Grocery Shopping | Mom Blog | From Dates to Diapers™

Shopping with the Grocery Guru

by Christine - From Dates to Diapers on October 18, 2009

This summer, I was blessed to win a pantry makeover from ConAgra foods. A visit from Phil Lempert, the Grocery Guru, was part of the prize package and I truly thought he was going to come in and literally make over my pantry. Well, ConAgra and Phil both had something entirely different in mind – more of a grocery shopping crash course.

So, a few weeks ago, Phil came to my house, browsed through my cupboards, refrigerator, and my pantry and we discussed my shopping list. Then, we headed to the grocery store. Phil had lots of great shopping tips and even helped me make more conscious decisions about the foods we purchase.

It is always somewhat of a challenge to shop with all of my kids tagging along, and that day was no different. Phil was wonderful with them, though, and even got them involved in our purchasing decisions, as well. I was careful to follow my own rules for shopping with my kiddos, as I learned new ones.

I would love to hear your grocery tips, whether they be in regards to your shopping experience or the foods you buy. Please share! In fact, if you have written a post, leave the link in the comments… I’d be happy to read it!

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Grocery Shopping on a Budget

by Christine - From Dates to Diapers on November 4, 2008

I just recently shared with you some tips for making shopping with the kiddos a bit easier, but do you have a hard time staying within your food budget when you head to the store? As I shop for my family of eight, I certainly find myself struggling to not overspend. But sticking to a budget doesn’t have to mean sacrificing wholesome, nutritious family meals.
Here are some of my tricks to staying within budget:

Plan a big shopping trip. Extra trips throughout the week sure add up, and can cause you to blow that budget, let me tell you! Instead, plan a big trip every two weeks, to purchase the items you need to complete your menu.

Buy the essentials in bulk. What do the following food items have in common – eggs, milk, bread, cheese? Around here, we go through these items very quickly! I just did some calculating and we’re up to 8 dozen eggs, 15 gallons of milk, 14 loaves of bread, and 15 pounds of cheese each month! If we purchase these items at a wholesale food outlet, we can save quite a bit of money, simply because we consume so much. It also cuts down on those quick trips to the grocery store, during the week.

Make a shopping list. Check it twice. And, don’t leave home without it! I find that when I make a list I very rarely deviate from the list and can prevent buying unneeded items. This takes some self-control and discipline but if I can do it, trust me, you can too!

Cut back on the junk food. This is tough for our fishy-lovin’ family! I have found that cutting back on the crackers and chips and giving my kiddos healthier, and more inexpensive snacks, like hard-cooked eggs, saves quite a bit each month. Eggs are a great choice when it comes to affordable and nutritious foods. At an average of $1.93 per dozen, eggs are one of the most affordable sources of high-quality protein available, and can help stretch other foods in the refrigerator or pantry, since almost anything can be used in an omelet, frittata, quiche or strata.

Use coupons and watch the sales. Clip or print those coupons and use them, whenever possible. If you shop smart, by watching sales and coupling coupons with the sale prices, you can stock up and save!

What are some of the ways you stay within budget?

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Shopping with the Kiddos

by Christine - From Dates to Diapers on October 30, 2008

My kiddos go most everywhere with me, including grocery shopping. I know, go ahead and ask – Are you crazy? Aren’t you afraid you’ll lose one of them? The answer is YES, but I take them with me anyway!

Shopping with my kiddos certainly is challenging, but we have some simple rules that we follow to make things easy, as well as time and money saving. Can I share them with you?

Never shop hungry
I try to strategically plan the best time of day so as to avoid unnecessary items ending up in our shopping basket. You know the items about which I am talking – the cookies, snacks, and total junk food. We all know that these items are not great additions to the every day diet, because they are just not healthy. But, we like to keep them out of our cart for another reason, as well… the snacks sure add up quickly and can suck that budget!

Always have a plan
As I mentioned the other day, I typically try to plan for two weeks’ worth of meals at a time. This means my shopping trips usually consist of nutritious ingredients for healthy meals. Now, I’m not generally a “by the list” kind of gal, but a shopping list is a must! I find that if I have a list, I generally stick to it, saving time and money. Protein-rich foods – like milk, yogurt and eggs – are high on the list, and are a part of every meal, as well as fruits and veggies.

Have the kids help
My older kiddos are usually pretty good about helping me keep an eye on the younger kids, but they also help me gather the items from my shopping list. They are just the right height to grab the canned goods off the shelves and throw them in the cart (literally!). So, don’t be afraid to let the kids help… If they are busy helping, they won’t keep asking for this or that!

Don’t give in
Impulse buying is not only the biggest culprit to breaking the budget, but it leads to unhealthy food choices, as well. Don’t grab that bag of chips at the end of the aisle, just because they’re on sale. And certainly don’t give in to your children who are begging for a bag of licorice, or a bottle of chocolate milk! Make a rule – Do not ask mommy for anything. My kids know that one all too well!

Do you have any rules when you are shopping with your kids?

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