Good morning! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! I had another good one, that consisted of not only getting a lot of things done around the house, but going to watch dirt track racing, too.
Only here in racecar country, my friends. It actually was a lot of fun and those seats we’re in? They’re VIP. Because that’s how we roll 😉
Anyways, another one of my favorite weekend traditions is grocery shopping. I’ve admitted before to frequenting several local grocery stores for our weekly groceries, but I can’t help it if one place has the tortillas I like, while another has a local produce selection. Luckily I enjoy grocery shopping WAY more than clothes shopping… especially right now while I’m sporting the belly.
Here’s some looks at my grocery carts over the past few weeks:
Harris Teeter
Target
Fresh Market
It may be silly, but I get a high when I look at my cart and see all the delicious, fresh food I’ve packed into it and know how I’m going to use it all. I rarely throw away any food- a habit I’m quite proud of– because I take the time to plan. My favorite grocery tips:
- Plan your dinners for the week. On Sunday I will take about an hour to plan our dinners, taking into account Hubbs’ work schedule and dinners out we may have planned.
- Plan your other meals, too. I’ll also write out options for breakfasts, lunches and snacks, so I know I won’t skip over anything. Keep in mind what you already have. Example: I knew I had banana nut muffins that were going to be stale soon, so instead of throwing them out, I created banana nut French toast medallions for Saturday breakfast!
- Go in with a list. If I left my list at home, I’d have to turn around. Lists are a MUST HAVE.
- Shop around. I realize I may have the luxury of time, but I usually hit up 3 stores on Sunday. I know who has the brands I like, who has the best prices and who has the freshest produce (until my CSA starts)
- Stick to a budget. All my Sunday shopping totals are less than $100. I have a pretty good idea when I’m making my list of what things cost. I buy my meats at Fresh Market because I can get just the right amount of chicken or shrimp for the meal I’m making without paying for more than I need in a pre-packaged amount. Anti-biotic free, free-range chicken for a dinner will sometimes only cost $2.50. Sweet.
Yesterday consisted of going to the Fresh Market, Bloom and the local bagel shop to pick up bagels and cream cheese (Hubbs’ breakfast of choice this week). Here’s a shot of the cart (just Fresh Market).
And I started off the week (or ended the weekend, depending on your view) with delicious Key Lime Shrimp Tacos. I love knowing what’s in the line up for the week. It eliminates the stress of figuring it out on the fly.
And true to prego-form, I ended the night with a bowl of organic berries and vanilla ice cream… appropriately balanced on my belly 🙂
What’s your favorite grocery shopping tip?
Are you a coupon-er?
Roz says
Is it weird that I REALLY like people’s blog posts that show all thier groceries?? Love this post. Great tips on the meal planning/shopping. Mine? Shop in more than one location to get the best deals, and ONLY carry cash. That way, there isn’t much room for impulse purchases. (though they sometimes do happen! 🙂 Just bought a piece of “lower fat brie” yesterday that was NOT on my list. And yes, I’m a coupon-er. Makes me happy to get a deal on something I’d buy anyway. Have a great day Brittany. Hope Baby D is behaving.
blackhuff says
I’m a new reader of your blog 🙂
I too love to plan my meals and buy accordingly. It helps a lot in staying healthy and losing weight.
Congrats on the pregnancy.
Brooke @ Veggie Table says
Ice scream on the bump – hyyyylarious! I really wish I was a hard core coupon-er…I just don’t have time for it right now. Love how you roll at the dirt tracks…haha 🙂
Kristin says
I just found out that we have a couple of Fresh Markets here, and have been trying to find time to get to one to try it out! I tend to hit at least two stores a week as well, and I recently signed up for a home delivery produce service as kind of a warm-up to maybe doing a CSA this summer. I totally agree about the meal planning – I’ve been doing it for a few weeks now, and am losing a lot less food to waste!
Kelli H (Made in Sonoma) says
Your weekend looks like a lot of fun!
I’m with you on your grocery shopping tips. I plan out about 5 meals a week and always bring a list! Saves so much time and money. I’ve tried training my mom to do this over the years, she’s getting better at it. : ) Lately I’m spending right at $100 but a year ago I was at spending $80 per week. I think some prices have gone up here like butter and milk.
Jessie says
B and I pay way more for groceries than that on a normal week and we aren’t buying organic, grass fed meats. I love that you buy just what you need a Fresh Market. I may have to incorporate that into my shopping routine. I am pretty inconsistent about creating a meal plan…and remembering my list, but I may have to work on that because I would love to spend less on food.
Samantha @ Health, Happiness & Skinny Jeans says
I definitely need to do a better job of planning out meals and making a list to stay on budget. My grocery bills have been through the roof lately!!
You look so cute with your bowl of ice cream 🙂
Melissa @ Be Not Simply Good says
My grocery shopping tips are very much the same as yours – know what you need (both by taking inventory of what you still have and by considering what you’re planning to make in the coming week), stick to your list, check the ads for sales, and go to the store(s) where you can get the best food for the best price. I’ve been known to write up a meal plan with the grocery store ad in hand.
Lindsay @ The Lean Green Bean says
great post! loved all your tips. i definitely agree with having a list! a must-have in my book.
Rachel @ Rachel's Recipe Reviews says
I was dreading out to the store (we have snow here), but after looking at all your delicious carts full of food, I’m a little excited! Thanks! 🙂
Katie H says
Ah, how fun. My mom lives in northern cali and when I was younger we would go to the “races.” In my hometown the races=horses but out there it is cars on a dirt track!
Great tips! I agree, a list is crucial. I am getting reallllly excited bc my husband is coming back and that means Trader Joe’s trips! 😀 I’m excited to see him too, don’t get me wrong 😉
Beth @ Beth's Journey says
I love this list of tips! My favorite one is probably going in with a list. If I go in without a list or at least a good idea of what I need/want to buy, I always end up with so much stuff I don’t need! I am a moderate couponer – I love a good deal but hate the extra work involved, so I just usually use store specific coupons (like the ones for Whole Foods) if any.
Caree @ Fit-Mama says
Great tips! I must have a list too when I grocery shop! Planning meals out to makes things sooo much easier!!
Parita @ myinnershakti says
I love your tips. I think my big one is taking a list as well. If I don’t, I’m running around like a chicken with it’s head cut, I’m likely going to forget something, and I’ll probably buy more than I intended to!
Tina says
Your grocery cart looks so yummy! And a lot like mine. 🙂
Allie says
LOVE all the shopping tips!!! I always use a list and I do use coupons, but not hard core.. like one or two 😉
Melissa says
I just checked out the taco recipe; the flavor combo sounds great! And yes I recently started couponing and have saved lots of money so far. I need to work on not throwing out food because I usually cook large quantities and it gets wasted. 🙁 As for produce, buy what is in season. For meats, I take advantage of buy 1 get 1 free deals and stock up. All the rest goes on sale every 6-8 weeks so stock up when you can. Add a coupon on top of the sale prices and save more. 🙂