Budgeting & Groceries

After moving out and getting married I realized my responsibility of shopping wisely and budgeting well. Life certainly is different after growing up in a bigger house where we froze or canned  everything from our garden and moving into a tiny apartment. So I wanted to share some of what I have learned and different materials that I use.

Budgeting
Budgeting is something I have always wanted to do, but hadn't. The basics of budgeting is knowing how much you earn and how much you're spending. My husband and I decided on a number figure for our monthly groceries which we include food, pet supplies, and personal care items (such as shampoo and deodorant). I go shopping about once a week and plan accordingly through coupons, deals, the Ibotta app, and the Kroger app.

Meal Planning
For me and my husband we love food, especially fresh healthy food. Which fresh produce can add up in cost and spoil easily if you forget to use it. So we try to meal plan to have just the food we need for about a week. That way our fresh produce doesn't spoil, it gets eaten. Part of our meal plan each week includes pizza. It helps clean through the leftovers we acquire in the fridge. Leftover sauces, cheeses, meats, and produce can easily be used to make a delicious pizza! 
My biggest meal planning buddy is Pinterest. There are so many great recipes that are cheap and/or for only two people. I can reuse recipes or find new ones. Making it easy to compare prices through my Kroger app and go through my coupons. I can also plan meals that I can use purchased items in more than one meal. Because a lot of times items are cheaper in bulk. 
Another thing we do to save money is eating less meat. We honestly rarely eat meat. We aren't vegetarian's, but we don't have to have meat for every meal either. Since we rarely buy meat, when we do, it turns into a real treat. Probably our biggest substitute for meat is eggs. We buy eggs in bulk of the pack of 30 and go through it in about a week and a half. You can make egg salad, fried eggs to put on almost anything, boiled eggs in tuna salad or potato salad, and scrambled eggs in stir fry. And that my friends, doesn't even scratch the surface.

Couponing
Using coupons can make or break you. The smartest way to look through a physical coupon book is to only clip the things you know you will need or use. Toilet paper and paper towels I am not too picky on the brand so I clip those coupons. That way when I am almost out I can compare the prices and choose what will benefit me the best. Another thing I do when going through coupons is trying to make a meal around the discounted or couponed items. 
The way not to use coupons is clipping things you think look tasty or that look nice to buy, but you don't normally purchase that item. Coupons are really convincing to buy products you never would have bought and don't need. Don't be trapped by the coupon monster.

Kroger
I do most my shopping at Kroger. Yes, I could be shopping at Walmart, Food City, or the equivalent, but I will tell you why I use Kroger instead. Kroger has an amazing app that you can connect to your loyalty card. The app shows you the weekly deals that the newspaper publishes, downloadable coupons, and you can make your shopping list right on your phone! I love typing in something I need such as marinara sauce. I can compare all the prices on the app, see if there are any coupons for those items, if there is a mark down on an item, and simply add to my list what saves me the most money. Also if you find a coupon for a brand of juice, the coupon will tell you what products you can buy with it. So no more buying something and having your coupon not work! (That is always very frustrating to me). Kroger also adds fuel points to your loyalty card which lowers my husband and I's gas bill. These are the reasons I use Kroger and their Kroger app.


Ibotta
I am not sure if you have heard of the money earning app called Ibotta. You keep your receipts and scan them into the app and redeem different offers. After you 'earn' $20 you can redeem it as a gift card. I read about it in a ton of different money saving blogs so I thought I would try it out. 
Let me try my best to explain it to you:
Ibotta is connected with several different name brand stores. Such as Food City, Walmart, Kroger, Amazon, Lowe's, Home Depot, Joann's, etc. If you add one of the stores as your favorite, you can look up offers that the stores offer. (Some stores are only for online shopping. I will explain in a bit) So for example, I look at the offers for Kroger. There may be an offer for $0.25 back on any receipt or $0.50 on cheerios. Sometimes there will be an offer for $1.00 or more back! The best way to use this app is add offers of things you already buy. Sometimes you get even luckier and can earn money with Ibotta and use coupons at your store! I have earned between $0.25 to $5.00 with one grocery shopping trip. That app definitely takes some time to get used to but it has been worth it to me. 
The select stores that you can only use online usually have deals such as 'get 10% back on your purchase'. So anytime I shop at Amazon, I shop through my Ibotta app and earn some cash back! Super simple.
If you do get the app or already have it I would recommend connecting your Facebook account. That way you can form a team. Your team consists of any of your Facebook friends that also have Ibotta. If, as a team, you redeem a certain amount of things then everyone earns some cash! 
Interested in joining Ibotta? Here is a link to sign up! https://ibotta.com/register

I hope some of my tips on budgeting and saving money have been helpful. Don't hesitate to message me with any questions!