Let me start by saying I do not use coupons. I wish I was one of those crazy coupon ladies and had a garage stockpile of food and toilet paper. BUT living in Walmart land restricts me from couponing. I DO use coupons occasionally on toiletries and such items but that's another story.
I also don't buy in bulk. Yes, it does save money but we are on a limited income and budget so I rarely am able to buy in bulk. The only thing I can really say I buy in "bulk" is eggs. We always buy the 30ct. eggs.
Living on one income has taught me a lot about budgeting and planning. I budget $75 a week for groceries and non-food items (toiletries and such). This means that on weeks I need shampoo or toilet paper I have to cut other areas. For example, I love to buy canned beans and minute maid brown rice (they just seem less starchy than when you cook it yourself). BUT I know that a box of minute maid rice will cost me $2.98 for 14oz. and a bag of loose rice costs $1.56 for 32oz. That is triple the cost!!! So, there are some weeks I know I have to go with price rather than convenience.
Buying fresh isn't always the cheapest. What I mean by this is always check the frozen aisles at the selection of vegetables. When making fajitas, quesadillas, or anything with onions and peppers I always buy frozen. I don't know why but bell peppers are EXPENSIVE. A big bag of mixed fruits (apples and oranges) aren't always the best way to go. A lot of those bags are $5-8+ and have less than 10 pieces of fruit. Go for bananas which are .54 cents a pound. That usually adds up to 5-7 bananas for around $2.50. Also, check to see what is in season (duh). I try to buy 2 fruits and 2 vegetables for the week to snack on. For example, this week I'm buying strawberries (splurge), bananas, green beans, and carrots.
You have to decide what you're willing to sacrifice. Trust me...you will sacrifice something for something else. We would rather spend more of our budget on fresh veggies and fruit than on expensive cuts of meat. That means we eat a LOT of chicken.
ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS make a grocery list and plan your meals ahead of time. I can't stress this enough. I make a weekly menu and then make my grocery list. I am weird and keep all my Walmart receipts so I can look back and know prices and then plan accordingly. This helps me change my menu if needed or add things if I'm going to be under budget. The picture above is an example of my grocery list with prices. If prices have changed I'll take note (this is especially important when buying veggies and fruits since they are constantly changing).
I hope to post a lot more recipes and ideas on the blog for those interested...
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