I have a very limited of money to spent on groceries. Since I buy most of my food from Save-A-Lot, I have saved my receipts each week. When I had about a month's worth, I began making my grocery list from these receipts, as they list all the prices.
If I only have $40.00 to spend, I tally the items using the calculator and my receipts. I start with "must haves" like milk, bread, eggs, then secondly with meats and dinner items, keeping track of the total.
Then if there is money still left, I put down chips, snacks, and colas. When I run out of money, that's my list with everything totaled, it even shows the tax. I don't know how many times this has saved me from running over my budget.
http://homeplansoftware.com/shoplist.htm I use this freeware. I do the same thing you do but I put it into this shopping list software that I downloaded several years ago for free. It has a place to add items, prices, amounts. You click new to make a new shopping list and just go thru the categories double clicking to add item to grocery list and you can see at the bottom a running total of what you have on the list. If price changes on item on the list just right click and click edit and change price. Right clicking in categories means you can add new category, or in category list right clicking means you can add new item to that category.
Get a small 3-ring binder and mark all this down for your very own price book. Mark the store, item, price, size, and cost per pound. You'll be surprised that things that you thought were bargains, really aren't. Once done, it really simplifies shopping. Then, when you have money left over, don't buy snacks. Rather, invest it in stand-bys that you use to start your own stockpile. Once established, you only have to shop loss leaders, and will never pay full price for anything again. I often only go to the store once a month (but I do have a garden and freeze and can), and my stockpile doesn't take up too much space. It saves my so much time and money. Good luck!
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I have a very limited of money to spent on groceries. Since I buy most of my food from Save-A-Lot, I have saved my receipts each week. When I had about a month's worth, I began making my grocery list from these receipts, as they list all the prices.
