How to Shop on a Budget

When determining your bills for the month, a certain amount of money is set aside for groceries. Then when you get to the grocery store it seems as if you always go over your budget. Follow these steps and you can shop on a budget and stick to it.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Write down exactly what you need to get from the store when you shop. Make sure to include ingredients for recipes you have planned. Check for the basics such as milk, eggs, bread and flour.

2. Plan your meals for a month. Keep the meals nutritional with a lot of vegetables. Healthy meals end up being a lot less expensive than ready-to-eat store bought meals.

3. Make some of the basics from scratch, such as bread and granola. The ingredients to make them are a lot less expensive than the finished product in the long run.

4. Eat before you go grocery shopping. If you shop when you are hungry or craving something, you will end up spending a lot more than your budget allows for.

5. Map your way around the grocery store so that you only go down the aisles with the products that you need and you avoid trouble zones such as the candy aisle.

6. Leave the children at home if at all possible. Children have a way with sneaking items in the cart or talking you into products that you do not need. If you must take them, then feed them first.

[DuppysDad]

on 8/14/2009 that's why I go to Walmart