Shopping

    How often do you go grocery shopping?  Would you believe me if I said I only grocery shop once a month? Seriously, I do.  If you want to see what one month of grocery shopping looks like, click here.  I know this way would not work for everyone but it works for us.  I have found that shopping once a month saves me not only time but also money.  I make out a list (yes, it is usually 3 pages long) and I stick to my list almost to the "t".
     How do I do this?  Easy.  I have a weekly breakfast and supper menu and we pretty much stick to it.  For example:
Breakfasts:
Sunday:  French Toast Casserole
Monday:  Pumpkin pie in a bowl or Homemade instant oatmeal
Tuesday:  Sausage & egg casserole
Wednesday:  Apple Muffins (two times a month) and the other two times is Biscuits & Gravy
Thursday:  Pumpkin pie in a bowl
Friday:  Sausage & egg casserole
Saturday:  Pancakes or waffles & sausage

Lunches:
Sandwiches or left-overs and homemade TV Dinners (fend for yourself, basically)

Supper:
Sunday:  Roast (two times a month) and Rotisserie chicken (two times a month)
Monday:  Enchiladas & mexican rice
Tuesday:   Chicken fried rice
Wednesday:  Spaghetti & garlic bread
Thursday:  Mexican pie, Mexican Lasagna or Taco Pasta
Friday:  Pizza & salad
Saturday:  Tater Tot casserole

     The "Pumpkin pie in a bowl" I make up just once a week.  I make up enough for Monday & Thursday and for snacks in between.  It is very filling and very nutritious..  Same thing for the "sausage and egg casserole".
     The majority of the things I make is homemade and made from scratch so it is very economical.  My meals usually cost under $1.00 a person to make.  The only really expensive meal is our Sunday supper but I like to treat my family at least one day a week.  The biscuits, our bread, tortillas, even the pizza dough I make.  Same for sauces--all homemade.
    By having the same menu, I know exactly how much of each staple and food item I will need for a month.  I also know the approximate cost.  That way if I find something on sale, that allows me a little extra "cash" to play with.  Or in other words, I might buy some potato chips or ice cream as a treat for the family.  Or a soda pop.  No, we do not usually drink "pop" in our home.  Our kids drink kool-aid, milk or water.  Even our teenager.  No complaints.  :-)
     Well, I explained why we do not need to buy bread during the month.  Because I make my own bread.  But even when we did not make our own bread, we just bought enough for a month and froze the rest.  Same for milk.  I buy powdered milk and we use it in all recipes and cooking.  The 2% milk we buy we use for drinking.  We buy enough for the month and freeze it and pull it out when I need it.
   I find that only going to the store once a month, I save money by not impulse buying everytime I go to the store, etc.  So, how often do you shop?

Other frugal posts:
How a Family of 4 lives off of $1300 a month

How to Save $

How NOT to waste in the Kitchen