10 Things To Buy With Extra Grocery Budget Money

Unless you are a math ninja who computes your grocery list down to the dollar (I mean, sometimes I do like to play this game, see Meal Plans 🙂 ) you most likely have extra grocery budget money that does not have a purpose. We’ve come up with ten ideas that will help you spend the extra grocery budgeting money. This can hopefully save some time and money in the future.

If you have room, start with what’s on sale first (organic meat, hopefully!), especially if you aren’t in desperate need of another item on the list.

Condiments

Organic options for condiments have exploded in the past few years and you’re likely to find options for organic ketchup, mustard, mayo, barbeque sauce, salsa, and more for extremely affordable prices at your local grocery store. (Think $1.50-3.00 range at Kroger, Aldi, and Walmart) I always try to have a backup option in the pantry for these staples. So if you have extra grocery budgeting bucks available, this is the perfect filler.

Spices

People’s tastes can definitely differ when it comes to spices, but most of us keep the essentials like salt, pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, chili powder, etc. Aldi and Walmart have organic options for these popular spices in the standard size jar for less than $2.00 (At Ali’s Aldi they are a smidge over $2.00 and at her Walmart closer to $4.00, so obviously price and availability vary). Spices are a perfect filler if you have a few bucks to spare in your grocery budget.

I love to store spices in half-pint mason jars because it’s super easy to scoop and measure out of. Lindsey adds that not all spices are gluten-free, so be sure to check labels carefully. She also loves using tubes of spices, like cilantro, ginger, and basil. This can be an inexpensive way to add a big punch of flavor into a dish.

Grocery Budgeting-Meat on Sale

If you don’t buy meat on sale when you’re on a budget, you’re doing it wrong! Seriously though. This is one of my favorites to buy when we have extra money in our grocery budget. At Kroger, sometimes they mark organic chicken up to $7.99 a pound. That’s a ridiculous price to pay for a pound of chicken. I try to aim for $5.99 a pound plus a coupon. Kroger typically has $1.00-$1.50 digital coupons off chicken to load in their app. They also will mark meat down to manager’s special when it’s close to sell-by date. My Aldi also frequently puts $2.00 off coupons on their organic chicken (which is usually $5.79 /lb) that’s on or near best-by date. I always buy a couple extra pounds when they do this. That way, you’re freeing up money in your next grocery budgeting cycle, when you can again stock up on whatever meat is on sale.

About once a month, Aldi’s meat special is organic grass-fed beef for $4.49/lb (4-pound-pack). I’ve frozen meat for years and never had an issue with it tasting funky. This is also great to have on hand for a big batch of chili or Alissa’s spaghetti sauce.

Frozen Veggies

Frozen veggies are perfect for when you just need to throw a side on the table. My freezer always has several packages of organic broccoli florets. ($1.99 for 16-ounce bags at Aldi!) Recently, I’ve seen everything from organic Brussels sprouts and chopped sweet potatoes and butternut squash to cauliflower rice and zucchini noodles in the freezer section of several popular grocery chains. Just make sure that it’s ONE ingredient (no sauces or preservatives added). You can steam, sauté, or roast these options. P.S. I roast frozen veggies frequently and they come out great!

Canned Veggies

My kiddos actually prefer canned green beans to fresh or frozen (unless we get half-runners from the farmer’s market in the summer ?). Even though we mostly use dry beans, I do like to keep a few varieties of organic beans in the pantry for “emergencies” in the kitchen.

Pantry Staples

Flour, sugar, dry beans, oats, cornmeal… you get the picture.

Stock/ Broth

Again, our favorite three grocery chains (Kroger, Aldi, Walmart) have stock options (well, those too) in organic varieties for $2.00 or less. I also love using the organic varieties of Better Than Bullion, thanks to a tip from Beth over at Budget Bytes. They run about $5.00 for a jar of paste, but it lasts for months in the fridge, and a little goes a looong way.

Pasta

Can you ever have too much pasta in the pantry?

Butter

Organic butter is expensive! It’s rarely on sale, so when it is, grab an extra pound and freeze it. Butter freezes perfectly, and it’s great to grate ? in homemade biscuit mix.

Frozen Pizza

Finally, we’re saving the best for last! Frozen pizza has come a loooong way in the past few years. Aldi and Kroger both have organic options for less than $5.00. Some days are just meant for frozen pizza. You’ll thank yourself for the foresight to have had this easy option at the ready. Add a bowl of baby carrots (or potato chips, because that’s a veggie too) and a little fresh fruit and it’s a totally balanced meal ?! Give yourself a little grace! We all deserve some.

What did we miss? What do you grab when you have extra grocery budgeting money to spare? Tell us in the comments, or send us a message here ?