The Grocery Note Book #1

Large families have big grocery bills....well at least we did until I started to keep track of it. One tool I use is a simple grocery spiral notebook. Over the next few posts I'll share and give a peek inside. We average about $100 to $125 a week here for our family of 6. On really good weeks- the weeks I cook more from scratch (baking bread and homemade snacks) I can hover between $60 and $80. This doesn't happen much during the summer as the kiddos are home for every single lunch unlike when they are at school. But I don't make that mark all the time. Anyway on to the note book. I wanted something to fit into my purse so I picked a palm sized slightly larger than 3x 5 spiral note book.



I used the computer to Decorate the front and then got a pencil and attached it with yarn to the top of the spiral. The pencil stays inside the spiral for travel. Too many times I'd get to the store with no pencil to be found. When I went to cash and stopped needing to write checks ....it seems there were never any pencils/pens in the purse.....LOL. The cash thing? It's good....I highly recommend it.



One of the areas we used to spend too much money on was food waste. I have worked hard for sometime now to learn how to really use my leftovers to cut food waste on one end.....but the other way to kill food waste at my house was to stop preparing food that know one would eat. If it didn't go over well the first time...then you can bet it won't as leftovers...and will most likely rot in the fridge or end up as dog chow. Food waste for your pup is good and can stretch your grocery bill on dog food....but not a whole big pricey meal.... LOL! It sounds funny and we don't eat just "kid food" but I was wasting a fair amount of food at some meals. And it had a trickle down affect too. If the kids didn't eat well at dinner...then it seemed the snack side of the grocery bill went up. We eat healthier snacks too...granola, lots of fruit, jerky....things like that...sweets and chips and the what not are more occasional. So what I did was sit down and hold a family meeting. We talked about all the foods we like and dis like. I then created a menu around those foods. It's not to say that kids never have to eat things they dislike...that's gonna happen with six different people who have six different likes. But there ARE meals that we ALL liked for the most part. We had about 45 meals altogether. I narrowed these to about 25 basic meals that we all enjoy for the most part. It does vary from summer to winter....but for the most part I can trust that food waste will be minimal on these meals. These I printed out as a very basic guideline. I am totally FREE as the parent and food purchaser to veer off the list ANY time I wish due to sales at the store or just out of boredom. I don't try to overwhelm the family with new foods all the time though....that just doesn't work well in this house. I might try new recipes maybe 3 times a month? This list I printed out and keep on the inside of the notebooks cover.



I also printed out 3 scripture verses that touched me in the area of food as inspiration:

Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the Glory of God. 1 Cor 10-13
Remove far from me vanity and lies; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me. Proverbs 30:8
When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted." John 6:12

Tomorrow I'll show how I write things out and use the notebook. Do you use a shopping list of some kind? I used to just do it on scrap paper...but since wanting and needing to keep track of my budget....I settled on a note book to keep things together. I have been using this one since 2008 and had one before...so this system works well for me. I tried a while ago to get all organized and do shopping for 30 days at a time....but that never worked out well for me. I tend to shop once every week or two now...just works better here. Have a great weekend ahead!!