Works for Me Wednesday-grocery flyers

One thing that really has been working for me is to take the Tuesday grocery flyers and a marker to the bathroom as my son takes his bath. After I’m done bathing him and he’s playing, I will take that marker and circle the best deals for the week in each flyer, then decide which of the two grocery stores I will visit that week, based on what sales they have.

I also read on someone else’s post, that they will start their list on the front of the flyer as well.

I have since created this grocery list/meal planning chart to help me shop at any store, no matter where the location of the items in the store.

meal planning

What kind of shortcuts do you have that help you?

WFMW: Offering Choices to Preschoolers

I read sometime ago, how important it is to allow your children choices in their lives to help them feel like they at least have control over some part of their lives. This is also supported in a book I’m reading right now that a friend recommended:

I’m not receiving anything by supporting it, just wanted to share (that’s all legal, right?)

Anyhow, offering choices has really helped in our everyday goings on to make life a more pleasurable (and fun) experience. I’ve also read and heard that it helps later in life when they need to make bigger decisions.

As an educator, more and more I see this as an answer: IDK (I don’t know). What do you mean you don’t know? TRY! “Think of something!” I want to say, “even if the answer ends up being wrong, but you tried.” I’d like to help my son makes decisions and be able to think about the pros and cons of things.

Here are some examples throughout the day:

*Would you like apple or orange juice?

*Would you like Cinnamon Toast Crunch or Apple Crunchies?

*Would you like the blue or orange bowl?

*Which outfit would you like (offering two different ones)?

*Would you like these shoes or those?

*Would you like Mom to pack PB and J or get hot lunch?

*Would you like Dora or Diego (recorded on the DVR)?

*Would you like an orange or a red popsicle?

*Would you like this book or that one?

*Which book would you like Mom to read first?

What is funny is, sometimes he’ll say, “I wanna pick which one!” This works so well in situations where you, as a parent are okay with two different ways something can go. You’d obviously not want to offer a choice of something that isn’t okay with you.

Have you done anything like this, or do you have any special tricks for your preschoolers?

For more of WFMW, see We’re That Family.

WMFW: What’s your Grocery Budget?

My husband and I have always had a grocery budget in place. Some months I spend under it and some I spend over it, especially those months when I need to stock up on bigger items we’ve run out of. An example of that was at the end of January. We needed paper towels, soda, Lysol wipes, cereal, yogurt, all things that had coupons at Costco that month. Well many of those things will last us several months.

Is it fair to take it all out of January’s budget? My husband has suggested that I divide it out amongst upcoming months and it will just carry over and in a sense, be in that next month’s spending. I think it works pretty well for us.

What I’m challenged by lately is all this hype about people who spend so little week-by-week at the grocery store. Ex: “I spend $25.00 a week on my family of four!” So you listen, to find out more of course, and come to find out that in addition to the $25.00 that is spend weekly, they get items out of their stockpile they’ve accumulated in their pantry, garage, and/or freezer. Shouldn’t that count in your weekly spending then?

I don’t mean to sound mean, but where does one’s stockpile money come from then?

I am looking to find out averages that families spend on groceries per week or month, keeping in mind their stockpiles (including personal hygiene and cleaning products). I think our budget is high, but with the cost of food and taxes, it all adds up. I use coupons, I use ads, I do all I can to save, but would love to save any more.


What is your grocery budget, if you don’t mind sharing, keeping everything you use in mind?

For more of WFMW, see We Are That Family.

>WFMW: Weekends and Motivation

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This past weekend I found myself highly motivated. That’s not far from my norm, but my motivation to do chores in the early morning was high. Minutes after my son got out of bed, I had my first load of laundry in the wash (I’d even prepped it the night before), and shortly after breakfast, I was already dusting. Sure, we had company coming later in the day, so of course I wanted the house clean, but I had a moment (yes,  a moment), where I thought, “I should do this every weekend, get the chores done early and have most of the rest of the day, or next day off.” I felt exhilarated by the idea, then realized that while I felt that way Saturday, I might not feel that way every Saturday.

What I realized that might just work instead, is to go with the flow each Saturday, and see where my motivation takes me. I often try to plan, plan, plan my moments, to get the most accomplished, when in actuality, sometimes the less I have planned, the more I actually get accomplished because I do things as I’m in the mood for them. I also find I seem to have more fun and am more in the moment, versus where I need to be going or what I need to be doing next.

Of course, while that feels like a revelation, and one I’d like to stick with, who knows if I’ll really follow through? I always love great ideas to start with, but don’t always continue with them.

How are you best motivated on weekends?

See We Are That Family for more of What Works for Me Wednesday.

>WFMW: To Do Lists for Weekends

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Sure it is only Wednesday, but if you are like me, during the week you think of all kinds of things you need to catch up on on the weekend.

What has worked for me is to make a Weekend To-Do List, that is a general Sat./Sun. list that could get done any of the two days. It helps me keep track of those little things I need to remember, like mailing a birthday card, or taking a pair of pants back to the store that I didn’t like when I tried them on at home, and I can cross them off over the weekend.

I find it important to do this, as those little things just seem to slip on by. As well, my list is somewhat flexible, in that if it doesn’t get done that weekend, usually it can move onto the next weekend’s list. The list isn’t the normal “to-do’s” of each weekend, like laundry and things I’ll never forget about, but just the odds and ends.


What do you do to help you remember your to-do’s for the weekend?

For more ideas that work, see We’re That Family.

>WFMW: Looking Ahead

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I’m a planner. You could definitely call me that.

I like to look ahead, plan ahead, and fill in my organizer.

One thing I have found that really works for me is to write those things on the side of my monthly calendar that I need to remember to do in an upcoming month, as a reminder.

For instance, as I turn the page to November, I see:
*Condition leather car seats
*Call and make dentist appt. for Feb.
*Make gift for Aunt Pat

It is really the only way I can remember some of these things, and by writing them down the month I need to do them, I can clear out my mind for more important, current events.

What works for you related to remembering dates?

For other great ideas, see We’re That Family.

>WFMW: Lunch Break at Work

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My lunchtimes at work are precious to me. I have found that sometimes this is my only quiet time in the day to think and organize things on my to-do list. Sometimes it is the only way to get “me time” too.

I close my office door and do any of the following, depending upon the day of the week, while I eat my lunch:

1. Write a blog post (doing that today)!
2. View coupons I might be able to use that week grocery shopping.
3. Send a much-needed and late email to a friend or family member.
4. Peruse other blogs I like to read.
5. Make my grocery list.
6. Write down my home to-do list.

Sometimes it is a little messy and I may get a little chip grease on my keyboard (oops), but it allows me to go back to work a little more focused and feeling like I accomplished something too.

When do you find those little snippets of time for to-do’s or things you like?

>WFMW: Cash Only for 3 Months, My Findings

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So, just about three months ago, I decided to challenge myself and use cash only for all grocery purchases (okay, looking back, it was supposed to be for my son’s purchases and gifts too, but I didn’t do that). In our household, groceries include all health, beauty, general household supplies and cleaning, and Pull Ups and wipes. I have found, through talking to other people, that their grocery budgets only include food items and they don’t really budget for those other items. If you do, how do you fit in those expenses then? Just curious.

Here were some of my findings:

1. I don’t use the same amount of grocery money each week, because I may go to only one store, or I may go to several, including a big Costco trip (for things that last longer-like several months), so I had to take out more than a quarter of my budget for the month just in case.

2. In the beginning, I was really bargain hunting, hitting up several stores a week, like CVS and Walgreens, to get their deals, on items I use, but didn’t particularly need that week or even that month. Result of that? Lots of extra time spent shopping when I could have been relaxing on some time off I had, AND it actually left less money for the necessities that month.

3. I did a great job stocking up, but I noticed on things like body wash (I’m set until February probably) and for some reason, granola bars. We don’t usually buy granola bars, though we like them, but all of a sudden, I had a ton. We’re still eating on them now, and really, the sugar in those aren’t so great for you, even if they are all natural (and not so great for someone who is hypoglycemic either.) I also found that a lot of the coupons that are out there are for junk-type food and that isn’t what we typically eat. I found myself gravitating toward them, however, because they were good deals, on sale, and I had a coupon! Not the route I want to go though.

4. I had some great food (or at least food) stocked up through August, but when September hit, my freezer and cupboards seemed quite empty, and at the end of August, I didn’t have any excess money to carry over either. I ended up having to make a big Costco run, which left us with little money this month. We actually had cereal one night for dinner and I have an $18.00 budget for food this week to make it to October.

5. Having cash actually meant I was spending MORE, I think, and not monitoring it as well. It wasn’t as easy for me to see as when I wrote down my debit purchases each week (or every so often) to see what I’d have left.

6. Ending up with so little in August, and needing to buy lots of Pull Ups at that point too (I’d stocked up earlier and ran low), led me to decide my son really needed to be potty trained so we could save on the cost from here on out (he’ll be three in November). Sure, I spent the extra money I would have spent on those on incentives toys the last two weeks, but hopefully it will be worth it in the end.

I gave it a shot, using cash only, and it didn’t work for me. I think I’m actually going to go back to my old way of shopping with my standard coupons at one store a week (and Costco once a month) and just try my best to save.

What is your best money saving trick with your grocery budget? 


See other great things that work for bloggers here.

>WFMW: Grocery List

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Something I do every week, throughout the week, is make my grocery list.

I don’t know about you, but when I think of something I need, I have to immediately write it down, or I’ll forget it.

I use a 5 1/2″ x 8″ or so spiral notebook, and make a page for the grocery store, with my menu on the bottom portion, and separate 1/2 sheets for Target and Costco as well, for when I go there eventually.

What works best for me, and is something my mom always did, is to write down the items I need in the general location of where they are in the grocery store. For instance, dairy is in the far right as I walk in, so dairy products are written there on my list. That way, when I shop, I can’t miss anything on my list as I go through the store.

For coupon savings as well, I may write “C” and circle it next to the item, reminding myself of the coupon I have paper clipped to my list, or if the store is running a “Buy 10 of these products, save $5.00″ type of deal, I’ll write “10″ and circle it near the item so that I can make sure I’ve purchased the 10 I need for the savings.

It is what works for me.
Do you have some ways that help you stay organized with your list of needed groceries?

For more things that work, see We’re That Family.

>WFMW: Keeping My Wardrobe Manageable

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If you were to look in our walk-in closet, you might see that I actually have fewer clothes (at least out, hanging) than my husband. You would never call me a hoarder of clothing.

You see, I tire of clothing pretty easily, and I find myself just stopping wearing clothes that I don’t care for anymore. I try to take these clothes, prior to them getting too worn, and fold them up to take to a resale shop so I can at least look for some new items or get some things for my son in exchange. It also gives me an excuse to go out and shop for new things!

Every few months or so, I take out those items that I don’t really love anymore. I find that those things I do love I sear all the time, and truly those are the “keepers”. This is at least for my work and casual clothes. Of course there are those items you want for those rare special occasions too, and those are worth holding onto.

That’s what works for me. What works for you?