| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| lonestargal |
Posted - Oct 21 2005 : 6:26:45 PM
Ok, I have a strange question. How do ya'll keep your grocery bills down? I spend some serious money at the grocery store and it's ridiculous. We are really trying to save money as much as we can for a couple reasons. My dog has to have surgery asap, Christmas is coming, and I just want to have a decent savings account. After we pay all our bills of course we don't have a lot of money (like anyone does  ) but the money we do have seems like it all goes to the grocery store. I don't buy a lot of snack items maybe 1-2 boxes of crackers for my little ones but stay away from chips, cookies, etc. for the most part. For instance, I went to the store last week and didn't even buy any meat. I only bought veggies, milk, yogurt, bread, cheese, etc and my bill was almost $160.00!!! Now to some that may not be a lot but without buying any meat and then today having to be right back at the store I think is absurd. Today I did buy meat but I spent another $150.00. That's not even including the small trips I make to grab just butter, or another thing of milk, or a loaf of bread. I personally think spending $6-700.00 a month on groceries is absurd, so I'm looking for tips how I can reduce that bill. Any ideas?? |
| 25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| greyghost |
Posted - Nov 01 2005 : 06:47:51 AM
I too think the cost of groceries is prohibitive! And getting higher all the time. I just spent $50 there yesterday, just getting canned pumpkin for the bread I have to make for the bake sale, flour, sugar, some veggies, organic milk and creamer and gobs more pasta.
Pasta is our staple. I have lots of tomatoes yet from our garden, so I use those to make sauces with some onions and maybe some mushrooms.
I do my best to keep costs down, I buy meat when on sale (Fridays) and divide it up. Three pounds of hamburger makes four dinners, (hamburger stroganoff, a soup, and my 3-hours in the making tomoato sauce) with leftovers for my hubby to take to work. We never have meat as the entree, unless I found an excellent sale. We have a lot of soups and stews because they make a LOT of food and can be 2 dinners and 2 lunches.
Like Aunt Jenny, cheese is the bugger of an expense. We buy it in solid form as we can grate it ourselves, that saves a few bucks right there, and it tastes better besides.
The other BUGGER for us is the dogs. We feed them raw meat... which if you are not careful, can cost a lot. But I want them healthy, so I buy whole chickens or whatever I can find on sale for 85 cents a pound, and stock up big time. They also get plain yogurt and raw eggs, so those are cheap meals too. And canned mackarel rather than canned salmon, it's 30 cents cheaper.
Other than that... I try to avoid canned goods as much as I can. I found $1.19 a can racks up purdy darn fast! Oh and I bake our cookies AND treats for the dogs... because it is cheaper. |
| lonestargal |
Posted - Nov 01 2005 : 06:31:51 AM
It's so interesting to hear how others shop, like in Europe and Charlee I liked your post about Australia.
Well I went shopping this week and bought enough meat for 7 meals, fresh veggies, milk, yogurt, etc. I had to also buy very few cleaning and laundry supplies. I made my list and except for 5-6 items I stuck to my list. My bill was STILL $226.00!!!! I was shocked and I only did shopping for ONE week!!! I'm such a horrible shopper, maybe our groceries are just more expensive here in my area or something. |
| Lazycreek |
Posted - Oct 31 2005 : 6:01:15 PM
I love reading the posts about shopping in Europe. When we lived in Australia, shopping was very similar. There was a bakery section and a meat section and then stuff in the iles. Canned veggies and fruits were in glass ball jars that people recycled. Bakery items were fresh and not at all like the sliced bread we find here. No meats were prepackaged in styrofoam and plastic wrap, you picked what you wanted and it was wrapped in paper. No boxed cake mixes, no prepackaged foods were available-------mostly because Australia has one of the most agressive recycling programs around. If you didn't want to cook a cake from scratch, then buy one from the local baker. At check out, there was not "plastic or paper". You brought your cloth bag or you carried your groceries out in your arms. Space is at a premium there and so buying a lot of food at one time isn't a good option. They also use mass transit and you can't haul a lot of food with you.
Believe in the power of your dreams |
| KJD |
Posted - Oct 27 2005 : 1:01:14 PM
That IS the perfect man! I found the other one! He never limits my food buying and loves everything I cook. I do try not to go over my self-imposed budget, but that keeps creeping higher I'm afraid. I feel like cooking is another part of my job as wife and mother and I want to do my best. |
| ivmeer |
Posted - Oct 27 2005 : 12:49:30 PM
KJD, I totally understand what you mean. I also like winning the sale game. I scan the flyers and plan my meal around what's on sale.
I'm so glad that I found the perfect man. My husband understands my love of grocery stores, and he loves going with me to the store. Last night he convinced me to get not one, but 2 bottles of extra virgin olive oil. I now have 3 bottles of olive oil in my kitchen for use in 3 different types of recipes. My husband understands that this is normal. |
| KJD |
Posted - Oct 27 2005 : 12:36:20 PM
My grocery store is pretty much just a grocery store and it's one of the highlights of my week. I know - my sister thinks it's weird, too - but I love the whole process of figuring out menus, making my list, going to the store with my youngest son - the others are too old now - we just have a great time. I love the store - it's beautiful, clean, tons of organic, great produce, seafood, bread, cheeses, wine, and they always have a couple of chefs cooking something great while they talk on microphones. But - I'm a food person - love to cook it, love to eat it, love to cook for others. My husband and I were in Paris once and it was wonderful - the markets, etc. We were on a shoestring, so we lived on great bread, cheese and fruit every day that we picked up as we walked. We ate at a sidewalk cafe probably twice the whole time. |
| ivmeer |
Posted - Oct 27 2005 : 12:30:51 PM
Lucinda, you start by deciding exactly what you want to cook. Then you go to the store with a list and stick to it. Seriously, the waste is much less, and I always end up throwing away less than when I just go to the store and pick up a bunch of stuff. |
| thehouseminder |
Posted - Oct 27 2005 : 12:18:03 PM
I think it depends on the person. In Europe, they have tiny refridgerators and there is usually a small grocer within walking distance. When I lived in London, I actually enjoyed getting my groceries everyday. Here, I am invariably cold/hot, tired, and hungry when I get to the store and consider giant grocery stores to be a personalized hell.
Am I the only person we dreams of a grocery store where they sell, well, you know, groceries. I don't want sweatshirts, greeting cards, toys, a bank, the drycleaners, all in my way when I am shopping for food. I just want to get what I need and get out of there.
I also think there is a danger of spending too much over the long haul if I go everyday. I'm sure others are more disciplined than I but you know how those extra items sneak into your cart when you shop. If that happened everyday.....eeeek!
When we were young, there were moments of such perfectly crystallized happiness that we stood stock still and silently promised ourselves that we would remember them always. And we did. --Holly J. Burkhalter , "Four Midwestern Sisters' Christmas Book"
|
| lonestargal |
Posted - Oct 27 2005 : 12:03:33 PM
I know a few people that shop daily or every other day and I've thought about it but man, taking 4 little kids the store is a pain in the butt!! 2 of them are mine and 2 are daycare kids. It's an option though I might try or try to send hubby to the store more often. |
| Utahfarmgirl |
Posted - Oct 27 2005 : 08:33:25 AM
Clare, Stu says this is how he shopped in England, and he was very content. Not only do you get fresh food, but you get to visit with the fishmonger, the baker, and relax a bit. In this country, we rush around trying to fit too much into a day, try to speed thru at a grocer and still save money, and end up frazzled and not knowing what we bought or have at home.
Speaking of coupons, I do use a few. Used to use more when I had the kids at home, and think they can be very useful, especially if you can double or even triple them and combine them with a sale! Home run! So I will again offer to save coupons for whoever wants them. I get the paper every Sunday and if you will tell me what you want, I will save and send.
Have a great Fall day!
Patricia
Happy Wishes! |
| Clare |
Posted - Oct 27 2005 : 06:52:08 AM
Time to refer to our European cousins who still shop daily. They go to the vegetable market, the bakery and the meat market and choose what they will prepare for dinner that night. Everything then is fresh and unprocessed. When we still had corner markets in our communities in the city this was possible, but these days... well.. times have changed. I agree, shopping as you prepare the food is the best. You go in with a short list, know what you want, and you are outta there in no time... so while it sounds inconvienent to go more frequently, you are actually spending less money which balances out for the time factor. And your fruits & veges are organic and therefore healthier. 
"I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live up to what light I have." - Abraham Lincoln.... http://farmstyle.blogspot.com
|
| ivmeer |
Posted - Oct 27 2005 : 06:36:29 AM
Eileen, I know what you mean about not needing coupons anymore. I almost never use them, because the stuff that they usually save you money on is expensive processed food that I'd never buy anyway.
Same thing with stores like Sam's club or Costco. My mother went on and on about how great Costco was. I went with her, and I only bought one edible item, a package of smoked salmon. (Yes, I ended up spending $72. I have enough cleaning products to last me until the end of earth). I think that these stores make their money by convincing you that you need products that you wouldn't otherwise buy. Then you end up stockpiling them and not using them.
My husband has recently gotten me back into cutting out coupons, though. Even if you try to eat lots of fresh foods, that doesn't mean you don't still eat some canned stuff like tuna or tomatoes. We also use coupons for cat food and litter, cleaning and hygiene products, etc. Last night I got $1.00 off of a bottle of olive oil with a coupon.
Kristi, as far as buying groceries every two weeks, you have to get rid of that notion right now. I shop every time I cook now, which means I probably go to the store 3-4 times a week. |
| lonestargal |
Posted - Oct 26 2005 : 07:08:22 AM
Thanks Lucinda for the recipe. I'll have to try it. My daughter LOVES meatballs. |
| thehouseminder |
Posted - Oct 26 2005 : 06:17:25 AM
Here is a dollar stretching recipes from my mom which I "swear by instead of at"
PORCUPINE MEATBALLS
Mix the following and form into balls:
1 pound ground meat (beef, chicken, turkey, or lamb)
1/2 cup uncooked rice
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Brown the meatballs in 2 Tbsp oil (I use olive oil)
Add ----2-8oz. cans tomato sauce
1 cup water
Cover and simmer for 45 minutes.
When we were young, there were moments of such perfectly crystallized happiness that we stood stock still and silently promised ourselves that we would remember them always. And we did. --Holly J. Burkhalter , "Four Midwestern Sisters' Christmas Book"
|
| lonestargal |
Posted - Oct 25 2005 : 4:29:06 PM
Well from the sound of it you have to be really dedicated to doing the coupons. I know that I would not be. I don't have enough time during the day to do the things that I have to get done let alone researching coupons. Sounds like the best for me so far is to make up a staples list, things that we consider household staples that are used all the time and stick to that list at the store. Also making a menu for meals. I'm going to try that this next payday when I will be going to the store. For the most part I have been staying away from the center isles except for a very few items.
I've noticed that I'm wasting a lot of money on produce. Before I really decided that I was feeding my family crap and am now buying as much organic as I can, I was going to the store once every 2 weeks and trying to make it last. Well the organic stuff doesn't have as many or no preservatives. Since I'm still in the mindset that I'm shopping for 2 weeks worth of groceries, my stuff is going bad. I need to shop for 1 week at a time and maybe that will help with my bill too. |
| Eileen |
Posted - Oct 25 2005 : 1:36:11 PM
Then there are those of us who do not buy anything that there is ever a coupon for.
For the most part i avoid the center isles of the grocery stores and make most all of what we eat from scratch. Reasons for avoiding the prepackaged things vary but mostly I avoid them for allergy reasons or to avoid the preservatives.
The thing that has impacted my grocery bills the most lately is the very high price on fresh fruit and vegetables. In some places the organic produce that I can buy at our local co-op that is grown locally is less expensive than the stuff I get at QFC my other option. Another thing that has me upset about the cost of these commodities is that so much of the produce this year is not good! I got some beautiful nectarines this week that were rotting from the inside out. You could not tell by looking at them until you bit into it. Ugh! That means another trip to the store to return them and the cost of the gas to get there is not worth the price paid so money out of pocket but not consumable.
We purchase all of our staples in 50 pound bags from our co-op and I buy organic. I buy all of our meat from our local farmers when I can. I have a garden or buy from my neighbor who has a vegetable farm and sells at the farmers market, I raise my own chickens and I am creative in the kitchen. I still have a high bill for just the two of us.
The rest of you have wonderful tips and I commend you. I saw a coupon shopper in action this week at my QFC where she had a $250.00 bill and after coupons had only $42.00 to pay. She could feed a lot of hungry people for that!
Eileen
Songbird; singing joy to the earth |
| Bridge |
Posted - Oct 25 2005 : 1:26:31 PM
I looked into thegrocerygame a while back. I was really into the "coupon" thing for a while.
But what I found was that I bought alot of stuff that I didn't use or need and tons of processed foods.
Most of the di-hard couponers buy and stockpile. That is how they save so much$$ at a time. For instance you have a coupon for $1 off of cereal. So you stockpile the coupons, then when the cereal goes on sale you take say 25 $1 off coupons and buy 25 boxes of the cereal. You just saved $25+ dollars. That is great if you will eat those 25 boxes of cereal before they go stale.
I actully remember seeing websites that showed people's stockpiles. Some of those people had dressers full of toothpaste and such :0 would you really ever use that much toothpaste before it went bad??? On the flip side I did see one lady's site that truly enjoyed coupon shopping and donated almost everything to her local shelters!! I thought that was awesome!!
I'm not saying this is a bad thing, you just have to think things thru and not buy things just because it is free or a good deal. I still use coupons, just very rarely. I no longer buy the paper for just the coupons as I used to. I do have a favorite site that you can purchase cpns from. http://www.thecouponclippers.com/coupons/customer/home.php I don't use it much at all anymore since trying to ditch all processed foods and eat as much organic as possible, but it did help me save $$ when I used it. For example I would get deoderant cpn for $1 and get 12. Then watch for it on sale for $1.29. I just got DH 6-12 months of deoderant for $3.48. Saving me apx $24.Just don't let the cpns expire if you get them!!
I also don't agree with the thought of using lot's of coupons on the smallest size pkg, to get the best buy. IMO that is just creating a ton of extra trash for the landfills. Plus all the extra pollution and chemicals used to create all those little packages.
I once again think a price book and menus are your best bet to saving $$, but coupons can add some extra$$ If you still stick to the menu.
|
| lonestargal |
Posted - Oct 24 2005 : 7:08:09 PM
Ok, I was just watching Unwrapped on Foodnetwork and they were talking about this lady who has made a business out of clipping coupons. Her website is www.thegrocerygame.com Basically what she has done is all the research of when to buy certain items with a certain coupon, or to wait and things can be purchased even cheaper. The camera went to the store with her and her bill was originally something like $290.00 and when she gave her coupons she only paid $79.00!!! That's impressive!!! I went to the website but you have to pay a $10.00 membership fee and the only list of coupon items she has for my area is Albertson's which I never shop at. If any of you ladies get a chance check it out and see what you think. It would be kind of neat to try it and see if it really works but why should I pay someone 10.00 to tell me which coupons I need? OH well.
Lucinda-- I had one of those seal-a-meal things and it did work great but then mine stopped sealing properly and I need a new one. It does work great for keeping freezer burn off. |
| thehouseminder |
Posted - Oct 24 2005 : 1:46:02 PM
I think that having a cache of recipes for "good, plain food" is the way to start out. For example, my mothers recipe for "Porcupine Meatballs" is always a huge hit and it has only four ingredients which are all inexpensive - then I just add a vegetable side and it is a full meal. We often eat bread with it to but since it has rice, not everyone wants more starch. I'd be happy to share the recipe if you like.
I use coupons but not very many because I find the store brand as opposed to the name brand is still cheaper, even after the coupon.
For bacon, I buy that nondescipt looking 3 lb box of ends and pieces you can find in the freezer section if you look. There is actually more meat and less fat in it!!!! Who cares if the slices aren't as pretty and uniform?
I asked for and received a "seal-a-meal" thingy for Christmas last year. I love it because other methods of sealing food still allow air in and that leads to freezer burn and allows the moisture to be drawn out of cheeses. This allows me to buy big bricks of cheese and freeze them. I also use it when I make a big batch of homemade belgian waffles. We freeze the extras and have them whenever we want. The contraption isn't cheap but pays for itself pretty quickly.
Lastly, I barter my sewing skills with a local farmer for eggs and for seasonal veggies. I do his mending and some occasional sewing and he keeps me stocked. Sometimes I trade my fruit for his veggies.
Bon Appetit!
Lucinda
When we were young, there were moments of such perfectly crystallized happiness that we stood stock still and silently promised ourselves that we would remember them always. And we did. --Holly J. Burkhalter , "Four Midwestern Sisters' Christmas Book"
|
| connio |
Posted - Oct 24 2005 : 1:11:16 PM
Hey Farm Girls!!!!
Wanted to suggest again that ya'll check out www.angelfoodministries.com. THink that you will be amazed at how much you can save.
Connie
cozycottage |
| lonestargal |
Posted - Oct 24 2005 : 12:18:39 PM
No, I'm in the very northern part of Texas so there are only a very few Mexican stores here, but I can check out the ones we have. I never thought about that.
We have a Sam's Club here but it seems like I spend so much in there. That's wonderful that you can make 300.00 last for a couple months. That's what I need to figure out and then just make the minimal trips to the store. |
| ivmeer |
Posted - Oct 24 2005 : 05:30:01 AM
Hi, Kristi. You don't mention if you're buying a lot of convenience foods. They always jack up the prices. Cold breakfast cereals are one of the highest marked up itmes in the store. Hot cereals are much cheaper per serving. Incidentally, on the thread on this board that asks what you eat for breakfast, I posted a recipe for cornmeal mush.
Also, are you in a part of Texas with a high Mexican population? Here in Chicago, there are produce markets that cater to Mexicans and other ethnic groups. Their produce is usually less than half the price of the produce at the supermarket, and other things like eggs and milk are really cheap there, too. Eggs, for instance, are $1.69 at the supermarket, and usually $.89 at this store. For the last couple of weeks, they've had them on sale for $.69, which is even better. |
| Whimsy_girl |
Posted - Oct 23 2005 : 1:45:06 PM
Wow I'm feeling pretty good about our grocery spending. We'll go to costco and URM and load up every 3 or 4 months and spend about 300.00 and then eat off that, only stopping in the store to replenish things like milk, eggs, juice and cheese.. we'll be spending on produce in the winter too but we try to keep it pretty minimal by preparing sauces and soups with produce in the fall and freezing it until later in the winter. So the actual grocery store is usually about a 30.00 trip about 2 times a month. I watch for the 10 for 10.00 sale to stock up on things like bread flour and sugar.
We shop at the day old bread store once a month and drop about 20.00 on bread to freeze, at those stores you can get the nice whole grain breads for less than the cost of the spongy white bread in the normal stores.
Also if you start making sourdough and keep a starter going you can make 2 loaves for under a dollar with the right recipe. I got it off of a post from someone here and we've been making a lot of it.
We grow most of our own produce so we total at only 80.00 a month for everything plus a big grocery store splurge every 3 or 4 months.
We're a family of 4 with 2 toddlers
(a sidebar, while my husband was working he frequented Taco Hell once a day so that really added up, so if you pack lunches you save a LOT of money, and the bathroom smells better)
Here is a tip I got from the Tightwad Gazette, You can save a small fortune on cans of pumpkin by carving your Jack-o-lanterns the day before Halloween, setting them out for Halloween night, and then baking them in the shell at a fairly low temp.. I think it was 300 but if anyone wants me to check my book I will... until the soft pulp scrapes out. puree it to use in soups, breads and pies. We still have 2 freezer bags of it from last year and will be scraping out the 5 pumpkins we grew this year to use all next year.
you can be oh so smart, or you can be oh so positive. I wasted a lot of time being smart I prefer being positive. |
| lonestargal |
Posted - Oct 23 2005 : 09:21:11 AM
Good point Connie about the library. I do go there quite often and check out all different types of books and IF I really like it I will buy it, and that's only happened once so far.
I checked out the USDA webpage that was posted here and according to that I guess I'm spending what I should but it still seems so much. Spending $6-700.00 dollars/month for us is with buying the most organic that I can so maybe I'm just over reacting here.
I'll keep cutting corners where I can I guess and try to make a pantry list and menu and try to stick by it and see how that does my next shopping trip. |
| lamarguerite farm |
Posted - Oct 22 2005 : 10:12:22 PM
We spend 700.00-800.00 a month for a family of five, but one of them are only with us two weekends a month. I was spending about 600.00 and we had to raise it a bit when we improved our eating habits. I do most of my shopping at Trader Joe's. They are reasonably priced if you are wanting organic. There are some specialty items that I have to get at the health food store because of the food allergies in our family. For the cleaners, paper products and toiletries I shop at WAlmart. They are the cheepest for that sort of thing. I do go to three different stores, but they are all in very close vicinity and I only shop on Monday when I have to be in town anyway for an appointment. We have made a choice to be more careful about what we are putting into our bodies and the only box or can food that I buy are Trader Joes mac-n-cheese and refired beans, chilli for the kids. I make everything from fresh foods now and buy my staples in bulk. I have some old canning jars that I store them in, in the pantry. I would like to learn how to bake a good tasting bread with spelt, oat, rice flour, etc. They always seem to come out so heavy even if I add a little tapioca flour. Anyway, I think it comes down to choice. There are lots of ways to cut corners, but I wouldn't want to do it to the extent where we were going back to commercial and processed foods. We are definately a paycheck to paycheck family and I'm not able to work full time right now, but it seems as though the Lord always provides.
If you have a dream, even if you don't feel qualified to accomplish it, just try your hardest.-Maggie Jensen |
|
|
