Shopping When Hungry=Savvy Fail.

Hey there foxy readers!  One sure way to kill your savvy shopping buzz is to get to the checkout line at the grocery store and find that you've gone way over budget.  The easiest way to do that is to shop while you're hungry.  Suddenly everything on the shelves looks delish.  Even things you may ordinarily pass, are suddenly on the checkout counter just waiting to go home with you!   Another easy way is just poor planning.  How many times do you walk into the grocery store to pick up something for dinner and walk out with everything except what you came in for?

2010 can be different.  With just a little pre-planning you can get your shopping skills in order and spend less time and less money and have better mealtimes at home in the process!

First of all... eat something before you go to the grocery... at the very least drink a small glass of orange juice, the natural sugar should curb your appetite long enough for you to shop!

Second... the most important shopping tool is your weekly menu.  So many times we stop and get something fast because well, it's just easier... but it's rarely healthier and rarely cheaper than eating at home!  Make yourself a weekly menu... if you want a night out... just plan it!   You can make your own, or go for one of these printable menus available on etsy (Geeky--are you seeing this?!).
Grab the circular from your favorite grocery establishment and plan your menu around the sales.  Getting tired of the same ol' meals?  Google is your friend!  There are so many good cooks out there just giving their recipes away!  One of my absolute favorites for great homemade recipes is Tammy's Recipes. Try her homemade pizza dough recipe...
a-freakin-mazing!  Take a poll of your families favorite restaurants and meals.  There are lots of CopyKat cooks out there trying to get just that right blend of their favorite restaurant's signature dish!  Don't forget the coupons!

With your menu made, you can now make out a very accurate shopping list.  This next step may be the hardest part... do not deviate from your list!  It will be hard to resist those oreo's on the endcap... but it will be worth it when you bake the brownies that were on your list instead!

In the end... with a plan of attack, you can cut the amount of extras that just "jump" into your cart... cut the guesswork out of your dinner plans and save some time and dough in the process...

And that's just one of many ways to stay savvy, savvy?