Anyone Feel Like They are Spending WAYYYYYY Too Much on Groceries?

[AprilRenee]

Do you have an Aldi near you? My DH and I shop at Aldi. We budget about $50 a week and rarely spend it all. Granted, we don't eat as much meat as you do but even so, Aldi has meat and we have never had any problem with the meat we've bought there.
They only sell Aldi brand products but my DH and I actually prefer the Aldi brands to name brands in most cases. If we find we like the name brand better then we just skip that product at Aldi and make a small trip to the local grocery store for a few items.

It's worth a try. When my dad lost his job my mom fed a family of 6 on $33/week by shopping at Aldi.

 

[meredith1]

I don't know if that is somewhere you are looking to cut costs, but I switched both dds at some point to store brand and both did well.

Oh trust me I would go that route but, they were preemies and have to be on the Similac Neosure. They are ten months on Friday and all I keep thinking is two more months, two more months and we go to cow's milk!!!!

 

[4greatboys]

We spend a lot on groceries. There are 6 of us (5 guys). Now that summer time is here the grocery bill is about to get higher since the 2 youngest ones are out of school.
To help with our grocery bill I just try to stock up on items we use when there is a good sale on.

 

[mombrontrent]

Wow that is expensive. I am in Canada, but I spend around 60-80 per week including toiletries and food per week for 4 of us. For lunches though we keep it simple, soup, sandwiches, frozen dinners, etc. Breakfast is not a big ordeal either except for weekends, mid-week it is just cereal or oatmeal or frozen waffles. I'm not sure what you're making, but maybe have cheaper lunches/breakfasts and then splurge on dinners. Also, snack items can add up. Try coupons and watch fliers for sales.

I don't know where you live or what you are buying I also live in Canada and with our family of 5 can easily spend $200-$250 a week on groceries. We don't even really eat meat, I'm a vegetarian and my kids don't eat very much either. We do eat alot of fresh fruits and veggies and cheese all of which are pretty expensive.

 

[Marionnette]

Taking advantage of sales and stocking up is pretty much the key to bringing your grocery bill down. You can still enjoy nice cuts of meat every day if you stick to the sales. Do you have a freezer and a Food Saver vacuum sealer? Both were great investments for us.

I don't have a garden but I do grown my own fresh herbs. It's amazing how some fresh basil or parsley can liven up the flavor in a recipe.

Lose your brand loyalties. If Post raisin bran is on sale and you have a coupon that makes it dirt cheap, then forget Kellogg's this week.

Skip the bakery and the deli when you shop. Just because most of the healthy stuff is located around the perimeter of the store that doesn't mean that it all is. My sister sold me her spare meat slicer and now I just use that to slice down a boneless ham or turkey breast for sandwiches.

Don't hesitate to freeze leftovers. They don't seem like leftovers when you reheat them two weeks later. Plus it saves you time on a hectic day. Almost no cooking to be done!

But all in all, I don't think that $600/month is outrageous for two people who are eating 3 meals/day at home.

 

[Tiger926]

I live in Canada, where food and taxes are more than in most places in the US, hardly any coupons to be found (except mostly packaged/processed foods), and I think that's a lot of money for 2 people, since we spend less than that for 4 people.

We are a family of 4, and we eat all meals at home, except for Sunday dinner with family. We do not eat out, nor do we buy coffee, fast food, etc. We have meat every night too, milk, eggs, yogurt, etc., and we don't spend $600.00/month, and that's counting toiletries as well. We also don't eat stuff like hot dogs, pop, packaged meals, don't buy bottled water, etc. We cook pretty much everything from scratch, but we do buy a favourite marinara sauce from Costco (we add ground beef) and simple noodle packages to supplement meals once in awhile when time is an issue. Have vegetables every night with dinner, rice or pasta a couple of times per week, as well as fruit on a daily basis, make homemade pizzas (make the dough in our breadmaker), fresh baked cookies, cinnamon rolls, homemade burgers and chicken soup for examples - all of these are expensive in the grocery store. We also don't buy tons of condiments, sauces, dips, etc. as those also add to the grocery costs.

I'm thinking that costs are higher where OP lives, perhaps stuff is not on sale, and portions may be bigger than ours (we don't know how much OP and her mate eat), as well as the fact that she is eating costly meals: shrimp and cheesesteaks are expensive!

You can only save money if that is available in your area...if prices are high, and there aren't many coupons, then the only way to cut down is to lower portion sizes, eat less meat (but being a vegetarian is costly, so I'm not talking about that), less expensive food choices, little or no packaged/processed foods, wholesale clubs and batch cook.

Interesting thread, Tiger

 

[lakelandgal70]

Wow that is a lot. There is just me and DH here and I spend 100 or less a week for groceries and yes that includes toiletries and cleaning products. But then again I do mostly meatless meals. Maybe have a meat dish once or twice a week. Plus I stretch meals by having smaller portions. Really helps with the budget. I only use coupons on brands that I use and mostly buy store brands. We have fresh fruit almost daily too. Heck for this week I spent 60 bucks for the whole week.

 

[arthur06]

I am not a huge lover of "meatless" meals. Some people, myself included, like to have meat with our meals.

It seems to that OP has more gourmet type meals then we have though. I would say try to mix in cheaper meats a few times per week.

We also have 3 boys, so something like "pigs in a blanket" is a meal that we can have very cheap. We can always find an 8ct hot dog package for under $2.00 and most of the time under $1.00. We usually buy crescent rolls under $2.00 and cheese $1.00 and we all eat for $5.00. (maybe $7.00 or $8.00 with sides) We usually mix in some fruit with the meals and DW and I eat lots of salads.

 

[mombrontrent]

I am not a huge lover of "meatless" meals. Some people, myself included, like to have meat with our meals.

It seems to that OP has more gourmet type meals then we have though. I would say try to mix in cheaper meats a few times per week.

We also have 3 boys, so something like "pigs in a blanket" is a meal that we can have very cheap. We can always find an 8ct hot dog package for under $2.00 and most of the time under $1.00. We usually buy crescent rolls under $2.00 and cheese $1.00 and we all eat for $5.00. (maybe $7.00 or $8.00 with sides) We usually mix in some fruit with the meals and DW and I eat lots of salads.

Go on you tube and goole "how a hot dog is made" and I GUARANTEE you'll never eat those $1 package hotdogs EVER again Seriously though that video turned my Dh and kids off hot dogs for life and they used to love hot dogs. Also watch " how a chicken nugget is made" and you'll never eat another one of those either.

 

[bumbershoot]

I also live in Canada and with our family of 5 can easily spend $200-$250 a week on groceries. We don't even really eat meat, I'm a vegetarian and my kids don't eat very much either. We do eat alot of fresh fruits and veggies and cheese all of which are pretty expensive.

We don't spend that much, but our grocery budget is pretty high! Cracks me up to hear "reduce your costs by not having meat"...if that were true we should be eating nearly free! Costs to eat at home went UP when I went vegetarian...

 

[arthur06]

Go on you tube and goole "how a hot dog is made" and I GUARANTEE you'll never eat those $1 package hotdogs EVER again Seriously though that video turned my Dh and kids off hot dogs for life and they used to love hot dogs. Also watch " how a chicken nugget is made" and you'll never eat another one of those either.

That's why I don't google it...

 

[amylynne01]

We don't spend that much, but our grocery budget is pretty high! Cracks me up to hear "reduce your costs by not having meat"...if that were true we should be eating nearly free! Costs to eat at home went UP when I went vegetarian...

If you replace one meat meal a week with a non-meat entree, you will save. Meat is more expensive than other protein options like beans or eggs. Or replace meat with a lower cost option. Going vegetarian and going meatless once a week are totally different situations.

 

[neatokimmo]

OP, have you scouted out the stores with the best deals? We have one store that does the best deals on chicken and that is about it. Another store has the best deals on everything but chicken and frozen veggies. Target of all places has dirt cheap frozen veggies in their tiny food section.

So I monitor the chicken store and go once about every 3 months and stock up. The regular store of course gets my weekly trip. Then when we go to Target about every other week, I grab a bunch of veggies.

Also, I meal plan based on the ad. If it isn't on sale, I don't buy it. Example, I wanted shrimp but was $8 a pound. Instead I got a white fish (pollock I think?) for $2.66 pp and we'll have fish tacos instead of shrimp stir fry.

 

[Planogirl]

Buy in big quantities when meat is on sale. I don't have much freezer space or I would pick up more.

My biggest expenses right now are produce and Greek yogurt. Those are killing me!

 

[jsmith]

I live in a fairly high cost area-there are only two of us most of the time-for the summer we do have one of our grown sons living here while he works for a defense contractor as an intern but he helps with the cost so it balances out. I spend roughly 350 to 400 a month on groceries. Its not really a fair comparison since i use a military commissary-but-i can tell you how to cut costs shopping just for two.
1) shop no more than once per week-i plan meals in advance-this week we are having x y and z-and then decide daily what i am cooking that night
2) dairy delivery-yes its more expensive but-generally it helps facilitate 1 and i found that running in for a half gallon of milk if i ran out cost on average 30 dollars do to impluse buys. 3 pounds of fresh cherries, while healthy is still and impulse buy
3) contrary to what others have said-DONT stock up. this was a hard habit to break because i was accustomed to feeding two very large young men, but what i have learned is that it creates a huge amount of waste as things age out before they get used, even if you have the best of intentions. Same with the "buy two turkeys, hams ect advise-two people do not need a huge meal like that and if you buy something that large generally it will freezer burn before it all gets used. I have found i do much better both cost and waste wise if i purchase ONLY what we will eat that week-not stock up-regardless of the special. the exception is things like flour and sugar-and they should still be purchased in reasonable not stock up quantities
4) cook and bake from scratch-better for you and cheaper.
5) if gardening is not for you look into a community agricultural share-supports your local farmer-gives you farm fresh seasonal local produce-they are totally awesome.

 

[C.Ann]

Not since I got back into couponing on a regular weekly basis - just prior to moving back up here to the lake - and now while I'm here for the next 6 months or more.. Were it not for the BB, I would have not been aware that there were so many great coupons available online for items that I need or use on a regular basis (a few of which have to be name brand) - and all the free samples that are also available.. Between that - and doing the majority of my shopping at Aldi's again, I'm doing quite well - but generally speaking, I can't believe how much the cost of food has gone up!

I feel really bad for people who are struggling to put food on the table for their families right now.. I have been passing the word about coupons online to absolutely everyone I talk to (so many assumed - like me - that the newspaper inserts were all that were available) - and quite a few people have decided that their next shopping trip will be to try out Aldi's (especially since they will cheerfully refund your money for anything you purchase there that you don't like)..

You know the cost of groceries is becoming too much when my DD's MIL comes up here on Memorial Day and grills me for an hour about where I was obtaining my coupons and what Aldi's to go to; what kind of bags to bring; what kind of payment they accept; what I thought of the groceries I have purchased there; etc.. LOL.. Believe me - there was a time when she wouldn't even consider shopping there (or even the food sections of Walmart or Target) - let alone asking for the list of web sites where she can get coupons for items that she prefers to buy name brand.. Although money isn't really an issue for them, like everyone else, she's getting sick of the outrageous prices and is willing to try to save wherever she can..

I also think it may have something to do with her DH saying they wouldn't be taking many trips this year with their camper van (due to the gas prices), so if she can save the money on food, she might be able to convince him to put it in the gas tank instead..

I hope you're able to get some help here on the BB.. Times are tough - and seem to be getting tougher - even though they keep "saying" things are getting better.. I'd just like to know where..

 

[mrodgers]

2) dairy delivery-yes its more expensive but-generally it helps facilitate 1 and i found that running in for a half gallon of milk if i ran out cost on average 30 dollars do to impluse buys. 3 pounds of fresh cherries, while healthy is still and impulse buy

Simple solution, send the husband to buy milk. This is the biggest difference I have found between my wife and I with shopping. Any time she walks into Walmart, it is $50, even just for a gallon of milk. If I walk into Walmart for a gallon of milk, I walk out with...... a gallon of milk.

 

[beansmom]

Simple solution, send the husband to buy milk. This is the biggest difference I have found between my wife and I with shopping. Any time she walks into Walmart, it is $50, even just for a gallon of milk. If I walk into Walmart for a gallon of milk, I walk out with...... a gallon of milk.

that won't work with MY dh...he's a sucker for produce and can easily spend $50 a trip...and he NEVER looks at the prices...just buys what looks good to him.

 

[tinker&belle]

3) contrary to what others have said-DONT stock up. this was a hard habit to break because i was accustomed to feeding two very large young men, but what i have learned is that it creates a huge amount of waste as things age out before they get used, even if you have the best of intentions. Same with the "buy two turkeys, hams ect advise-two people do not need a huge meal like that and if you buy something that large generally it will freezer burn before it all gets used. I have found i do much better both cost and waste wise if i purchase ONLY what we will eat that week-not stock up-regardless of the special. the exception is things like flour and sugar-and they should still be purchased in reasonable not stock up quantities
\.

I think this can be true for single/couples. When it was just DH and me I would see the stock up sales and wonder who the heck needs that much. Now with two children our needs are changing and will continue to change as they grow older and have more friends over. I remember trying to 'stock up' on things that were perishable and lots of it went to waste.

Even with having a growing family I try to resist some of the stock up sales because having more of a few of anything gets to be a storage issue. I have a box of toiletries in my closet and groceries have to fit in our normal pantry. My DH is adament he would rather spend a little more than see the 'stuff' all the time. The biggest storage issue we have is I will find toys I know my kids or nieces or nephews would like and I hold onto those until the next bday/holiday and they can take up lots of space.

 

[mombrontrent]

I think this can be true for single/couples. When it was just DH and me I would see the stock up sales and wonder who the heck needs that much. Now with two children our needs are changing and will continue to change as they grow older and have more friends over. I remember trying to 'stock up' on things that were perishable and lots of it went to waste.

Even with having a growing family I try to resist some of the stock up sales because having more of a few of anything gets to be a storage issue. I have a box of toiletries in my closet and groceries have to fit in our normal pantry. My DH is adament he would rather spend a little more than see the 'stuff' all the time. The biggest storage issue we have is I will find toys I know my kids or nieces or nephews would like and I hold onto those until the next bday/holiday and they can take up lots of space.

I used to do this with toys as well. I would get a great deal so buy to save for Christmas for my kids thinking that by the time x-mas rolled around I'd be all set. It never worked out that way as there were always great sales around christmas time anyways on things my kids actually asked for. So my kids would end up with WAY to many toys at christmas. Now I'm happy to say I don't have anything "stocked up". I wait until after Haloween, when the good sales start.