The Grocery Store Dread

Some of you may think "weird title;" others know what I mean. My week revolves around the grocery store: Thursday is grocery day. Then, Friday begins my mental and emotional preparations for the following Thursday. The week rises up into a crescendo of sorts on Wednesday when I carefully scan the pantry, the freezer and the fridge; scout the weekly flyers; make out a meal plan, followed by a grocery list; and check them twice. Then, it's off to bed to get a good night's rest for game day.

I don't dread grocery day for the obvious reasons: senior citizens blocking the aisles and walking slower than I thought possible in search of their prunes and fiber supplements; frazzled moms with multiple kids pulling at them as they desperately search for the "cool" cereal of the week to make the little ones pipe down for at least a few minutes.

No, I dread grocery day because my heart sinks through the floor when I see the cost for a measly four to six bags of groceries. We don't buy name brand; we don't buy snacks and treats and "extras." We get the bare essentials, and still spend more than we can really afford.

Here's where I ask for your help. I'm tired of clicking on the links that promise the secret to spending less at the grocery. Every time I go to one of those articles I realize I'm already doing everything they say.

Now, I'm not a huge coupon person; however, I have discovered that it's usually cheaper to get the Great Value brand at Wal-Mart than to use a coupon for a name brand of the same thing.

I do use coupons when it makes sense or for a splurge now and then. For instance, I LOVE Coffeemate's Pumpkin Spice creamer. When I passed Starbuck's in Target the other day and smelled their pumpkin spice coffee, I knew I wasn't going to be getting that heavenly aroma out of my mind any time soon. So, I came home and did what any resourceful woman would do. I got online, found the Coffeemate website and got two coupons. I was ecstatic about going to the store that week! I eagerly wheeled the cart up to the milk/creamer section and lifted out that colorful container of delicious pumpkin spice flavoring. With my $1 off coupon; I only paid $0.50 for it!!

But I digress....

Here's a rundown of what I already do to save: I buy only generic brands (for the most part) unless a coupon for a name brand makes it cheaper. We eat very little meat. Maybe once every month or two we'll have chicken breasts. Whenever Kroger puts their whole fryers on sale, I buy as many as they let me--then we eat like royalty! I can stretch a whole chicken out to make several dishes that will cover 6-7 meals. (I'm not bragging or anything!) Once or twice a month, we have tacos; so I buy turkey for that. Other than that, we dine mostly on starches, veggies and fruits.

My husband is in seminary, and we are blessed to have access to the Manna Ministry. They have "day-old" breads, bagels, English muffins and pastries that the grocery stores in our area can no longer sell. We get it for free--what a blessing!!

I don't cook gourmet (as much as I'd love to). We eat simple meals without expensive spices or other pricey ingredients. Some of our favorite dishes are the ones that provide enough for 2-3 meals for only $3-5.

I do check the grocery ads for the week to catch any good sales; however, I've learned not to fall victim to a great sale when it's not something we need or I could substitute in for another meal or two that week. And, I do the majority of my shopping at Wal-Mart because it is cheaper; regardless of what anyone says. I do buy bananas, milk and diapers at Target because they are cheaper.

I check price comparisons of the bigger package vs. the smaller one. Typically the larger the package, the less expensive it is in the long run. If we're running low on money or have several bigger purchases to make that week, I may choose the smaller one; but I typically go with the better buy. I have noticed a few things where bigger is not always better (salad dressing, for instance); for those, you'd pay more for the convenience of not having to buy as often (I choose the better deal over convenience).

Like I mentioned before, we don't buy junk food. We'll get stuff occasionally, but usually get it at the Dollar Tree instead. The only "junk foods" we get regularly are peanut butter or cheese crackers (for Tony's breaks at work and me to grab quickly while I'm running around with Allie) and tortilla chips and salsa. We get the cheapest brand of crackers and chips, though.

Whenever I get household products (detergent, paper towels) or personal products (toothpaste, body wash), I make sure I'm getting the best deal.

No matter how hard I try, I still end up heartbroken as I walk away from that cash register.

So, what do you suggest? I'm open to all the work that goes into coupons; but I just don't think it would really be a better deal or make it worth all the effort. If you can prove to me otherwise I'll sign up right away!!