Store Brands Are Looking Better

I find that the higher the grocery prices climb, the less brand-specific I become. I was doing really well couponing and shopping frugally for several months. I had saved several hundred dollars in coupons as of June of this year. Those of you who've read my blog for awhile probably remember that I even had another blog dedicated to my money-saving efforts.

Then, I got lazy.

It was a gradual thing. First, the gas prices caused the large metro area near us to quit delivering their paper -- full of great coupons -- this far north. Then, our local paper started getting really skimpy with the coupons. Then, I quit shopping Publix to combine coupons with BOGO offers for really great savings.

I was planning meals around my well-stocked pantry and freezer, so I didn't feel the effects of not shopping the deals for awhile. Now, however, my pantry is bare, my freezer is minimally stocked and I'm back to shopping week-to-week. I will say that my weekly total is still far below what it was previously, thanks to some of the things I learned about meal planning, but I'm no longer getting the week's worth of groceries and restocking my pantry with the week's grocery budget like I was before; I'm just getting by with the bare minimum for the week.

I'm making plans to get back in the game, though. I clipped coupons this week for the first time in a long time. I'll get them organized in my coupon binder this weekend. I checked Publix's ad for BOGO deals. There were a few, but I'm not sure if it's worth the gas to drive over there for them. Maybe I need to find someone to carpool with.

Another step I'm taking this week is one that I've thought about many, many times over the years, but never have done. I'm purchasing meals plus a bonus option from Angel Food Ministries. My sister got all the paperwork and she's going to place the order for us on Monday, so I have her to thank for finally taking the plunge. It's not that it's a huge undertaking, I just never could seem to get it together enough to go by any of the churches that offer AFM and pay for the upcoming order. It's my plan to begin purchasing from AFM each month...especially after comparing how much food you get for the money with what I paid for next to nothing at the grocery store tonight.

In looking up the Angel Food Ministries website so I could post the link, I ran across an article that said the food was mediocre, at best. I'll have to post a review after we've tried a box. Hopefully, it won't be a total waste of money. If you've ever tried AFM, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

So, what about you? What steps are you taking to try to offset rising prices?

Photo by maproomsystems