My grocery shopping method…
Grocery shopping goes along with this lifestyle change. It’s probably one of the most important parts of this journey. You have to eat. There’s nothing wrong with eating. Yes…you won’t be able to eat as much, but don’t let that fool you. You will still spend a coin. I’ve mentioned how I enjoy grocery shopping now. Prior to surgery, I couldn’t stand it. Before, when I would go to the grocery store, it felt like I was just buying whatever having absolutely no plan of action…or on certain days a plan of attack. Shopping that way would cause me to overspend. Overspending meant I would buy more than I needed and more than I could eat causing me to waste food; which in turn would cause me to waste money. Just no that my cheap ass doesn’t like to waste money. The crazy thing is I would always have a list and for the most part, I did stick to that list. However, me being me…I would still find a way to do the absolute most. It would piss me off while walking to the car because of what I had spent on groceries. These days, grocery shopping is so much more tolerable because I always go in with a plan. Do I give myself a budget for shopping? Well…yes and no. (That’s something that I do need to work on) When I make my list, I tend to shop more for exactly what I need and not always what I want. Do I splurge every now and then? Of course, I do. It’s easy to spend money on unnecessary things at the grocery store. Now, I have no choice but to spend more money due to how I choose to eat. It’s no secret that eating healthier, buying organic food, protein powder, lactose-free milk and other things that I need…is going to cost you a little more money. Since I rarely eat out (maybe only once a week if that); I’m saving money by not eating fast food, take out and picking up snacks if I’m going to be running around all day. It’s definitely worth buying healthier options and not to eat out as much.
I like cooking, but like it, even more, these days because I’m always trying out new dishes and recipes. I also take dishes I used to eat, but I now make them in a healthier version. I buy my snacks for home, work and on the go so I won’t buy things out all of the time. I also mentioned before that I sometimes utilize online shopping with grocery pickup. Yes…I have time to shop and no…I’m not lazy. Those are two things that I always hear when I mentioned picking up my groceries. Y’all I don’t care what anyone says anyway, but this has helped me out tremendously. For one…I always stick to my list and I’m also not tempted to overspend by picking up things I don’t need at that time. Every now & then you may get deals for using online pick up. There are also delivery services which I used once and only because it was free for your first delivery.
So how do I plan my grocery list/shopping? The first thing I do is to make sure that I have all of my necessities. These are things that I need pretty much every day or at least every other day. These are things such as coffee, creamer, sugar, lactose-free milk, protein-containing foods, water, Powerade zero, vitamin water (squeezed lemonade only) and the sugar-free water singles packets. These items will always be in my house. I’ll then add to my list what I plan on having for meals. This means that I have to plan these meals out for the next couple of weeks. If there’s a good sale I may stock up on things that I definitely use and need. And that’s it! Nothing more, nothing less. It sounds like a lot just to go grocery shopping, but what’s the difference between doing this preparation then someone taking the time to coupon, or go to multiple stores? You do what you have to do. My shopping method has become a habit for me. I don’t even think of it as too much or as an inconvenience. If you’re serious about changing your eating habits and eating healthier, you’ll have no issues adapting to this. So in conclusion:
- Make a list and stick to it.
- Only buy extras if on sale.
- Learn what your necessities are instead of your wants.
- Always put those necessities on every list.
- Try shopping online for either grocery pickup or delivery. Especially if you don’t trust yourself to stick to a list.
- Try meal prepping as a weekly thing. Meal prepping is important to stick to a diet.
- If you have a family…buy in bulk.
