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I had a grocery shopping awakening the other week. I was in the store shopping and picked up a bag of potatoes, some potato salad, and some microwavable mashed potatoes. While I was at it, I also picked up a bag of frozen chicken and fresh chicken breasts as well as frozen, fresh, and canned vegetables. When I looked down at my cart, I realized I was buying duplicate versions of the same products. Immediately, I put the extra items back and saved myself $28.29 on my shopping bill.
Meat
I used to buy fresh chicken, frozen chicken, and whole chickens in one shopping trip. The idea was that if I wanted a quick sandwich, I could grab a frozen chicken breast and pop it in the oven on a piece of foil. If I wanted an entire chicken meal, I could bake the whole chicken and serve it with mashed potatoes, gravy, and corn. I soon realized that two packs of frozen chicken breasts would serve the same purpose. If I wanted some for a quick sandwich, I could pound the breasts out with a meat tenderizer, cook them, and freeze them for later use. If I wanted chicken, mashed potatoes, and corn, I could bake a chicken breast and make the sides. I didn't need three different versions of chicken. By not buying all that chicken, I save myself $12.98 per shopping trip.
Potatoes
The other day at the grocery store I picked up a 10-pound bag of potatoes for $3.99 and started to pick up a bag of potato chips for $3.99, and two pounds of potato salad for $1.78 a pound. I stopped myself. With one 10-pound bag of potatoes, I can make my own potato chips and potato salad. I can also make baked potatoes, potatoes O'Brien, and any other type of potato dish I want. I don't need to purchase three or more different types of potatoes. The one bag of fresh potatoes takes care of all my potato needs. During this particular shopping trip, just buying the bag of potatoes saved me $7.55.
Other Vegetables
Vegetables were another area where I was notoriously wasteful. I'd buy frozen green beans, corn, broccoli, peas and carrots, then buy fresh carrots and broccoli, and canned green beans and corn. The frozen vegetables cost me $13.68. The fresh vegetables cost me $3.68, and the canned vegetables would cost me $4.08. By only buying the frozen vegetables which have the same shelf life as the canned vegetables and a longer shelf life than the fresh vegetables, I was able to save $7.76 per shopping trip.
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