Inspired by CindyB - how do you lower your grocery budget?

[Jenn]

I was reading the post about the septuplets and CindyB mentioned how little she spends on groceries in comparison to the septuplets family- it was unbelievable!

CindyB - can you share some tips?

I have been really trying to use what is in the pantry to keep our weekly costs down. (Ever feel like you have tons of food in the house but nothing to eat?)

What I really would love are some tips on cheaper cuts of meat that work well in the crockpot. My husband will only do white meat chicken - so no drumsticks .

 

[December99]

I only buy items when they are on sale and I use coupons. I also comparison shop. If I know I'm going to be needing something in the future, I will look around for it and see who has the cheaper price. If it comes on sale, I'll buy it if I know I'll need it.

My average grocery bill for 3 of us for every other week is approximately $100. And when I buy meat - I only buy it when it's on sale!!! That does include toiletries also!

 

[Kermit]

I don't keep my bills nearly as low as Cindy (I live too far away from anyone who doubles coupons, and no one here triples), but our grocery bill is pretty low. One thing that helps is basically keeping my pantry almost empty. Cooking from scratch really does save money. It may require overhauling your list of usual recipes. I don't cook things that require condensed soups. I have a few things that I really like that require it, but I use a thick white sauce with flavorings for whatever type of soup I'm replacing instead.

If you're short on time, stock your freezer with cooked meals. There are several cookbooks out there to help you. I recommend checking them out from the library. You don't even have to use the recipes in those books--just use them as a guide to adapt your own recipes. You can use the once a month cooking method where you make a month's worth of meals on one weekend, or you can make enough meals for the week each weekend. I know that a lot of people say that they don't care for frozen foods, but if you learn which foods freeze well, how to freeze them properly, and eat them within 4 weeks at the most, you really can't tell the difference.

Your crock pot can be your best friend for both economical cooking and cooking ahead. Cook extra when you use it. Just about everything cooked in the crock pot freezes well. I frequently buy whatever roast is on sale at the grocery store (either beef or pork), and then I add whatever is on hand to the crock pot. After you have read over a few crock pot recipes, you'll get a good idea about what kinds of seasonings work well.

 

[Cindy B]

December99 has it right...

One reason is that I don't buy meat either unless its on sale.

Two weeks ago boneless chicken breasts were on sale for $1.79 a pound, bought 8 pounds... we just used the last of it.


I bought ground chicken/ground turkey.. on sale, and will use that until its gone.


The one key is REUSING LEFTOVERS.

Sometimes the temptation is to just throw it in a tupperware container, and get to it eventually.... and well, lo and behold you have a fuzzy entree two weeks later..


Ok, for example, I make spaghetti, if the noodles are left over, I put them in the fridge for Thai Peanut Noodles... (quick and easy)

The chicken breast I used I saved a portion of, and then it became part of dinner last night with a crockpot of chicken noodle soup. Leftover celery/rice went in the soup as well, instead of being thrown out.

I make my own dressing, unless I can get it for 40 cents or less with my triple coupons. Bread ends become bread crumbs, or part of breakfast for dinner casserole

As for ground meat, there are tons of recipes with crockpot.

I dont buy biscuits, I make them, and they are just as quick to make. I make waffles (Mickey ones no less) and freeze them,so my kids can put them in the toaster for school

This is a wonderful time of the year to stockpile things. Flour, sugar, baking products are on sale..

For instance, I bought two packages of baking chips (peanut butter/butterscotch) and made batches of cookeis for school lunches instead of buying them.. I got almost four dozen out of the the homemade ones.. I also used half the bag of chips, so i cna use the other half for either candies, or even pancakes.

I buy meat when the meat department marks it down.

We can go vegetarian.

 

[perdidobay]

If you can go to the gorcery store on a Monday morning, meat depts will usually have the meat nearing it's sell-by date marked down. That's when I always buy my meats. Even if you work, you can put a cooler in your car with milk cartons filled with frozen water in to keep things cool till you get home from work.
I buy lots of staples this time of year...they are on sale... chicken broth and cream of chicken soup are two things I will buy a couple of dozen of. I also buy toilet paper and soft drinks when on sale only.

 

[perdidobay]

Also, if you want to save money cooking from scratch....look for Make-A-Mix Cookery by Karine Eliason, Nevada Harward and Madeline Westover. It tells you how to make "master mixes" then gives recipes to make individual things. Salad dressing mixes, beverage mixes, baking mixes(like bisquick) and meat mixes, etc. Well worth the money. you can find it on Amazon.com and maybe the library too.

 

[Jenn]

A few things I am doing now:

cooking more from scratch

using my crockpot

eating the leftovers instead of tossing them (my husband isn't big on leftovers so I bring them for lunch the next day or reheat for the kids if we are having something they don't really like)

I try to buy what is on sale in most instances. Veggies, fruit, soda, meat, rice, bread, oj, etc.

I use coupons but am finding them less and less worth the effort. My store doubles up to 99 cents but practically every coupon you find is $1 off of 2, so not only is my coupon not doubled, I have to buy 2 of the product (which I don't always want to do, especially if it's a new thing I'm trying out).

Also - we are drinking more water. It's better for you than anything else anyway. I don't even buy "kids" juice anymore - my girls drink milk, oj w/calcium, or water.

 

[December99]

Shortly after Christmas you will see lots of sales on cleaning supplies. If we aren't going to be making a trip to Sam's (nearest one is 30 minutes away) I try to stock up when those are on sale - like dollar sales - and usually have plenty of coupons to use when I purchase those supplies also. We also have a discount place that I purchase items from (one of those cash only places - Aldi). I get my mushroom soup there, chicken noodle and tomato soup, tortillas for tacos, tator tots and french fries and in the summer if hot dogs for cookouts or camping are too expensive (I only buy them when they are 99 cents or less and we only like Oscar Meyer from the stores) I will buy Aldi's hot dogs or sausages at bulk - they are good and inexpensive, buy snacks for lunches there, crackers for soups and most of my baking supplies.

I wish we had double or triple coupon places here!!! That would help so much!

 

[Cindy B]

You sound like you are on the right track Jenn... another thing is to stockpile on toiletries... if deoderant is on sale, wait for a good coupon and buy six of them... I just finished on the deoderant that I bought maybe in April...

Same with toothpaste.

Same with razors, soap

 

[Big V]

I used to be the coupon clipper King, but now there are hardly ever any good coupons. I usually buy all my canned goods from Aldi's, but I'm not real fond of their meats. I try and buy meat when it's on sale and also look for the "Manager's Specials" that are almost out of date. Sam's Club is a good place to find those!

 

[addicted_to_WDW]

I do clip coupons, but don't use nearly as many as I should.

What I do is plan my week's menus based on the sales. If it's chicken week at Giant, we'll eat a lot of chicken. We always have leftovers, which is what DH and I have for lunch. I don't buy juice boxes or individual sizes of snacks...way too expensive that way.

 

[POLLY ANN]

Thanks for all the tips, everyone!

I've always bought what I wanted, when I wanted it with no regard to using coupons (only if I remembered!), and my weekly grocery bill was over $200! It was absolutely ludicrous.

I have finally put together a meal budget, and on sundays I get the coupons and grocery store flyers and look through them to see what is on sale. Then I make a menu out for every day of the coming week and buy ONLY those items. Makes the time in the grocery store alot faster this way, too. Instead of spending my usual hour to hour and a half, I spend 30 - 45 minutes tops. (The extra time is actually spent making the menu for the week.)

OK, I have only done this for the past 2 weeks, but instead of spending $200 a week, I have spent $50 - 70 apx. So I have already saved a ton of money.

I also agree that we need to go back to making dinner and baking by scratch. There are so many convenient foods out there and they are ridiculously expensive (and hardly all that great for you.)

Jenn, I hate those coupons that say save a $1 when you buy 2 items. I end up throwing those away and just buying store brand. It still comes out cheaper!

 

[AirForceRocks]

Our grocery bill for a family of four (including toiletries) runs between $250 and $300 per month, depending on how much I stock up on sale items.

The vast majority of our meals are from scratch.

I practice once-a-month cooking, so I always have meals in the freezer.

I base my menus on what is on sale rather than making my menus and then shopping for it.

I make my list BEFORE I look for the coupons, so that I don't "buy for the coupon".

I get double meals out of big items - leftovers from a crockpot roast go into a huge beef pot pie later in the week, same with leftover chicken.

I make my own version of Bisquick so that I always have baking mix on hand - I use it for pancakes, waffles, biscuits, etc.

I use my bread machine for all of our bread, rolls and pizza dough.

Bread ends become either croutons for salads and stuffing or go through the food processor and become bread crumbs.

 

[ryanpatricksmom]

Our monthly grocery bills run closer to the $400-450 per month range for a family of four, but our boys are 23 and 11 so I would expect it to be a little higher...it's like feeding 4 adults. That also includes DH's nicotine patches, most toiletries, paper products, etc.

I stock-up on sale items, use coupons, and purchase whatever meats are on sale. I try to never run out of anything that we use on a regular basis, so I rarely pay full price for anything. I almost always use coupons in conjunction with sale items, so convenience type foods are usually free or close to it. I've returned to the cooking from scratch method after a several year hiatus...I'm getting home earlier these days, so that really helps. Our grocery bill has increased, but our restaurant bills are WAY down!

If I could get my family to give up their Pepsi and Ben and Jerry's habits, I'd probably spend $50.00 a month less.

 

[CyranoJones]

I sent my daughter to college away, far away LOL!! Now I'm not cooking meals for her and all her friends all the time. Our house was the hangout house for years. I'm not sure it's worth the lower grocery bill though because I sure do miss it!

 

[cinlee3]

Jenn, you and I had a similar idea for a thread - I like yours better.

Anyway you all have really inspired me. I have a question for your bargain shoppers - do you go from store to store based on the sales? Do you shop at the wholesale clubs?

I haven't renewed my Sam's membership because I wasn't really using it, but I am rethinking and may renew. I also didn't like DH going in there because he will buy things we don't need.

Any suggestions on what to buy from the wholesale clubs and what not to buy there?

Thanks

 

[danacara]

I shop and eat for one, so I usually just buy what I want. It's hard enough to find or cut down recipes for one, plus I'm fickle and I never reach for leftovers. However, BJ's has the most wonderful meat in NJ. It's better than the butchers. I have to fight my way past the little Italian grandmas stocking up in order to get my chops in there.

 

[RIDISNEYLOVERS]

I need to take your tips.

I HATE cooking!!

I must say I do have it easy though. My sister and I share babysitting so Monday and Tuesday she takes care of my DD and my DH and I go over her house after work to pick her up and my sister has dinner made for us. On Wednesday my mom watches the three grandkids so we have dinner over there and then I watch my sisters two little ones on Thursday and Friday so that is when I cook dinner for everyone. I know, I know - only two days a week - but I DREAD it. I never know what to cook and I always feel like I am cooking the same things. My grocery bill is high because I like already prepared meals or meals that take 5 minutes to prepare.

I should head over to the recipes forum and get some tips there.

Thanks for the insiration to get cooking from scratch though - I am jealous!!

One more thing - the only thing I did cook and enjoyed it so much was when my daughter started to eat foods instead of only formula. I made all her baby food!! It really was a sense of accomplishment for me. My DH always jokes with me that too bad he couldn't live on baby food because he would have had it made!!

Lisa

 

[Mskanga]

I don't mind cooking , I really don't but my family is VERY picky, still with that I do pretty good because I use a lot of coupons, buy things only when they are on sale and I have coupons for it and yes, the sunday night ritual in my house is look at what's on sale where on the flyers. I also go to Sam's club once a month to do my big shopping but I never buy any paper or HBA products there, I can do much better at shoprite for that.

 

[luv2nascar]

I think the key to savings for me is an item on sale with a coupon
I buy multiple papers & also purchase coupons online for items that are staples in our house
double and triple coupons are the way to go
I use up lots of coupons for that & stock up
I am almost fanatical about my coupons
I have a coupon for everything & really stock up
DH just bought me a new shelf system this weekend to store more stuff I buy