Grocery Budget Part Two

Hello, darling readers!
Here is the second installment of how we eat well on less than $60 a week. I truly hope these tips are helpful for you!
7- Don't be afraid to make things from scratch. It might not turn out well, or it could rock. We've found so many delicious, affordable recipes online that would never have entered our recipe box had we been afraid to try and cook. If we were nervous about baking, there would hardly ever be cookies in our house (which would be wrong).

8- We use a giftcard to the grocery store we visit and put $240 on it each month. Our policy is that once it runs out, it runs out. It has never run out.

9- A grocery budget of $60 a week does limit what we can buy. That means alcohol is a rare treat. It also means no soda or premade drinks (we make tea, lemonade, and such here- OJ is the exception). Frozen desserts, cookies, and name brand cereals are also very rare treats. Avoid impulse buys- they really do kill your budget.

10- You don't have to shop at just one store. Hubby and I realize that one store sells certain items at a lower prices than our favorite store, so we go there too. Sometimes Target has items at a better price than the grocery stores, so we'll shop there.

11- Sometimes coupons really don't save you much money (shocking, I know). Really look at what you're thinking about buying, how much it is regularly, how much you need to buy for the discount, and then how much you'd save. Sometimes, it's just not worth it.

12- I would say that one of the best things we have done is seriously limit how often we go out to eat. Yes, some nights it is much easier to go out and have someone else cook for you- that's when we use our one-night-out a week. That also means we brown bag lunches and try very hard to only go out for lunch once a week as well. Sometimes, it's rough, but the more we eat at home, the more we save long term by not overpaying for meals and by eating what we purchase.

Again, I really hope these tips help and I would LOVE to hear some of your suggestions!