The Blue Collar Kitchen

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/TC010186181033.aspx?pid=CT102530571033&WT.mc_id=42

Find more templates (including more Home templates) at http://office.microsoft.com/templates

If you have never used microsoft templates before, they are great. You can templates that download to Word or Excel for anything you need help with.

Make sure your grocery list has all of the staple items you use cooking on a weekly basis. When you use an item and only have enough left for one more use, add it to the grocery list. Check the local grocery adds each week and purchase any item that is on sale that you have added to your grocery list. You will find yourself buying more items that are on your list and fewer items you have ran out of. Within a month, you will notice a significant difference in your grocery budget.

Here is an example.

Ground beef: 10lb family pack
Regular price: $2.99/lb = 29.99
Sales Price: $1.29/lb = 12.99

Instant savings: $17.00

I recommend setting a goal of purchasing 80% of all staple items through sales within two months. Don't try and do it all the first weekend. Don't forget to shop the sales at all the different stores in your area. I recommend watching the sales at 3-4 grocery stores. Most stores rotate their sales every 12 weeks.

Be sure to watch out for Part 4 of Taking Control of Your Grocery Budget coming up in a few days!