Grocery prices remain high and I am exploring new ways to help reduce my family’s grocery bill. How much I spend at the grocery store just depends on what the store has in stock, what’s on sale, or if I made a meal plan for the week.

My goal is to be better at how much I am spending at the grocery store, create a budget for my family, and make a meal plan each week.

The first thing anyone can do to create a food budget is figure out your household’s total spending and savings. It’s important to know how much your other household expenses cost before deciding just how much you have available to spend on groceries.

Once you have determined other household expenses you can estimate about 12% of your household budget going towards groceries. This includes not only your groceries but also restaurants, convenience stores, and coffee shops.

With the prices of food changing so much at the grocery store many families might be adjusting their food budget or finding ways to reduce costs.

A few tips to keep in mind include:

• Buy what you need and what fits in your budget, remember this can vary week by week
• If you see something that is on sale and fits in your budget, consider buying extra if it’s shelf stable
• Compare unit prices for the best deal, buying in bulk is not always the better buy
• Choose store brands, these are often comparable in quality to name brands
• Keep an eye out for discounts and sales for items you buy often
• Use a calculator to add up costs as you shop

Making a weekly meal plan and a grocery shopping list are both great ideas to keep your grocery bill within your budget. Another idea when planning your list is to shop the store sale ads and coupons. Don’t forget to check your pantry and freezer before making your grocery list. I often find that I have plenty of items in the pantry to create a meal, but they get pushed to the back.

There are some great low-cost recipes that can be found on celebrateyourplate.org

One of my favorites is the Blueberry Chicken Pasta Salad

Ingredients

For the Dressing

• 1/2 cup (fresh or thawed frozen) blueberries
• 2 tablespoons olive oil OR vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)

For the Salad

• 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
• 3 cups whole grain pasta, cooked and cooled (about 1.5 cups uncooked pasta)
• 12 ounces chicken breast, cooked and sliced
• 4 cups leafy greens (spinach, romaine, kale, etc.)
• 1/2 cup red onion, chopped
• 1 medium bell pepper, chopped

Instructions

• Before you begin, wash your hands, surfaces, utensils, and produce.
• Add dressing ingredients to a jar with a lid and shake to blend or combine in a small bowl and whisk them together.

Combine salad ingredients in a large mixing bowl and toss with dressing.

Kaitlynn Tonn is an OSU Extension Family & Consumer Sciences Educator and may be reached at 330-264-8722 or tonn.13@osu.edu
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This article was previously published in The Daily Record.