Grocery Shopping on a Budget
Grocery shopping can be so frustrating, especially right now! I know most people don’t love taking an hour or two out of their day to spend a bunch of money on food, and sometimes feel like they don’t know what to make when they get home. In undergrad, I would go to Target and walk down every aisle, which took up so much of my time and money, so I’ve had to pare down my routine and figure out what works best for me. I’ve found some great ways to make grocery shopping a lot easier and I’d love to share my process with y’all! I also hope this will be a great resource for those looking to be or already are vegetarian, vegan, or just plant-based. I know that kind of lifestyle has the reputation of being expensive but it actually can be done very affordably!
1 - Hunting for Recipes
I try and plan to go grocery shopping one to two times a month. This may sound crazy but I’m cooking for just me and I’m a small person so I don’t eat a ton of food in one sitting (and I also really enjoy going out to eat, a very dangerous habit). I start off my grocery shopping process by looking at my Pinterest. I have a couple of boards to choose from, my main one being Vegetarian and Vegan Meals, which contains plant based recipes and interesting meals I’ve been wanting to try, and A Case of the Nommies, which are things that can be plant based but are usually more random like bread recipes or dips I want to try. I also love making cocktails at home so I use my Libations board to find out if I need any ingredients for drinks I want to make.
2 - Prepping the Week
I try to cook dinner at least 2 to 3 times a week. I find that cooking is a great way for me to get creative and it’s almost meditative for me! I love cooking and using this process of grocery shopping just helps make things a lot easier and more enjoyable for me. I try to cook on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays so on the other days I have leftovers, and I save a day for going out to eat. I use this little white board and separate the days into my 3 meals and write down all the things I want to eat, focusing on what’s in my fridge already that needs used up and getting inspired from my Pinterest boards. Once I have these written on my white board, I grab some scratch paper and check out the ingredient lists on those recipes, writing down all the things that aren’t in my kitchen. This preparation makes it so much easier to go shopping and makes the grocery store less overwhelming.
3 - Going to the Store
Once I have my recipes picked out, white board filled out, and list made, I can finally head to the store. I used to spend at least 2 hours going up and down every aisle but now that I follow this process, it can take me less than an hour. I mainly go to Kroger or Aldi, and on occasion Trader Joe’s. I love the variety and amount of options Kroger has, but Aldi’s prices are really great! I do love the Kroger app because you can select your preferred store and look up items to see what exact aisle they’re in, which makes shopping a lot easier. I stick to my list but also make sure to grab essentials like toilet paper and dish soap, as well as things I know I always want to have on hand like tortilla chips and coconut milk (and at least a couple bags of salt and vinegar chips because I have no shame).
Other Options
Especially during this time, I’ve been trying my best to limit grocery shopping in person and go for alternative options. I’ve done Kroger Click List pick up many times and love how easy it is to just drive up and have them bring out all the things you purchased. They even provide substitutes for things they may not have in stock then. I also try my best to support local, whether this be through getting takeout on a food delivery app like GrubHub or UberEats, and my favorite local app is definitely ClusterTruck. I also love getting grocery delivery from Green Bean Delivery! They provide really fresh and local options that are good for you and accessible.
