Create a Grocery List Based on Sales When You Meal Plan
If you want to lower your food budget and save time by not needing to run to the grocery store several times a week, here’s what you do: create a grocery list and make your meal plan based on weekly sales!
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My mom was fantastic at saving money. Each week, she went through the grocery flyers that came out in the Sunday paper. She would create a grocery list based on what was on sale. I watched her jot down items in categories and put prices next to them. She had a section for meats, produce, pantry, frozen, and the like.
Here’s what I didn’t realize as a kid – this was how she made her meal plan for the week! I just thought she was making notes about what was on sale – little did I know there was a real purpose to this! Especially now, with the rising prices of groceries, finding ways to save is crucial.
What are the benefits of shopping by what’s on sale?
That got me thinking about all the benefits of doing this. I came up with six, but I’m sure you can think of more.
Save Money
The most obvious reason to shop depending on what’s on sale is simple – to save money! Our stores routinely advertise buy one get one free, and these stock up my pantry. When shopping this way, to save even more, you can check to see if there might be coupons on the items you plan on buying.
Reduce Food Waste
Before I started meal planning like this, I found I wasted a lot of food by overbuying. I never checked to see what I already had before I’d shop! So I’m sure you can imagine – I wasted a lot of food (things would go bad and never get used – they’d go into the trash).
Stop Impulse Shopping When You Create a Grocery List
I was a serious impulse shopper! I’d walk through the store and think something looked good, so I’d buy it. It turned out, often, it was something I already had and didn’t need.
Save Time
This one makes so much sense! How much time do you think you spend shopping the way you do now? Do you run to the store several times a week because you need things to make the meal you decide to make at the last minute?
Imagine this: You make one trip to the grocery store for the week. That’s it! Because you create a grocery list, you have all meals planned for the week in advance, meaning you know what you’ll serve for dinner each day. Once you shop, you know you’ll have everything you need to make meals. Sound like a good idea? If you want to save time, it’s a great idea!
Get Creative
I frequently use the same proteins weekly: chicken, ground beef, pork, and maybe a seafood item like shrimp. Boring! For me, it isn’t! Why? Because I have a wonderful husband who’s great at finding recipes that make these items into special creations! I do it, too, but he can look at a recipe and say, “That’s a good one!” I’m not so lucky!
Stock Up on Sale Items
As I make my shopping list, I pay close attention to what’s on sale now that I might be able to buy and use later. When I create a grocery list, I consider this and try to stock up while prices are reduced on the things I know I use.
And now for the big question – how do you meal plan based on grocery store sales?
Let’s break it down step by step. If you follow these steps, you can do it too!
Decide How to Cook This Week
Think about how you plan to cook this week. For me, I think about the weather. If it’s steamy and hot outside (like now), I try to avoid using the oven as much as possible. On the hottest days, I may also skip cooking outside on the barbeque.
It’s Hot Outside! What Are Your Options?
My preference for how to cook when it’s hot outside is simple – I use an Instant Pot or a crockpot/multicooker. I put off buying an Instant Pot for the longest time. Once I had one, I couldn’t imagine life without it! Let me explain why.
First, I had a simple slow cooker/crockpot. I loved cooking that way. But I didn’t like needing to brown items in a separate pan before putting them into the crockpot! To me, that didn’t make sense.
Next, I decided to fix that problem by getting a multicooker. I loved that the one I chose could brown meats and saute things like onions and peppers. I could also do the precooking in the multicooker—that was great!
Instant Pot – my solution!
Finally, I heard about cooking in an Instant Pot. Many of my friends had them, and they loved cooking in them! On top of being able to do everything my multicooker could do (slow cook, roast, brown, saute, and steam), depending on the model, Instant Pots can do so much more! The Instant Pot Duo Crisp 11-in-1 pressure cooks (think fast cooking for meals), air fries (thanks to the additional lid), bakes, dehydrates, and more. One appliance replaces so many things in your kitchen! When I just checked the date I wrote this, I saw Amazon has this for 15% off at $169.95! For the 8-quart pot, that’s a great price!
Back to the topic – think about the weather, and decide how you would like to cook this week. You need to know this! Why create a grocery list that includes barbeque items if it’s too hot to cook outside on the barbeque?
Find the Sales!
Check Store Flyers or Find Them Online
Find flyers from stores or use a website or an app like Flipp – enter your zip code, select the stores where you shop, and then select start browsing. Flipp will explain briefly what you can do on their app or website. You can look at flyers, find coupons, and create a shopping list.
Before using Flipp, I viewed different store websites to find their online sale flyers. Flipp makes it so much easier! Flipp isn’t the only option for finding sales, but it was the easiest one for me.
Create a Grocery List
Look at the flyers for each store where you might shop. Start thinking about what you can make based on what’s on sale. Make a column for each store along with the sale dates. Jot items down as you go: include the item and the sale price. Here’s what I do with each store’s flyer:
- I begin by focusing on sales in the meat and seafood sections for the stores I use.
- Next, I check for sales on fresh produce to see if there’s something I want to be sure to buy.
- Then, I go through the rest of the sections, paying attention to freezer items and things for the pantry. I’ll go through the whole flyer, jotting down what I see that’s a good deal and writing the prices next to each item. Then, if I check another flyer, I’ll know whether or not I’m getting the best price for something. If I see something that’s a great deal, even if I already have it, I may buy it now rather than waiting until I need it and then realizing it’s not on sale.
If a particular store only has one item listed, I may not shop there just for that one item. I use the sale price as a guide even if I buy the item from another store. Remember that gas prices are high, and decide whether or not it’s worth shopping in multiple places.
See If You Can Eliminate Based on What You Have
Before I finalize my weekly grocery list, I check to see what I already have: frozen, refrigerated, and in my pantry. If there are great sales on items, I’ll buy them anyway to add to my stash. But if items listed are just ok priced and I already have them, I probably won’t buy them.
After You Create a Grocery List, Make a Weekly Meal Plan!
Now for the good part – let’s make a weekly meal plan! Let’s say boneless chicken is on sale for a great price – I might plan on one or two dinners using that this week. If it’s an excellent price, I’ll probably buy extra and put it into my freezer. Maybe ground beef is on sale, too, so I’ll use that for one or two nights. I always watch for buy-one-get-one bargains on things like pork tenderloins, so a sale on that might take care of two more nights. Finally, the last thing that was a good deal was shrimp, 26-30 per pound – I love using them in dinners, so that will be my final meal item for the week.
I think I have my initial plan! Another thing I consider when I’m planning is to decide what I might make a double meal from—I love doing that and freezing half for an easy dinner. If we hit an overwhelming day and we’re tempted not to cook, I pull out one of my frozen meals, and ta-da—dinner is served! That may save us from ordering in or going out.
Find Recipes You’ll Make This Week
My husband is a great cook—I’m so lucky! He’s created a collection of our favorite recipes in notebooks divided by section: chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, etc.
I’ll find the recipes I want to make this week by looking first through our notebooks. If I feel like I want something different, I’ll search on the internet and find a recipe for something that sounds like it’s worth trying. We always look for high-ranking recipes, preferably as close to 5 stars as possible from many who have tried them. If a recipe isn’t highly ranked but I think it may be worth trying, I search around and see if I can find one that’s higher ranked to use.
You should have seven dinner ideas at the end of this step. That doesn’t mean you’ll be cooking seven different meals – hopefully, some meals you plan on making will be able to cover two nights.
Finalize Your Grocery Shopping List for the Week
Look at the recipes you’ll be making and see what else you need to add to your grocery shopping list. Check to see what you already have that you don’t need to buy. Look in your freezer, refrigerator, and pantry. Make sure you have all the necessary spices for your recipes, too – it’s better to find out now rather than when you’re in the middle of cooking!
Picture what you’ll have with each main course and plan for what you’ll need as you finalize your grocery list. Some of what you plan on making may be complete meals (I love those!). Others may need side dishes. I always add certain things to my shopping list for this, including the items to make a nice salad, a bag of potatoes (either Russets for baking or Yukon Gold, which I love), and vegetables (fresh or frozen).
It’s time to make one last check of your grocery list. Did you forget something important, like gravy for the mashed potatoes you may be serving one night? The goal is to shop once weekly! It’s great to save money, but it’s also nice to know you’re saving time.
Shop After You Create a Grocery List
Head to the store(s) with your list in hand. Make sure not to forget anything you need for the week. Once back home, consider doing some prep if you think it will make things easier for you during the week.
Example Meal Plan with Recipes
By planning things out in advance, you’ll be less apt to give in to ordering takeout or going out! Here’s an example of what my plan looks like for the week. Recipes are included in case you’d like to give them a try. The sales I found helped me plan my meals for the week: one meal with boneless chicken, two meals with ground beef, two meals with pork tenderloin, and two meals with shrimp.
- Monday: Marry Me Chicken (stovetop meal)
- Tuesday: Crockpot Glazed Pork Tenderloin, Baked Potato, & Corn on the Cob
- Wednesday: Crockpot Lasagna with Ground Beef with a Side Salad
- Thursday: Pulled Pork Sandwiches (leftovers), Baked Beans, & a Side Salad
- Friday: Crockpot Lasagna (leftovers) with a Side Salad
- Saturday: Shrimp Chow Mein over Rice (stovetop meal)
- Sunday: Shrimp Chow Mein over Rice (leftovers)
One final note: I include an easy-to-shop Instacart shopping list with all my recipes. It will take the item list, and when you click the link, it will show you all the items you need in Instacart (I believe this service is available in the US and Canada). You can select the store you want to shop from and add the items you need to the shopping cart. Take some time looking at different nearby stores to find the best prices. If you place your order with Instacart, some stores will offer you two options: pick it up at the store when you specify or have it delivered to your home.
Conclusion – Why You Should Create a Grocery List for Meal Planning Before You Shop
So,, do you think you can make this work? There are many reasons to create a grocery list based on what’s on sale before you shop. I like that it gives me time to come up with meal prep ideas and recipes to accompany what I want to make for the week—I can be creative with what I’m making.
I know I’ll save money and be less tempted to impulse shop since I know exactly what I’m making. I’ll reduce waste by knowing what I need (and what I don’t!). By making a shopping list, I know I’ll be able to save time by shopping once weekly – I love the idea of knowing I won’t need to run to the stores to grab things I don’t have. Plus, if I spot items on sale, I can stock up so I won’t need to buy them when they’re at full price.
Finally – How to Do This & Make It Work for You!
Here’s how you do this to save money and make your life much easier! Think about how you’ll cook this week (crockpot, oven, barbeque, Instant Pot, stovetop, air fryer, etc). Find the sales for the week and know what’s on sale – then create a grocery list, but be sure to eliminate from it things you already have. Come up with your meal plan for the week, find the recipes you’ll make, finalize your list, and then shop. It’s easy to do, and once you start doing it regularly, I don’t think you’ll go back to the “old way” of doing things with meals.
Thanks for stopping by. I hope I’ve helped you understand how making a grocery list can save you time and money! I’ll continue to share sample meal plans with recipes based on items frequently on sale with you each week. Follow along to simplify your meal planning!
Just a suggestion: have you given any thought to purchasing used items rather than new ones? Vintage Kitchen Items are really popular among people looking to save money while buying quality kitchenware. Give it some thought!
