Cut Your Grocery Bill In Half! with Stephanie Nelson, The Coupon Mom
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These menus were the basis of the Coupon Mom SNAP Challenge on December 14th, 2012 featured on the Katie Couric Show.  This menu was based on the sale prices at a Stop and Shop store in Clifton, New Jersey using the Coupon Mom Stop & Shop Deals List during that particular week.  The full price of the groceries for these meals was originally $210, and the final cost was $98.80 that week using Strategic Shopping strategies, sale prices and coupons (a savings of $111)--click here to see the actual shopping list.   It is unlikely that this same menu would be the same cost during a different week. However, you would be able to create a comparable menu with slightly different items using the Coupon Mom Deals List for your store any week of the year. The Coupon Mom site provides weekly lists of deals for 60 store chains across the US, updated every week.

 The key to saving at the grocery store is to plan your menus around the sale items at the store for that particular week.  Begin with main dish items, and plan your dinners around the deeply-discounted meats, poultry or fish.  Plan for leftovers, and prepare enough of the dinner to make lunches the next day or include as an ingredient in the next day's dinner.  Compare the cost per pound of produce options.  You'll most likely find that the price per pound drops when you buy items like apples, potatoes, onions and oranges in the bag vs. by the individual piece. And the cost of lettuce and carrots will be less expensive if you wash your own lettuce and cut your own carrots.  Bananas are generally the least expensive fruit option on a per piece basis.
 

This is the shopping list used for these menus.