Simply put, a little planning reduces your grocery bill

Not so long ago, midweek grocery shopping for my family of two would have cost about $50. Now, the same shopping rings up $100 at the register. And I’m not fooled by the cheery remark by the checkout girl who hands me the receipt and says, “You have just saved $7.58.”

With grapefruit $1 each, melons at $4 and fish often $9 a pound, I wonder how large families manage, and I have started to look for ways to cut my own ever-higher grocery bills.

Unfortunately, most of the ways to save involve spending additional time, but I am beginning to think that a small investment of time might be worth it.

One book chock-full of ideas (although much of the advice is geared to larger families) is Steve and Annette Economides’ “Cut Your Grocery Bills in Half.” The authors are personal finance experts with five children who they feed on $350 per month. Since most families spend 10-15 percent of their take-home pay on groceries, yearly savings could be substantial if you can learn how to eat well, but save big.

The authors state that in order to “shop to win,” you first must recognize that your grocery store is strategically designed to encourage you to buy the products on which they make the greatest profit so you must be prepared to navigate the detours and distractions. It all starts with a plan and the first step is:

1. Take stock of what you already have. I’m guilty of forgetting what is in the basement freezer or lower pantry and buying two extra when shopping.

2. Review grocery store ads circling needed items; then make a list, by store, of the best buys. This will help determine where you will shop this week.

3. Create a monthly meal plan based on family schedule. (This one would be really hard for me as my schedule changes from week to week, and how do you know you will feel like having spaghetti and meatballs, next Tuesday?)

4. Use seasonal fruits and vegetables and have protein, starch and vegetables at each meal. I could save by following this as I sometimes buy out-of-season fruit, because we like having blueberries or strawberries on our cereal.

5. Use your cookbook to find new ways to make “sale items.” The author likes “1,000 Best Recipes” from Cook’s Illustrated.

6. The meal is the meal. No special options for finicky eaters. I’m on board with this one, and when raising my brood, always followed the advice of Fran Lebowitz who said, “Ask your child what he wants for dinner only if he’s buying.

7. Stay away from extra-priced, small packages. Create your own single-serving chips or crackers by using zip lock bags.

8. Divide up the list with each purchaser assigned a section. Val is no longer well enough to shop with me, but this only works if you have a husband who doesn’t go “off list” and buy herring in cream sauce or Ben & Jerry’s pineapple passion.

9. Shop less often and avoid impulse buys. The authors claim they buy once a month, but I find some fruits go bad in one or two days. They use air-tight plastic containers with paper towels to absorb the moisture when storing lettuce and some fruits. Although I have an extra freezer in the basement, we are definitely spoiled, and neither Val or I ever expect to be short any favorite food which does necessitate many trips to the store. Buying in bulk only works if you have a large family, ample storage room and a basement freezer ... not typical of most retirees.

There is abundant good advice about watching date codes, staying focused at the check out, using rain checks, coupons and store brands and bringing your own bags to save money. Additional chapters cover organizing your kitchen and eating out for less. In summary, a thought-provoking and helpful book in these times of soaring food prices.

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