Do you plan your menu first and then go shopping or shop for what's on sale and plan your menu around that? The cheaper solution is the later, plan a menu around what's on sale (or free in some cases!). But that's hard for me to do when I need to plan a menu in advance that supports my weight loss goals. Alot of the things that go on sale or are free are highly processed and/or canned. I rarely get coupons for fresh produce or proteins. I've had to get more creative and highly organized trying to be frugal. So here's my strategy for saving the most.
Here in the Springs (and Denver too), the weekly grocery ads come out Tuesday night. So, I look at the ads, compare it to any coupons I might have, and plan a menu as best I can on Wednesday and Thursday. Then I usually shop on Saturday or Sunday. Some things I need I just have to suck it up and buy at retail price. There's really nothing I can do about it. In the summer, I'll make up for the winter prices on vegetables. I do have a couple of tricks if you live in the Springs though. Rancho Librio and Sunflower Market have rock bottom prices on produce and sometimes meats. Even in the dead of winter. Shop there, you won't regret it. I've walked away with a bag full of produce from Rancho and paid less than $2. If you live outside of Colorado, look for a Sunflower Market or Trader Joes. They're all around the country.
Another tip, buy meats in bulk. The family packs are substantially cheaper and meat freezes. I bought a ton of chicken breasts a couple weeks ago and froze individual servings for easy use. They've been quite handy. And my last tip of the day, frozen veggies are no less nutritional for you than raw. I learned that in my nutrition class yesterday :) The key is not eating vegetables and fruits raw but mixing them up. Different colors give you different vitamins and minerals. And frozen vegetables are way cheaper! So, buy frozen and mix it up. So long for now. Happy shopping!
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