This past week I used our Shaws menu and shopping list for my own family’s dinner plan. I truly do use our menus and recipes each week to keep my own family eating well during those crazy busy weeknights. We like to rotate the menus from the different stores so we experience our service just like our members. We test a different store at least 1x a month and this past week it was Shaws.
Another reason we test the menus on a regular basis: to show people how you REALLY can eat well on a budget. Eating well and saving money at the same time is completely achievable! The key is having a well thought out plan for the week that is quick and easy and takes advantage of store specials whenever possible. Having a plan also helps you minimize food waste. How many of us go to the store and just randomly buy a bunch of veggies for side dishes for dinner having no idea if its enough or too much and then far too often end up throwing away those soggy veggie bags a week or so later? Been there many many times! Don’t you hate that guilt of throwing away food just because you forgot you had it in the crisper draw?
Ok back to our menu plan. Our meals are not what is traditionally considered “budget” food, meaning a meal plans that revolves around rice, beans, & pasta. We use lean healthy proteins, fresh seafood, lots of fresh produce, one vegetarian meal, and some grains.
Our planning process is the same no matter what store we are planning for (we cover Market Basket, Stop & Shop, Shaws, Roche Bros, Hannaford, and Any Store) and it all starts with the flyer!
We look through and determine what the key specials are with most of our emphasis on the meats, seafood, and produce specials and whenever possible we bring in the grocery items. For instance, if the store is featuring a big sale on Mexican foods, our members will most likely see our Mexican Chicken recipe or Slow Cooker Chicken Fiesta. You can do the same thing…look through the flyer and determine what the key specials are and then build your menu around those items. (Or you can sign up and let us do the work for you each week!) It really makes a difference in saving money at the register.
What was the grand total for all this delicious healthy food for 5 dinners, 5 sides, all for a family of 5?
$66.76!!!!
And just to show this really was a whole lot of food, here is the register receipt:
Also, notice on this receipt the savings specifically related to specials amounted to $15.04? This means that if you shopped this SAME list the week after the specials expired, it would have cost you $15 more in groceries for this same list of ingredients (all other things being equal). This represents the savings directly from the specials used in the plan and DOES NOT include the savings that come from just having a well organized plan and list. So the REAL savings is even more.
Let’s just talk about that $15 for a minute shown on the receipt. Now some of you might be saying $15 is not a big deal. However, if you are not using the specials in your weekly grocery shopping, you are throwing money away. Also, let me ask you this: if you had these two bills in your wallet, would you throw them out the window and think “hey who cares about that $10 or $5 bill? I don’t need them. Out the window they go!!!” (here’s a quick visual of what you are throwing out the window)
Of course you wouldn’t!!!!
I know I am being a bit cheeky but here is my point….no one likes to throw money away yet when you walk into the grocery store without a plan, without any idea of what you need, that is just what you are doing. Shop with a plan and you will notice a difference in your monthly spending I am sure of it! We are up for the challenge and look forward to showing you all how our Money Saving Eating Healthy system works no matter what grocery store you use.
Of course if you do not have time to plan or would just rather have it all done for you, we would be happy to help. Just sign up here for any one of our easy to use menu plans. You can try us RISK Free for 14 days and if its not for you we will refund you the very small membership fee.
