I’ve written in the past how I save money by cooking most of our meals at home.  To do all that cooking, I have to stock up on items from the grocery store.  I really do not like grocery shopping.  In fact, it is my least favorite task.  However, since food comprises so much of our family budget, it is an area that I cannot afford to ignore.  I know my grocery store inside out.  I know what foods are on what aisles, when they receive new produce, restocking days, and sale days.  I go prepared with a list of items that I will be purchasing.  To keep things interesting, I set up a system where I time my trips to the grocery store.  I figure that the less time I spend in the grocery store the better, and it helps me to see that it only requires a small amount of my time on a weekly basis.  My best time so far is 45 minutes which includes the time to drive to and from the grocery store.  (No speeding is allowed).   Here are some of the methods that I use to manage my grocery shopping.

1.  I make a grocery list, organized by aisle.  The list is made by determining the ingredients I will need for the meals I have planned for the coming week.  I do try to work the meals around sales, but due to food allergies, sometimes I have to buy certain brands. 

2.  I only visit the grocery store one time per week.

3.  The grocery store day is scheduled for the least crowded time.

4.  The children stay home with Daddy!

Now I am not perfect and there have been times I’ve needed to make an additional trip for an item, but that happens only rarely.