Weekly Grocery Bill

[Sorsha]

Wow - I just don't know how some of you shop so cheaply for your toiletries, paper products, etc. $10 a week?? I know things vary a lot regionally, and I live in the land of NO coupons... most of my stores either don't have any ("rewards" cards instead - all of our stores do them) won't ever double coupons or price-match other stores, etc.

I shop the sales and make several trips to different places to get things, but my monthly budget for non-food items still runs close to $200 a month.

Do you guys buy laundry detergent/softener? That's at least $8 each time I buy them.
A jumbo pack of toilet paper alone is about $5.
How about feminine hygiene products? Supplies for me and eldest DD run us about $12 a month.
Cat food? About $8 a month. And that's the cheap-o Walmart brand.

And other junk... I don't know, just seems like every time I go to WalMart I have A List. Not *Necessities* per se, just things that I need to successfully run a household... printer paper, trash bags (at least $7 a box), deodorant ($3), toothpaste, shampoo, Swiffer supplies, school supplies for the kiddos, new socks for the 8 year old, etc.

Anyhow - kudos to all of you for being so frugal - I am in awe - and I know *I* couldn't do it...

 

[MEM]

Do you guys buy laundry detergent/softener? That's at least $8 each time I buy them.
QUOTE]

You might want to look into making your own laundry detergent. Seriously. I was skeptical at first, especially since my kids and I are all sensitive to fragrances. However, I did my research and settled on the following recipe: a bar of Kirk's castile soap, grated; 2 cups washing soda and 2 cups borax. It cleans and deodorizes the clothes plus it doesn't bother our skin. That recipe will last at least two weeks or about 5 loads a day.

 

[tinkarooni]

Wow - I just don't know how some of you shop so cheaply for your toiletries, paper products, etc. $10 a week?? I know things vary a lot regionally, and I live in the land of NO coupons... most of my stores either don't have any ("rewards" cards instead - all of our stores do them) won't ever double coupons or price-match other stores, etc.

I shop the sales and make several trips to different places to get things, but my monthly budget for non-food items still runs close to $200 a month.

Do you guys buy laundry detergent/softener? That's at least $8 each time I buy them.
A jumbo pack of toilet paper alone is about $5.
How about feminine hygiene products? Supplies for me and eldest DD run us about $12 a month.
Cat food? About $8 a month. And that's the cheap-o Walmart brand.

And other junk... I don't know, just seems like every time I go to WalMart I have A List. Not *Necessities* per se, just things that I need to successfully run a household... printer paper, trash bags (at least $7 a box), deodorant ($3), toothpaste, shampoo, Swiffer supplies, school supplies for the kiddos, new socks for the 8 year old, etc.

Anyhow - kudos to all of you for being so frugal - I am in awe - and I know *I* couldn't do it...

I understand where you are coming from, here's what my family does:

My family is trying to stop using paper products. I know it's saving me a lot of money. I went to the local discount store and bought a couple dozen cloth napkins. They were about 25 cents each. We use cloth napkins for everything. They just go in the wash with other laundry. I put paper towels under the sink, not out on the counter and use washable rags. I hang a store plastic bag over the back door knob and anything paper, boxes etc go in there. I compost kitchen scraps (I'm a gardener) and I only use purchased garbage bags for gloppy stinky stuff. Has cut back enormously on buying garbage bags. We do not use paper plates. I have some but they are all the way in the basement and we use them rarely. One package has lasted a whole year so far and counting.

I use coupons for all of the toiletries you mention and combined with sales am able to get them very cheap or almost free. I don't usually pay more than 25 cents for a tube of toothpaste. (I don't spend an enormous amount of time couponing, I'm just flexible on brands) I also stopped buying Swiffers and purchased a microfiber mop with a washable pad.

We use our savings on other things such as "good" pet food, I have found if you buy the good food you feed them less per the bag. Also less in is less out. We also buy a great deal of organic whenever possible. I have started cooking a lot more from scratch even though I work FT. It is just cheaper and healthier for us.

Good Luck!

 

[Sorsha]

Do you guys buy laundry detergent/softener? That's at least $8 each time I buy them.
QUOTE]

You might want to look into making your own laundry detergent. Seriously. I was skeptical at first, especially since my kids and I are all sensitive to fragrances. However, I did my research and settled on the following recipe: a bar of Kirk's castile soap, grated; 2 cups washing soda and 2 cups borax. It cleans and deodorizes the clothes plus it doesn't bother our skin. That recipe will last at least two weeks or about 5 loads a day.

Ummm.. no.
Its not that I don't think its great that you do this - I do! I have the utmost respect for people who make their detergent and cleaning supplies and things... its great for your families and for the environment!

Frankly, I have NO desire personally to do this though. I am just way too lazy and way too happy with my modern conveniences. I *LIKE* my happy little bottle of sweet-smelling, bleach-added laundry detergent. I don't make my own bread either, or grow my own veggies. I don't preserve things in the fall, and I NEVER used cloth diapers.
I try to budget and save money, but in my mind I *have* to balance budget with convenience and with happiness.
I know, I know... I am an environmental nightmare... and me a card-carrying Democrat too...

 

[Chicago526]

Ummm.. no.
Its not that I don't think its great that you do this - I do! I have the utmost respect for people who make their detergent and cleaning supplies and things... its great for your families and for the environment!

Frankly, I have NO desire personally to do this though. I am just way too lazy and way too happy with my modern conveniences. I *LIKE* my happy little bottle of sweet-smelling, bleach-added laundry detergent. I don't make my own bread either, or grow my own veggies. I don't preserve things in the fall, and I NEVER used cloth diapers.
I try to budget and save money, but in my mind I *have* to balance budget with convenience and with happiness.
I know, I know... I am an environmental nightmare... and me a card-carrying Democrat too...

Don't worry, I'm on the "green" band wagon and don't make my own soap either!

Do you have a Sam's Club/BJ's/Costco near you? They are the best place to buy paper and cleaning products, especially if your regular stores don't have good sales and you can't get good coupons. They have eco friendly laundry soap there, I just wait for Costco to send me a coupon and I go and stock up. I also find I can use about half the detergent that the bottle says and my clothes get just as clean, so that helps stretch it out even longer.

I do have an easy cleaning "receipe" for you though. Instead of using 409 or other cleaning sprays to clean your kitchen and bath counters/sinks, I use vinager and baking soda. I put half water/vinager in a spray bottle and baking soda (bought in bulk at Costco, of course!) in one of those glass shakers with the metle lid, you see them filled with cheese at Itailian restaurants (found it at Kohl's in the kitchen area). For quick cleans I just spray the vinager and wipe it down (reusable cloth, not paper towels), for tough jobs I sprinkle the soda over it first. The soda is especially good for cleaning sinks and stoves and bath tubs.

I'll also use the vinager spray on my vinyl floors instead of the swiffer wetjet, once I'm out of wetjet pads I'll also switch to a reusable/washable mop. And I've heard of some that use vinager instead of JetDry in their dishwashers but I haven't tried that yet, I still have JetDry left but I'll try it once I run out.

 

[tinkarooni]

Ummm.. no.
Its not that I don't think its great that you do this - I do! I have the utmost respect for people who make their detergent and cleaning supplies and things... its great for your families and for the environment!

Frankly, I have NO desire personally to do this though. I am just way too lazy and way too happy with my modern conveniences. I *LIKE* my happy little bottle of sweet-smelling, bleach-added laundry detergent. I don't make my own bread either, or grow my own veggies. I don't preserve things in the fall, and I NEVER used cloth diapers.
I try to budget and save money, but in my mind I *have* to balance budget with convenience and with happiness.
I know, I know... I am an environmental nightmare... and me a card-carrying Democrat too...

If you want to save money you will need to find your own way than. Find what compromises you are willing to make and make those. Maybe you could clip coupons and watch the sales. Make a meal plan and stick to it rather than throwing into the cart what looks good. Only you can know what you are willing to do to save $$$, I have found though that when life gets crazy and I get lazy without a doubt I save less. It does seem to be that the more you put into it the more you get out of it sort of thing. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

 

[LuckyMamaInDE]

Wow - I just don't know how some of you shop so cheaply for your toiletries, paper products, etc. $10 a week?? I know things vary a lot regionally, and I live in the land of NO coupons... most of my stores either don't have any ("rewards" cards instead - all of our stores do them) won't ever double coupons or price-match other stores, etc.

I shop the sales and make several trips to different places to get things, but my monthly budget for non-food items still runs close to $200 a month.

Do you guys buy laundry detergent/softener? That's at least $8 each time I buy them.
A jumbo pack of toilet paper alone is about $5.
How about feminine hygiene products? Supplies for me and eldest DD run us about $12 a month.
Cat food? About $8 a month. And that's the cheap-o Walmart brand.

And other junk... I don't know, just seems like every time I go to WalMart I have A List. Not *Necessities* per se, just things that I need to successfully run a household... printer paper, trash bags (at least $7 a box), deodorant ($3), toothpaste, shampoo, Swiffer supplies, school supplies for the kiddos, new socks for the 8 year old, etc.

Anyhow - kudos to all of you for being so frugal - I am in awe - and I know *I* couldn't do it...

Do you have CVS or Walgreens in your area? If you can take advantage of their special programs (CVS Extra Care Bucks, Walgreens Register Rewards and EasySaver rebates) you can get all your personal care items and cleaning/paper goods for hardly any money out-of-pocket.

I was very sceptical at first and didn't believe the hype. For a month, I read all I could about CVS/Walgreens here on the Budget Board and on HotCouponWorld before even setting foot in a store. I started off small, learned how to "roll" my ECBs and RRs, and haven't looked back since. The only items I have paid real cash money for during the last year are specialty hair products, a few Bare Essentials products (dd14 uses drugstore products mainly), and contact solution. One of my goals this past year was not to spend much real money on our feminine products----I spent only $5 the entire year! I used to think I did very well buying store brands on sale but this way saves us SO much more money!

It IS a lot of work though but then again, I don't watch tv so I can read online at night I don't make special trips to stores as I schedule my stops around regular, everyday driving.

 

[ThreeMusketeers]

I use frozen veggies/ saves money and can stock up. Sometimes they have more nutrients as well b/c they are flash frozen at peak.

Also, i do meals where we just have boxed mac and cheese with a veggie.

I also buy large bags of frozen chicken and turn that into a thousand different meals.

 

[DawnM]

Here is what we have decided......

We were lower than $150/week if we used things like Angel Food Ministries or the discount scratch and dent grocery place....but we have decided to up our grocery bill and increase our health.

We stopped eating out, so that helps a lot.

Dawn

 

[Sorsha]

If you want to save money you will need to find your own way than. Find what compromises you are willing to make and make those. Maybe you could clip coupons and watch the sales. Make a meal plan and stick to it rather than throwing into the cart what looks good. Only you can know what you are willing to do to save $$$, I have found though that when life gets crazy and I get lazy without a doubt I save less. It does seem to be that the more you put into it the more you get out of it sort of thing. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

Know what guys?
I don't belong here. I am going to hop off this thread I think.

Again, I really do have the utmost respect for you guys. I think you are doing wonderful things for your families, and your budgets, and it is wonderful that you have the time and the perserverance to do so.

It is probably a failing within myself though, that I, personally, could never see myself doing these things. In fact, when I read about the sheer amount of WORK you guys go through to reduce your costs, my gut reaction is OH HE*L NO!!! To me, it just isn't worth it.

I am spoiled by modern day life, I admit it. I like modern-day cleaning products. I like the convenience, and I like the ease. I like the pretty floral scents, and the disposable bits and pieces. I love everything about my Swiffer, for instance. Although the idea to use a vinegar spray and a re-usable pad is a really good one, I could never do it. The idea of reusing a pad again and again totally grosses me out, even if I do wash it every time, and I HATE the smell of vinegar... eugh... revolting.

I buy my groceries on sale, and I home-cook most things, but I am not going to give up the foods my family enjoys in the name of budget. It does me no good to save a bundle on things they won't eat.

I guess it just comes down to how you make the balance of preferance/convenience vs. budget. Everyone has to find their own way, and for me, I will not tip the scales towards budget if it means sacrificing preferance.

So, again, congrats to all of you on your frugality, and good luck!

 

[Chicago526]

Know what guys?
I don't belong here. I am going to hop off this thread I think.

Again, I really do have the utmost respect for you guys. I think you are doing wonderful things for your families, and your budgets, and it is wonderful that you have the time and the perserverance to do so.

It is probably a failing within myself though, that I, personally, could never see myself doing these things. In fact, when I read about the sheer amount of WORK you guys go through to reduce your costs, my gut reaction is OH HE*L NO!!! To me, it just isn't worth it.

I am spoiled by modern day life, I admit it. I like modern-day cleaning products. I like the convenience, and I like the ease. I like the pretty floral scents, and the disposable bits and pieces. I love everything about my Swiffer, for instance. Although the idea to use a vinegar spray and a re-usable pad is a really good one, I could never do it. The idea of reusing a pad again and again totally grosses me out, even if I do wash it every time, and I HATE the smell of vinegar... eugh... revolting.

I buy my groceries on sale, and I home-cook most things, but I am not going to give up the foods my family enjoys in the name of budget. It does me no good to save a bundle on things they won't eat.

I guess it just comes down to how you make the balance of preferance/convenience vs. budget. Everyone has to find their own way, and for me, I will not tip the scales towards budget if it means sacrificing preferance.

So, again, congrats to all of you on your frugality, and good luck!

There is a trade off of time/effort and amount saved. Some feel it's worth it, others do not. I do find that now that I'm used to the changes, it doesn't take as much time or work as it did in the beginning as I've got a system down now. But to each their own! Keep reading the budget boards though, you never know when there will be a tip that you're willing to try!

 

[stahshee]

I have to say I have made some budget meals that the children HATED and to me that was a giant WASTE of money. Because they had to find something else to eat.. So now I will include them in the ideas and I know that they just wont eat certin things... I have one child who hates beans so when I make chilli I know that that child will not be eating it.

 

[stahshee]

My budget is $400 per month. I feed 9 people with this amount. We also frequently have parties or people over for dinner. My 6 kids range from 13 to 7 months. So obviously the 13yo would be eating much more than the 7 month old. Three adults are myself, DH, and my mother.

We eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner on this amount. We eat out at fast food about 3 times per month. But usually it is not all of us eating out. If one parent takes dd13 to a basketball tournament they will eat out lunch or whatever. Even fast food is at least $25 for that many people!

Breakfast is usually generic cereal, cinnamon toast, premade waffles (will only buy if they are $1/box) or already made foods. I will make a batch of pancakes or french toast and freeze them in a large ziploc so the kids can microwave in the morning. They are usually out of bed before me and make their own breakfast. If I am really lucky they are nice and get the little ones breakfast too! (I have great kids )

School lunches are made the night before and once a kid is in third grade they have to make their own lunch. We fill reusable bottles with juice or koolaid. I usually have some sort of treat like brownies, cookies, jello, etc. to choose from. They take a sandwich, fruit, crackers,granola bar and a treat. They only get 15 minutes for lunch so they don't take much more than that. I don't buy any prepackaged items for lunches.

Dinners are some type of meat, starch, veggies, rolls. We make dinner every night and sit down as a family to eat it. Typical dinners like pot roast, roast chicken, tacos, etc.

When I go to the grocery store I have an idea of what the lowest price of an item should be and that helps me decide what to buy. I get the sale flyers first and make a list based on what's on sale. I try to have each day's menu planned out a week at a time based on sales and my schedule for the week. I also try to only go shopping once per week, because I can not go into a store for only one item, I come out with $35 worth of extras every time. In addition, my children are lactose intolerant so milk runs about $7/gallon.

I thought it might be helpful to list all of the items I don't buy rather than what I do buy:
Jello-snackpaks
individual bags of chips
premade rice crispys
individual yogurt cups
small ice cream containers (I buy the huge container and we add our own mixins - yummy! I eat ice cream every night it is my major downfall)
cake/brownie/bread mixes - I bake from scratch it doesn't take any longer and tastes better!
Juice boxes - fill reusable bottles it's cheaper and better enviromentally
Hamburger helper - rice a roni etc make from scratch
Pop - unless we are having a party.
Shredded cheese - buy in chunks and grate yourself in food processor
Crumbs - bread crumbs, cornflake crumbs, cookie crumbs - use a food processor

They get a lunch card in the beginning of the year with 10 lunches on it and that is it for the year. Hot lunch is $2.25 which is crazy!

One of my tricks is to bulk shop but hide some of the food. I have found if the kids see tons of food in the pantry they eat more than they otherwise would. If there are ten boxes of cereal in the pantry they would open all ten boxes and some would end up getting stale. Same goes for chips.

I am a SAHM so my time is more flexible, but I wouldn't say with 6 kids I have more time!!!!

I hope this info helps someone, saving on food is one of the ways we save for Disney!!!

great ideas Do you make your own jello for the kids to bring to school? I also have to hide food on the kids. They will eat it all on me. Now it seems like weekends they really want to scarf up the food along with there friends I will be putting a stop to that my dd's friend drank about 5 juice boxes this weekend and I am not happy about that I love haveing my children have friends over but now it seems like I have to baby sit the teenage friends from eating me out of the house::cop:

 

[tinkarooni]

Know what guys?
I don't belong here. I am going to hop off this thread I think.

Again, I really do have the utmost respect for you guys. I think you are doing wonderful things for your families, and your budgets, and it is wonderful that you have the time and the perserverance to do so.

It is probably a failing within myself though, that I, personally, could never see myself doing these things. In fact, when I read about the sheer amount of WORK you guys go through to reduce your costs, my gut reaction is OH HE*L NO!!! To me, it just isn't worth it.


I guess it just comes down to how you make the balance of preferance/convenience vs. budget. Everyone has to find their own way, and for me, I will not tip the scales towards budget if it means sacrificing preferance.

So, again, congrats to all of you on your frugality, and good luck!

I'm sure that lots and lots of people feel the way you do. It's just a matter of what you choose. I will also admit that for me it's sometimes a hobby, a game sort of to see how much I can save from the grocery budget. I would rather not waste money on paper products but than I turn around and buy a lot of stuff organic which I'm sure a lot of other people wouldn't agree with me about. It's all about what works for you and your family. For my family it is making one choice to finance another. I think though that a few of us did answer your original question though which was how we do it. Thanks for posting, I enjoyed the different viewpoint from you. I'm sure it's a viewpoint that is shared by many.

 

[rumrunnergirl]

Two adults, two kids - $200 - $250 per month, so $50 - $63 per week. That's just food. I don't spend much on paper products either. We use cloth napkins and a dishtowel or sponge instead of a paper towel. I bought a bunch of TP super duper cheap at CVS last March and just used the last roll, so last week I bought some Northern because they have a TMF offer out.

Food - we eat good. We aren't vegetarians and I don't buy junky cuts of meat. We eat lean beef, boneless skinless chicken breast, baby back ribs, pork chops, salmon steaks, etc. Fresh salad and fruit every day. We are not beans & rice people. Home made bread - yum - but it never makes it thru the night to get to be on a sandwich the next day, LOL!!!

No laundry softener used.

No feminine products bought (I use Diva Cup). I send away for free samples of things so I have some for the car & my purse.

No trash bags bought - I have my friends save up their extra large bags for me, and I use those.

Cat food - when Good Life puts out the $3 coupons, the local grocery drops their price to $3.49 for a 3# bag - so I buy 20 bags at under 50 cents each.

I love to coupon - there is no doubling here. Great deals - buying $20 in Pepsi products at CVS and mailing off for the $15 rebate AND getting $10 in ECB and then using that to buy Tide. Free laundry soap - woo woo.

I like cleaning supplies and stuff like that too - and when they pay me to take them home I will gladly do it.

 

[MEM]

Two adults, two kids - $200 - $250 per month, so $50 - $63 per week. That's just food. I don't spend much on paper products either. We use cloth napkins and a dishtowel or sponge instead of a paper towel. I bought a bunch of TP super duper cheap at CVS last March and just used the last roll, so last week I bought some Northern because they have a TMF offer out.

Food - we eat good. We aren't vegetarians and I don't buy junky cuts of meat. We eat lean beef, boneless skinless chicken breast, baby back ribs, pork chops, salmon steaks, etc. Fresh salad and fruit every day. We are not beans & rice people. Home made bread - yum - but it never makes it thru the night to get to be on a sandwich the next day, LOL!!!

No laundry softener used.

No feminine products bought (I use Diva Cup). I send away for free samples of things so I have some for the car & my purse.

No trash bags bought - I have my friends save up their extra large bags for me, and I use those.

Cat food - when Good Life puts out the $3 coupons, the local grocery drops their price to $3.49 for a 3# bag - so I buy 20 bags at under 50 cents each.

I love to coupon - there is no doubling here. Great deals - buying $20 in Pepsi products at CVS and mailing off for the $15 rebate AND getting $10 in ECB and then using that to buy Tide. Free laundry soap - woo woo.

I like cleaning supplies and stuff like that too - and when they pay me to take them home I will gladly do it.

Thanks for a great post! I've been getting really tired of the implication on these boards that those of us who stick to a reasonable food budget are feeding our families garbage and/or food they don't like. My DH is recovering from quintuple coronary artery bypass surgery and the RD who teaches in his cardiac rehab class distributed some of MY healthy recipes to the class.