What is on your list?

[Mabuisakura]

What is on your grocery list? I like to get an idea. I am doing good getting groceries for about 200 and month sometimes more. But I wann know what ya'll get and how much you spend a month.

[threebeansalad]

I think one of the most helpful ways to keep grocery expenses down is have a well stocked pantry. Your weekly shopping trip buys perishibles, but also anything that's on sale that you need for the pantry-- even if you might not eat it that week. Here are the the types of items I look for when I go shopping (again, but I only buy them when the price is right!!, and from these ingredients I can make a number of things)

Jarred Spaghetti Sauce
Canned tomatoes of all types (crushed, diced, sauce, etc)
Canned Chickpeas, Black Beans, Kidney Beans
Salsa
Canned soups (for lunch in a pinch)
Frozen vegetables (esp corn, peas, broccoli) and fruits (store brand, Dole is typically exp)
Baking mixes (baking mixes, ie Brownie Mix, often free with coupon)
Soy Milk
Cheese
Breakfast cereal
Pasta
Wide variety of spices
Flour, salt, sugar, etc.
Oils (Olive and canola, mostly)
Brown Rice (usually buy a 10# bag)
Whole Wheat Tortillas
Coffee

Items I typically need every week:
Cow's milk
Salad greens
Fruits (Bannana + what's in season / on sale)
Whatever fresh veg is on sale (broccoli crowns, eggplant, etc.)

Things I buy as needed, but always have on hand:
Potatoes
Onions
Garlic
Ginger
Baby Carrots

[PrincessPerky]

Well everyweek I can list 'milk bread, eggs' right off the bat. no looking in the fridge.

Also now that we have a bit more money to play with english muffins, and yogurt (expensive, but we like them.

Most weeks we buy tomatoes in a can, frozen vegetables (bag a night), fresh fruit of some kind, and occasionally a vegetable.

We also try to keep staples well stocked, we don't often find a sale or coupon to be better than the bulk proce of flour (whole wheat and white), sugar (white and brown) baking powder, soda, various spices, potatoes, white pasta, cheereos, dried cranberries, rasins, chocolate chips, cheese, ect.

things we watch for sales on brown rice, whole wheat egg noodles, nuts, fun chocolate, and meat.

things we only go to aldis for, salsa, tortilla chips.

right now I would like to plan next time we want salsa and chips at aldis to try theire cheese, but I have found thier dry goods are not as good as others, so we don't get them there.

[crazyBMB]

Well, of cource the basics: bread, milk, juice, fresh fruits, fresh veggies-in season, cheese, meat & cereal
I always pick-us salas when on sale (black-bean & corn is great!), I also keep a stock of frozen veggies & fruit, just in case, I also make sure I am well stocked on the basics like flour, sugar, spices, COFFEE, and pasta

[tinapbeana]

every week: milk & OJ. we buy milk produced by a local dairy so it's always the same price. the OJ will sometimes be on sale or not, but it's the only one we both like so we get a gallon every week regardless, more if it's on sale.

every 2 weeks: COFFEE!!!! again with the local production and doesn't go on sale, so get it when we need it. cat food (pet perks card + in sore coupons)

every month or 2: TP (recycled store brand no sales), paper towels (stock up when on sale), laundry detergent (stock up when on sale)

absolutely everything else is based on
(1) what's on sale based on the sales paper comparison on wednesday (typically meat, soda, cereal, yogurt, frozen veggies, loaf bread) these vary from week to week, but meat and soda i stock up on since the sales prices are typically 60% below normal.
(2) stocking up the pantry (i.e. i just used the last can of diced tomatoes so i need more. organic store brand, doesn't go on sale, so buy as needed)
(3) cravings (me, i'm wanting a spinach salad in a bad way! luckily, it's a household favorite)
(4) special events
(5) unadvertised specials and/or clearance and/or reduced for quick sale. only if it fits one of the above categories. for instance, i buy deli sliced lunch meat in the 1 lb bags. it was on my list one week, and there were 5 packs reduced for quick sale for 1.25 each. i bought 'em all! even if it hadn't been on that weeks list, we use it often enough to buy and freeze.

[AutumnxButterfly]

Not sure if I am posting this in the right place I'm still new around here. LOL This week I started using coupons again. I haven't used then im forever. At our Bi-Lo using our bonus card and coupons I got 3 boxes of Hot Pockets for $5.00, 2 rolls of cookie dough for $4.00, and a 20 ct box of Electrasol Gelpacs for $1.79. I guess those are good deals. We eat Hot Pockets for lunch a lot. And baking the cookies will be cheaper than buying the packaged ones.

[fairy74]

fresh vegetables, fruits from farmers market every saturday. Cereal and milk (whatever brands on sale) every week for dh. Beans, spices, tortillas as needed from Mexican grocery. Then whatever is on sale, clearance or I have good coupons for.