| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Alee |
Posted - Mar 17 2008 : 11:59:17 AM
I am starting "Grocery Challenge 2008"
I am challenging anyone who wants to, to make a food budget. Sit down and assess what you actually do eat in your house. What meals, what convenience food, what fast food.
To accept this challenge post here each time you go to the grocery store. Let us know what you bought, and your total bill.
Stages to Reducing Food Bill:
1. Make A Family Budget
- Don't go over your food budget for the month. If you are running short look for low cost alternatives and things you can make at home like bread to reduce spending.
2. Cut out any non organic pre-prepped convenience food.
- These foods are empty calories. If you use conveniece food, order from MaryJanesFarm. You will need to eat less to fill your family up as these foods still have their natural nutrition in them.
3. Try to reduce current spending by 15%
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
| 25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Alee |
Posted - May 23 2008 : 6:04:46 PM
I just went and purchased laundry soap ingredients, salad ingredients, 2 gallons of milk, some ground beef and a thing of bakery cookies and it was $36. This should see us through for at least a week or two in combination with what we already have on hand. :D
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
| graciegreeneyes |
Posted - May 23 2008 : 5:54:01 PM
Thanks for the tip Pennie, I had already ordered mine through King Arthur Flour....but if I need to look for another one I will check around. I am a consummate thrift store shopper although I mostly look for vintage cookbooks these days |
| nouveau_farmchick |
Posted - May 21 2008 : 06:12:06 AM
Good, Good Amy! Did you know that most thirft shops have a constant supply of bread machines? I usually pick mine up for $10- $15 each!.
Farmgirl
sisterhood #167 |
| graciegreeneyes |
Posted - May 20 2008 : 7:52:09 PM
I have heard of the Tightwad Gazette and will definitely check it out. We just bought a bread machine, it is shipping right now, and I think that will help us save a lot of money. My mother-in-law is paying half and I will make bread for her but we can make bread, buns, rolls, cinnamon rolls and pizza crust from scratch this way. I can stop buying snack food because my 15 year old son is perfectly happy eating whole wheat bread for snacks. Yay!! |
| nouveau_farmchick |
Posted - May 20 2008 : 1:36:46 PM
Good job Molly. I'm always finding "forgotten goodies" in our freezers, too.
Farmgirl
sisterhood #167 |
| Brew Crew |
Posted - May 20 2008 : 06:19:45 AM
I'm with ya, Pennie. The Tightwad Gazette is where it's at!
I've been able to stretch out our food supply to where it lasts almost twice as long--by actually eating the leftovers I put in the fridge!! ;)
Funny Farm ramblings http://happydalehobby.blogspot.com/ |
| nouveau_farmchick |
Posted - May 20 2008 : 06:06:12 AM
Hi Amy,
Have you read the Tightwad Gazette? It's one of my favorite books!
I've been tired of ending up each month having to watch (with fear) or dwindling bank account. I've been wanting to just take cash out of the bank each week for expenditures. I'm hoping that this will help me to conserve the cash, and I'll know EXACTLY how much I have left to spend. I took the plunge on Friday. So Far, so good!
Farmgirl
sisterhood #167 |
| graciegreeneyes |
Posted - May 19 2008 : 11:43:10 AM
Definitely waiting for garden harvest here too!! We are rototilling today, I know it's late but you know how the weather has been, and I can't wait to get my stuff in. There is nothing better than a big chopped salad with everything from your own garden...nothing except fresh homegrown tomatoes anyway. I just reread Animal, Vegetable, Miracle for some inspiration on stocking up and eating out of the pantry. This fall we are going to find someone local to buy meat from and buy in bulk. That should help the budget. It seems like if I just stop in the grocery store to get one ingredient I end up spending at least $15. Sigh....Oh well, working on it |
| Alee |
Posted - May 18 2008 : 10:27:41 AM
Amy-
That's a great point! Any time you can buy bulk either from a place like Costco or even some grocery stores had bulk sections, you save lots of money and packaging. I love perusing the bulk section in Winco. They often have everything I need from flour to spices.
I spent $45 at the store the other day to supplement our food stash. Cheese, lunch meat, fresh veggies, milk, cereal, cookies. I bought a ton of salad making things and have been eating huge salads multiple times a day. I have decided that everytime I am hungry between meals I need to eat a salad. Very few calories, lots of fiber and vitamins. So far it is working and is keeping me very full. I can't wait till summer is in full swing and the tomato plants start producing...
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
| graciegreeneyes |
Posted - May 18 2008 : 09:25:31 AM
Hey there - I am new to this topic (actually new to the forum), but it is one that is close to my heart. We live 30 miles from where we work and so end up spending @$250 per week on gas (makes me sick to my stomach). That will change as soon as I make the last payment on our gas guzzling truck. Anyway, it has meant that I have had to get very creative with the grocery money. At the same time I have worked in the organic food field for years and I feel strongly about making my money count. I have found that we cannot afford organic milk but buying at Costco helps - they sell rBGH free milk etc. so I buy all my dairy products there. I am a serious cheapskate - the checker at Costco last week was amazed at the number of items I got for such a low price. Anyhow the other thing that really can save money is to buy your herbs and spices in bulk. In our area there is an organic grocery store where you can do that and the Fred Meyers (owned by Kroger) have that option too. I used to run the bulk section at the organic store and I ran out of paprika at home on easter and didn't want to go to work to get it so I went to the store closest to my house. $4.49 for something that would have cost about forty cents in bulk, plus you save packaging!!
Anyway, thanks for letting me put in my two cents |
| Firemama |
Posted - May 15 2008 : 1:16:05 PM
It was a good trip Alee. I got enough meat to last us 15 dinners(actually more with leftovers). 5 packs of meat for lunch,(i know eww)56.00 on meat, 4 bags of chips,sugar,rice,beans,bananas,apples,lemons,asparagus,lettuce,carrots,a thing of muffins,4 cookies rolls.Organic Oreos,BBQ sauce4. 2Gal of milk,cheese 2 orange juices,whip cream.Canned fruit and noodles. ALOT of stuff so my total for this trip was 187.17, this should last us atleast 2 weeks,I will need to buy eggs, but i will get those from a friend. PLUS I got 2 free movie tickets,and 30cents off Fuel Discount!!
Mama to 2
FarmGirl# 20
Rich or Poor, It Dont matter We're all the same everybodys hungry in a different way....
http://myfarmdreams.blogspot.com/
www.justanotherhousewife.etsy.com
|
| Bfriday |
Posted - May 15 2008 : 1:05:21 PM
OK  Thanks Alee I see I was wrong there ARE a few Costco in Texas! However, I am in a very small rural community outside of San Angelo and they are all in the big cities like Austin, Dallas and Houston...about a 5 hr drive for me! My mother-in-law lives outside of Austin I might have to go check one out when I visit her! Sounds like I might be like a child in a candy store when I get there! HA!
Farmgirl Sister #188 |
| Alee |
Posted - May 15 2008 : 10:33:17 AM
So...was that a good trip or a bad trip for you, Manda?
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
| Firemama |
Posted - May 15 2008 : 10:29:51 AM
I forgot about this thread I went shopping today and spent 187.90 I am going to unload, then let you all know what I got!!
Mama to 2
FarmGirl# 20
Rich or Poor, It Dont matter We're all the same everybodys hungry in a different way....
http://myfarmdreams.blogspot.com/
www.justanotherhousewife.etsy.com
|
| Alee |
Posted - May 12 2008 : 8:56:52 PM
I haven't gone grocery shopping yet this month, so I am hoping to keep my budget of $150 a month :D
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
| Alee |
Posted - May 12 2008 : 8:49:35 PM
Hi Jessica!
Here is a list of Costco location in Texas!
http://www.priceviewer.com/costco_locations/Texas.html
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
| catscharm74 |
Posted - May 12 2008 : 6:59:14 PM
Jessica- you don't have a Costco? Where is Miles in Texas??
I stuck to my list this week and kept my bill below $60 this time. Usually I spend around $75, so I am doing good.
Heather
Yee-Haw, I am a cowgirl!!!
FARMGIRL #90 |
| Bfriday |
Posted - May 12 2008 : 6:33:44 PM
Yeah, I always hear about Costco...we don't have that in Texas! It sounds like a wonderful place! (:
Farmgirl Sister #188 |
| Alee |
Posted - May 10 2008 : 4:55:23 PM
Congrats Jessica! Avoiding the center aisles really is key! I have found myself spending SOO much less since I have done that. And everything tastes so much better when I make it at home. We also invest in buying bulk from places like Costco for things we use a lot of or things that won't spoil- like toilet paper. I got 16 ounces of pure vanilla extract for about $12 and just barely used the last of it today. It lasted me about a year and a half.
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
| Bfriday |
Posted - May 10 2008 : 4:52:26 PM
Well I did my grocery shoppping. I didn't really spend less than normal but the quality of food I bought improved greatly. I off-set the cost of quanity by buying quality..more organic that is expensive here. But, I have to say I bought quality staples and plan to prepare more from scratch. I did skip the middle isles and I am very proud of myself for that! The true test will be the next grocery day since I stocked up on stapels this time I should spend alot less in the next two weeks.
Farmgirl Sister #188 |
| Alee |
Posted - May 10 2008 : 3:57:19 PM
Since we are moving we are not really focusing on keeping our food stocks "up" so I am finding creative ways to use up the food we have on hand. Some of the canned stuff was bought and I am having a hard time remembering to eat the cans of soup and such. But it looks like we should be able to get away with not buying too much more food before we leave- maybe another $150 worth if that.
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
| Bfriday |
Posted - May 07 2008 : 4:03:31 PM
Wow! Am I lucky to find this post! I was just planning my menu and list today. I have been thinking for sometime I needed to shop differently. We spend about $200 every 2 weeks $400 a month. But I know I can lower this. I bought Budget Mix this month and am going to make our local Farmer's Market a stop on my shopping route. They are a small market so it is hit and miss. I am determined to skip as many middle isles this month as I can and stick to simplicity, organic and thrifty. My first shopping day of the month is this Friday...wish me luck and wisdom! I will let you know how I do!
Farmgirl Sister #188 |
| corporatefarmgirl |
Posted - May 05 2008 : 11:25:54 AM
Hi all --
April was a bit all over the place for me but by the last 2 weeks I felt pretty good. The last two weeks I averaged around $70.00 per week for a family of 5. This is with a 6'3 235lb teenager and friends! So not bad.
Our chicks are laying eggs
lettuce, onions and spinach are in so this helps.
The other BIGGIE for us is cooking somethings in advance. So i made a few casseroles to grab out of the freezer on fast nights. Also I made snack items for my son and his friends to grab and drinks for them. We don't do soda so that helps. I make up lemonade and strawberry water.
I hope to drop the bill some more in the near future.
Tamara
http://smallfarm.about.com small farms give big benefits
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| sweetproserpina |
Posted - May 03 2008 : 12:16:54 PM
How did April go everyone?
I know I fell behind with posting my receipts, but I did keep them! And when I finally tallied everything up it came to: 178$ for me and the fella for the month. Which isn't too bad.
I was hoping to get it down to 150$. I think that will be my goal for May.
Things that will help me get there this month:
My chickens are laying - no buying eggs!
I've got my cheese cultures in the freezer, so I can make some cheeses now.
Local farmer's market is open this week
The garden is starting to produce. (Rhubarb and wild green onions..)
Taking Alee's advice and buying a lot of meat from the butcher at a time. I did that at the end of the month and it worked great!
What have you learned from tracking your groceries last month? What can we do to improve?
"Isn't it splendid to think of all the things there are to find out about? It just makes me feel glad to be alive--it's such an interesting world."
http://theprimroseway.blogspot.com/ |
| catscharm74 |
Posted - Apr 24 2008 : 10:26:45 AM
Well I don't have a list for here but I do spend about $80 every 10 days or so, so that comes out to $320 a month, give or take. This is actually really good considering that includes a few party items in there (soda pop, chips, speciality cheese and a yummy dip and I threw in a Country living magazine, because it was so my style this month).
Cheers,
Heather
FARMGIRL #90 |
