Grocery Budget Make-Over: Step 3 Use and Purchase Less of the Item

Remember, we are looking at our TOP FIVE expenses in our grocery budget first. We are now at step 3 in our budget remodel...using and purchasing less of the item. In this day and age of "stockpiling," this item doesn't seem to fit, does it? However, even if you stockpile an item, if you use less of it, you won't have to stockpile as much of it. Or, your stockpile will simply last you longer. I'll go back to my coffee example. Before my effort at reducing our coffee usage, Randy and I made a number of pots of coffee through the day...sometimes 4 altogether. We didn't always drink all the coffee, either. Since the cost of coffee has gone up so much, I decided to try to make less. Now, notice I didn't say I would drink less! I began turning off the coffee pot right after making it so that I could reheat a cup that didn't taste "burned" or "old" later in the day to prevent me from making another pot. We have reduced our usage quite a bit by that simple trick. I still stockpile coffee, one of mainstays, when I get a really good deal on. My stockpile will last us longer. I'd like to add at this point that you must resist the urge to use more of an item simply because you have a stockpile of it...unless that's your goal. If you stockpile broccoli because you want your whole family to eat it more...great! (I guess it would have to be frozen...)

Now, let's get back to reducing the use of an item. This is really when you can get creative. If meat is your largest expense, make sure you don't ever through any out...cook just the right amount for your family...use your leftovers if you don't. You can also substitute the use of  a lower priced item for some of the use of the higher priced item. In our meat example, choose more poulty and less beef, or have a "meatless Monday." Also consider serving a plate with more veggies and less protein. (We really could use more of that!)

Another way of using less of an item, if it isn't essential, is to actually buy it less often. Perhaps ice cream might fall into this category. Decide you will only buy ice cream when it is under $5.00 a gallon and only buy 1 gallon when you do. That works only for treats, not staples. However, treats are often the more expensive items

If one of your "Top Five" items is a packaged/boxed item, you might find that you can save money by making the item from scratch. Put aside a Saturday to make biscuits from scratch and freeze them to pull out for those portable breakfasts.

If one of your "Top Five" items is some type of drink...substitute one glass of water for one of the drink item every day.

You get the idea...

To be continued...