I have always been a saver by nature. As a kid I made deals with my parents to earn money, like when we had peach trees and I earned money picking the peaches for them. I didn’t like picking them because the peach fuzz irritated my arms like crazy, but hey, I was getting paid, so I carried on. I don’t remember what I spent my earnings on, but I am sure I saved some of it for a particular reason. When I got older and married, I discovered I was the “nerd” or saver and my husband, Dan, was the “free spirit” or spender in our relationship. I remember being irritated with him when he purchased a movie or game we hadn’t planned on. What helped us then (and still does) was having a budget we have tried to stick to. I say tried because we aren’t perfect. Now, we decide where our money is going, even what we put into our savings.

Also, I am a busy person, with a part time job and a side business, so I don’t have a lot of free time. Keeping it real – I have been known to take a long time shopping because I like to read labels and compare prices.Therefore, I enjoy learning ways to stretch my dollar and to save some time in the process, especial when it comes to shopping for food.

1. Coupons and grocery rewards

Some people are avid coupon users. That isn’t me – I don’t have a lot of time to put into searching for coupons online. Instead, I make use of the grocery rewards or coupons I earn from stores in our town, like Safeway and Fred Meyer (Kroger) . We gain points to use for money off our grocery bill and we have saved money by using them or the coupons that we are sent. But if avid coupon clipping is how you roll, go for it!

2. Before you go to the store, have a plan.

Meal planning is a great tool to have to save you money and time wondering what you are going to feed the hungry mouths in your house. After you decide what meals you are going to have during the week, you can make your grocery list. Have you walked into a grocery store without a list? I have, and it took me twice as long to shop. I ended up wandering back and forth, but I did get a good workout! As you shop-with your list-check out the sales in the meat, deli, and produce departments. Your money is better spent if you focus on the perimeter of the store where the meat and produce departments are located. I have planned meals around the meat that has been marked down, just be sure to use it right away or freeze when you get home.

3. Buy in bulk-if it makes sense.

My husband and I bought romaine lettuce in bulk once. We ended up throwing out half of it because it went bad. I also don’t buy onions in bulk – I use a lot of onions, but not 8 in a week! Needless to say, we don’t buy a lot of produce in bulk. Ones that have worked well for us are strawberries, avocados, and mandarins. I was feeling adventurous one time and picked up grapes and my husband didn’t think that was a great idea because the container was huge. But my kids proved him wrong and they ate almost all of them!

Another store I shop at has a place to get your own bulk items that you bag yourself, where you use those pesky twist ties that can come undone if you aren’t careful (speaking from experience). I love getting my nuts, seeds, oatmeal, and some spices this way. You can get the amount you want for a usually decent price. I then store them in the glass jars I have in my cupboards. Check out one of my past blogs on how to use glass jars for storage in your kitchen.

4. Utilize online shopping and grocery pick up

During the pandemic, I didn’t want to shop in the store as much. After some encouragement, I started doing some of my grocery shopping online. One happy result I have noticed from ordering online is that I don’t buy as compulsively, and it is easy to stick to what I want to spend for the week. At the beginning of a new week, I make my list the night before and choose a pick-up time. I then drive to the store after work and wait for the nice delivery person to bring my items to the car. This saves me time and energy! Either Dan or myself may have to make a quick trip inside a different grocery store if they were out of an item or if we want to pick out our own produce.

On a related note, you can also try meal plans online. Be aware that they do cost money, but the one I have been testing out isn’t too costly. It is called eMeals, which a friend recommended to me. You choose weekly meal plans and then shop yourself or send your shopping list to places like Fred Meyer, Walmart, or even Amazon.

5. My favorite time/money saver tip

Another time and money saver is buying a rotisserie chicken! Yep, you read that right. Rotisserie chicken is one of the easiest ways I have saved time, money, and energy on cooking. I buy a couple bigger ones at Costco (most grocery stores carry them as well) which translates into two or three meals for my family of 5. I have used the chicken for soup, tacos, chili, or we eat it as is. The easiest way to use it for future meals is to cut or shred the meat when it is still warm. I then divide the meat up in two bags and store in the fridge if using right away or in the freezer until I am ready to cook with it.

Another idea is too make a double recipe of the meals you are cooking, and freeze the left overs for nights you don’t have as much time. With a family of 5, I am usually making a double recipe, and we still don’t have left overs very often. If you have a large family, you may have to make larger adjustments if you want left overs to freeze.

Comment with your money or time saving tips!