Eat for less: More grocery budget tips

I had $100 to spend and a lengthy list of items to buy. Bananas, pears, celery. Rice, eggs, cheese, bread, milk, cheese. Ground beef, cheese, chicken, cereal, cereal bars, cheese.

My frustration grew as my cart filled, the eye ever on the budget. I wanted sparkling water but decided to skip it since we now go through almost two gallons of milk a week. Orange juice wasn't on sale so I opted to get a smaller jar of peanut butter.

By the end, I tossed up my hands. I went back through the aisles and grabbed what I wanted. I was done with the budget and whatever we were over ... well, we were over.

I lucked out that week, staying under my budget and still getting some luxury items, but it's not always that way. It can take a lot more finessing to get the necessities and the fun stuff for the week.

But I've learned a few tricks that help me get what I want and keep it under budget.

Be loyal to a store — when it pays. Kroger is the most convenient store to my house, and the chain is also the most popular in the area. Like so many stores, they have a loyalty card, which offers savings and a way for the store to track purchases. It can feel a bit invasive but Kroger mails out loyalty coupons that can be applied to the items I buy most. Free cereal bars? Yes, please. And, while you are at it, I will take 50 cents off the rice that's on sale. Thanks for asking.

I also get fuel points at Kroger, and my $400 monthly spending at the store can save me $5 on gas. It's not a lot but I'll take it.

Shop in the morning. My neighborhood store will put perishable items on manager's special like clockwork — at 8 a.m. Meat that can go in the freezer and vegetables still with days of life can be found at a good discount. I try to make it at the store on Friday before work or Saturday before a run to get the best-looking products for the best price.

Get to know the employees. I shop at the same Kroger at the same time (usually) each week. I know the guy in the meat department, and he knows me. He knows I like to buy sale items, to which he'll direct me. I never would have bought chorizo had it not been for him but the $2.49 roll became two meals, including chili. Employees are also, at times, at liberty to further mark down items or make them free depending on the expiration. A Kroger employee gave me a six-pack of Tropicana juice boxes at no cost as he only had four days on them. It was an instance when being a regular shopper worked to my advantage.

Use coupons for the things you buy. I rarely use coupons from online sources or the newspaper because they are most often for things I don't buy. If I wouldn't get it at full price, I don't need it at a discount — no matter how great the savings is.

A note on this: Use the coupons only if it makes the deal better. For example, I had coupons for Laura's Lean Beef and Kroger's Simple Truth Chicken. I could use them whenever to save a bit but I waited. On Saturday, I found both products on manager's special, which equaled about double the savings.

If it's a good deal, buy it. On the most recent shopping trip, I didn't need either the beef or the chicken but I bought them. Yes, it cut into the budget for things I needed on that trip but it was going to save me for the next week. I do this especially with meat as it is often the most expensive thing on the list. A word of caution: I buy what I think I will use in the next month but no more. Grocery stores cycle specials and new coupons come out. I will be able to get a good sale again.

Plan double-duty dinners. There's a good chance that the Laura's Lean Beef will become meatballs next week. The first meal will be with pasta and sauce, and the second can be a meatball sandwich. Pulled pork and barbecue chicken are great for this, too.

Know what's worth your money. Mark drinks Tropicana orange juice. Period. The times I have tried to go to a lower cost beverage have been met with complaints and, sometimes, waste. I no longer try to save money on juice. However, there are no complaints when it comes to store brand cereal and pasta. I also alternate between the good stuff and the value items. One week, we get Private Selection ice cream (the best) and the next week it's Kroger brand or a sale item + coupon.

How do you save at the grocery?

Related post: Getting started on a budget

Things I've been eating + giveaway

I was feeling so proud of myself. I had reviewed two days of entries on MyFitnessPal, and I had noticed that it had been two days since I had eaten meat.

And I hadn't died. Shocking, I know.

Also shocking - I can be wrong but we'll get to that in a little bit but first, like any good eater, let's talk about breakfast.

I was fortunate enough to receive a gracious and generous box of goodies from a blend, and it included rye bread from Liz's favorite bakery. I'm a German girl, through and through, and I have been finding any chance I can to eat it. Breakfasts have been a (whole) egg with cheese on rye toast and served with some kind of produce. Tuesday it was an orange; this morning, grilled zucchini.

I'm making another go at a more substantial morning snack and, thanks to Bzz Agent, I'm trying out Kroger's yogurts - Greek, Greek Lite and CARBmaster. I prefer the Greek to Greek Lite but this particular morning I had the Lite pineapple mango with a bit of sliced banana and trail mix I found at Fresh Market. It was a great balance of protein plus carbs to hold me over to my lunch date.

One thing: My lunch date got held up and I had to scrounge up a snack from a drawer. I'd like to say I picked the nuts but it was a handful of marshmallows and some raisins. However, I did not eat the lint roller. Win.

Our big idea for the day was to find some Cajun- or Creole-inspired food to ring in Mardi Gras. We went to one of my favorite neighborhood places, and I got my even more favoritest salad - red beans and rice over lettuce with tomatoes and cheese - and gumbo. See, this is where I was wrong about the meat. Gumbo had chicken.

And putting the fat in Fat Tuesday was a packi from a neighborhood bakery. Apple, if you are interested. I ate half to only feel sort of fat.

I was feeling rather full and sick to be honest from the paczki that I didn't snack my way through the afternoon, saving room for dinner - blackened salmon po boys and Alexia Foods Multigrain Onion Rings.

The onion rings were courtesy of Alexia, and I was excited to try a more nutrient-dense version of a favorite indulgence. They were crunchy, hearty and tasty.

I had a post-dinner workout planned, and I grabbed a handful of candy. To power me through, of course.

The workout pretty much sucked - I blame the lingering illness. But the good news ... well, totally unrelated. Alexia Foods is offering one Healthy Strides reader a gourmet cooking prize-pack giveaway. The winner will receive an Alexia apron, Alexia kitchen timer and a coupon for a FREE Alexia Product 

You can also sign up to be part of the Alexia Ambassador Program for exclusive recipes, coupons, free gift cards and kitchen gear. Simply visit http://rewards.alexiafoods.com to begin earning points towards these prizes and more!

To enter, simply leave a comment telling me which Alexia Foods product you would select with the coupon.

 The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and will end on Wednesday, Feb. 20. The winner will be selected at random and announced on the blog Thursday, Feb. 21. The winner will have 72 hours to claim her prize (by emailing hlthystrides at gmail dot com) or a new winner will be selected.