Frugal Shopping

I've always shopped with a list, but not in the frugal sense. The list contained the minimum I needed. Then I would buy whatever else I wanted, with no particular meal plan in mind.

This week I made a change. I browsed the weekly specials (and my freezer and pantry) to select some meals for the week. Then bought only what I needed and what was on sale.

I didn't plan a budget for the week, but I would like to be under $500 for the month. All of my shopping was at Giant and here is what I bought.


The lean cuisines were on sale and I had a coupon, so I stocked up. If there are no left-overs in the fridge, I have them for lunch. Also, the Steak-umms burgers were buy one, get one free. We do a lot of grilling in the summer, so I bought 6 boxes (only 1 is pictured).


Also, this week, I needed some non-food items. The Dawn was free with sale and coupon, but I was completely out of the other items, so I couldn't wait for a sale.

Finally, I bought a lot of drinks. We live in an area with well water. Our water isn't that great, so we don't drink it (even the pets get bottled water). Also, I have a step-son who is on a high calorie diet, so grab and go drinks with high calories (sweet tea and sports drinks) are a must.

For the week, I spent $146.79 (after bonus card/coupon savings of $61.40).