I need a shoulder to cry on... (and maybe advice?)

[GatorMama]

Have you thought about scaling back on your party food?? Shrimp is expensive and to serve it to that many folks is a budget buster in it's self. You have gotten some good coupon advice here, and I have seen folks using a calculator at the commisary, so they have an idea of what their total bill will be. There is no shame in doing this and remember it is your money you are spending! Have fun at your party!

Ummm... the shrimp is not for the party. We're having tacos for the party.

I have used a calculate in the commissary before but it's unrealistic for me to use it all the time, especially when I'm already looking at my grocery list and making sure I've got the right product for the coupons I have... with a toddler in the cart. Shopping with a toddler is a challenge on its own, but adding in that other stuff is super crazy. A woman can only do so much!

 

[GatorMama]

I went way over last week, and I can honestly say the increased food prices are to blame. I do double $1 coupons then fill in the blanks at Aldi. It was the Aldi trip that killed it and I buy the same items there. I may have to bump up the grocery budget to keep up with inflation.

Now a tip! Don't be brand loyal. Buy things that are on sale with coupons at significant savings and try them. Sometimes this gets you out of a rut and keeps the family from being bored with the same old thing. Some will be a hit, some will be a miss, but you will still be full either way. I would never buy frozen rolls, but got 3 packages of Sister Shubert's rolls for free last week. My family loved them! If you look at it as exciting to try new things rather than a let down because you didn't buy exactly what you wanted it makes it a lot more fun.

The things I am brand loyal to, I am loyal for a reason. There are some things that I value more than the monetary savings. Example: it is more important to me to buy toilet paper from recycled paper than to get my toilet paper for free. I would rather support the greener company than support the deforestation of trees. I'm a hippie at heart. If I could grow all my own food, I would... but I kill everything. And I have lazy moments when all I want is for my dinner to be delivered to my doorstep so I don't have to think about it anymore. Oh... and we LOVE Sister Shubert's rolls. We don't eat them very often because they're not very healthy, but they were a special request of DH last week... so I was glad to find a great sale on them and have a handy dandy coupon to go with!

 

[GatorMama]

I'd average your food budget over two weeks. I'd also look at what you are serving your family. Can you mix some inexpensive meals in there somewhere. Save the nicer cuts of meat for a special dinner during the week and then have a few meals that are just mac-n-cheese + hotdogs, or a pasta meal, what about eggs and toast for dinner?

There are ways to cut costs ... just think back to the days before family when you only had yourself to worry about. I can remember just fixing tomato soup (was 10 cents back then) and buttered bread for dinner. When my DH was in college and we were living on my income, we had beans and franks most nights. Can you say "Ramen Noodles".

If your family is commited to sticking to a grocery budget, then EVERYONE will need to adjust their expectations about what is available for eats at home. Get everyone (including your DH) involved in planning the menus ... make it a game .... hey, we only have this much money for groceries ... what can we fix to stay within budget??

I also try to use coupons and will "stock-up" on items we use when they are on sale (e.g. I have probably 50 cans of chunky soup purchased for between $0.75 and $1.00 ... they sell usually for $1.79 each).

As mentioned, get the whole family involved ... but this party has really thrown off your budget ... just make up for it with the next week's budget by serving low-cost meals.

Those solutions may work for your family. But not mine. Would they keep us from starving? Yeah. But they're not what I want to serve my family. We don't eat canned soup. We have two or three cans in our pantry for our emergency food stash. Emergency = the power is out for a prolonged period of time and we have no other option. I would rather make soup from scratch and know what is in it. More expensive? Yeah, probably. Healthier? No doubt. Far less sodium in my homemade chicken tortilla soup and probably more meat and vegetables. We don't always eat super healthy, but I can do my best to make sure that I make better choices than Ramen Noodles for dinner.

 

[maggiew]

Ummm... the shrimp is not for the party. We're having tacos for the party.

I have used a calculate in the commissary before but it's unrealistic for me to use it all the time, especially when I'm already looking at my grocery list and making sure I've got the right product for the coupons I have... with a toddler in the cart. Shopping with a toddler is a challenge on its own, but adding in that other stuff is super crazy. A woman can only do so much!

One thing I found when my kids were toddlers was to shop without them. I would wait until DH was home to go shoppping. When the kids were toddlers, we both worked and even on the nights DH worked overtime and didn't get home until 10 pm, I waited to go shopping. Many times I was shopping at 11 pm - midnight! I just found I could concentrate on the shopping more and make less snap decisions like throwing something in my cart to just hurry up and get out of the store because the kids were acting up.

 

[maggiew]

double post. sorry.

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

Just a quick question.. I'm not familiar with commissary shopping, so at the risk of sounding totally ignorant, do you have to do all of your shopping there?

If not, I'm wondering if you could save a little more here and there when a major market (or chain store) is having an extremely good sale on certain items and you have some really good coupons that you have acquired by using the links to the sites provided here and printing out coupons for whatever name brand items you typically use.. If so, at that time (like with the DD coffee for your DH), you might be able to stock up on items that you know you won't get for less at the commissary (or at least at the specific time that you need it)..

Just a thought..

No. I don't. But a vast majority of the time, the prices are better there. I don't mind going to another store if they have something that I want that is cheaper, but that just doesn't happen very often... and it really needs to be more than one item for me to go out of the way to go there with a toddler. I've got a spreadsheet with the regular prices at my three favorite stores and the sale prices... and BOGO prices still don't always compete with regular commissary prices. If I had coupons to add to those, it MIGHT be cheaper (since there aren't always coupons available for the specific brands at the commissary).

I don't know if her Commissary is anything like ours, which I assume it probably is, because I believe they are all run by the Army, but they have the BEST prices anywhere, or at least they do for us.

We have been able to use the Commissary again since Dec and I have spent 1/3 to 1/2 less than I ever was off post. I don't even bother to go to Walmart anymore, and only occassionally go to the grocery store by our house, unless I run out of bread or milk. I use our Commissary almost exclusively and we are spending less than $400/month, but there are 2 of us, but we have 4 cats, 1 dog, and 1 rabbit and I have been buying everything, even toilitries at the Commissary. Most of the products I buy there are half the price as what they were at Walmart, where I used to do most of my shopping.

OP, does your Commissary not put coupons on the shelves in front of the products they have coupons for?. That is how I get more than 50% of my coupons, they are attached to the shelf in front of the products I buy. I have been averaging $20 to $25 savings every 2 weeks, I can't shop weekly. Ours even has someone standing at the door handing out coupon books several times a month or there is a buggy full of coupon books like would come in the paper and I take a minute to look through them before and after I shop, I have saved alot doing that, too One day, I was handed some coupon books, and stopped before going to the check out and I think I found $5.00 worth of coupons on items I was going to buy anyway. Do they have case sales? You can save a ton at those. Ours advertise those on a billboard in front of the store.

Our Commissary has a great sleection of meat and the family pack are reasonably priced, since there are only 2 of us, I buy those and break them down into meal size portions.

Suzanne

 

[GatorMama]

One thing I found when my kids were toddlers was to shop without them. I would wait until DH was home to go shoppping. When the kids were toddlers, we both worked and even on the nights DH worked overtime and didn't get home until 10 pm, I waited to go shopping. Many times I was shopping at 11 pm - midnight! I just found I could concentrate on the shopping more and make less snap decisions like throwing something in my cart to just hurry up and get out of the store because the kids were acting up.

My hat is off to you! I don't remember the last time I stayed up until midnight by choice. I don't think it's happened since DS was born! He wakes me up enough in the of the night that my bedtime needs to be nine or ten or we have a very grumpy mommy at hand the next day! I have left DS with a sitter to go grocery shopping before, but I don't want to do taht all the time- just when I know it will be a BIG trip (like when I went through the commissary with my clipboard to record prices the first time).

 

[tar heel]

Maggie has just offered some great advice. I do at least 90% of my grocery shopping alone -- always have. When my sons were little, I shopped late at night or when they were at mothers morning out/preschool so they didn't have to go with me. I also don't take my DH shopping very often as he is much more prone to impulse purchases and not looking at prices than me.

 

[GatorMama]

Maggie has just offered some great advice. I do at least 90% of my grocery shopping alone -- always have. When my sons were little, I shopped late at night or when they were at mothers morning out/preschool so they didn't have to go with me. I also don't take my DH shopping very often as he is much more prone to impulse purchases and not looking at prices than me.

I LOVE spending time with my DH, but he's like this too. I avoid the cookie aisle like the plague, but he always wanders down there... and comes back with cookies AND crackers! (neither of which were on my list) And then he wants ice cream too... and cake mix with icing... can you tell he has a sweet tooth?

 

[VAN]

Those solutions may work for your family. But not mine. Would they keep us from starving? Yeah. But they're not what I want to serve my family. We don't eat canned soup. We have two or three cans in our pantry for our emergency food stash. Emergency = the power is out for a prolonged period of time and we have no other option. I would rather make soup from scratch and know what is in it. More expensive? Yeah, probably. Healthier? No doubt. Far less sodium in my homemade chicken tortilla soup and probably more meat and vegetables. We don't always eat super healthy, but I can do my best to make sure that I make better choices than Ramen Noodles for dinner.

Well, no offense, but that is probably why you are having problems staying within your budget. I came from a very large farm family, and you learn to make do. It is "nice" to get everything you "want", but sometimes it is not possible without putting your family's financial future at stake. So carry-on ... but I think you have lost my sympathy if you aren't willing to make any changes in your lifestyle to accomodate your budget.

Again, no offense, just different strokes ....

 

[GatorMama]

I don't know if her Commissary is anything like ours, which I assume it probably is, because I believe they are all run by the Army, but they have the BEST prices anywhere, or at least they do for us.

We have been able to use the Commissary again since Dec and I have spent 1/3 to 1/2 less than I ever was off post. I don't even bother to go to Walmart anymore, and only occassionally go to the grocery store by our house, unless I run out of bread or milk. I use our Commissary almost exclusively and we are spending less than $400/month, but there are 2 of us, but we have 4 cats, 1 dog, and 1 rabbit and I have been buying everything, even toilitries at the Commissary. Most of the products I buy there are half the price as what they were at Walmart, where I used to do most of my shopping.

OP, does your Commissary not put coupons on the shelves in front of the products they have coupons for?. That is how I get more than 50% of my coupons, they are attached to the shelf in front of the products I buy. I have been averaging $20 to $25 savings every 2 weeks, I can't shop weekly. Ours even has someone standing at the door handing out coupon books several times a month or there is a buggy full of coupon books like would come in the paper and I take a minute to look through them before and after I shop, I have saved alot doing that, too One day, I was handed some coupon books, and stopped before going to the check out and I think I found $5.00 worth of coupons on items I was going to buy anyway. Do they have case sales? You can save a ton at those. Ours advertise those on a billboard in front of the store.

Our Commissary has a great sleection of meat and the family pack are reasonably priced, since there are only 2 of us, I buy those and break them down into meal size portions.

Suzanne

Suzanne

They do have coupons in front of many items, but not always what I'm buying. It's also one of the busiest commissaries in the country so coupons go FAST. (Example: the day I went to price items there, they had just put out coupons for bags of Tastybird frozen chicken. These coupons are rare, apparently. I'd never seen them before- EVER. 40 cents off of one bag. I grabbed three that I intended to use later that day when I did my actual shopping. I'm glad I did because ALL FIVE pads of coupons were totally gone when I came back a few hours later.) The coupons for the good cereal is usually quick to go too. Probably 1/3 of the coupons I've used lately have been directly from the commissary, it might have been more if I hadn't already had another coupon for the same product that was a better deal. $1.00 off vs. $0.35 off

I've only been TWICE when they were handing out coupon flyers. I think they recently stopped handing out the flyers and instead, post coupons directly to the items they're good for. (The girls checking IDs at the door have been cutting them out since security was heightened a few weeks ago)

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

Just an FYI (I haven't read the entire thread...), I found that Dunkin coffee is cheaper at Dunkin locations vs the grocery store with a coupon.

Always ask at Dunkin what the deal is for multiple bags, typically they do not advertise it. Right now in my area it is 2 one lb bags for 12.99. 16 oz for $6.50 is 40.6 cents a oz. At the grocery store you can get the bags for $7 less a $1.50 coupon which is $5.50, but it is only a 12 oz bag.- 45.8 cents an ounce.

Back at Christmas they were running 4 one pound bags for $20, boy do I wish they would bring that back!

 

[GatorMama]

Just an FYI (I haven't read the entire thread...), I found that Dunkin coffee is cheaper at Dunkin locations vs the grocery store with a coupon.

Always ask at Dunkin what the deal is for multiple bags, typically they do not advertise it. Right now in my area it is 2 one lb bags for 12.99. 16 oz for $6.50 is 40.6 cents a oz. At the grocery store you can get the bags for $7 less a $1.50 coupon which is $5.50, but it is only a 12 oz bag.- 45.8 cents an ounce.

Back at Christmas they were running 4 one pound bags for $20, boy do I wish they would bring that back!

Thanks! I never would have even checked at the store! Don't go there for any other reason and I would have assumed it would be more expensive! So great to know!

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

They do have coupons in front of many items, but not always what I'm buying. It's also one of the busiest commissaries in the country so coupons go FAST. (Example: the day I went to price items there, they had just put out coupons for bags of Tastybird frozen chicken. These coupons are rare, apparently. I'd never seen them before- EVER. 40 cents off of one bag. I grabbed three that I intended to use later that day when I did my actual shopping. I'm glad I did because ALL FIVE pads of coupons were totally gone when I came back a few hours later.) The coupons for the good cereal is usually quick to go too. Probably 1/3 of the coupons I've used lately have been directly from the commissary, it might have been more if I hadn't already had another coupon for the same product that was a better deal. $1.00 off vs. $0.35 off

I've only been TWICE when they were handing out coupon flyers. I think they recently stopped handing out the flyers and instead, post coupons directly to the items they're good for. (The girls checking IDs at the door have been cutting them out since security was heightened a few weeks ago)

Definitley sound like it is much diffrent than ours. They don't even check ID's, until you are checking out here. I don't always find coupons for what I use, but have been more apt to than what we get in the local paper. They have been having some crazy cereal sales lately, ranging from $0.19 to $0.49 per box, but they are handing out coupons when the sale is going on.

I find Friday evening, 7pm is a good time to shop, it is mcuh quieter. I do have to take DH, but we can even splurge more at the Commissary, than we could before. He isn't really bad about finding something very often.

Our Commissary is small, I don't know what they are going to do when more than I think 20,000 troops descind on the are in the fall. It won't stop me from shopping there, but I will be more choosey on the time when I go. But, most of the people I see in there now are more retired age people, and a few soldiers that probably live in the barracks, stopping in for junk/party food. I don't know why more people don't shop there as low as our prices are.

Suzanne

 

[lucyem]

I do not know if someone mentioned this yet, in a hurry so not reading every reply, but the best thing I ever did was make a price book. I took a notebook and wrote down prices that I paid for each food item and the store I bought it at after I got home. I have 4 places to food shop around me not to mention the big stores like Wal-mart & Target. It was an eye opener. The store I thought was the most expensive was not. Different items are cheaper at different stores. The cheapest store does not have good meats & veggies so I go there specifically for canned goods for example. One store has the exact same half gallon of milk for $1.50 more then another.

Now when I shop I keep my little notebook in my pocketbook and I KNOW if a sale is a good deal or not. And if it is good I buy extra. I tend to avoid processed foods and make more from scratch but I keep good coupons for little splurges here and there to try something new or something we enjoy to keep life interesting.

I also subscribe to a few blogs where good coupons are listed. Recently I was able to get cream cheese for free at Target. I keep an eye on the weekly walgreens and cvs deals if it means I can pick up some things for free or cheap. Like the 25 cent cans of soup. While I will not spend gas to go get things like those on sale I will stop in if I am driving by.

 

[Zhoen]

It really depends on your commissary. The one near us is tiny, itty, bitty, but 25 miles away, and close to my work, is a huge one. Yeah, they don't advertise well at all, you pretty much have to walk up and down the aisles looking for signs...

Do your commissaries have the mark-down freezer bins for the meat? On the sell-by dates, ours freezes the leftover meats and marks them down about 30%... we have a deep freezer, so I load up when I find a good deal... sometimes it's really hard to not over-buy But it's usually the red meat that was higher priced or the hamburger, which they always grind a ton of. Never poultry, and obviously never seafood...

For those who DO have commissary access and are not picky eaters... our commissary has Bar S hotdogs for .69/pack this week, getting two and using the $1/2 coupon in the paper last week, that works out to $.19 a pack... if you like hot dogs... The bologna is sold out at the moment, due to the coupon, I suspect... (3yo is "crazy for bologna and hot dogs"--her words...)

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

It really depends on your commissary. The one near us is tiny, itty, bitty, but 25 miles away, and close to my work, is a huge one. Yeah, they don't advertise well at all, you pretty much have to walk up and down the aisles looking for signs...

Do your commissaries have the mark-down freezer bins for the meat? On the sell-by dates, ours freezes the leftover meats and marks them down about 30%... we have a deep freezer, so I load up when I find a good deal... sometimes it's really hard to not over-buy But it's usually the red meat that was higher priced or the hamburger, which they always grind a ton of. Never poultry, and obviously never seafood...

For those who DO have commissary access and are not picky eaters... our commissary has Bar S hotdogs for .69/pack this week, getting two and using the $1/2 coupon in the paper last week, that works out to $.19 a pack... if you like hot dogs... The bologna is sold out at the moment, due to the coupon, I suspect... (3yo is "crazy for bologna and hot dogs"--her words...)

I have seen that once or twice, and usually what is left is nothing that interests me, they seem to sell most of what is in the regular meat counter and some times can't keep it stocked, it sells so fast. They have a new section of butterball turkey items and it is reasonably priced and 2 weeks ago, there were $0.50 coupons hanging above, I grabbed a few packs and coupons, we love turkey. Ihaven't tried their ground beef. Love their steaks.

I got some of the hot dogs you mention, they were on sale 2 weeks ago here, but we dont eat hot dogs very often. DH isn't crazy about bologna, he prefers cotto salami and any of the turkey lunch meats, which are half the price as Walmart. I like German bologna, which can only be gotten at the deli counter and I only buy it maybe 2-3 times a year, because I am not a big sandwich eater.

Suzanne

 

[GatorMama]

It really depends on your commissary. The one near us is tiny, itty, bitty, but 25 miles away, and close to my work, is a huge one. Yeah, they don't advertise well at all, you pretty much have to walk up and down the aisles looking for signs...

Do your commissaries have the mark-down freezer bins for the meat? On the sell-by dates, ours freezes the leftover meats and marks them down about 30%... we have a deep freezer, so I load up when I find a good deal... sometimes it's really hard to not over-buy But it's usually the red meat that was higher priced or the hamburger, which they always grind a ton of. Never poultry, and obviously never seafood...

For those who DO have commissary access and are not picky eaters... our commissary has Bar S hotdogs for .69/pack this week, getting two and using the $1/2 coupon in the paper last week, that works out to $.19 a pack... if you like hot dogs... The bologna is sold out at the moment, due to the coupon, I suspect... (3yo is "crazy for bologna and hot dogs"--her words...)

We have one mark down freezer but it seems like it always has hams in it. Or bacon that DH won't eat

 

[GatorMama]

I have seen that once or twice, and usually what is left is nothing that interests me, they seem to sell most of what is in the regular meat counter and some times can't keep it stocked, it sells so fast. They have a new section of butterball turkey items and it is reasonably priced and 2 weeks ago, there were $0.50 coupons hanging above, I grabbed a few packs and coupons, we love turkey. Ihaven't tried their ground beef. Love their steaks.

I got some of the hot dogs you mention, they were on sale 2 weeks ago here, but we dont eat hot dogs very often. DH isn't crazy about bologna, he prefers cotto salami and any of the turkey lunch meats, which are half the price as Walmart. I like German bologna, which can only be gotten at the deli counter and I only buy it maybe 2-3 times a year, because I am not a big sandwich eater.

Suzanne

I got as many packs of turkey cutlets as I knew I could fit into my freezer... unfortunatley, that was only about 3... that was the same day I bought all those bags of chicken too!

 

[LovableGluttons]

I'm an avid commissary shopper. They have a terrific coupon policy that's very unique!

If the value of the coupon is greater than the cost of the item, you get the overage.

So, say you have a coupon for $1 off ANY Dove Soap or Body Wash, no size specified. The trial size section has the body wash for 70 cents. Add about 4 cents for surcharge, that's 74 cents. Use that $1 coupon, and you're ahead by 26 cents.

Now do that one hundred times. You can even place special orders for items like that to leave plenty on the shelf and make it easier to cart home or donate by the case.

I always use cash when I shop and bring calculator.

Once I hit my budgeted amount, I have to decide between grocery needs and wants. If I stumble onto a terrific coupon overage deal, I can pick up more wants.