Ever since we moved, I've struggled to get a handle on our grocery bill. I know I can do a better job, but I don't have the time to drive twenty minutes one-way for a cheaper store. Her tip made the bells go off in my head. I decided to give it a try.
I've had a Sam's Club membership for a few years, but it expired two months ago, so I knew I was going to have to pony up for the renewal fee. Also, the staples I buy from Sam's (garbage bags, laundry detergent, toothpaste, etc...) had all depleted. I was going to have to spend over one hundred dollars just on cleaning/beauty items.
I did not let this deter me. A one-time stock-up trip would help us in the long run.
My plan:
- Stock up on all my cleaning/paper product essentials. It makes my life easier and it saves money!
- Inventory my current meat supply. I had plenty of beef, raw chicken tenders, cod, a ham, and a turkey, so I decided to fill in with bacon, chicken thighs, and hot dogs.
- Check the prices of baking supplies. I found the 10 pound bags of sugar and flour were bargains at Sam's, and the canola oil was priced well too.
- Since I had enough pasta and dry goods for the month, I decided to wait until next month to restock.
- Purchase block cheese, the big container of hummus, dairy products, and crackers.
The trip went great. I made notes to myself on the items I knew I could get cheaper elsewhere, and I filled the cart with the rest. By the time I hauled my cart to the check-out line, I was more than ready to get my stuff home.
A nice young man (that sounds like something my grandma would say, "nice young man") rang out my large order. I wrote the check and handed it to him. Then he accidentally pressed "cash" instead of "check." A manager was called.
The manager informed him he needed to retype the entire order.
I cringed, but I felt bad for him and told him it wasn't a big deal and not to worry about it.
As he re-did the order, the manager looked on. He finished up and what do you know? My bill now rang up at over $4000.00!!
 |
| Yes, this is my actual bill!! |
Trust me--I did not fit that much stuff in my cart!!
The manager found the culprit. Chicken thighs. It's always the chicken thighs. They had come up as $4128.63!
A few minutes later, the bill was correct, and I had the pleasure of unloading my haul. I felt good. I'd avoided a four thousand dollar bill and stocked my pantry!
How do you keep grocery costs down? Have you ever had a surprise in the checkout lane?
Have a terrific day!!
Menu planning! I'm not consistent but when i do, my cost is lower and I dont throw things away as much.
ReplyDeleteMenu planning makes a huge difference for my budget too, Stephanie. It saves me time too!
DeleteHAHAHAHA!! 4000$ for chicken??? Heart failure!
ReplyDeleteBut, you've never paid for chicken in Canada. Chicken breasts are usually 4.99 or 5.99 a pound. Yup. In Maine, they are 1.99, NOT on sale. We make the one hour drive to Maine alot and buy large quantities of chicken, butter and milk. Milk here in New Brunswick is 6$ a gallon. Yes, it is more expensive than gas.
But 4128.63$ ??? Oh my word.
I know!! I about died when I looked at the final tally. I actually said, "That's a bit more than the original bill." Ha!!
DeleteI've heard groceries can be out of this world in Canada. I'd make that trip too if I were you. I refuse to spend over a dollar more for butter at our local store--I always get the 4-pack from Sam's!
$4,000 for chicken thighs. They must have been breaded with gold!
ReplyDeleteHa, ha!! They must have been!!
DeleteToo funny! My husband is an extreme couponer! Not quite like you see on TV but he could be. It has saved us so much money on groceries. Also, creating a weekly menu and buying only what we need is helpful too. And I try to never hit the grocery store when I'm hungry!
ReplyDeleteI go through bouts of being really organized with coupons. They can make a big dent in a bill! The weekly menu saves us a lot of money, stress, and time. I do hit the grocery store when I'm hungry sometimes--it's never a good thing!!
DeleteLOL, Jill, your plan was foolproof...until the evil chicken thighs came on the scene, bwahaha!
ReplyDeleteQuite an adventure. Good for you for coming up with a great plan-ahead strategy! I am coupon-averse: every time I resolve to use coupons, and spend the time clipping/sorting/customizing a grocery list to use them, I either forget to bring them, or they expire, or when I get to the store, the coupon doesn't give me quite the bargain that a substitute product would (for which the coupon is no good, of course). We also live in a small townhouse, so there's only so much room for paper towels, laundry detergent, and gallon-size mustard containers! Argh...never again.
I've had the same problem, Kathy. Sometimes coupons work great for me, and others, they're just a big old pain! Space is a big consideration, too. Now that we have ample closet space, I'm able to stock up on things. At our last house, my husband built me a pantry in our basement for storing extra food. I loved it!!
DeleteI used to be pretty good about meal planning, but I've been a slacker lately. When my husband travels for business, I save money by eating cereal and frozen pizza. But that's more out of laziness than thriftiness. LOL.
ReplyDeleteI love cereal and pizza! I like to order pizza, though. There's something magical about ooey-gooey cheese!!
DeleteJill, your chicken thighs story had me laughing! I would have fainted at a $4,000 bill. I'm always looking for ways to cut costs in feeding this very hungry bunch of mine LOL. I do a lot of couponing but sometimes even that doesn't work if I have to buy 12 cans of one soup to save .50. Ugh. I like Costco for paper goods and household goods like shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste. If I stock those items I can buy meats, veggies and fruits from my local grocer and that weekly food bill is much lower. I used to menu plan extensively and have slacked off there. Might be time to get back to it! Fun post!
ReplyDeleteI went through about 8 months of slacking off. It happens. If I could save 50-100 dollars a month, it would be worth it! That's my goal, at least!
DeleteThat's hilarious! :) I have been trying to menu plan, not only to save money but also to stop myself from eating out so much!
ReplyDeleteI keep a lot of easy-put-together things on hand for my lunches. I always have flour tortillas, chopped lettuce, cheese chunks, eggs, and other fruits/veggies so I can quickly throw my lunch together. Eating out gets so pricey--and I always eat more!!
Delete$4,000.00 for chicken wings, they weren't gold. They were platinum.
ReplyDeleteI have tried to use coupons but they always seemed to be for products or brands we didn't use. With the two of us, we eat out at lunch, taking advantage of the senior meal prices. Supper is always what we have purchased at the store. Last night it was ground round.
Tonight it might be ham slices. We have side dishes we put with them.
Ha, ha, Platinum wings!! You sound like you have a good thing going with your meals!
DeleteOh, dude, ain't no chicken worth that. HAHAHA!! I can just imagine the clerk's face and your face as the total came up. LOL! Keeping grocery costs down works best when I work with the store's sales. It adds up!
ReplyDeleteI am a big sale shopper. I refuse to buy cereal at full price! Refuse!!
DeleteOh the poor "nice young man." I bet he turned purple with embarrassment! Hee hee! Funny story. Especially since you didn't actually have to PAY that much!
ReplyDeleteI think the whole transaction mortified him!! Poor thing!!
DeleteNow that's what I call sticker shock. As the mother of a cashier, I appreciate the way you were so considerate of the "nice young man" who made your bill go thigh high.
ReplyDelete"Thigh high"!!! Oh, my! Good one!! I don't think anyone wins when customers get grumpy. :)
DeleteThat's funny! And usually, we go to club discount stores to save money. I usually make a list ahead of time and do my best to stick with it. Even if I forget to bring coupons, a list always helps me to keep food costs down. That, and eating more veggie dishes.
ReplyDeleteSo true! I try to go meatless one day a week. It's good for us and our wallets!
ReplyDeleteI use coupons whenever and wherever I can. Combined with doubling and a sale, it's a great deal.
ReplyDeleteI also watch for coupons from big department stores like Macy's and J.C. Penney. I picked up a top and leggings for $13.00 last season.
Love your bargain-hunting spirit, Susan! We'd be GREAT shopping partners!! Score!
Delete