Ello There!
Thank you for stopping by again! If you follow me on SnapChat or Instagram, you know I had an awesome grocery-run last week and scored BELOW my $50 Budget that I have set aside for 2-weeks of groceries. I received a lot of questions asking how I keep my grocery budget so low and requesting recipe ideas, so here I am to deliver! 
Below you will find a “How To” list for grocery shopping on a budget, and recipe ideas utilizing the groceries that I purchased from my most recent trip. I frequently post-cooking videos on my SnapChat (ShesAMotivator), so if you have not done so already, please be sure to follow on there to get a sneak peak on some additional yummy recipes! Keep reading for my List of Shopping Tips, Grocery List, and Recipe Ideas! Okay, here we gooo…
How to Grocery Shop on a $50 BUDGET: Tips
1. Plan
- Plan out your meals. I am constantly on Pinterest researching new recipe ideas and healthy substitutions. Pinterest is a great tool for both beginners trying their hand at cooking and advanced chefs who would like to switch things up in the kitchen. Click here to follow me on Pinterest, I have many categorized recipe ideas pinned to my boards!
- Plan your shopping trip. Always have a pre-made list to keep from getting distracted. Supermarkets are already daunting in itself with endless food options, sales, and samples. Like the old saying goes, when we fail to plan…we plan to fail. So let us go into our budgeted grocery run with a plan to succeed and a guide that help us bypass the temptations!
2. Prep
- The second, most important, part of planning is the execution! Take time to actually prepare your meals for the week. I usually meal prep twice a week, once on Sundays and once in the middle of the week. When my schedule changes, I have to make accommodations to my routine. However, the key is to figure out your schedule and carve out the time necessary for you to accomplish your goals. You cannot achieve true success without preparation.
**If you would like for me to write a post sharing how I meal prep, please be sure to let me know in the COMMENTS!
3. Buy in bulk
- You tend to save money when you buy items in larger quantities, the same is for food. I suggest that you take the time to see what foods you can afford to purchase in bulk to save on coins in future shopping trips.
- Example: Rather than purchasing individual apples of $1.79 a pound (where I would probably get approx. 4 for a little less than $4), I purchased a bag of slightly smaller apples for $3.50 (this bag contains approx. 12).
- Bulk Location Suggestion: SAMs, BJs
4. Location Location Location
- Do not go grocery shopping at Whole Foods, Wegmans, or even Target expecting to get the best bang for your buck for your entire grocery trip. While a particular grocery store may have specialty items that are missing from other stores (such as: a wider selection of vegan items, a larger international section, and/or a better selection of meat + fresh fish), I would highly recommend that you diversify your shopping locations. You can optimize your shopping and stretch your budget by buying the majority of your groceries from a neighborhood market and getting your more costly essential/non-negotiables from your desired place of choice. Yes, I get it. It IS more work to split up your shopping, but you can save a pretty coin in doing so!
- Neighborhood Market Location Suggestions: Fine Far, Key Food, C-Town, Walmart. Click Here for More
5. Be flexible. (Choose the SALE)
- Simple. Go towards what is on sale! I am not saying to completely divert from your meal plan or grocery list, but be flexible enough to trade “like” for “like”.
- Example: Love grapes, and I always plan to purchase them when I go shopping. BUT, if the price isn’t right, then I hold off on the grapes and purchase additional apples or grapefruits.
- Example: I wanted to purchase 12 oz of frozen broccoli spears but they were priced at $1.99 a bag. However, I saw that they were selling (2) 16 oz bags of frozen collard greens for $3… you KNOW I got the collard greens!
6. Coupons! Coupons! Coupons!
- Utilize mobile coupon apps, read through the weekly ads in your grocery store’s circular, and consider opening a membership rewards card at the grocery store that you frequent (often times this opens you up to be eligible for additional discounts).
- Even if you are unable to find coupons, there are coupon apps that will give you cash-back on your grocery purchases by just simply scanning your grocery receipt! Who wouldn’t like a nice rebate?! I recently discovered this, so I will definitely be utilizing this rebate option on my future grocery-runs.
7. Be Disciplined
- It’s okay if you get to the counter checkout and start to have second guesses about going forth with purchasing a certain food item because it is either A) out of your budget or B) not worth the cost, or simply put, C) you just don’t want it any more.
- Example 1: This actually happened to me on my last shopping trip. I wanted to purchase either almond nuts or pistachios, so I picked up both with the intention to price check when I got to the register (I planned on purchasing whichever priced less). I was willing to maybe spend $5 on it. However, the almonds were priced at $8.99 and Pistachios at $7.99. I immediately said NOPE, it wasn’t worth the amount that I was being given in the pack and it would put me over my $50 budget.
- Example 2: I picked up (1) large orange bell pepper (I originally went for the yellow but it was $1.50 more than the orange! So… NOPE). However, when I reached the register, my ONE bell pepper was priced to cost me over $2?! Howww sway? Howww?! That didn’t even sound reasonable. So you know what I did? I politely asked for the bell pepper to be removed from my purchases.
- If I had purchased my almonds and bell pepper, my bill would have been over $55 (and that is NOT the goal).
8. Organic vs. Non-organic
- Whether or not to go “organic” is honestly your personal preference. You should know that when choosing organic goods, you will be charged substantially more than non-organic goods. I truthfully only began considering organic foods within this last year and a half, thanks to my health-conscious boyfriend. When purchasing groceries, I prioritize my non-negotiable foods. My non-negotiables that I purchase organic/wild-caught are my: meat, fish & poultry. I am not as strict with my fruits and vegetables, but I make a greater effort to be aware of which produce have the highest pesticide residues (the “Dirty Dozen”) and to purchase accordingly.
- If you would like to know for yourself: Click Here!
9. Plan to Carry Your Lunch
- This may seem obvious, but like my boyfriend always tells me…common sense isn’t always common. It defeats the purpose to go grocery shopping on a $50 budget, and then buy outside food ranging around $10-$15 per meal. When I grocery shop on a $50 budget for 2-weeks this ideally covers 30 meals = 3 meals a day for 10 days (I exclude Saturdays & Sundays and focus my meal-prep for the Monday-Friday workweek). Just imagine, if I purchased outside food for approximately $10 for each meal… I would be spending $300 on food every 2-weeks!!! Nope. No, thanks. Simply taking the time to meal prep and carry my lunch to work rewards me with $500 SAVINGS per month! ($250 saved bi-weekly).
Grocery List & Receipt
• Cabbage• Mushrooms
• Collard Greens
• Cilantro
• Zucchini (2)
• 1/2 Pumpkin
• 3 Jalapeños
• 4 Beets
• 2 Large Sweet Potatoes
• 1 Can Lima Beans
• 2 Boxes Vegetable Broth
• Bag of Green Apples (Approx. 12)
• 6 Grapefruits
• Whiting Fish
• Salmon
Number of Items: 21
Receipt Total: $44.63
Recipe Ideas
Vegetarian
- Cabbage & Mushroom Stir Fry
- Hearty Vegetable Medley Soup (pictured)
- (Pumpkin, zucchini noodles, collard greens, sweet potato, cilantro)
- Sautéed collard greens
- “Refresh” Soup
- (cabbage, collard greens, zucchini, beets, and mushroom)
- Sweet Potato Cakes
- (Sweet Potato, cilantro, sweet corn)
Pescatarian
- BBQ Salmon, roasted pumpkin & collard greens (pictured)
- Fish soup
- Honey glaze salmon
- Honey Teriyaki Pan seared salmon
- Pan seared whiting (Seasoned & Breaded with almond meal/almond Flour)
** Cooking tip: Always have fresh onions, garlic, and scallion in your fridge!
I’d love to hear about your grocery budgets and any tips and trick that you use to stick to it. If you found this post to be helpful, please be sure to COMMENT, SHARE, & SUBSCRIBE for additional fit-tips & treats!
Until Next time loves…Get’cho Shine (& Budgeted-Shopping) ON!
-Shanice
