Grocery receipts for 1 month $1000 - frustrated

[mermaidwannabe]

Wow, I never knew we spent that much. We are a family of 5 with 3 girls ages 13, 10 and 7. I checked out the No Buy June thread, and how do people just spend $200 on food?

I live where they don't double coupons or take printed coupons. I haven't been real great at that anyways. I kept track of food, cleaning supplies, anything for the house, eating out (which was @ $150 of it).

I'm just wondering if there were people who spent that much money like me and if anyone successfully reduced it? Maybe I should keep track for more than one month? The purchases seemed normal to me though.

It's so hard! My DH goes to Costco every week with a $125 bill not to mention our trips to Wal Mart and the grocery store.

Just overwhelmed, I suppose. This all came on the heels of owing a down payment of $1775 for my DD13's braces, which just hurts!!

 

[DawnM]

This is my all time favorite site for frugal grocery shopping! It comes down to spending more TIME in the kitchen, but it can save BUNDLES.

http://www.budget101.com/budget101-free-ebook/free-ebook-groceries-200-month-2547.html

Even if you do just a few of her tips it can save you.

Dawn

 

[ykmom]

I don't have an answer for you but wanted to say that I wonder that too. We live in a small town with only 2 options for groceries stores, and no costco. We are a family of 3 and our grocery bill is just a little less. We just started keeping track and we'll see if we can reduce it. Our eating out is quite high and our current goal is to reduce that. We stock up on dry goods when they are on sale but coupons are not really an option. I am trying to plan around what is on sale but takes time which sometimes I just don't have!

 

[Bren's Mom]

Some cost saving measures have nothing to do with coupons.

Things like eating less meat/chicken overall, and using less expensive cuts of meat/chicken when you do.

Making use of every single bit of things like whole chickens/turkey.

Eating more things in season, which tend to be less expensive.

Finding less expensive sources of veggies, like a local farm.

Buying when things are on sale and freezing.

 

[lovesmurfs]

Wow, I never knew we spent that much. We are a family of 5 with 3 girls ages 13, 10 and 7. I checked out the No Buy June thread, and how do people just spend $200 on food?

I live where they don't double coupons or take printed coupons. I haven't been real great at that anyways. I kept track of food, cleaning supplies, anything for the house, eating out (which was @ $150 of it).

I'm just wondering if there were people who spent that much money like me and if anyone successfully reduced it? Maybe I should keep track for more than one month? The purchases seemed normal to me though.

It's so hard! My DH goes to Costco every week with a $125 bill not to mention our trips to Wal Mart and the grocery store.

Just overwhelmed, I suppose. This all came on the heels of owing a down payment of $1775 for my DD13's braces, which just hurts!!

It's better to know than to not know. I'd look at what is purchased at the trips to Costco, Walmart and the grocery store. Don't EVER go without a list. Make a list, and stick to it. Menu planning is essential.

We're working on trying not to go out as much (both kids are now eating off the adult menu - $$).

Best wishes.

 

[tinkarooni]

Hey OP, I too have a grocery bill that I am trying to tame. But I know where my problems are. My problems are lack of time. So although I don't buy a lot of prepackaged things I will maybe stop and pick up meat today for dinner tonight because I didn't thaw anything. I never use coupons because it takes time and we eat out too much in my opinion. So my questions to you are:
1. Do you work?
2. Do you coupon?
3. Do you meal plan?
4. Do you cook from scratch?
5. Are you buying a lot of pre-packaged snacks or meals?
6. Do you have a tomato plant in the ground or a pot right now for fresh 'maters all summer long?
7. Do you include in your food budget cleaning supplies, paper products or pet food? (most people don't)
8. Do you include in your budget eating out?

Figure out what is in your budget as compared to others so that you are comparing apples to apples. Than take a serious look at what you need and don't need for example my husbands Diet Coke addiction is weighing me down. My budget is $900 for four, DH me, DS12 (who eats me out of house and home) and DD9 (soon to be 10). I buy mostly organic, a ton of fresh fruits and veggies. I should be buying more in season, another problem area of mine. I spend $900 per month, although I too go over often. Trying to get it together, my project for my daughter this summer is clipping and organizing coupons and my son is going to learn to cook meals from scratch, start to finish.

Good Luck!

 

[MissBritt]

Just my 2 cents...

I combine coupons with sales to get about 35% savings on all grocery purchases each month. But I know I will never get above 50% savings consistently because we are brand snobs- we will not waver on brands for about 75% of the things we consume. I find that the friends who save the highest percentage on groceries will eat whatever brand they can get cheapest. Nothing wrong with either way, just personal preference. I prefer to spend a little more for something I love than eat something I don't like just because it was almost free.

 

[mermaidwannabe]

Hey OP, I too have a grocery bill that I am trying to tame. But I know where my problems are. My problems are lack of time. So although I don't buy a lot of prepackaged things I will maybe stop and pick up meat today for dinner tonight because I didn't thaw anything. I never use coupons because it takes time and we eat out too much in my opinion. So my questions to you are:
1. Do you work?
2. Do you coupon?
3. Do you meal plan?
4. Do you cook from scratch?
5. Are you buying a lot of pre-packaged snacks or meals?
6. Do you have a tomato plant in the ground or a pot right now for fresh 'maters all summer long?
7. Do you include in your food budget cleaning supplies, paper products or pet food? (most people don't)
8. Do you include in your budget eating out?

Figure out what is in your budget as compared to others so that you are comparing apples to apples. Than take a serious look at what you need and don't need for example my husbands Diet Coke addiction is weighing me down. My budget is $900 for four, DH me, DS12 (who eats me out of house and home) and DD9 (soon to be 10). I buy mostly organic, a ton of fresh fruits and veggies. I should be buying more in season, another problem area of mine. I spend $900 per month, although I too go over often. Trying to get it together, my project for my daughter this summer is clipping and organizing coupons and my son is going to learn to cook meals from scratch, start to finish.

Good Luck!

I do work, but only two mornings per week, so I do have time to plan and prepare food (but I don't do as well when all three girls have sports activities after school at different times!) I buy very little prepackaged food, and we have been eating a lot less meat just for health reasons, but we were eating meat every night before. We do buy a lot of fresh fruit and veggies and fish and maybe 2 bottles of wine per month, so not a lot. My DH buys beer, and to be honest, I'm not sure how much he buys per month but don't remember him giving me receipts for that when we were keeping track. lol

I did include "all the extras" besides food, including dog, cat and rabbit food. We really don't eat out that much, but we grabbed Subway and Wendy's a few times after softball games that went too long and the kids couldn't wait to get home to eat. My fault, I should have snacks in the car.

We do plant a small garden, but the growing season here is ridiculous. Still, I love getting beans, peas and squash from it. I am tomato challenged! I can't grow them. Maybe I'll try again this year.

I do love Laughing Cow cheese, which can be pricey. And black bean burgers on a regular basis. And Nutri grain waffles once or twice per week for the kids. I make pancakes and eggs on the weekends.

Well, maybe I can try to start the stock piling thing when items are on sale. We have a freezer in the garage. If I could even cut $200 from our $1000, that would be a start. We were floored when we added up the receipts because I make dinner and the kids' lunches and not from boxed or premade foods for the most part! I think I need to start making lists of healthy meals that aren't pricey, but I won't start feeding them Hamburger Helper or Mac n Cheese. I know that's cheap, but we don't like processed food. I'll scour the threads here and have already read some great tips from you all, so thanks.

 

[mrsklamc]

What is getting purchased at Costco during the $125 weekly trip? That's a large chunk of the bill right there. I LOVE Costco, don't get me wrong, but often their prices are not lower than the grocery store just because it's a bulk item. You really have to know your prices when purchasing food at Costco.

 

[mommagoof]

Coupons are still a great way to save lots of $$ even if you don't use the food ones. Use them to stockup on laundry supplies, cleaning supplies, shampoo/conditioners, toothpastes,paper towels, deodorants. When you are getting these items for free or pennies it frees up more money for fresh fruits and veggies and healthier food items.

 

[WDWFWfan]

Wow! I thought our grocery bill was high! We average about $400 a month for a family of four. BTW, stay away from Wal-Mart...they are terrible about taking coupons.

 

[MEM]

Regarding your DH Costco runs, we solved the issue of over-spending at Costco by only buying a few standard items there and taking just enough cash to cover. I send DH since he is not tempted by things we don't need and he buys only skim milk, the huge bag of Perdue frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts, Kraft parmesan cheese, ReaLemon juice and white vinegar. We buy milk every week and the other items are monthly.

I agree with the person who mentioned buying only what is in season. Clementines were a great price all winter long - about $4 for 5 pounds and now blueberries are the best deal at $2 a pint for Georgia-grown berries.

We also use meat as a condiment rather than the main dish. DD14 doesn't eat red meat or pork so I just don't buy it. That saves us money and saturated fat.

Regarding coupons, I am seeing fewer and fewer coupons here in the Boston area that CAN be doubled - lots of $1.00 when you buy 2 (or 3). I just watch for sales on those items before I use the coupon. We go through a lot of the Laughing Cow cheese wedges and they recently went on sale 2/$5. Not great, but better than $3.99 PSP and combined with a $1 off 2 coupon they were $2each.

 

[charming23]

We spend $200 a month because there is only two of us. We shop weekly and menu plan based on sales. We stock up on meat when it is on sale. We also utilize leftovers for lunch instead of buying expensive lunch meat or eating out. I think that saves us a ton of money and then nothing goes to waste.

I also make more from scratch which I find saves money. I used to always buy the premade cookie dough but now I take the time to make it myself. It is also healthier since I know exactly what is going into it. I also do not count household goods into my grocery budget anymore.

We eat a well rounded diet with lots of fruit and veggies and never feel like we are missing out on anything.

 

[SCHBR'smom]

Wow! I thought our grocery bill was high! We average about $400 a month for a family of four. BTW, stay away from Wal-Mart...they are terrible about taking coupons.

I think it depends on your Walmart. I've never had a problem at ours.

 

[mrsklamc]

As a PP mentioned, for us toiletries and pet stuff are a separate budget category. Also, MT is probably just a higher cost of living in general because it's more remote.

 

[Nette]

What is getting purchased at Costco during the $125 weekly trip? That's a large chunk of the bill right there. I LOVE Costco, don't get me wrong, but often their prices are not lower than the grocery store just because it's a bulk item. You really have to know your prices when purchasing food at Costco.

I've definitely found this to be true. Their paper towels and toilet paper (even their Kirkland brand) cost more than I can get them for at the local grocery store. Their organic milk is also more expensive than I can get from my HEB.

 

[undertheradar]

There are going to be many variables involved. Grocery prices are regional and some items do not go on sale or get discounted. If you are buying all of the food groups and purchasing dry goods and cleaning products, prices have been rising again. We are a family of five and we spend $1000. per month.

 

[SCHBR'smom]

We are a family of 7 going on 8. I used to spend $300-$400 a week on groceries, including toiletries, cleaning supplies, diapers, and wipes. I'm working on getting down to $200/wk. I've started clipping coupons and making some of my own cleaning supplies (vinegar and water), but what is helping the most is planning ahead. If my meals are planned out in advance, it is easier to buy only what I need. Before, I would buy all kinds of things and make whatever I felt like having that day. I would have too many meals and sometimes food went bad before we ate it. Such a waste. Last week, I did spend only $200, but I didn't buy any diapers or wipes. Those make a huge dent in the grocery budget. The 2 yr old is now potty trained, so that will help there. Cutting the grocery bill is definitely work at first, but I'm sure it will get easier. And it will be worth it, less money out and less food wasted.

 

[Pigeon]

The key for me is spending time with a few grocery store fliers. There are no double coupons here, and we don't have too much competition. Mostly, I find that store brands are cheaper than name brands with a coupon, unless the stuff is on sale. I have no brand loyalties at all that I can think of.

Cleaning products and toiletries are usually more expensive at the grocery store than elsewhere.

If you have an Aldi's they are great for basics. I'll do a shopping there every couple of weeks for canned goods, pasta, rice, beans, tortillas, baking supplies and chocolate.

If you have a freezer, stock up on meat when it's on sale. I also do a lot of triple batches of soups, stews, spaghetti sauce, etc. on the weekends, and freeze in meal-sized containers. That goes a long way toward avoiding eating out on those crazy, activity filled evenings.

It's probably too late for this summer, but look into joining a CSA. I split a share with a friend, and with what I get from the CSA and a small home garden, I spend $250 for almost 6 month's worth of fresh, organic veggies, and buy almost no vegetables at all during taht time.

Overall, I spend around $550/month for a family of two adults, a 12 year old and 9 year old girl, and we live in an area with high grocery costs.

 

[mermaidwannabe]

You know, Costco has just become the place where we get all our paper products and laundry detg. A big pack of TP from there of Charmin is almost $20, so there is one thing I can find cheaper. My DH is SOOO bad about not sticking to a list and buying things there that look good so that is a problem. I'll really have to get him on board with this. I did see a thread about making your own laundry detg, which I never thought I would ever do, but I'm going to try it! I can't imagine you would really save that much, but I suppose it all adds up.

We buy organic milk, so that is always about $10 for 3 half gallons. And I am addicted to Fage Greek Yogurt which is really expensive. I'm really good about making soups and using the crock pot in the winter, but we grill a lot in the summer, so I'll have to watch that.

I bet those cleaning products do add up - I'll search for a thread that has to do with using vinegar/borax, etc. That's how I have to start looking at things, even $.25 coupons. They add up. Just like my change jar. I'm going to do this!! Good idea about the CSA. I think there is one here. I just like to pick my own produce, but maybe this would be better.

Thanks for everyone's input. It helps to know others are in the same boat but are doing things that work.