The Average Grocery Shopping Trip

(click the picture to print out) 

+Things I forgot to add but we buy every couple of months: Almonds, granola, chia seeds, ground flaxmeal, Honey, Agave, Real Maple Syrup+ 

By popular demand, here is our families average grocery shopping list. We have a budget of $300 a month for our family of four and buy 90% (or more) organic. I have done a post similar to this a couple months ago but didn't include a shopping list (you can find that post here). 

I always look for sales and if something is cheaper at one part of the month I buy more than normal. When  I first started shopping organically I spent ridiculous amounts of money at the whole food store then one day made a quick stop at our local Safeway only to discover they had the exact same food for literally half the price, or less. As you get used to shopping you will eventually know what a reasonable price is for something and if it's actually worth it. 

If you're wondering how to know if a fruit or veggie is a good buy there are a couple of things to look at. 1) If you look at an apple and say, "Wow that apple is huge + what a good price!" Walk away. I promise if you go look at the serial number on that apple it probably has a number eight at the beginning of it. That apple was grown conventionally with chemicals and pesticides. It's genes were also altered to make it brighter and bigger. 2) Once you walk away from applesaureous-rex and find a smaller apple that is still shiny. Put it down and keep looking. That apple most likely start with a four and was sprayed with pesticides and may contain chemicals. 3) Find the quaint, dull little apple. This apple should start with a nine and is organically grown and not altered in any way. 

Fun little saying to remember is 4 is a bore, 8 is NOT great and 9 is just fine :) 

I realize that this shopping list is HUGE and we do not get everything every time. So I have made a shopping list for each week: (Please note we freeze meat so even though it seems like there's no way to use it all we sometimes keep it through the month) 

It may look like we eat a lot of the same thing (and for breakfasts and lunches we do) but with different spices and other little things we are able to mix it up pretty good. At the beginning of the week I do make - 24 egg muffins with onion, spinach, feta, mozzarella and egg whites - Pre make the sweet potato fries and puffs- Oven roast the brussels sprouts and if I'm feeling ambitious I even make the chicken into 3 oz pieces, bake, and separate into containers. 

You may have also noticed this shopping list only equals about $275 and I said we spend $300. With the extra $25 we may buy orange juice or a different snack or anything extra we may need for a meal. As long as you're paying attention to prices it's really easy to stay in a budget of around $50-$100 per person/per month. 

I normally don't grocery shop 4 times a month, either. I will typically go twice. One is a big shopping trip and the next one is about half the size or less. It's a lot easier and it saves a lot of time. 

I hope this helped at least one person! Let me know what your favorite things to buy are! If you'd like a layout for a grocery list that you fill in yourself please click here.