My grocery bill dropped by $40 a week after I started planning meals around the store flyer

For a while, I was just buying whatever we felt like eating, and our weekly food cost was around $150. Then, about three months ago, I decided to only plan dinners based on what was on sale in the Kroger ad. I check it online every Sunday and build my list from there. The first week I tried it, the total was $112, and it's stayed around that mark since. It forces me to be creative with cheaper cuts of meat and in-season veggies. Has anyone else found a specific store policy or tool that helps them stick to a food budget better?

2 comments

2 Comments

fiona5025d agoMost Upvoted

That's a solid drop, but I've found the real savings come from the clearance meat section, not just the flyer. My Kroger marks down chicken and beef by 30% or more the day before the sell-by date. I freeze it right away and easily save another $15 a week. The flyer is good, but the yellow sticker aisle is better.

carr.willow5d agoTop Commenter

Actually, the sell-by date is different from the use-by date. Stores often mark things down a couple days before the sell-by, but you usually still have a few more days to cook it or freeze it. I just freeze it the same day to be safe, but it's not as urgent as it sounds.