Hit $50 on a single grocery trip with a meal plan for the first time

Last Tuesday I sat down and actually wrote out every dinner for the week, then checked the prices at my local Aldi before shopping. I stuck to the list, used dried beans instead of canned, and bought a whole chicken to break down myself. When I got to the register, the total came to $49.87, and I nearly did a double take because my usual trips run closer to $80. What surprised me most was that I had enough leftovers for lunch twice, so it really fed more than five dinners. Has anyone else seen their grocery total drop this much just from planning around store specials, or is my old habit of winging it just that bad?

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1 Comment

colemiller22d ago

So you're telling me the secret to grocery savings is just... making a list and buying the chicken with bones still in it? groundbreaking. I've been out here treating the grocery store like a casino, just vibing through aisles and hoping my wallet survives. Last week I went in for milk and eggs and came out with a bag of frozen mozzarella sticks and a tiny cactus, that's the real tax. Honestly, $80 to $50 just from planning sounds like black magic to me. But sure, I'll try the whole "dried beans" thing if it means I can afford to eat leftovers for lunch.