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Shop and Save

The goal of this lesson is to help participants get the most from their food dollar by applying food budgeting, meal planning, and grocery shopping strategies.

Basics of Spending Food Dollars Wisely

• Budget your food dollars:
  • Compare how much you spend on different food categories.
• Plan meals before shopping, to save time and money:
  • Make a grocery-shopping list.
  • Consider where to shop (for example, items at a convenience store might be more expensive than at a grocery store).
  • Check newspapers for store circulars and coupons.
• Make grocery shopping easier at the store:
  • Follow your grocery-shopping list.
  • Get to know the layout of your store.
  • Check the cost per unit on the grocery shelf tag, if available.
  • Check cost per serving of meat to determine the cheapest meat and poultry available.

Learning Objectives

After completing this lesson, participants will be able to:

1. Determine how much they spend on food and non-food items.
2. Demonstrate their ability to plan at least one meal.
3. Develop a shopping list from a weekly meal plan.
4. Describe at least one way to save money in the grocery store.
5. Become familiar with shelf unit price tags (cost per unit), where available.
6. Apply cost per serving when buying meats.

Instructional Activities

The following activities can be used with either individuals or groups. Complete descriptions are included in the activities immediately following this chapter. Facilitators are encouraged to provide handouts for the activities you do not have time to complete.

1. From Big Budget to Food Budget
2. Register Receipts to Save
3. Menu Planning in Minutes
4. Smart Shopping Saves Money
5. Comparing the Cost per Unit
6. Meat and Poultry Best Buys
7. Price Scavenger Hunt

Conclusions

See individual activities for specific topics.

Check for Understanding and Behavior Change

See individual activities for specific topics.

References and Resources

Complete references and additional resources for each activity are listed at the back of this unit.