You may have heard it before, Shop the Perimeter!!

Grocery store aisles trap you with just-in-case impulse buys. There are only two reasons to stray from the perimeter of your local grocery store. One, you've run out of baking staples like flour or sugar or your favorite seasonings. Two, household goods like toilet paper and paper towels.

Your grocery trip should look like this.

1. You've already created your shopping list from the recipes you've chosen to cook this week. You will not be distracted by samples or coupons because you don't need anything except what is on my list. If you need help creating your list, check out our free download shopping list!
2. Walk in the doors, and pick out the small shopping cart. You're not buying in bulk, so you shouldn't need the full-size basket.
3. Start with your fruits & veggies. Don't overbuy! We get ambitious thinking "I'm going to snack on carrots & celery" all week and we buy more fresh fruits and veggies than we can eat, which means they will go to waste. Buy in season, and buy just what you need for your recipes.
4. Move onto dairy. Pick up your milk, cheese, sour cream. A gallon of milk will last a two-person household one week, accounting for baking & drinking.
5. Next is protein. Pick a nice small whole chicken that hasn't been enhanced with hormones. This may be the most expensive item your purchase. By boiling an entire fryer, you'll be stocking your fridge with plenty of chicken to add to pastas, salads, & sandwiches and you'll have the added advantage of a big pot of chicken stock you can use throughout the week too. If your recipes call for beef, pork, or seafood pick that up instead.
6. At this point, you can head for the checkout! You'll probably have fewer than 15 items, which means you get to use the self check-out for added convenience.