Shopping Weekly, Bi-Weekly, or Monthly?

[amzasmommy]

I'm on a monthly pay schedule so I usually shop 1x per month and then fill in w/ produce each week. My menu planning goes monthly too b/c of the pay schedule. I tend to do fairly well and save about $75 each trip, but think I can do better. Anyone else get paid monthly, but shop more frequently? How do you do it? I want to switch it up and try something new this month.

Oh! And I bought into a local CSA for the summer so all my produce for the season is paid for already. I won't really buy any again until fall. I'll just use whatever I get each week

[smiles]

DH gets paid weekly and I get paid biweekly, but don't get paid during the summer unless I get a summer job. I'm still perfecting my plan for shopping, but usually I do major grocery shopping every other week. If there is a good deal I may fill in with some small items and produce at another grocery store every week.

[mrsv865]

I find that if I go weekly and stick to my list with coordinated coupons I save quite a bit. I used to go every 2 weeks but I would buy things "in case" I needed them in the next 2 weeks. Some of those items are still untouched in my cabinets:sad:

[mommyof3monkeys]

I shop weekly or twice a week. Once when the new weekly ad comes out after Sunday so I have all my coupons. But if I have a $/$ coupon that has to be used before that Sunday then it is twice.

Tammy

[queenofthehivemomof5]

I voted that you should shop weekly. The reason being is that you will miss out on alot of deals if you just shop once a month.

How do do it weekly? Take your grocery budget that you have for the month and divy it up into 4, and spend 1/4 of it a week. If you a starting out take just a portion of that weekly budget to use for stockpiling leaving you the rest for fresh meat, milk, bread and whatever you need that is not on sale with coupons. After a few months as your stockpile grows adjust that.

My stockpile is built well enough that I can shop basically when ever the mood strikes me. I can go once a week, twice a month, monthly or just skip a month if I want to just running for fresh produce, meat, bread and milk. But if you shop just once a month when you are starting out you will miss some great deals with coupons. There is a cycle to this and you will miss out on that cycle. For example 1st week of the month is usually some sort of GM or Kelloggs sale, 3rd week of the month is usually generics etc.

[Whispered]

I'm not a budget person, gasp, lol. I voted monthly.
Why, bc since I've been w/o a car, I've found that shopping monthly, saves a lot of dollars... I'm the kind of person tho, that does not stick w/ a list! lol

Actually, rethinking this, hmm depending how close you are to the stores and well you keep track of deals,, then weekly would be good.
Esp CVS!!! LOVE CVS, tho its a pita.

If you do weekly, you're sure to get the deals, of what you want and can wait for the next wk, of deals to come out.

I save way more then 75 a month, on deals, and i do shop , whenever i can, almost every wk or 2.. so i voted wrong

I'm going to be in such trouble when I actually have my own car!! lol

[OsweetchildrenO]

DH and I go once a week to at least 2 stores. We hit the deals and stockpile on the freebies or cheapies. We then hit Henry's Farmer's Market for fresh produce, bulk items and spices. IF we are low on meat or a store is having a special deal..we will run by Albertsons, Ralphs OR Vons and check out the clearance meats.

The more you get in habits of stockpiling ...shopping doesn't seem like such a chore. Because you don't HAVE to go and buy things at that very moment, you can get by until your ready.