ARe you a super frugal grocery shopper? Please give me tips!!!

[java]

Ok cool.. Jersey here also.

I love this site http://www.livingrichwithcoupons.com . The site owner also lives in Jersey.

I do most of my shoprite. As an example I went earlier this week and spend $27. Saved $77 and got back $15 worth of catalinas for my next orders.

I get by newspapers form the dollar store. I usually get 3-4 copies of each. I also do a lot of internet printed coupons. You can usually print each coupon 2 times per coupon. Sometimes I order coupons from ebay also. For this week I order 20 coupons for under $2.00 for free bagged vegetables. Also for bbq sauce. Summer is right around the corner.

Also hang on to those coupon inserts and use the coupons along with a good sale.

Us too! Shoprite has been a lifesaver lately and I am noticing Stop and Shop is starting to do the same.
Matching up coupons and sales is the way to the best savings.
As far as healthier meals- start simply. A roasted Chicken is a great first one. You will get that roast chicken meal that you can then turn into something else later in the week. Shoprite is having chicken on sale this week. 40% off. Stock up!

Each week is a loss leader- so they vary what "meat" is on sale. Stock up when it's on sale. This week I didn't have to shop. My freezer was full. I will go to Shoprite on Saturday to stock up on chicken.

They release the ad on Friday- look at it online. Compare to this weeks. Decide what you need. Can you wait. Is it on sale next week? It takes a couple weeks and you'll get the hang of it.

Those coupon matching sites are great. They tell you which to use when. Good luck. Happy shopping. I am far from an extreme couponer. But I still manage to save big with sales and coupons. We average $100 a week for our family of 6.

 

[leight]

I also do what the previous poster does - I cook in bulk for easy access. I will buy boneless chicken breasts on sale- separate into individial portions for dh to pull from the freezer for baking/grilling. I usually will then take about 4-5lbs of the chicken breasts and pound into cutlets, coat in bread crumbs and cook them. I also individually wrap these- then dh can take them out for a club sandwich, wrap, or quick chicken parmigiana. (dh cooks mon- thurs as I work until 8pm).

I do the same with ground beef- buy on sale in bulk- make burger patties, meatballs and a meatloaf. Then separate the rest in lb packages for dh to use in hamburger helper or tacos. (when I say buy in bulk- I buy say 10 lbs of 90% lean when it goes on sale - not the tube of 70%)

I also have quick items for dh like kids cuisine or stuffed chicken breasts or Digiorno so he doesn't have to resort to McDonalds when he is stretched for time. I only buy them on sale w/ coupons so they are very economical if not the best choice.

 

[pat fan]

I am curious. How much time do you spend cooking and cleaning up every day, and do you work full time while doing this?? I am looking at what you are doing and thinking there is no way I could do it and sleep at night.

It really doesn't take very long. What do you do if you don't cook? Get take-out? That requires ordering, going and picking up/paying. Coming home again. Eating. Cleaning up. Unless you just eat off paper every night and I'm sure you don't. Cooking yourself maybe adds 1/2 hour depending on the meal.

I like to go through the fliers and plan my week by them. I see what's on sale, what I have coupons for and plan the whole weeks menu. That way I know what to take out of the freezer when and what kinds of prep I can do before-hand.

Crock pot stuff is super easy. The night before I lay out all the dry goods I may need next to the crock pot and if meat needs to be cooked before-hand I do that and put it in the fridge or make sure whatever meat I need is thawed and waiting in the fridge. In the a.m. I just throw everything in, turn it on and dinners ready when I get home!

I do like to make bread from scratch, but I usually do that on the weekends because it does take some time, and it's more of a treat than a staple. A loaf is gone in a day because everyone likes it hot out of the oven and wolf's it down!

 

[tonilea]

A hot breakfast is easy in the crock pot too! check out crock pot lady - she has several breakfast recipes.

 

[budafam]

I have a budget of $60 per week and normally don't even come CLOSE to using it all. We are a family of 4, myself, DH (who is a picky eater and get separate food from us), DS4 & DD2. Plus we have 3 dogs and yeah, their food is figured into it as well.

I use coupons like crazy and no, it's not all processed foods. I use a lot of coupons for milk, eggs, cheese, meats, things like that. I sparingly will buy fruit snacks or "treats" with my coupons. I tend to save quite a bit (ex. I spent $5 last week on groceries that would've costed me over $50 had I not used coupons or deals).

I also cook homemade meals. I make out a meal plan and stick to it. I usually skip one week a month for grocery shopping. I go through my cupboards & freezers and figure out what I can make with what I have on hand. It uses up some of my "extras" and I save lots of money this way.

I've already gone a whole month where I've only spent $50 on groceries for our whole family. It takes work but it is possible.

 

[MEM]

I have also become a coupon addict in the past year - I trimmed our grocery budget in half - from $800 to $400 a month. I haunt coupon forums like afullcup and slickdeals. They do all the work for you! I'm not sure how other people define "processed" foods but I avoid things like hamburger helper, boxed mac and cheese and ramen noodles. Last night I went shopping and bought 5 boxes of Triscuits for 90 cents a box after doubled coupons and $5 off instant savings on 5. I also picked up 4 jars of Newman's Own salsa for $1 a jar by combining a sale and coupons. There was a cereal and milk catalina so I purchased 4 boxes of Cheerios for $1 each after coupons and received a catalina for a free gallon of milk, up to $4.50 - you can use it on organic milk if you prefer and just pay the difference. I also picked up 2 dozen Eggland's Best eggs for $1.18 a dozen after doubled coupons.

Oh and BTW, I work full-time outside the home and have two teen-aged children, one of whom is disabled. I still manage to get everything done and get 8 hours of sleep every night.

The salsa is used in a crockpot chicken dish - just 3 ingredients and idiot-proof -- use boneless skinless chicken breasts, a jar of salsa and a can of black beans, rinsed and drained. Serve over brown rice. Low fat, lower sodium and high fiber. You can also use the salsa on fish -- just make individual foil packets of fish and salsa and bake until just barely cooked. To the OP, I suggest you check out the Fix-It-and-Forget-It series of crockpot cookbooks - she has one called 5 ingredients - could not be simpler. Once you get focused on saving, it becomes a game rather than a chore.

 

[ilovejack02]

Wow - thanks for the great ideas. I live in NJ, food is pricey here, but I do have several chains really close by - Acme, Superfresh, Pathmark. ShopRite is further away but I could go there if there was a good sale/coupons. Do you guys get coupons from the paper? I've looked, but they never seemed that great to me - maybe if you do it long term ?

Cooking ... yes, I will work on getting a couple of scratch meals going. I do have crockpots, just haven't used them for much more than parties I don't eat meat, but my family does - so I do like some meatless beans & rice type stuff, and my family will eat it if it is tasty I've actually picked up bags of dried beans at the store and thought that if you knew what to do with them they would be some seriously economical protein I guess I need to do some research on seasonings and stuff..

http://www.livingrichwithcoupons.com/

This lady I think shops at shoprite quite a bit and gets amazing deals. Read her blog there is a how to get started section. Opps i see someone already posted her site!

 

[Marionnette]

I have a budget of $60 per week and normally don't even come CLOSE to using it all. We are a family of 4, myself, DH (who is a picky eater and get separate food from us), DS4 & DD2. Plus we have 3 dogs and yeah, their food is figured into it as well.

I use coupons like crazy and no, it's not all processed foods. I use a lot of coupons for milk, eggs, cheese, meats, things like that. I sparingly will buy fruit snacks or "treats" with my coupons. I tend to save quite a bit (ex. I spent $5 last week on groceries that would've costed me over $50 had I not used coupons or deals).

I also cook homemade meals. I make out a meal plan and stick to it. I usually skip one week a month for grocery shopping. I go through my cupboards & freezers and figure out what I can make with what I have on hand. It uses up some of my "extras" and I save lots of money this way.

I've already gone a whole month where I've only spent $50 on groceries for our whole family. It takes work but it is possible.

I see people make similar claims all the time on this board and I'm always scratching my head over how you do it. Where do you get milk coupons? The only "milk" coupons I see either require you to buy X boxes of cereal or cookies. The only meat coupons I ever see are either for bacon, sausage or canned/smoked meats...all of which are too high in fat and sodium for me to use as the main protein in a meal. And egg coupons? I only see them for Eggland's best, which is always more expensive than the store brand even when using a coupon.

Would you be willing to share your shopping list for next week (along with prices and coupons)? It's not that I'm doubting you. I just want to know how it can be done. We spend around $80/week on groceries to feed 3 people and that doesn't include the dog food or household products. It's just food. And that's not even all meals b/c my husband and son don't take a bagged lunch to work/school.

 

[disneychrista]

I'm always scratching my head over how you do it. Where do you get milk coupons?.

I think it depends on your area. I have never seen a coupon for milk or meat here and never for fresh veggies.

 

[Fyrefly]

Borrow a tip from Chef Gusteau, check out this book, "Anyone Can Cook!"

http://www.amazon.com/Anyone-Can-Co...9489/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1301066858&sr=8-1

It has a lot of good recipes all with difficulty ratings, and nothing is particularly hard. The first chapter is full of great tips like how to peel and chop certain veggies, what cuts of meat work for what things, stuff that a lot of new cooks may not know and have to ask but don't know who to ask, kwim? It's called the "Ask Mom" feature. I use it myself when I forget stuff and I can't reach my own mom!

If you poke around in a bookstore you'll see lots of books like this now, with tons of step-by-step pictures you can follow along with, companion DVDs, and simple recipes. Good healthy books directed at college students are also good.

My thought is first you try cooking. Then you find (example) you can by 6 lbs of chicken breast at $.99 a pound rather than 2 or three boxes of preseasoned, throw-in-the-oven breast at $5+ a box. Repeat for other meats, veggies and starches for side dishes, etc. and you might find the savings just shows up! Just watch for sales and you might find its not as hard as you think.

 

[MEM]

I think it depends on your area. I have never seen a coupon for milk or meat here and never for fresh veggies.

I'm in New England and I see coupons all the time for fresh salad greens...you might have to sign up at their websites. Our local dairy, Hood, has coupons on their website for milk and other dairy products...check out the dairies in your area. "Cuties" clementines has coupons and Driscoll's has coupons for their berries.

Meat coupons are more rare and usually require the purchase of something else. You often have to get creative to find these coupons but they are out there.

But let's assume that there aren't any of the above available to you. What some of us do is use the catalinas we earn on say, P&G products, and use those to buy fruit, meat and milk.

 

[budafam]

The milk coupons are usually for Silk or Almond milk which I happen to love. I also do the cereal deals where you get free milk when you purchase 6 boxes of cereal. My husband eats 1/2 of a box of cereal each day so we go through it often and with doubled coupons, I usually pay 50 cents to nothing for a box so with the free milk/eggs, it's worth it.

As for eggs, I just printed out .55 off of any eggs... they had it available for quite some time (I don't think it's still out there though) but they were good on any brand.

I will try to post my grocery list for next week if I get time.

 

[MomToOne]

I'm the Mom who feeds myself and DD10 on $40 per week

I admit getting there was a process that took awhile. I took things in the following stages:

Stage 1 - We stopped eating out regularly at sit-down restaurants. I instead went to only cheaper take out places like the local Chinese take out, McDs, Taco Bell, etc. This wasn't the healthiest, I know, but restaurant food isn't either and this was just the first stage. We only go out to sit-down restaurants now for special occassions like birthdays and such.

Stage 2 - I eliminated most take out and tried to cook at home almost every night. I stocked up on prepared frozen meals and other items I could quickly put together at home instead when I was lazy. Still not real healthy, but better. I also started bringing my lunch with me to work during this stage.

Stage 3 - I started building up my menu of items that I could cook quickly, but more from scratch or near scratch. This took awhile for me to find things that my daughter and I both liked. I tried lots of recipes - most were flops, but found a few things. I also tried creating some basic things on my own - had lots of flops again, but also came up with some winners. This stage was probably the longest and most painful because we ate some baaaad dinners Unfortunately, this is just something you have to keep trying at! I think for every 5 new recipes I tried, I was lucky if 1 was something we wanted to eat again. But we survived.

Stage 4 - Eliminate as much food waste as I possibly could. If we buy it, we have to eat it (or put it in the freezer and actually eat it later - not let it sit there only to get thrown out unused 6 month later). I'm not a big leftovers person per se, so I try to cook only what we will eat in a meal (or with just enough leftovers for a lunch or two) but I do like to "repurpose" ingredients left over from one meal in another. I also look for places to substitute more expensive ingredients I would have to buy with things that are cheaper or I have on hand.

Stage 5 (still a work in progress) - Eliminate more and more "convenience" food items. While I don't buy any fully prepared meals anymore, I still buy things like salad dressing, spaghetti sauce, etc. One by one I am starting to knock those off and start making from scratch.

Also, outside of the "stages", I checked out grocery stores and found one much cheaper than the others in a reasonable driving distance. I stopped being a brand snob, and embraced store brands for many things. We started eating fruit and veggies in season, and stopped buying stuff out of season that was outrageously priced. We embraced chicken LOL because it cooks fast and I can get it pretty cheap - thankfully we both really like chicken anyway. Finally, I started paying attention to meat sales at all groceries in my area, and got to know what good prices really were. (I really don't watch sales for much more than meat - I found the prices at my "cheap" grocery store are usually cheaper than most other store sales prices on non-meat items. I do stock up on some things I use alot if my cheap grocery has a good sale though.)

It probably took me a solid 2 or 3 years to get to where I am today. But we now eat healthier in addition to it being cheaper, so it's been a good thing.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

You can cook you just don't know it

Try this. Chicken breast or Pork Chops squirt some italian salad dressing on both sides and then grill or bake for 30 minutes. Serve with rice and a veggie.

Another meal I do that is quick. A can of Bushes baked beans - any flavor- cut up some hotdogs and mix it into the beans. Put beans into a 8X8 dish. mix up some cornbread and pour on top of the bean/hotdog mixture. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until cornbread is done.

Instead of eating pizza out buy frozen and serve it with a salad.

Couponing is a good thing. My grocery store always prints on the receipt my total savings for my shopping trip as well as the running total for a 12 month period and I usually save $25 - $30 each trip. I get two different newspapers on Sunday and clip the coupons while watching tv. My grocery store also double the price of a coupon too.

As for this summer shop for veggies and fruit from local road side stands. The stuff is fresh and will last long than the stuff that is trucked in from California. They are also a lot cheaper.

 

[princessmom29]

It really doesn't take very long. What do you do if you don't cook? Get take-out? That requires ordering, going and picking up/paying. Coming home again. Eating. Cleaning up. Unless you just eat off paper every night and I'm sure you don't. Cooking yourself maybe adds 1/2 hour depending on the meal.

I like to go through the fliers and plan my week by them. I see what's on sale, what I have coupons for and plan the whole weeks menu. That way I know what to take out of the freezer when and what kinds of prep I can do before-hand.

Crock pot stuff is super easy. The night before I lay out all the dry goods I may need next to the crock pot and if meat needs to be cooked before-hand I do that and put it in the fridge or make sure whatever meat I need is thawed and waiting in the fridge. In the a.m. I just throw everything in, turn it on and dinners ready when I get home!

I do like to make bread from scratch, but I usually do that on the weekends because it does take some time, and it's more of a treat than a staple. A loaf is gone in a day because everyone likes it hot out of the oven and wolf's it down!

I cook, but the amount of scratch cooking, baking, and stock making you are doing would take me much longer to do than what I am doing now. WE do a lot of grilling and most of the veggies are canned or steam in the microwarve. We walk in the door anywhere form 6:30-7:00, depending on what activities we have after school, and right now iti s at leasst 100:00 before I can breathe at all between cooking, cleaning up, and trying to keep up with bathrooms, laundy, and picking up.

 

[shelby101301]

Mom to one, I couldn't have said it better. We followed those stages mostly too. We almost never eat fast food, and at restaurants, maybe 3x a year.

We still spend about $150 a week for 5 (don't use coupons) but, we only eat all natural. By no processed, I mean no preservatives, no high fructose corn syrup, no artificial colors and especially no artificial colors( makes my oldest hyper). And I do try to get organic when I can. And I have to spend about an extra $30 on gluten free items for my youngest.

So, to be able to afford this lifestyle, i cut out things like chips and soda, packaged cookies etc.... These are special treats ( and kids rarely get it).

In fact packaged food is a big waste. I can make twice as many "100 calorie" packs for less money. So I have a snack box for school treats ( using reusable containers of course) but when are at home, I portion them out into bowls. I do spurge on organic milk boxes for lunch boxes. Our school cafeteria unfortunately serves garbage.

Ikea has a great container deal for $4.99. You get tons that will store dinner left overs, sandwich size and snack sizes all in one pack.

 

[shelby101301]

Oops ! Hit reply too soon.

So cutting out packaged stuff saved a lot. A for time, i would invest an hour or two on weekends, and be set for the week.

For dinners, I do make everything scratch. All recipes is a great site you cans search for recipes for ingredients you actually have on hand. Honestly, on nighhts I don't feel like cooking, it's simple. I put chicken breasts, turkey or pork tenderloin in a casserole sizes dish with some olive oil and vegetables and roast. Crock pot may be better if you work days. To flavor, you can make a simple gravy with the juices, or I cover with barbecue sauce, or sprinkle with dry Italian or ranch dressing mixes or my favorite is to mix chicken broth, olive oil and lemon juice and roast with capers, mushrooms and artichokes. Takes about 5 minutes prep and I am done. Cover with tinfoil to keep from drying out and roast at 350 for 30 - 45 min.

Honestly, i learned to cook a lot from tv. I. Watched Rachel ray's 30 min meals for about three months and then I was off and running! LOL

 

[Marionnette]

I'm in New England and I see coupons all the time for fresh salad greens...you might have to sign up at their websites. Our local dairy, Hood, has coupons on their website for milk and other dairy products...check out the dairies in your area. "Cuties" clementines has coupons and Driscoll's has coupons for their berries.

Meat coupons are more rare and usually require the purchase of something else. You often have to get creative to find these coupons but they are out there.

But let's assume that there aren't any of the above available to you. What some of us do is use the catalinas we earn on say, P&G products, and use those to buy fruit, meat and milk.

The milk coupons are usually for Silk or Almond milk which I happen to love. I also do the cereal deals where you get free milk when you purchase 6 boxes of cereal. My husband eats 1/2 of a box of cereal each day so we go through it often and with doubled coupons, I usually pay 50 cents to nothing for a box so with the free milk/eggs, it's worth it.

As for eggs, I just printed out .55 off of any eggs... they had it available for quite some time (I don't think it's still out there though) but they were good on any brand.

I will try to post my grocery list for next week if I get time.

Thanks for the replies. Budafam, I'm looking forward to seeing your shopping list. I drink Silk Soy too but the men in my family won't touch it because of the plant estrogens.

After stating that I never see milk coupons, I had a foot-in-mouth moment when my Shoprite flier arrived...store coupon for a gal. of milk for $1.99 w/$25 purchase. And they have Eggland's Best eggs for $1.77/doz. (still doesn't beat the store brand 10 doz/$10 at Pathmark even with a coupon). I wish I had seen the 55c/doz printable coupon. I would have been all over that one. We've been making a lot of egg white omelets and we're going through quite a few eggs every week.

 

[shelby101301]

I forgot to mention... There is a farm across the street from my son's school. We buy hormone free, free range eggs there for $2/ dozen. They are huge and fresh and just taste better. We laugh about fresh they are when we find feathers. One time when I wanted two dozen, and they only had one, the guy smiled, went out the barn and gathered what i needed!

also, last summer we joined a CSA (crop share associate) which was a really good value if you can spot the money up front. We got more than we could eat and often shared.( this one did not require us to work).

Finally, I often use a local produce stand that is open year round. When possible, they use local produce. Typical prices are $2 for 4 lbs of apples or 5 lbs bananas. But i only shop there late spring through fall when it is local. Other wise quality is only so so.

I live 40 min out of Phila btw.

 

[pat fan]

I cook, but the amount of scratch cooking, baking, and stock making you are doing would take me much longer to do than what I am doing now. WE do a lot of grilling and most of the veggies are canned or steam in the microwarve.

I use canned veggies too don't know why you thought I didn't.

I also don't know how laying out stuff on the counter at night takes a lot of time. Opening a can of black beans,kidney beans and sauce and throwing in some spices and pre-cooked burger to make a chili really didn't seem that time consuming to me. I was just trying to give ways to save money and make a cheap/quick meal.

I know bread baking is time consuming, that's why I do it as a treat, not as a staple.

and right now iti s at leasst 100:00 before I can breathe at all between cooking, cleaning up, and trying to keep up with bathrooms, laundy, and picking up.

Motherhood sure isn't for the faint of heart, is it?