Week 2 - Food

We always do a weekly meal plan for our house - we find it helps keep us on budget and more than anything it helps us not go out to eat or order anything in. I think that is one of our biggest money savers. 

My usually Thursday evening ritual is going through the local flyers for my area so I can get a list together of the deals and the stores they are at. This allows me to price match by only going to one store and therefore saving gas also. Can we say win/win situation! 

I do base my menu plan for the following week on the sales from the previous week. I usually shop on Friday morning bright and early even before we get our school books out. I find the stores not as busy so I do not feel like I am holding people up in line by using coupons or price matching. I try to be respectful for the other shoppers in the store.

Another way I hold myself accountable to my grocery budget is I video tape my grocery hauls and share them on youtube once a week or twice a month depending how many times I shop that month.

Do you do a weekly meal plan how do you stick to your budget?