I cut my grocery bill by $80 last month just by changing one thing

Three weeks ago, I started planning all my meals for the week before I went to the store. I used to just wander the aisles and grab whatever looked good. I wrote down a list for every meal and only bought those items. My first trip to the store in Omaha with the list, I spent $120 instead of my usual $200. It felt like a game to see how close I could stick to the plan. I even used up stuff from the back of my pantry I forgot about. Has anyone else had a big win just from making a meal list?

3 comments

3 Comments

emery_black2mo agoTop Commenter

Try checking the clearance section first to build your list around those deep discounts.

alicehernandez2mo ago

My cousin in Lincoln does the same thing with a meal list, but she takes it a step further. She plans meals around the weekly flyer for her local store. Last week chicken thighs were on sale, so she built three dinners around that. She told me it cut her waste down to almost nothing because every vegetable has a planned spot. Isn't it crazy how much money just flies out of the fridge as spoiled food?

anthony1292mo ago

I always thought lists were too strict, but seeing the savings changed my mind fast.