Peelie was $3 off Ground Beef when you buy 2 Chi Chi products! Score! I ended up paying 91¢/lb for 90/10 ground beef!
If you buy Kellogg’s products KFR program is a must. It’s free and easy. Here’s all about that but with this program I had to use up my four $1.00/1 Kellogg’s cereal coupons. Special K was the only one on sale. I paid a $1.50 per box which isn’t extreme savings but it’s still a savings.
Also at Tops you get 10 points for every paper coupon you use. Those coupons got me 40 points. Every 100 points is 10¢ off a gallon of gas.
If you want to meal plan once a month check out how to do it here with FREE printables!
The List:
Remember the key to keeping a low weekly grocery trip is to have pantry items on hand and stock up on items when they are at their lowest price point. This is how we are able to keep it low week after week and always shop from your pantry first!
BJs:
2 Gallons of Milk- $5.14
2 Loaves of Honey Wheat Bread- $3.49
Half and half – $2.69
3 lb.s Sweet Potatoes $2.79
Total: $14.11
Tops Markets:
2 Boxes of Tops Brownies on Clearance $2.48
4 Boxes of Quaker Granola Bars
Used two $1.00/2 Quaker bars from newspaper
Peeled Carrots $1.99– For carrot cake for a birthday!
Baby Carrots 88¢
2 Marzetti Dips $3.99 each
2 Bags of Mini Peppers FREE
Celery FREE
Bananas $1.41
2 Cucumbers 58¢
Francesco Rinaldi Sauce 99¢
4 Bags of Chi Chi Tortillas $4.78 BOGO sale
4 Boxes of Kellogg’s Special K $6- Used 4 $1.00/1 Coupons from KFR.
2 lbs of Ground Beef $1.69
1 lb of Strawberries FREE wyb Mandarin Oranges
Mandarin Oranges $5.29
Earned 139 gas points.
Total $47.47
The Meal Menu
Remember the key to keeping a low weekly grocery trip is to have pantry items on hand and stock up on items when they are at their lowest price point. This is how we are able to keep it low week after week and always shop from your pantry first!
Breakfast:
Mix of Cereal, Eggs ( we have SO many eggs from our chickies!) and home made pancakes
Lunch:
Pb&J sandwiches this is always on hand. Strawberries, celery, we have tons of apples from our trees. I always make cookies and muffins for snacks at school too. As well as stocking up on granola bars.
We also canned a TON of salsa from the tomatoes from our garden so this is a perfect snack to put on the tortillas too!
Me personally I eat very little for lunch. Usually yogurt and fruit or protein shakes. I usually only buy protein mix every two months from BJs when it goes on sale.
Dinners:
Egg Burritos
Spaghetti– I have these Edamame noodles I got marked down super cheap a few weeks ago from BJs.
Beef, Tomato ( still plenty of tomatoes in garden) and Beans in the Chi Chi Pockets
Homemade Hamburger Helper ( This is a super recipe and my kids LOVE IT!)
Cereal– Yep! Why not?!
Tilapia Fish and Broccoli ( I always try to keep frozen fish in the freezer from BJs) This is a meal that is an example from a previous stock up.
Black Bean Stuffed Sweet Potatoes– We use this recipe
There you have it. It’s all about getting creative in that kitchen of yours. I hope this post inspires you to think outside of the box when it comes to saving money on your groceries this week.
Check out my Titkok videos for up-to-date shopping trips and meal menus!
Remember- You Really Need to Look at the Sale Flyers BEFORE you shop!
- The Simple Kitchen Shortcut Every Busy Mom Wishes She Knew
- How to Meal Plan When You’re a Busy Mom
- Galentine’s Day Brunch Ideas to Celebrate Your Favorite Ladies
- Best Things to Make at Home to Save Money
Our Favorite Chicken T-Shirt’s Roundup
Hello Tasia, my name is Susanne Curro, and I receive you newsletters all of the time. I have been a BJ’S member for 5 years. I usually do my food shopping once a month with foodstamps and some cash combined. I love to buy Romaine lettuce, but it goes bad so fast. Do you have any suggestions about how I can keep it from going bad so fast ? I was wondering if you can freeze Romaine Lettuce. The same happens with the mushrooms. Also, I do like to buy for the pantry first and stock up on condements, but my husband thinks that is crazy. I dont, because if I like to make something in the spur of the moment, I have them right in the pantry. But going back to the veggies, can you give me some advice about how I can have them last longer, if I can freeze them ?
Hi Susanne! Thanks so much for reading what I have to say! I wouldn’t freeze romaine lettuce. Although I personally haven’t tried it I just don’t think it will hold up. You could try the paper towel trick. You wrap lettuce in a paper towel place in a plastic bag. Otherwise I would suggest trying to meal plan with it each day so you don’t end up having it go bad before it can be eaten. You could freeze your mushrooms. Put them on parchment paper on a tray in the freezer. Once they are frozen gather up and store in a larger plastic bag or container that’s freezer safe.
If you already have a vacuum sealer, the wide mouth jar attachment might just pay for itself. I cut romaine up and place it in wide mouth mason jars and vacuum the air out. It stays fresh for a week or more.
Awesome thanks for the tip. I’ll have to try it.
Can you update this for 2024 prices? 🙁
I’m planning to do this again when the kids go back to school, since grocery prices are crazy! I’ve shared more recent ones on Tiktok @thefrugalfarmgirl