OK, are you like me? Do you see a great deal at the grocery store and think to yourself, “more of that would be better?” Well, I was thinking on whether or not this is always true, and I’ve decided that most of the time it is not.

Let me explain.

Every week, I look at the sales flyers for my grocery store, and make up a menu based upon what is on sale that week, especially as regards the meat and produce sales. The problem arises when I actually get to the store, list in hand, and see all those beautiful shiny fruits and vegetables. I want them all! It’s hard to stop with only what I need.

I realized that over time I was spending more than I wanted at the grocery store and we were wasting a large amount of food, especially the fruits and veggies. They simply would go bad before I could use them up.

Yes, I do freeze a large quantity of what I buy on sale, but the problem I was having was on the fruits and veggies that I would keep on hand for snacking. At the store, I would think, “Yes! More grapes would be good… that way we won’t run out…” Carry this across the board with many fruits and veggies over a year’s time, and I began to realize how much I could save if I would simply sit down and plan out our snacks better.

Basically, I call it the “Name That Produce Game.” Here’s how it works in my home: As I sit down to look at the sales sheets and make my menu, I simply make a space for snacks on my menu plan. The very first thing I do is look in my freezer. Do I have any previously bought produce in there that needs to be used up? If so, how could I incorporate it into my menu plan? Smoothies are a great option for frozen fruits and veggies.

Second, If what I have on hand is not enough to get my family through a week’s worth of snacks, what do I need to buy, and how much, realistically, will we consume? I mark down that number in red or highlight it so that I know my limit. This helps me distinguish how much we truly need verses how much I want. I don’t let myself go beyond this limit. If I am wrong on the number, and realize later in the week that I need more, well, I have a choice to make; I can either make another trip to the store (good planning usually eliminates this problem), or I can make do with other items that I already have.

How did I decide on the actual amount I needed for my family? I watched them eat for two weeks. I marked down at the end of each week food that had been wasted and subtracted that from what I bought. The number of fruits and veggies I needed on hand was much lower than I previously thought.

By naming my veggies, I am able to save $10 here and $30 there, sometimes more. It really adds up! Over a year’s time, that can be a significant savings that will help with paying off a bill, or saving towards a goal, like an emergency fund or a family vacation, or even a new car!

Sometimes it really is the little things that make the difference!

Have you noticed this same problem in your grocery shopping/budget? What other ways have you trimmed the fat off of your food bill? Leave a comment below and let us all know!