Receipt Reflections

Friday, our team headed to Fiesta on a mission to purchase 5 days worth of groceries with a budget of $20 a person. I was shopping for two people, myself and my fiance, so my total budget was $40. Here's what I ended up with:

My official total, however, is $35.38. I had a minor panic that we were going to run out of food when I realized how much my fiance actually eats and ran out to HEB to get a few extras.

Here are a few strategies I employed to help keep my costs down:

• Check the coupon flyer before you make your list: Before thinking about recipes or meal planning, I looked through Fiesta's Weekly Ads for deals. Sweet potatoes were $0.69 a pound and Navel Oranges were 6 for $1.00. Great options for lunch and snacking, respectively.
• Shop with a list, but be flexible: I knew I wanted to make a frittata, but instead of listing the exact vegetables I wanted to include, I just wrote "veggies for frittata" on my list. Once at the store I looked for items fit my budget. I did the same with the greens I wanted to serve as a side with several meals throughout the week. When I saw fresh spinach, a favorite, was relatively expensive, I shopped around for other dark greens.
• Consider going meatless: I'm not sure how much money this really saved me this grocery trip (especially, considering Fiesta was selling whole chickens for the same cost per pound as the sweet potatoes I bought). However, when I look at my grocery bills over time, meat and fish are usually among the most expensive items.
• Buy only the food you need: Before going to the store, I tried to plan each meal my fiance and I would have during these five days. While at Fiesta, I tried to purchase only the items would need to prepare those meals. Sticking to the list and carefully planning meals ahead of time can help you stay on budget and reduce food waste.

While this grocery list and the menus I have planned for it don't have too many frills I think it definitely demonstrates that its possible to buy food to support a health diet on a tight budget. The key is knowing what foods to buy and also how to prepare them once you have them.