Recently, my good friend and client Carol asked me to review her family’s budget with her to determine if there were any opportunities she was missing for saving money and getting the most value for every dollar she spends.

While going through the budget, I noticed that she was spending far less at the grocery store than she had in the past.  I asked her how she had managed to cut her grocery bill while prices seem to keep going up nearly every day.  She shared her strategy with me … here it is.

• Every Sunday, she sits down and plans her menu for each meal for the week.  Once the menu is set …
• She creates a shopping list that lists out everything that is needed to put those meals on the table.  She then …
• Takes the list to the pantry and crosses off those items that she already has.  With the list pared down to the items that she must buy, she …
• Becomes the “Queen of the Coupon Clippers”.  Finally,
• Carol goes to the store with her shopping list; and, if an item that looks good is not on the list, she does not buy it.  She sticks with her plan.

Sounds easy, doesn’t it?  Planning ahead helps avoid impulse buying.  It also ensures that all of the required ingredients are on hand when it’s time to make dinner.  Planning also helps save money!

It’s certainly well worth trying … it just might help you get more for every grocery dollar that you spend!