I made out my grocery list. I'm doing my grocery shopping for 2 wks. worth (30 min. from discount stores). I keep looking at my grocery list w/ anxiety, thinking "how much is this going to cost?". Should I cut something out? I don't buy frivolous things like spendy deli items or snacks w/ 5 in a box. I just worry about how much I'm spending and when I don't end up buying something on my list and need it later, I'll spend more buying it from our local grocery store. Does anyone else do this? Am I crazy?

I vote you're crazy.....LOL......you need to feed your family, so as long as you are not frivolous, then you are doing all that you can.....just do your best.

Everything is so expensive "nowadays", so it is hard to find a balance. I have also tried to cut out some things that we eat but don't need, such as fruit roll ups and other sweets. It is all about comprimising.

I write out my grocery list and next to every item, I write a rounded-to-the-dollar figure of what it will cost. ex: "tomato soup $1" even though it only costs like 69cents. I always round up. It covers tax, etc, and it's nice to see the occasional total be lower than I anticipated. I can go through my list and cross off things if I need to lower my total. (There have been weeks where more has been crossed off my list than not! ) It has worked wonders for me! It's also made me used to the prices of things, so I know when prices rise or fall, and comparing between stores is quite easy.

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I do this also. Even if I have coupons I still use the 'normal' price. The only time I don't is the bogo sales. Then I price the two items as one. or one for half if the store works that way.

good idea. everyone offers such great ideas about saving money!!!

I do the same thing also, except I do use the coupons to factor in the price. I write the normal price, then how much it will be with the coupon I am going to use. That way, when I mark it off my list at the store, I know that I have a coupon to put in my "purchase" coupon pile. I LOVE coupons!!!!

That would really help me not to stress about how much my total will be beause I'll already have a rough estimate.

What else I do is out the things on my list into categories. One side of the list is food and the other non food.
Then I just put things on the list into the right column for whatever it is and I have a better idea of what things I need at a glance.
Then before I go to the store I go through and make a new list with the items that I need placed in order by how bad I need them. The most important buys first and so on. That way I don't have to stress over what to cut if I am running short on money because of raised prices.

By the way... things that are a want just stay on the bottom of the list until there is enough extra money to buy them.

I write up my list and pull my coupons. On the list I put a ( ) around items that I know could wait until the next two week cycle. At the store I use a small calculator to keep track of my total - and if I'm a bit under I'll look for a few of the items in ( ) to add to the cart.

My dream is to one day walk into a grocery store where they have scanners (that somebody hasn't broken) on the shopping carts. Then you can just scan things as you go and keep a running total of your food. If you go over your limit, you could subtract things. I've seen carts with calculators before and I swear I heard of a company trying to do some sort of scanner thing but nothing yet. I should invent this...It would have to be child and goofball proof, linked somehow to the main server for updated prices. sigh...Anyway, just a dream.

For now, I do what several previous posters have mentioned. I round up the price of the items on my list so I have a good idea of what I'll be spending.

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Jenny, wife to Brad, mommy to two crazy little kids with one on the way!