Not long after I started using Coupon Sense, I was super excited because I was saving about 50% off my grocery bill! However I had different plans for how good my savings were going to be. I was so impressed by some message board posters who were getting 75% and sometimes higher savings rates, and I was jealous! After some research, I realized I was missing a crucial step – Menu Planning.
I went overboard on my first menu – and failed miserably. I made an extremely exact menu with breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, leftover night, desserts, even beverages! This didn’t work for me because I don’t normally live my life that exact. So I adjusted the system and found one that worked for me. I make a list of 6 dinner meals (the 7th is leftover night or restaurant) and a quick list of possible lunch and breakfast items I might need for the week. This works well. I don’t label by day, just a quickie list that takes me a couple minutes to prepare. I don’t know if next Tuesday I’m going to be in the mood for lasagna, or if we will be busy that night and not have time for enchiladas. I have a lot of variables in my life, so the more flexible something like this can be, the better.
Now there is still a missing step to coordinate your awesome coupon usage and the newly formed menu. Drum roll, please… It’s the pantry! One part does not work without the other (at least not very well). You can lose a lot of savings by having to re-buy an item that expires or goes bad. Don’t let it happen – let your menu and your pantry talk to each other! Grab your potential menu and stand in front of your fridge, your cabinets, your pantry, and freezer. Make your menu items for the week by using as much of what you already have as possible. If you have some ground beef you bought last week, it’s time to make a dish using that beef! Is that lettuce going to be headed for the trash in a few days? Use it before it’s a waste! Plan to have hamburgers with lettuce and salad as a side. Get the idea?
From your pantry to the menu, it’s now time to make your shopping list. Make a list of ingredients that you need to complete the week’s menu. Hopefully it’s a pretty short list! Log into Coupon Sense and look for the best deal on those ingredients. Then make the rest of your list with the great deals that week. Put them in your pantry and repeat the process next week! My savings percentage increases 20% on average when I use a menu and utilize my pantry. That’s well worth the couple minutes extra effort! And it’s a whole lot less hassle throughout the week as I desperately try to keep up with my pace of life. Now go stand in front of your pantry and make a menu!