The Kroger App

Download the Kroger app. 

If you shop at Kroger on a regular basis, and you don't already own the Kroger app, then you're making a mistake. The Kroger app helps me look through weekly circulars on the go. My favorite part, however, is that you can load digital coupons to your Kroger card directly from the app. Often, I do this while I am walking to the store, because I am forgetful. 

Today, for instance, I saved $.80 thanks to Kroger coupons simply by buying things I needed to buy. The best part about this is that you don't have to keep up with physical coupons, and there is none of the hassle associated with scanning coupons at the register. Back when I used to clip coupons, my husband would get so frustrated because we would hold up everyone in line for a dollar or two in savings. Now, I just type in my phone number at self check out and my Kroger card applies the coupons for me! Super simple and perfect for my lazy saver lifestyle.

My shopping trip today*:

*Our fridge is on the fritz, so I didn't do my usual full shopping trip. Because I only needed two items, I didn't pack up my 9 month old to drive to Aldi (we walk to Kroger from our house, so it's super convenient). Also, we eat low(er) carb during the week, but I take bagels and shells and cheese with ground beef to work for my breakfast and lunch. 

Other Ways I Save: Find&Save

Disclaimer: all links are referral links. 

Find&Save is an app I use to earn money back from purchases I make. This is my favorite of my earning apps because it is the highest earner for the least effort.

The basic premise is this:

• Receive receipt after purchase. 
• Upload to Find&Save. 
• Earn. 

The only downside to Find&Save is the inconsistency of offers. Unlike Receipt Hog, which accepts any receipts at any time, Find&Save is store-dependent. For instance, there isn't always a cash back offer for Kroger. I do prefer Find&Save to Ibotta because offers are not usually dependent on a specific item or brand. Because my family buys very few packaged foods, I earn very slowly on Ibotta.

Save money and time buying groceries

If you don't meal plan, chances are you go to the grocery store more than once a week. Maybe you didn't notice you were about to run out of your kids' favorite breakfast item. Or your spouse didn't ask you to pick up their preferred drink while you were at the store. If you don't shop with the sales, these frequent runs to the store can end up costing you money as well as time.

If you are willing to invest a little time up front to determine which items you buy on a regular basis and how much they are at the stores around you, you could save a lot of money and time in the long run.

Disclaimer: I am not the first person to come up with this general idea! Many bloggers before me have touted the use of a "price list", with which you track the price of frequently-purchased items over the course of a few weeks at various stores. This helps you determine what is a "good" price for the bulk of your grocery purchases.

My biggest tip for an easy and cheap grocery buying routine? Pick two stores. (Max three, if you want to also shop at a discount store like Sam's Club or Costco.)

• One store is your weekly shopping hangout. For me, ideally this would be Aldi, due to prices. I'm not attached to brand name foods, with just a few exceptions based on my personal taste preferences. The Aldi in Athens tends to have good produce, which I really value. However, I don't buy meat at Aldi, which is where the second store comes in (for me). 
• The other store is where you shop based on sale prices. For me, this is my Kroger. It is walking distance from my house (which I love), and it has great produce. I prefer Kroger because food tends to be cheaper there than at Trader Joe's and Publix, and my family doesn't place high priority on organic foods. I buy almost all my meat (in bulk when possible) at Kroger when it is on sale. Most stores have a weekly ad that you can peruse to plan your trip.
• Discount stores are places I recommend going only once a month or so. I personally shop at Sam's Club. My husband is military, so we get a discounted membership. I buy gas at Sam's Club, too, which makes it worth the membership fee. I know based on unit pricing which foods I can get cheapest at Sam's Club (pork chops, nuts, and Instant Breakfast, to name a few), and I only buy items that I can freeze or have a long shelf life. 

If your family is like mine, where 90% of your grocery list stays the same every week, I highly recommend this method. It sounds like way more work than it is, I promise. Within a few weeks, your new method will become routine.

The other way I save a lot of money and time on buying groceries is utilizing my freezer. When whole chickens are on sale for $0.59/lb, I buy 2-4 at a time and put them in the freezer. That way I know I have chicken, and I don't have to buy the whole chicken at $0.95/lb (Aldi price) when I want to make a rotisserie chicken. When pork loin is on sale at Sam's Club for $1.69/lb, I buy two or three. I have Sam's Club cut (which they will do for free-- you just have to ask!) some of loins for me into chops approx 1 inch thick and some into half or quarters. Then I freeze them in appropriate serving sizes. Now I have pork roasts and pork chops to last me until the loins go on sale again.

What are some ways you save money and time on groceries?

My "Buying Points"

This post will continue to be updated as prices change and new foods are added.

Am I missing a food that you buy on a regular basis? Let me know!

Meat

Food Item	Buying Point	Stock Up Price
Chicken, whole	$0.89/lb	$0.60/lb
Chicken, breast	$1.99/lb	$1.50/lb
Chicken, leg or thigh	$0.79/lb	$0.50/lb
Crab legs, snow	$5.99/lb	$4.99/lb
Pork, chops	$1.89/lb	$1.69/lb
Pork, loin	$1.89/lb	$1.69/lb
Pork, other	$1.19/lb	$0.99/lb

Fruit

Food Item	Buying Point	Stock Up Price
Avocado	$0.89/lb	$0.60/lb
Blackberries	$2.50 for 6 oz	$2 for 6 oz
Blueberries	$0.79/lb	$0.50/lb
Cantaloupe	$2.00 each	$1.50 each
Peaches	$0.99/lb
Raspberries	$2.50 for 6 oz	$2 for 6 oz
Strawberries	$2.50/lb	$2.00/lb

Fresh Vegetables

Food Item	Buying Point	Stock Up Price
Green beans	$1.29	$1.00/lb
Squash, yellow	$1.29/lb	$1.00/lb
Zucchini	$1.29/lb	$1.00/lb

What I'd Buy at Target: May 22-28

I don't normally shop at Target for groceries. Mainly because I just know that Target sucks me in to their dollar section and cute clothes and all of the sudden I've forgotten to buy butter but have new shoes. You know what I'm talking about.

Here's what I consider to be good deals on groceries this week at Target:

Strawberries 2/$5 (making them $2.50/lb)*
All brands of soda 12-packs 4/$11**

*This is my personal "buying point" for strawberries. I don't buy strawberries unless they are $2.50 per pound or cheaper. 

**This is my personal "buying point" for name-brand soda. We don't buy a lot of name-brand soda (I'll drink whatever's cheapest, but my husband is picky so I buy branded soda for him), but I won't purchase it for more than $2.75 per 12-pack. 

Regular Target shoppers, is there anything on this week's ad that you consider a stellar deal?

Edited 5/25/16:

Rebates and other earning opportunities at Target this week:

• On Ibotta (referral link), there is a $0.25 rebate for any brand of soda. 
• Other notable Ibotta rebates for Kroger:
• $0.25 back on any brand of baby food
• $0.25 back on potatoes, red bell peppers, loose apples, onions, broccoli, oranges, and brussels sprouts
• $0.25 back on any brand of bacon
• $0.25 back on any brand of eggs
• $0.25 back on any brand of bread
• $0.25 back on any brand of ketchup
• $0.25 back on any brand of ice cream
• $0.25 back on any brand of on hamburger buns

What I'd buy at Publix: Wednesday, May 25 through Tuesday, May 31

I love Publix. Shopping there truly "is a pleasure", as their slogan claims. However, I generally do not shop at Publix because I have found it to be more expensive on the whole than other grocery stores in my area. Shopping at Publix is like a splurge for me.

Here is what I would buy at Publix this week.

Avocados 10/$10
Raspberries 2/$5
Sweet corn 10/$3
12-packs of Coke or Canada Dry products 4 for the price of 2*

*The ad states that you can save up to $10.58 on 4 12-packs of soda. This leads me to believe that 4 packs would cost $10.58. This is a good price for soda. It is $0.42 also cents cheaper for 4 than Kroger this week.

Price comparisons: 

If you buy crab legs this week, it is $3.00 per pound cheaper to buy them at Kroger.
If you buy Boston butt this week, it is $1.00 per pound cheaper to buy them at Kroger. 

Do you think I missed something that's a great deal?

Edited on 5/25/2015:

Rebates and other earning opportunities at Publix this week:

• Coke and Canada Dry products are 4/$10.58 at Publix this week. On Ibotta (referral link), there is a $0.25 rebate for any brand of soda. 
• Heinz ketchup is BOGO. Ibotta has a rebate for $0.25 on any brand of ketchup.
• Other notable Ibotta rebates for Publix:
• $0.25 back on any brand of baby food
• $0.25 back on potatoes, red bell peppers, loose apples, onions, broccoli, oranges, and brussels sprouts
• $0.25 back on any brand of bacon
• $0.25 back on any brand of eggs
• $0.25 back on any brand of bread
• $0.25 back on any brand of hamburger buns
• $0.25 back on any brand of ice cream

Why did you tell me to buy crab legs?

Um, because they are delicious?

I am a lover of seafood. Especially expensive seafood. I order the scallops, lobster tail, or crab legs every time. My all-time favorite words on a sign may be "All You Can Eat Crab Legs." And you know I'll get my money's worth. Yummy.

However, my crab leg addiction doesn't jive with my frugal mentality. I just can't justify going out to eat every time I want to dip sea creatures in melted butter. So one day, I bought crab legs at the grocery store. They were on sale, and I was curious. I'm a passable cook, but I was nervous, because I figured delicious crab legs would be almost impossible to imitate at home. Imagine my surprise (and delight!) when I found out exactly how easy it is to make crab legs in the comfort of my own home. Where no one except my husband judges me for how messy I get when I eat them.

Note: In my house, unless it's for dinner in the next day or so, in the freezer it goes! My favorite foods are those that can go straight from freezer to heat source to table. Enter crab legs, which are an excellent food for the lazy (Hello! It's me. Nice to meet you.) or beginner cook.

Recipe (if you can call it that) source:

Ingredients:
Crab legs (bought on sale, of course)
Butter for melting and dipping*

Instructions:
Boil a large (very large) pot of water
Drop in crab legs
Cook for 8-10 minutes
Drain
Melt butter in the oven or microwave according to your preference.

Serve. Try not to burn your fingers on the hot, buttery goodness.

That's it. The only downside to crab legs at home is that you have to clean up the mess you make when you're finished, unlike at a restaurant where you can just wipe your mouth and leave.

*While I will use cheap butter for things like bagels, I prefer Kerry Gold grass-fed butter for dipping and cooking meat. (And eating while I cook -- no shame.) You really can taste the difference.

What I Would Buy at Kroger: May 25-31

Kroger's Weekly Ad deals start on Wednesdays! For the full ad, you can go to kroger.com. Other bloggers such as Southern Savers also post the full ad in various formats.

Here're what I consider to be great real food deals this week at Kroger:

Crab legs $4.99/lb

Pork Boston butt $0.99/lb

Heritage Farm chicken leg quarters $0.49/lb

Atlantic salmon fillets $4.99/lb

Mangoes 4 for $5

Blackberries 2 for $5

Peaches for $0.99/lb

Let me know if you've seen these items cheaper elsewhere!

Edited on 5/25/16:

Rebates and other earning opportunities at Kroger this week:

• Coke and Canada Dry products are 4/$11 at Kroger this week. This is my "buying point" (i.e. the most I will pay for a product). On Ibotta (referral link), there is a $0.25 rebate for any brand of soda. 
• Hamburger buns are 10/$10. Ibotta has a rebate for $0.25 on hamburger buns. 
• Other notable Ibotta rebates for Kroger:
• $0.25 back on any brand of baby food
• $0.25 back on potatoes, red bell peppers, loose apples, onions, broccoli, oranges, and brussels sprouts
• $0.25 back on any brand of bacon
• $0.25 back on any brand of eggs
• $0.25 back on any brand of bread
• $0.25 back on any brand of ketchup
• $0.25 back on any brand of ice cream

Welcome and About Me

First of all, I want to welcome you to my newest endeavor. I am excited about putting one of my skills (being frugal almost to a fault) to good use.

Here is a little about me and what you can expect from this blog:

• I am married to a health nut. We eat mostly low-carb foods. For this reason, you will not find very much information here on how to save on packaged foods. However, I consider myself very frugal when it comes to fruits, vegetables, meats, and seafood, so expect a lot of information about these foods!

• I am a mom and a nurse who works full-time. This is why a lot of my recipes and tips are for people who don't have all the time in the world to shop at 6 different grocery stores to find the best deals. My recipes tend to be quick or employ the crockpot. 

• I am a picky eater attempting to expand her horizons. I would expect a lot of the recipes I feature to be hits with kids because I'm basically a 7-year-old trapped in an adult's body. If I could eat dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets every day, I totally would. 

• I am located in Athens, Georgia. This means that the circulars from which I am posting deals pertain to the Southeast and the Metro Atlanta area. 

I have heard from many of you that meal planning and saving money on groceries is time-consuming and generally just a drag. Let me help you with that!

My grocery shopping philosophy is this:
Buy in bulk when it's on sale and freeze. Meal plan around sales and what's in season. Only buy what you need.

(I would love it if you would fill out a 6-question survey to help me tailor my content to your needs.)