My $100 Weekly Grocery Trip!

This weekend I made my weekly journey to the grocery store, with my meal plan, list, and $100 budget in tow.

This is what my cart looked like at the end of my trip! You'll see that there are some essentials, some snacks, and some fresh produce. There were items I don't always purchase, like Ramen noodles. These were not necessarily a purchase specifically to save money, but actually just a request from my boyfriend. I also needed butter, a staple in my home that can be used in many dishes.

Here are some of the strategies I used to keep my bill right at $100:

• Plan meals with "double dip" items like the burger buns! I planned to make burgers and pulled chicken sandwiches as two separate meals this week, and knew that four of each sandwich would be the right amount for each meal. This allowed me to buy one package, which I would've had to buy for one meal anyway, and get two meals out of it! I also bought a large, store brand bag of frozen fries, that were the perfect size to have with BLTs and burgers this week.

• Purchase store brand when possible. This was something I hoped to do more of this trip, but some items of store brand weren't in stock. I love buying store brand for many items like chips, bread, freezer items, and dairy. I find that it tastes just as good, and you can often save a significant amount if you switch with many foods.

• Sales!! This might be pretty obvious, but specifically planning meals and items around sales that week can help you save. This week I was able to get chicken, bacon, and coffee on sale. I had never tried this Tim Horton's brand of coffee, but noticed it was on sale for $5.99. I gave it a try, and ended up loving it! I usually purchase my coffee based on what brand is on sale, as there is almost always on brand on sale each week.

Overall I was able to get six meals, snacks, fresh apples and produce, ice cream, and coffee for a grand total of $100.44!

As always, prices will vary from location to location, but here in my New England grocery store this is a pretty doable budget for myself and my boyfriend. Sometimes I go slightly under, or slightly under, but I find it a great benchmark in my budgeting system.

How much do you typically spend on groceries? Do you have a grocery budget?