5 Tips for Shopping on a Budget- with a toddler.

We have a spending limit of $350 to spend on food for 2 adults and a toddler each month. The first time trying to keep this budget was a huge fail. We ended up over budget 15 days into the month. However, now I feel I have finally perfected the grocery shopping skill AND budget. 

Taking Terrance to the grocery store with Autumn & I is exactly like taking TWO toddlers grocery shopping. They fight, they chase each other, they sneak candy from the bulk section, and they eat & drink before we pay. The only thing more embarrassing then the pile of empty juice bottles and chip bags is having to stop them from throwing things at each other. So I have concluded, I will get up early on the first Saturday of the month, and sneak out by myself. If Autumn wakes up, I will get her ready and sneak out with her. Just so long as her dad doesn't come as well.

He's really a keeper.

Anyhow, this is my list of things that help me get through shopping with a toddler & while staying on budget.

1. Make a shopping list. This may sound like a "duh" but there is a certain TYPE of list that I have found that is most efficient. Most of us know the basic layout of our favorite grocery stores, right? Mine is Winco, and it goes impulse (which they misleadingly call the wall of deals...), produce, bulk, deli, dairy, frozen, shelved goods, bakery, and then chips/crackers. So what I have found works the best is to make my list in the order that the store is laid out. My biggest pet peeve was getting half way through dairy only to realize I forgot spinach and had to back track to produce before I forgot again. This has made is so much easier. Here is an example:

My chicken scribble writing, as my mother describes it.

2. Keep the kid involved. This does take a little extra time and patience, but if I keep her involved in everything I am doing as I shop, she's totally cool with the whole trip. I refuse to let her out of the shopping cart because I will NOT chase her around, so I always pull her up close to the shelves and tell her how many we need. For example, I'll grab the produce bag and have her grab "4" avocados or "3" green bell peppers and "3" red bell peppers. It's a learning experience for her and even though it'd be easier for me to grab and go, I would end up fighting with a bored child trying to flee me. 

3. Compare prices & cut coupons. Be frugal. Don't be afraid to look cheap. In California they don't allow double coupons so I can't quite be the extreme couponer I'd love to be. Also, don't buy something just because it's on sale or because you have a coupon. At first it took me some time to compare but now I generally know which brands are good even though they are the cheapest option. Believe me; I've had my share of bad trips. I've saved myself 7 cents on mayo before and realized that it made everything I used it with taste like rotten shit. Not just normal shit, but rotten. So I've made my list to include brands to NOT ever try again. 

4. Buy bulk. I usually buy as much bulk as possible. This includes veggies. I don't have a Costco or Sam's Club Membership because I really don't buy that much bulk, since it's just the three of us. However, I buy a ton of family packs of meat and large amounts of veggies because I freeze them. I buy bulk in water, bread, and other boxed goods.

5. Freezer bags! The reason I like to shop early in the morning is that I come home and I do two things: 1. Snack on the fresh fruit and veggies I just bought and 2. Cut all the veggies up and section off meat to freeze for the month. My Grandma Mercedes taught me this when I first moved out of my parents’ house and it's always been a success. We get all the meat and all the veggies along with olive oil, seasonings, and white/red wines and package the right meats, with the right wines, and the right veggies. We give them a good "rubbing" as Grandma describes, and then we throw them in the freezer. I usually partition two to three pieces of meat depending on which kind of meat it is and if Autumn likes it. Before I go to bed at night I decide what meat needs to be pulled out and I set it in a container inside of the fridge to defrost. If you decide to do this, remember to leave some of the meat plain or very light seasoned for those occasions that you want to follow a recipe that doesn't call for your concoction of seasons and oils. 

 Click Here to Get a Coupon for Hefty Freezer Bags.

Bonus Tip!: Use reuseable shopping bags. For many reasons. It's better for the environment, Winco gives you 5 cents for every bag you bring, plastic bags are banned in most California cities, they fit more, and they are less likely to break on the trip into the house. Check these adorable shopping totes out.