Grocery a ga-ga

Since selling my business this June I have taken a new position with a start up company called my crazy family. Unfortunately it is a full time job. I was really hoping for part-time work or some sort of job sharing situation, but alas, in this economy a girl can't be too choosy. So full time stay at home Mom it is. While I love being at home with my little guy (girlie is a first grader, so its just me and the destructoboy during the day), I do find myself a little bored. Not bored in the sense that I have too much time on my hands (ha), but missing the mental stimulation of a real life out-of-the-house-in-regular-clothes-non-poopie-diaper job.

One of the ways I cope with this is to challenge myself to save money.

When I was busy managing my business a grocery run was literally just that. A full sprint through the store after work, tossing whatever was needed into the cart. Prices? Who cared? Sales? Who noticed? I couldn't have told you how much a gallon of milk was or which brands had the best deals. So now that I shop with a little time on my hands, I decided to take notice and try to spend less on groceries each week. Feeding a family of four was running us around $200 a week. Surprisingly, I am able to save $25 - 40 per week, by paying attention. Wow. One downside has been that I have had to compromise on the brands I regularly buy, sometimes giving up a favorite product. Probably the worst one was my favorite cereal. Shockingly, it was over $5 a box! Once I started comparing my delicious crunchy squares to the cost of other cereals, I just couldn't bring myself to buy it. Until last week that is, when it went on sale for $2.99 a box. I cannot explain my excitement as I shoved five boxes into the cart next to my buy one get one free pot roasts.

I really think I might have a future with this start up. I mean, if I keep implementing cost saving measures like this I may even be up for a promotion!