How To Tame Your Grocery Bill…

When it comes to groceries and eating out, I feel like that’s the one line on my monthly budget spreadsheet that I can control the most. I remember a time when my husband and I were spending around $900 a month on food just for the two of us! It was insane. Those days are over though. We have some financial goals we want to meet, and one way of doing that is controlling our spending when it comes to food. I know with COVID things are a little crazy, but I want to share my top 5 tips that I believe will help get your grocery bills under control.

Shop the Weekly Ad

So every Wednesday grocery stores post their weekly sales ad. One of the best ways to save money is to make your meals based around those sales. So if ground turkey is on sale, I’m grabbing that for some spaghetti or for taco night. The same goes for steaks as my husband is a huge ribeye fan. He knows if steaks are on sale, then he’s eating good that week! When it comes to produce, my go-to spot is definitely Aldi’s. I check their ad each week, and whatever fruit they have on sale is what we’re snacking on for the week.

Use Digital Coupons

Most grocery stores offer discount savings in the form of a loyalty card and digital coupons. It’s easy to do and a great way to save some money. I use my Kroger app to add coupons to my loyalty card. They also send me paper coupons in the mail for items based on my shopping history. Sometimes I luck up and I’ll have a paper coupon and a digital coupon to use on the same item. A win-win. It does require some effort, but I’m fine with it if it helps me get that much closer to my financial goals.

Cash Back Apps

If you haven’t downloaded a grocery cashback app like Checkout 51, Ibotta, etc, you’re definitely missing out on free money. I’m a big fan of Ibotta. It has all the stores I shop at, and I’ve been able to get back over $200. You can’t withdraw until you have at least $20, but you’ll get that in no time. You just add the coupons you want, upload your receipt, and you earn cash. I mean, it’s free money!

Limit Takeout

I know thanks to COVID things have changed a lot, but I would challenge you to write out how much you spent on takeout in one month. The number might surprise you. We did this pre-COVID, and I couldn’t believe how much money we were spending eating out and on drinks. Granted, it’s nice to have a break from cooking and order takeout from time to time, but you gotta keep it in check!

Carbs Carbs & Carbs

If you have a husband like mine (or kids) that eats up everything, it can be hard not to spend a lot of money on food. When I meal plan I’m thinking about how I can get everyone full without breaking the bank. That’s where my true love, carbs come into play. My go-to favorites are whole wheat pasta, wild rice, and sweet potatoes. Making sure each meal has a good balance of carbs helps keep my greedy little family full!

There you have it. These are 5 easy ways to cut your grocery bill each month. What other ideas would you add to this list? Let me know!

My Favorite Quarantine Activities

Summer is here! It looks a little different than usual, but it’s here. With it being 100 degrees every day here in Houston, there’s no ignoring it. I’ve been trying my best to stay sane, and find new things for my family to do during this pandemic. Not seeing friends and family, and being couped up in the house can really take its toll. So I’m sharing my top 10 favorite activities for you to try out this summer!

1. Visit new parks

Now I’ll admit that daily trips to the park can start to get a little mundane. If you live in a big enough city, my suggestion is to visit a new park each week. You’ll be surprised how having a new thing to look forward to makes such a difference. I truly believe being outdoors is a great mental health booster. One of my favorite parks in Houston is Buffalo Bayou Park. The views of downtown are beautiful. Pack a picnic and you’re good to go!

Buffalo Bayou Park

2.  Try some new recipes

You know all those Pinterest recipes you have saved on your boards? Or all those Food Network recipes you always say you’re gonna try? This is the perfect time to do it! Being quarantined definitely has me cooking a lot more. I’ve been doing lots of experimenting with my family and exposing them to new foods. There have been some definite fails, but it’s been fun crossing some recipes off my list. One thing we’ve discovered is how to make deep dish pizza. I linked the recipe below. It’s a little time consuming, but man is it worth it!

Deep Dish Pizza

4. Happy hour

Boy, do I miss happy hour! One of my favorite spots is Blanco Tacos & Tequila in Houston. Their margaritas are pretty hard to beat. I’ve been trying though! My home edition of happy hour includes my own version of their margaritas that I’ve been tweaking for the past couple of months. It’s finally perfect now though. I think it’s safe to say during this quarantine we’ve all needed a drink or two. So why not make it fun? Recreate your favorite drinks at home!

Blanco Tacos & Tequila

5. Beach trip

We’re lucky enough to live less than an hour from Galveston beach. It’s a great day trip option, and a great way to wear out the kiddos! In my opinion, the best time to go is early in the morning when the crowd and the temperature are low. And don’t worry, you can easily social distance yourself, and still have a great time. If you’re feeling a little stressed and needing a break, I think this is a great option!

 

6. Movie Night

So I’ve seen these elaborate backyard movie nights on Instagram lately, and they’re pretty impressive! I personally don’t have that kind of space, but I have been shopping around for a mini projector for my own version of an outdoor theater. I’ve seen some on Amazon that run between $80-$100. A great early birthday present if you ask me!

7. Fruit picking

I think this has to be one of my favorite things we’ve done lately. After hearing a lot of good things about Froberg’s Farm, we decided to check it out. We went early that morning on a weekday so there wasn’t a lot of people; which was perfect for social distancing. Because the farm is so big, it was easy to keep our distance for other people and enjoy our day out. We actually missed strawberry season, but we were able to pick blackberries, zinnia flowers, and sunflowers. It was the perfect day!

Frobergs Farm

8. Dine alfresco

Now that I’ve spruced up my balcony, eating outside has become my new favorite thing. I honestly wish I had added seating along time ago. It’s like a mini escape. I can pretend I’m eating out at my favorite restaurant with great food and even greater company. Hubs and I love to have our date nights out there at night with my string lights overhead. It’s romantic without any effort whatsoever!

Check out my last post for patio deets!

9. Game night at home

Who doesn’t love a good game night? And with the help of Zoom and apps like Houseparty, game night can even be virtual now.  I’ve been obsessed with Monopoly lately even though I’m terrible at it! I just don’t know what the key is to winning. I’m literally always the first one to lose. If yall have some tips, help a girl out!

10. Take a virtual trip 

Okay, I know a virtual trip is nothing like the real thing, but a girl can dream right? There’s nothing like traveling and exploring new places. It’s a high that I’m so addicted to. However, with all that on pause, I think taking some virtual trips can be a great substitute. If anything it will give you some new places to add to your travel list. I can’t wait to travel again, but in the meantime I’ll be exploring the world through my computer.

Virtual Tour of the Grand Canyon

I hope I was able to give you guys some new ideas for this unique summer we’re going to have. I would love to hear some ideas that I missed. Let me know in the comments what yall are up to!