My grocery bill dropped by $40 a week after I started planning meals around the flyer

Last month, I got tired of just throwing things in the cart and decided to try something different. I sat down with the store's weekly flyer on Sunday and only planned dinners based on what was on sale. I made a list and stuck to it, no extras. The first week, I saved $38.75 compared to my usual spend. It sounds simple, but I was shocked at how much I was wasting on impulse buys. Does anyone else have a specific flyer or sale strategy that works for them?

3 comments

3 Comments

drew_reed622mo ago

How long did it take you to get the hang of planning that way? I tried something similar last year and the hardest part was breaking my old habit of just grabbing what looked good. It felt like extra work at first, but seeing the savings on the receipt really does make it worth the effort. I found that if I don't make a list, I'm basically just donating money to the store. Good on you for sticking to it.

blair_martin2mo ago

Totally get that! It's wild how much those little impulse buys add up over time. Feels like the same thing happens with subscriptions and other small monthly costs, you don't notice until you actually stop and look.

xenaf512mo ago

I mean, maybe it's just me but those little buys are kind of what makes life fun though? Like @blair_martin is right they add up, but sometimes a random treat is worth more than the money.