Eat at Home savings not as big as expected

[indimom]

I've seen a couple comments about Aldi's on here and wanted to add my thoughts.
We have a Save-A-Lot locally and an Aldi's about 25 minutes away. One of the things I really like about these stores is that I do a lot less impulse buying.
When I go to a Super WalMart I tend to walk out with a much higher bill because I see all kinds of things I want to try or which look different. You don't get that at Aldi's or Save-A-Lot type stores. Just basic foods in basic wrappings. My kids beg alot more at WalMart too.
So, if you have an option like this near your home, you might want to give them a try. My favorite sale item that SAL has been running all summer is a gallon of milk for 99 cents when you spend $25. And if you spend $50, you get two for that price, and so on. Not too shabby!

 

[Disneycrazymom]

I think having some convenience foods available are the key to NOT being tempted by the drive through. I keep frozen chicken strips and fries, boxed pancake mix and boxed rice and potatoes at home all the time. There are nights when everything falls apart or I am just to tired to cook and I can just stick them in the oven or fix them up quickly. If they were not there I know myself well enough to know I would drive through! So in my house the quick fix stuff plays an important role in my "try not to eat out as much" goal.

 

[KKB]

OP, here again.

I just wanted to comment on an unpleasant side effect of eating at home - dishes!! My goodness, I run the dish washer every other day and am constantly cleaning my kitchen. I guess the hot water, detergent and elbow grease need to be factored in there somewhere. Somedays I miss just wadding up fast food wrappers, chucking them in the trash and be done it. Instead I have soaking pans and an empty flatware drawer. It's the price you pay, right?

DH once commented "We are running the dishwasher everyday...surely it is cheaper to eat out?!"
OK, my new energy-efficient DW came w/ a tag that estimates $30/energy/yr. 700 gallons of water is around $1.( your dishwasher uses NOWHERE near this...I just happened to hear that stat today--they were talking about "things you should NEVER pay for"--one was bottled water!
Still WAY cheaper to eat at home--and SO much healthier! Tacos, Chinese, McDonald's are loaded w/ sodium & fat...and not known for their fiber/veggies/fruits Cooking at home allows you to limit sodium & fat & incorporate fibers & fruits/veggies.
You have taken the first step..and you are getting great advice here. Keep up the great work. It WILL pay off!
One tip--AVOID buying things when you "need" them...if you can catch them on sale (ESPECIALLY if you have a coupon!), STOCK UP...this will save you SO much money in the long run!

 

[KKB]

I think having some convenience foods available are the key to NOT being tempted by the drive through. I keep frozen chicken strips and fries, boxed pancake mix and boxed rice and potatoes at home all the time. There are nights when everything falls apart or I am just to tired to cook and I can just stick them in the oven or fix them up quickly. If they were not there I know myself well enough to know I would drive through! So in my house the quick fix stuff plays an important role in my "try not to eat out as much" goal.

I AGREE! If it is a crazy night & DH & I are in & out running kids all over, it would be REAL easy to just do drive thru. Luckily we are NOT big fans of drive thru! I DO try to have a meal in the crockpot, but we ALWAYS have frozen pizza ($1-3 each), mac & cheese, hot dogs/buns, tortillas (wraps, quesadillas), PB&J/gr. cheese/sandwiches, large store brand cans of condensed soup/ravioli, chicken nuggets, fish sticks, ramen....PHEW!
YES these are convenience foods BUT they are easy enough for kids to make for lunches in the summer or dinner on busy nights. We nearly always have carrots & fresh fruit...but we always have canned/frozen fruits/veggies for in a pinch...
The key to avoiding eating out is to BE PREPARED. Yes, we could spend less, but with 2 full-time jobs, both of us in grad school & 3 very active tweens/teens, truly homemade meals are a luxury. BUT having these items ALWAYS on hand is the key. And our grocery bill for a family of 5 hearty eaters is between $500-600/month. Very reasonable, IMO.
Again...keep up the great work!

 

[KKB]

We have very athletic boys, and we drink A LOT of Gatorade...BUT buy the huge canister of POWDERED Gatorade at Walmart ($10 I think).DS complained a bit that it "wasn't right" so I told him water...or this. I was NOT paying .50+/bottle. OR he could buy his own...
GUESS what he decided...

 

[redlawyer]

I've got to agree with the posters recommending "convenience food". I am something of a food snob. I won't buy prepared mixes, powdered potatoes, etc. I want to make everything from scratch. And I try to. I come probably 90% close to goal. DH and I both work fulltime outside the home. Usually I cook big meals on the weekend so that we can have a second meal of leftovers (think meatloaf or roasted chicken.). But on nights without leftovers, when I really don't want to cook (and there's no more spaghetti sauce in the freezer) we will have grilled cheese and tomato soup for dinner. Or hotdogs and beans. Tonight dh and I had leftover guacamole and chips while the kids had hot dogs.

Some nights its about sanity more than nutrition. Tomorrow I'll cook vegs and protein, tonight I'll have my glass of wine.

 

[TLuvsD]

It really helps to have something quick on hand for those crazy days. I usually do big batches of mini meatballs, then freeze at least half. I use them for Albondigas Soup, meatballs and gravy in the crockpot, whatever. But if all else fails, then it's frozen chicken strips with frozen french fries. It's still better than fast food.

OP, try cooking double batches of whatever is on sale that your family eats. Then when that food is not on sale you have it ready to go in the freezer. It will get easier, and the savings will increase, in time.

 

[hambirg]

I agree with the other posters. Having those convenience foods on hand, picked up from when they were on sale, can make life much easier sometimes. Having that frozen pizza or a box of Hamburger Helper can keep you out of the drive-thru on those hectic days.

To the OP. Just making the conscious choice of eating at home more will pay off. At first, it may not seem that way because you have to build your pantry. Stock up when things are on sale, but know your price points too. I never kept a price book, but I know the lowest normal prices for the things that my family normally buys. Somebody usually has a gallon of milk for 1.99. My Fred Meyers always has canned chili for .89. I saw the same chili "on sale" at another store for $1.05. Not really on sale is it? I won't pay more than 3.99 for a frozen pizza, $2 for a box of cereal. . .those aren't the stocking-up-super-deal prices, but they are the prices I'm willing to pay if I need it. Also, look in unconventional places. We have a bakery outlet close by. I would try to find one near you. I can get the whole wheat white bread (like Sarah Lee) that my kids like so much 5 loaves for $4. Last time I was in there I noticed they had the ketchup without high fructose corn syrup for .89. I knew that was a good price so I bought three. They also have milk for $1.99 a gallon. . .and that's their regular price all the time. Woohoo! HTH

 

[RachelsMommie]

OP, I've been in your shoes. When we first started cutting out fast food and eating out, I was shocked at how much my grocery bill went up. However, we now eat like kings (and I drink TONS of diet coke and haven't cut it out!) for $125 a week for a family of 2 adults, 1 5yo, and 1 12-month old. Add another $50 a month for toiletries and diapers and we're good to go!

It just takes time. I would suggest you check out e-mealz.com. I did this for a few months, and it gave me an arsenal of easy recipes that are not too expensive. I constantly look for places to save. Also, I stock up on higher dollar items when I see them on a big sale, like boneless skinless chicken breasts.

You can do it! Good luck!

 

[luvsJack]

Op, congrats on making changes. We try to do the same thing. And then I will have 2-3 weeks (registration at the college I work for, 12-14 hour days and dog tired) like the last ones and there doesn't seem to be any other answer but the drive thru for some nights. So then I make a new vow to stop eating out until the next registration.

One thing I have found that keeps us from eating out quite as much is making sure I plan for what my family will eat. I read suggestions on here like, eating oatmeal for breakfast and decide I should do that too. Now I know oatmeal is a LOT cheaper than frozen waffles but dd will not eat oatmeal. She doesn't like it. So the waffle is cheaper than McD's biscuit, so even though I am not saving as much as a poster that serves oatmeal, I am saving.

We eat Hambuger Helper too and we eat spaghetti sauce from a jar. Is it the best way to go? No, but it beats take out pizza. And besides, I used to make my sauce from scratch. That 1.89 jar of Ragu is much cheaper. And Hamburger Helper is something dd likes and I put it with some steamed veggie and a salad.

I just do not have time to cook completely from scratch and you may not either. Don't feel bad about it. Other posters here do have the time and that is fine for them. Take some of the suggestions of cheaper meals or food picks or shopping tips and use the ones that will work for you but don't feel like you have failed at "food on a budget" because you don't use all of them.

 

[Disneycrazymom]

OP, here again.

I just wanted to comment on an unpleasant side effect of eating at home - dishes!! My goodness, I run the dish washer every other day and am constantly cleaning my kitchen. I guess the hot water, detergent and elbow grease need to be factored in there somewhere. Somedays I miss just wadding up fast food wrappers, chucking them in the trash and be done it. Instead I have soaking pans and an empty flatware drawer. It's the price you pay, right?

I hear ya!!! I especially hate when we are eating in shifts and I am finishing feeding the last one at like 9 or 10 at night with dishes still to do. I hate to wake up to a sink full of dishes so I try to always at least put them in the dishwasher. Some may gasp in horror but I have found the paper plate to be my friend! Just like having easy meals in the freezer I always have paper plates, paper napkins, and even plastic forks. And I am not afraid to use them!!!

 

[Disneycrazymom]

OP, here again.

I just wanted to comment on an unpleasant side effect of eating at home - dishes!! My goodness, I run the dish washer every other day and am constantly cleaning my kitchen. I guess the hot water, detergent and elbow grease need to be factored in there somewhere. Somedays I miss just wadding up fast food wrappers, chucking them in the trash and be done it. Instead I have soaking pans and an empty flatware drawer. It's the price you pay, right?

For us even McD has gotten to be so expensive as our kids are older (17 and 10) it can cost us $20 to drive through. So I still save $$ using paper plates and pre cooked meals.

 

[KKB]

It's a process.
It's better to rely on convenience foods than take out.
Make freezer meals when you have extra time.
Why do you think Sandra Lee has such a popular show in FoodTV? ("Semi-homemade")
When you get a fully stocked pantry/freezer (from SALES), you will begin to see savings on your grocery bill AND you will have things to make on crazy nights (which can be EVERY night!)
We now have one son who has football from 3:30-5:30 M-F and another who has it 6-8M-TH--AND DH & I are determined to hit the gym after work! (we are off at 3:30 or 3:45)...crock pot meals & 20 min. meals will be my best friend! BUT it won't happen if I don't sit down for half an hour tomorrow & plan some meals with: list of meats in freezer, my crockpot/quick meal cookbooks & my trusty computer! BUT I know if additional activities throw my plans, there are things the kids CAN whip up themselves. My kids have been making hot dogs/nachos/chicken nuggets/quesadillas in the microwave since they were 6. They have become "more refined" (HA!) in their preparation now...they prefer quesadillas in a skillet, hot dogs on the Foreman. They also make waffles in the waffle maker now.
Family dinners have always been important to us...it is VERY frustrating that we aren't doing it most nights, but that's life. We always do "Goodest thing & Baddest thing" at family dinners (everyone says their "goodest" & "baddest" thing of the day/week)...almost always everyone's "goodest" thing these days is the fact that we are all together at the dining table! (the name came from when our children were very young...no bad grammar from 2 librarians!)
It's a process & we commend you for taking the first step. KEEP IT UP!

 

[antsss]

We used to eat out once a week and get takeout once a week. We decided to tighten our belts and made a concerted effort to eat more meals at home. Sure enough, the next month my husband commented that the grocery bill had gone up. I asked him how the eating out numbers looked and he said "Oh those numbers have gone down - we're doing great there." I laughed and told him that if I'm producing more meals out of our kitchen it stands to reason that the grocery bill may go up!

I do a lot of what others here have suggested. I try to plan meals in advance around the weekly sales. I stock up when I can. But we're so busy that sometimes I have to use convenience foods for my own sanity. It's hard to plan meals that fill all necessary criteria: cheap, easy, healthy & yummy. The crockpot is my best friend!