Three Things Thursday: Grocery Store Commandments

I’m currently teaching a 4 part course called the Royal Money Saving Academy on Tuesday nights in May at Stones Crossing Church.  There are 2 weeks left and you can still join us!  Next week, we chat frugal fitness and get our groove on with fitness broken dreams.  Just because you’re saving and slaying debt doesn’t mean you let your body go kaputsky.  Actually, you need to keep moving to keep moving (if that makes any sense or cents).  Sign up here for the remaining 2 weeks.  You’ll be glad that you did!

This week, we talked about Meal Planning, Grocery Shopping, Brown Baggin’ It, with a micro-Couponing crash course on the side.  It was great fun.  As a part of the evening, I shared 7 of my Grocery Store Commandments.  I thought it would be fun to share them with you, too.  What’s that you say, what does only 7 have to do with either commandments or Three Things Thursday?  I’m so glad you asked!

You get to add the last three commandments to the list.  Comment with three of your grocery store commandments to help us add to the knowledge and frugal goodness that is the Court of the Queen of Free.

1. Thou Shalt Not Shop When You Are Hungry.  Pretty obvious.  Everything in the world will jump into your cart and you’ll over buy.
2. Thou Shalt Not Shop After 9 PM.  This might just be me but I can get completely disoriented in a super store after the hour of nine o’clock.  I wind up buying way too many breakfast foods for the next AM and aimlessly wondering the aisles for hours.  I’m like a grocery Gremlin or something.  
3. Thou Shalt Shop the Perimeter.  Healthier and more affordable foods are around the perimeter of a store – fresh fruits, veggies, meats, dairy, etc. – will be found on the edges.  Processed pricey junk food is in the aisles.  Don’t waste your $ on food that will expand your waist line and leave you craving for more.
4. Thou Shalt Take 3-5 Items Out of Your Cart Before Checking Out.  This is the simplest way to save $5-$10 (or more!).  It’s easy, requires no coupons, and unless you’re a list commando, you’re going to have extra items that you simply don’t need.  Politely hand them to the cashier and say no thank you.
5. Thou Shalt Use Cash Only.  I can’t believe I just started doing this this year.  Before you revoke my Dave Ramsey card, realize I was collecting debit reward points to do Christmas shopping.  But in the long run I save SO much more that the measly points aren’t worth it.  Spending cash makes pain centers go off in your brain and you consistently spend more with plastic (even if it’s debit).  It makes you question every item you purchase and then when the $’s gone, it’s gone and you’re done.  No arguments or rationalizations.   Just DO IT.  It’s so worth it.
6. Thou Shalt Not Shop for Leisure.  Trips to Target or Walmart should not be a hobby.  Stop throwing those daggers with your eyes, you know it’s true.
7. Thou Shalt Look High and Look Low.  The most expensive foods are placed at eye level so that you pay more for stuff you may or may not need.  More economical foods will be on the top or bottom shelves.  Those evil marketers are brilliant, I say.  Brilliant.