Grocery Budget

[ELSA711]

Family of 5 shop for food and non food items. $135 a week including 5 pets.
I only buy on sale items or use coupons if not on sale. I make meals based on what is on sale. No ands or ifs about it. Not that we our out of budget but I like to see what I can get for less. I'm one of those weird people.

 

[dlavender]

Quick update. 5 days in and we have spent $12! We had to buy milk, but we are just eating through what we already have. I'm amazed at how much food we actually already had! From pancake mixes, to soup, to frozen meals that we had long forgotten we purchased. We are off to a strong start. Now to keep the momentum going....

 

[ELSA711]

Quick update. 5 days in and we have spent $12! We had to buy milk, but we are just eating through what we already have. I'm amazed at how much food we actually already had! From pancake mixes, to soup, to frozen meals that we had long forgotten we purchased. We are off to a strong start. Now to keep the momentum going....

We do that every 3 months. We eat what is in the cupboard and only by fresh stuff.
Empty it all out saves us $250 each time we do our quarterly clean out the pantry!

 

[MrsCobraBubbles]

That's awesome that you're doing so well!

My best advice for saving on groceries is to shop at Aldi. Their prices really can't be beat.

I don't stick to a strict budget, because I was raised Mormon. Yes, I'm blaming my religion : ) Mormons keep food storage, and I keep an extensive pantry, which I regularly rotate and restock by shopping sales. So there's always room in the budget to purchase canned or dry goods when I'm able to take advantage of sales or closeouts.

What you're doing right now, I do that every few months to help me rotate my pantry. For a couple weeks we'll live mostly off of food storage, I'll rearrange the pantry and freezer, and then stock again.

 

[Monykalyn]

We recently moved to a 5 acre property and definitely have plans for a garden! That will help immensely, and taste better.

Build the cost of getting a garden going into your budget too-we are now up to 5 raised beds and plan to build at least 2 cold frames so we can keep our veg going a bit longer. I also have 3 laying hens-REALLY nice this year as egg prices have gone up-they are cheap to keep after initial cost of building coop.
I also buy a side of beef every other year (get a great deal on grass finished, hormone free beef from a friends dad) which will last us 2 years-with supplement from venison. Looking at buying a hog this year-buying bulk meat is far cheaper over long run--if you have freezer space.

I can do meal plans in my head now lol-but when I was starting I used (early) rachael ray recipes (her super nacho recipe stretches a pound of ground beef with a can of beans - our family of five will have enough for leftovers), Robin Miller, and crockpot recipes. I now use Recipe Box app to keep track of recipes and add the ingredients to a list. Have a menu chalkboard in my kitchen where I write 2 weeks of meals on (planning for some leftovers days, and a pizza night)-as I make that meal I write the date by the meal so I can keep track of leftovers as well-line drawn through when leftovers gone.

I do most things from scratch-salad dressings, marinades, pancake mixes, seasoning mixes etc-there is a recipe on the internet for nearly everything. I roast a chicken in crockpot-then throw bones and veg scraps into the already used crockpot with seasonings/water and make stock which I freeze.

I really don't like grocery shopping so I prefer to only do it 1-2x every 2 weeks or so

 

[mousehockey37]

Coupons!!!!! Make a menu, stick to the menu and use coupons!!!! Internet and newspaper.

This example isn't a food related one, but still a pretty awesome success we just had.

We had a coupon for $4 off Schick disposable razors from the grocery store (it printed at the register) . I got a coupon from swagbucks (coupons.com) for BOGO on Schick disposable razors. The store had them on sale this week for $4.99 down from $6.99. We got 2 bonus packs (6 razors instead of 4) for $0.99.

For a food related example:

The pharmacy we use is in our store. They have a rewards program for every 10 prescriptions you get a $10 reward towards your groceries. Well, at the same time, they also ran a points back promotion (every week based on what you spend you get so many "points"). Well, we reached the point of redeeming $10 in grocery rewards. We also had an issue with something from the week prior and the manager comped us about $12 due to a huge error by someone in the deli. So $20 in rewards, $12 on a gift card as a reimbursement and then coupons on top of that... we stocked up big time and it came out less than what we normally pay on a weekly basis.

Don't be afraid to use multiple stores. It's a pain, but places will price match. Some will double coupons while others won't. You just have to know where to go and when to go to get the best deals.

Also, if you have a yard and some gardening ability... plant some seeds. Grow your own food! That will drastically cut your costs, especially eating healthier.

 

[disneychrista]

Empty it all out saves us $250 each time we do our quarterly clean out the pantry!

All this really is doing is shifting the expense to another week/month.

 

[tvguy]

Build the cost of getting a garden going into your budget too-we are now up to 5 raised beds and plan to build at least 2 cold frames so we can keep our veg going a bit longer. I also have 3 laying hens-REALLY nice this year as egg prices have gone up-they are cheap to keep after initial cost of building coop.
I also buy a side of beef every other year (get a great deal on grass finished, hormone free beef from a friends dad) which will last us 2 years-with supplement from venison. Looking at buying a hog this year-buying bulk meat is far cheaper over long run--if you have freezer space.

I can do meal plans in my head now lol-but when I was starting I used (early) rachael ray recipes (her super nacho recipe stretches a pound of ground beef with a can of beans - our family of five will have enough for leftovers), Robin Miller, and crockpot recipes. I now use Recipe Box app to keep track of recipes and add the ingredients to a list. Have a menu chalkboard in my kitchen where I write 2 weeks of meals on (planning for some leftovers days, and a pizza night)-as I make that meal I write the date by the meal so I can keep track of leftovers as well-line drawn through when leftovers gone.

I do most things from scratch-salad dressings, marinades, pancake mixes, seasoning mixes etc-there is a recipe on the internet for nearly everything. I roast a chicken in crockpot-then throw bones and veg scraps into the already used crockpot with seasonings/water and make stock which I freeze.

I really don't like grocery shopping so I prefer to only do it 1-2x every 2 weeks or so

Alot of folks I work with have done the chickens in their backyard and garden, more as a hobby and to have fresh produce and eggs. But they say given the work , stress and cost involved, it's cheaper at the store, and no worrying about whether it is too hot, too cold, or if the chickens are sick, or if a hawk or neighborhood cat, or skunk or possum has gotten into the chicken coop and attacked them, or eaten the vegetables in the garden.
I've got enough stress at work, I don't need it at home too.

 

[ELSA711]

All this really is doing is shifting the expense to another week/month.

Not really. We never use canned or dry goods in hot months. Forcing us to clean it out quartetrly helps the rotation. If I buy 7 days worth of meals but we only made 4-5 meals because we had plenty of left overs or had dinner at family's or friend's it saves $$ by using left over purchases.
Canned and dry goods tend to get forgotten in my house, maybe not others but in mine.
Again we do it more for waste but it does help budget

 

[Teresa Pitman]

The approach I use came from "The Tightwad Gazette." I go through the grocery flyers each week, and try to only or mostly buy things that are on sale. If it is a good sale, I stock up. For example, I'm vegan and eat a lot of beans. I sometimes use dried beans, but I like the convenience of canned. Normally, canned beans are $1.25 a can. Right now they are on sale for 79 cents a can. So I have bought in quantity! I'll do the same with other non-perishable items or things that can be frozen. I find the sales go in cycles, so I try to get enough beans (for example) to last me about eight weeks. I also buy the fruits and vegetables that are on sale. Then I plan my meals for the next day the night before, taking into account what fresh produce I have and what is in the pantry.

 

[queenbetsey]

I know its hard to make a meal plan but it does help. also think of the big picture when you get or make stuff. double batches are great, stews, soups, chilis, all great for double batches and freezing. also when you only have one or two servings either use them for lunches or freeze them in quart size zip locks as flat as you can bet them..put those bags into one of the two and a half gallon zip loc bags and label it pot luck, then when you are stumped you can pull that out and let everyone choose what they want.
those cost co chickens are great way to stretch that budget. I cut one in half for one night and have it with instant stuffing or regular mashed potatoes, gravy and a veggie. then I take the breast meat off the other half and make a chicken taco salad (using that big old bag of lettuce from Costco) if you cook the chicken with some taco seasoning you are set.. and that last bit? bag it freeze it bones and all for tortilla soup later. we kept track one time and hubby figured we had 3 meals for us and our 2 teenage daughters for around 10 bucks. plus some left overs for lunches. not as much work as it sounds like either.
also when we have that garden going we freeze lots of the veggies for later use. the key is to chop/slice or grate them first and freeze them on a cookie sheet (same with berries), then you can bag them up and take out what you need.
I will say that with pintrest there are lots of ideas for makeahead budget meals that are great and wish they had this when my kids were little

 

[disneychrista]

Not really. We never use canned or dry goods in hot months. Forcing us to clean it out quartetrly helps the rotation. If I buy 7 days worth of meals but we only made 4-5 meals because we had plenty of left overs or had dinner at family's or friend's it saves $$ by using left over purchases.
Canned and dry goods tend to get forgotten in my house, maybe not others but in mine.
Again we do it more for waste but it does help budget

Unless these were given to you, you did spend the money on them at some point.

 

[sk!mom]

My tip is to meal plan with the week's schedule in mind. For instance, I plan several easy to prepare meals if I know that we have busy days. If I see something in the store that looks good on special, I'll change on the fly.

I'm always amazed by these threads, my goal when DD19 is home is $200 per week, When she's away at school, I shoot for $150.

We eat mostly organic, no processed food. Those figures do include beer, wine, toiletries, cleaning products,etc.

I don't try to go too low as my goal is for us to WANT to eat at home. A steak or seafood dinner at home is cheaper and healthier while still being expensive.

Also, Watch waste. We throw out zero food. My DH loves leftovers so will eat them for lunch the next day. Honestly, I monitor the produce and make sure that we use it before it goes bad.

 

[Monykalyn]

Alot of folks I work with have done the chickens in their backyard and garden, more as a hobby and to have fresh produce and eggs. But they say given the work , stress and cost involved, it's cheaper at the store, and no worrying about whether it is too hot, too cold, or if the chickens are sick, or if a hawk or neighborhood cat, or skunk or possum has gotten into the chicken coop and attacked them, or eaten the vegetables in the garden.
I've got enough stress at work, I don't need it at home too.

There is definitely a time commitment to garden and chickens-but the raised beds keep the time down as it is easier to seed, weed and harvest. Have drip irrigation set up from rain barrels as needed (this summer actually too much rain); and the chickens are a time commitment as well-totally agree it is more of a hobby but the kids help with chicken upkeep (cleaning coop, collecting eggs etc)-the biggest stress there is finding someone to watch the chickens if we want to go somewhere for more than a couple days! But watching the ladies peck and hunt for bugs, or having them settle down to be petted and fall asleep in my lap is actually stress relieving

 

[dlavender]

We were discussing the possibilities of having chickens the other day! We decided to wait until next year, and see how we progress towards our goals first. These are all great suggestions! We went to the store yesterday, purchased $43 worth of groceries, and believe we can make that work with what we already have. We are trying to "build" a surplus on the cash flow side, so that we can start purchasing in bulk from Costco for items that may make sense. I love the chicken idea, we will use that for sure. The first week couldn't have gone better! As an added bonus, I have lost 5 pounds in the last two weeks, and have 40 lbs left to shed to reach that goal. If we can do this for a year, I'll hit my weight loss goal, and with the money saved we will get to go to Disney! Win, Win, Win!

 

[bababear_50]

Most of my shopping is done on Sunday for what we are going to eat for the next week.
I do stock pile non perishable items such as soap,bleach, paper products,
when they are on sale or if I can get bonus Airmile points.
I scan online flyers before shopping.
I do not plan out Sat or Sunday meals.

We do a
one night--pasta dish
second night--egg dish
third night-- chicken dish
fourth night-- ground beef dish
fifth night--- soup,salad,subs

Hugs Mel

 

[barkley]

Unless these were given to you, you did spend the money on them at some point.

I see your point-but from personal experience I know it ends up saving us money doing this as well.

as an example-I've got a set amount for food each month. once a year 2 of our local stores have case sales of certain products. if I buy them I end up saving (on best sale prices-not considering on average how much something costs off sale or may go up in cost with the regular price increases) probably 25% of the cost. during that month almost my entire grocery budget goes for those sale items (heck-I buy a years worth of paper towels, a few types of canned beans, tomato products and some canned vegs). during that same month we eat out off what's sitting in the pantry, fridge and freezer. I'll also stock up the freezer w/certain seasonal great buys (like right after thanksgiving when the store is trying to empty their freezers of turkeys, right before memorial day when brat patties and other bbq items go on bogo sales. it's a financial 'wash'-nothing saved, but no more money spent in any one month vs. another.

flash forward a few months-I've kept my grocery spending at the same level despite rising costs (b/c of what my family calls my 'zombie apocalypse food hoard') but we can do a no-buy month (or just dairy/fresh produce) and clear out the odds and ends in the pantry, fridge and freezer. so I save upwards of $400. yes-I did pay spend money on that food previously but it was less expensive at the time I bought it AND I don't end up w/the 'hidden' expense most households have due to wasted food/tossed out food b/c of expired dates.

for us it helps keep the on-going cost of food lower.

 

[ariel1025]

We are working on this as well. Our household is myself, Hubs, Son (4 and very picky), and daughter (almost 2 with nut allergy). We are currently averaging almost $800 a month . Our goal is $500-$600. To be honest we've been overspending on food (both grocery and going out to eat) for so long that I'm not sure what is a reasonable amount for our needs. Long personal story, but the next 3 weeks we are pretty much cornered into a pantry clean out. At first I was stressed about it, but in the end I think it's a blessing in disguise. Hoping that talking about it here will hold me accountable

 

[dlavender]

We are working on this as well. Our household is myself, Hubs, Son (4 and very picky), and daughter (almost 2 with nut allergy). We are currently averaging almost $800 a month . Our goal is $500-$600. To be honest we've been overspending on food (both grocery and going out to eat) for so long that I'm not sure what is a reasonable amount for our needs. Long personal story, but the next 3 weeks we are pretty much cornered into a pantry clean out. At first I was stressed about it, but in the end I think it's a blessing in disguise. Hoping that talking about it here will hold me accountable

We honestly have probably spent about the same, probably even higher, each month as we weren't even really keeping track because we knew we were being so wasteful! The meal planning has been the key. Our 7 year old really appreciates having it up to read! We have it on the fridge, and she refers to it hourly! It really helps keep us honest. We have started so simply - Tuna Pasta, veggie spaghetti, PB + J's, grilled cheeses, and frozen meals that we had. We are pretty much duplicating it for this week as it was so successful. Im sure we will tire of this "boring" menu, but as we save up, we will get more dynamic moving forward im sure. Good luck! I'm also hoping putting this out there will help us stay more accountable. 1 week is easy, 1 year is a different story!

 

[Monykalyn]

Also join the Eat at home thread. It helps to post what your menu is (some accountability) and get great menu ideas from other posters too!