To help you complete this process and your worksheet, you will find helpful
links at the bottom of your worksheet page.
Step 1: Take inventory of the food you already have in your
refrigerator/freezer and cupboards.
Step 2: Print off the the grocery list organizer and worksheet in
the "worksheet" link. Here you will categorize your list according to the
foods you need and the food groups they are part of. For instance, you may
categorize eggs under a "dairy" section on your sheet.
Step 3: Gather your coupon resources, such as newspaper fliers, store
fliers, and internet coupons. Look through the fliers, cutting out coupons
related to your meal plans as you search. Check expiration dates on your
coupons.
Step 4: Once you have cut out all of your coupons, list them in order
in the space titled "coupon prices" that is provided on your grocery
worksheet.
Step 6: Before you go shopping, estimate the cost to each of the items you
must purchase. Write your estimations in the "estimated item price"
column.
Step 7: As you shop, write down the name of the item in the "item" column,
how many items you are buying in the "number of items" column, and how much
each item costs in the column titled "item prices". Be sure to place each
item under their correct category as well (ex. eggs goes in "dairy").
Step 8: After choosing all of your items, determine how many meals you can
plan and fill in the "meal" slots on your sheet. One meal must consist of
at least 3 items, either a fruit, vegetable, dairy product, grain, or
meat/poultry. Remember, you must plan 15 meals.
Step 8: When you are finished grocery shopping, add up the
columns, "estimated item price" and "actual price" on the
worksheet. Don't forget for that each item you bought more than 1 of, you
must multiply the price of the item by the number of items before adding
them into the column! Be careful to watch for decimal points as well! Find
the difference between your estimated price and the actual price.
Step 9: Add the column of the coupon prices. Subtract the total of the
coupon column from the total of the overall total spent, this will give you
the grand total of what you spent for the week.
Step 10: Complete the shopping reflection questions.
Tip: Eat a healthy snack before grocery shopping. People who shop on an
empty stomach tend to impulse buy because they are hungry!
Tip: While shopping, look for cheaper brand
names. These may be still cheaper than the brand name product with the
coupon.
Remember, grocery shopping with coupons can be a lot of fun, especially when
you plan ahead. Not only do you get the food you love at great prices, but
you also pay yourself in the end with your savings!
