Today I had a very successful grocery shopping trip. Did I get a ton of things free? Did I wow the cashier? Neither.
I was able to get groceries for my family with two boys in tow for the next two weeks and spent $54. Yes I did use coupons and yes I did price match a few things. My trip today was one for beginners, but in some sense I feel accomplished.
In my journey through the coupon world of frugality and finding the best deals and ONLY getting those deals while traveling through life, I have decided to take a break. If you know any ounce of me you know that I am very competitive. My life game has been with the groceries and managing my family. Life has quickly reminded me lately that God is in complete control of my life as well as ours. No matter how hard I try to control every bit of it...it isn't in my hands. For a year and 1/2, I have tried to control so much that I feel that I am a bit overwhelmed with trying to predict the grocery sales, scoping out all the latest sales on all the blogs, cutting coupons, planning my grocery store visits, etc. Somehow if a person would keep that up...many other things go by the wayside or never get started (i.e. go fish game with Kenner, sewing projects, playing catch with Patton).
Although it has "killed" me in the past to purchase something that wasn't the cheapest that I could possibly get it, somehow today I had a realization that spending a certain amount of money on groceries a week and getting what we need for that week is a much better plan. I am going to start budgeting $50 a week for our groceries (which includes diapers and toiletries). I was able to spend $54 today and still purchased some "stock up" items.
I had a great conversation with a friend about grocery shopping. She pointed out that even if she buys more than she needs on sale...it is just like money sitting on her shelves. There is a huge debate out there about stocking up versus buying what you need for a week at a time. I have lived the "stocking up" life for a year and 1/2. I am going to try to live the buy what we need life for a while to see which one works better. Gayle over at the Grocery Cart Challenge does this for her family and does extremely well with budgeting her family's groceries. I will still buy "stock up" items if they fit within the budget in the week. This may limit my Wags and CVS shopping...but I might be saving time and money in the end just shopping Super Saver and price matching.
I am sorry to bore you all with this conversation, but I wanted to document my thoughts today for my other frugal grocery shoppers. I also want to know your thoughts - What kind of shopper are you?
Have a great week!
1 comment:
I wish I could spend $54 and say it would last for two weeks. It just doesn't happen. I don't know why but there always seems to be something that makes the bill come out larger than it really is. I do $88 a week for diapers, toiletries, and groceries and am still sometimes not on target. Which meant I didn't do Walgreens this week because the items weren't needed but were stock up, freebies that at some point I might have used. I'm also a bit limited in stocking up as I have a small kitchen with limited space. It's like anything else, there is always the opportunity for you to feel like you should be doing better or different. I can wish I were like my friend, Lisa, who does awesome with freezer cooking and often has meals at hand. I can wish I were like my friend, Rhiannon, who spends less than me on groceries. I can wish I were like the women in the mothering books who seem to easily weave faith into their parenting. But the reality is I am me. I cannot spend my time living in the world of discontent and regret, where I am wasting mental energy on feeling disatisfied with life. I have been dealing with this a lot the last few weeks, as I've just generally had this feeling of discontent settle over me. I haven't been happy with our routine at home (from a teaching both spiritual and academic standpoint, from getting in exercise standpoint, from getting in my own quiet time standpoint). I haven't been happy with the flaws in my house, and living in a house that is not selling. I have been fretting about the possibility of a house that is for sale in Crete becomign our new home. I've been fretting over the projects I want to get done now that Derek's home. All kind of this could, should, would mode. I think it's important to remind yourself not to live in that mode. God created us to live in this moment, to enjoy the people and things He has blessed us with. Not to control them or to manage them so strictly that the joy gets zapped.
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