| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| krbrown@rocketmail.com |
Posted - Feb 10 2010 : 12:31:10 PM
Does anyone only grocery shop once a month? I would love to do this, any tips would be great. Thanks, Farmgirl Kim |
| 25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| prairie_princess |
Posted - Mar 02 2010 : 09:29:05 AM
sarah, i agree..... keeping a good stock does allow for more cooking flexibility! we just did our monthly shopping trip yesterday and stocked up on all our dried goods. i swear i won't have to make a menu and buy "new" grocery items for a LONG time! having lots of different cookbooks (and the internet) helps a ton, too! i can look up recipes that involve ingredients i have on hand instead of always buying new ingredients... i love it! it allows for more creativity! i feel like i have everything i need right here at home and don't have to run to the grocery store all the time.
and, sarah, i commend those like you who do work and still try to make your meals at home! i realize how much work that must be! back when i was working, i wasn't half as concious as i am now about making meals at home and how to be healthy... in fact i just didn't care about being healthy. my move to the country really opened up my eyes! when i was working, though, i did discover how much i loved cooking and i would do it on the weekend just to practice... if i were to work now, i would make meals on the weekend to freeze for later dinners or make my meals for the week. and how grand are leftovers?! who wants to cook every day, so i purposely make enough for leftovers....
"Only two things that money can't buy, that's true love and homegrown tomatoes."
- Guy Clark
"The man who has planted a garden feels he has done something for the good of the world."
- Charles Dudley Warner |
| vintagejenta |
Posted - Mar 01 2010 : 2:19:00 PM
From scratch DOES save a ton of money! I go shopping more than once a month, but if I had a garden and a cow, I could manage it! LOL. Most of the shopping I do now is for perishable whole food like produce, milk, cheese, etc. I buy dry goods (canned stuff, flour, pasta, etc.) about once a month. I work, so it's hard to cook from scratch ALL the time, but I try my best and hardly ever used packaged meals.
Knowing what you have in your pantry at all times and keeping stocked up not only gives you more flexibility when it comes time to cook, but also makes sure you don't overstock and helps you shop for only what you need. It also helps to be always thinking about what to make next! I'm not quite organized enough to have meals planned out weeks in advance (plus, sometimes I don't feel like eating what I may have planned for that day!), but I always think the day of or the day before to plan what to have for dinner so that when I get home from work, I know just what to do!
I'd love to be able to be farmer/cook full-time, though. Someday... :) |
| JojoNH |
Posted - Feb 22 2010 : 2:16:25 PM
Well, to answer Alee's question, we eat the basic meals. Nothing out of the ordinary, just cooking from scratch and it saves a ton of money.
We eat Steak, baked potatoes, veggies, Homemade bread, muffins, pies,
Lasagna, soups, stews, casseroles, seafood chowder etc. I just love to cook and found that when I purchased my basic ingredients in the super large size it lasted much longer and cost much less.
I stock up on things like 50Lb bags of flour, 25Lb bags of sugar, 20Lb bag of rice, Large boxes of pasta, Large cans of coffee, Jumbo cans of tomato sauce (plain so I can use it in many different recipes ) You get the idea.
Just simply use your regular months menus, but purchase the large size of everything you need. The savings is incredible!!
Joanna #566
JojoNH
www.CountryCents.com
http://CountryCents.Blogspot.com
http://Twitter.com/Eastwooddesigns |
| prairie_princess |
Posted - Feb 21 2010 : 1:47:09 PM
i LOVE this thread! i, too, only shop once a month. it's actually very easy because we live 30 minutes from town, so it's not like we can just run to the store. and especially lately, after reorganizing our budget, we really had a couple of lean months, so i learned to only use what i had on hand. it feels so fulfilling! i can get creative and i feel more appreciative when i cook because i know i'm keeping with our budget and i don't need a lot of food to keep me satisfied. i'm actually finding it hard to make menus with "extra" ingredients, stuff i wouldn't normally have on hand simply because i enjoy using what i have.
my city friends can't imagine only shopping once a month. and i applaud you gals who only go every 3 months! i would think it's very hard if you don't have freezers (we had to buy another one) and food storage to shop so infrequently.... I know it's near impossible for some of my city friends.
we've also come to a point in our lives, my DH and I, where we are more conscious of hazardous ingredients and preservatives. so we are cutting back even more on things we buy so i can homemake snacks, too. we even worry about canned goods, the BPA possibility, so I might start homemaking some of those things, too, such as cream of mushroom soup to freeze for use in meals. We're replacing anything canned that we can buy dried, such as various beans (dried goods also last longer than canned). Needless to say, our canned goods area of storage has drastically shrunk... until summer/fall canning starts back up! We also plan on digging/building a root cellar this summer for even more fresh food storage....
we are unfortunate not to have been raising our own meat, so no meat or milk as of yet. we may buy a goat or pig this year! but we do raise our own chickens for eggs. so we do have to buy meat and milk. we can or freeze the veggies/fruit we raise ourselves and buy a few frozen veggies (don't buy canned for the BPA fear). i want to cut out bought snacks, too, so i'm going to try my hand at making crackers, graham crackers, and to replace cereal, make granola. wow, pretty soon i'll only be buying those essential ingredients!
"Only two things that money can't buy, that's true love and homegrown tomatoes."
- Guy Clark
"The man who has planted a garden feels he has done something for the good of the world."
- Charles Dudley Warner |
| sherrye |
Posted - Feb 16 2010 : 8:05:20 PM
like teresa i too raise most of what we eat. or we trade for it. like local honey.we have 4 freezers. so it is paper goods etc. we live very frugal right now. no work for 18 months. long time sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farmgirl #1014
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| Perennial |
Posted - Feb 15 2010 : 05:06:22 AM
What kinds of things do you buy/vs. make yourself? Just curious! |
| mellaisbella |
Posted - Feb 14 2010 : 3:22:28 PM
yes, Alee, I agree! It is so great to learn from our fellow farmgals!!
"we must be the change we wish to see in the world"
farmgal #150 |
| Alee |
Posted - Feb 14 2010 : 3:16:04 PM
Wow Joanna! You do great! I would love to see a menu of what your family eats so I can get an idea and start following in your footprints!
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
| JojoNH |
Posted - Feb 14 2010 : 2:50:13 PM
The total averages out to $250.00 for 3 months of food. There are two of us to cook for, however, I shop with the thought of cooking for 4.
Since we always can count on having a couple of friends, neighbors or my Son coming to dinner on a regular basis.
The key to saving is buying the bulk packages. The first few times it feels kind of silly when you come out to your car with a huge shopping cart full of large items ( or two carts  ) However, you soon find out how much money stays in your pocket and it becomes a life style.
If we were to purchase the same items in single serving sizes at the regular grocery store, we would spend $135.00 per week!!! Yikes!!!
Shopping once every 3 months, purchasing in bulk turns out I feed all of us on $21.00 per week or $84.00 per month. (The only thing I do not stock up is milk and cream.)
Hope that helps.
Joanna #566
JojoNH
http://CountryCents.Blogspot.com
http://Twitter.com/Eastwooddesigns |
| EastTXFarmgirl |
Posted - Feb 14 2010 : 07:34:54 AM
Kim I grocery shop once every 3 months. I can or freeze most of our vegi's for the winter and early spring. And we eat fresh out of the garden the rest of the time. What vegi's I don't have put up or if I run out of something I purchase cans. I know that frozen from the store tastes better and is better for you but it does not last as long. I buy meat in bulk. Usually, I will get an entire loin or ribeye and have it cut into steaks. Chicken the same. I know that there is no one in my family that likes chicken legs or thighs so I don't buy whole chickens. I know it is cheaper but if I'm wasting half of the meat it doesn't even out. You have to plan and you have to have the storage. As soon as I get home from the store any items to go in the freezer are immediately seperated into serving sizes put in vacuum sealed packages and into the freezer. Don't freeze whole packs of meat or large bags of vegi's unless your family will consume it at one time. I think it is a matter of how your family eats. Instead of white bread we eat alot of corn bread. Sometimes I will purchase sliced bread but most of the time I brake fresh bread. The key to shopping less is designing your eating to facilitate the practice. Check expiration dates, purchase items that give you the longest time to consume. Remember the expiration date is for an unopened item. Once opened things will go bad at different rates. Items that need to be refigerated after opening should not be kept more than 2 weeks. Many times I will buy 2 or 3 small containers instead of 1 large for that reason. Hope this gives you a little insite. It works out well for our family. I am one of those rare women that actually hates to shop. I do it as little as possible.
Begin each morning with a song in your heart. |
| mellaisbella |
Posted - Feb 14 2010 : 05:16:54 AM
Joanna...great tips!! shopping every three months...that is fabulous! Do you mind me asking what your bill would be that day you went shopping/how many do you buy for?
"we must be the change we wish to see in the world"
farmgal #150 |
| JojoNH |
Posted - Feb 14 2010 : 05:10:09 AM
A quick tip, use your grocery recipts to help track what you are purchasing and how much you are spending. You will discover that certain items are on sale at certain times of the year, that is the time to stock up on whatever it is in the quantity needed.
Second tip for those waiting on their gardens to help fill your pantry, If you purchase the jumbo size cans of veggies ( you know, the ones that are the size a restaurant would use) you can purchase one can for the cost of a single serving size can. Then, when you are ready to use it, freeze the rest in family size servings. This saves valuable space in your freezer for other items since the cans could be stacked on shelving in the basement, garage etc.
Joanna #566
JojoNH
http://CountryCents.Blogspot.com
http://Twitter.com/Eastwooddesigns |
| Perennial |
Posted - Feb 13 2010 : 06:14:52 AM
I have a long way to go - I'm working on my garden this year so it will produce enough so i can can, dry and freeze. I like that calendar idea. I'm also working on making more "snacks" instead of buying them. I'm going to start "tracking" what i'm buying so that i can where i need to make the most changes. |
| JojoNH |
Posted - Feb 12 2010 : 3:01:14 PM
We shop once every 3 months. . . yup, you read that right The only thing we need to purchase is fresh milk. I do out a list of the ingredients we use and how often. Then, we stock up once on all of it. This way we save on the gas and don't get caught up in what the stores want us to buy.
It's easy to figure out what your family needs. Just make a note on your calender when you open up something ( like toothpaste or shampoo for example) then note when it is empty. Now you know how often you go through each item and how many you will need for the next 3 months.
Truly helps for when you are on a very tight budget, or like me, not receiving a regular income.
Joanna #566
JojoNH
http://CountryCents.Blogspot.com
http://Twitter.com/Eastwooddesigns |
| 1badmamawolf |
Posted - Feb 12 2010 : 08:34:06 AM
I raise and grow almost evertthing we eat, but, there is sugar, flour,coffee, spices and pastas etc, plus T.P., shampoo, soap etc that I do have to buy, so I only shop about every 4 months or so.
"Treat the earth well, it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children" |
| Alee |
Posted - Feb 12 2010 : 07:45:33 AM
I think that is great, Bea! I usually shop at Costco about twice a year for a big shopping trip (Like $600!) But we haven't done that in a while. It makes me a bit nervous when we start using up that supply- I start worrying about "What if". I am looking forward to the "Free" paycheck coming in April (we get paid 3x) and a big shopping trip coming out of it.
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
| Perennial |
Posted - Feb 12 2010 : 04:12:33 AM
For me it was a cost thing and when 9/11 happened it made me think about being prepared. At that time, we lived 4 minutes from the market so i went once a week and then stopped if i needed anything. We only had a few days worth of food in the house - aside from pasta, but even that - no extra sauce. With young children, it really occurred to me that i needed to be prepared for anything - even mother nature storms, etc. So, i started shopping in bulk for most everything. I still have a ways to go for my task of now making my groceries as cheap as possible. I have almost a grocery store here. When my hubby was out of work last year for 5 months (in the winter), i didn't do any big shop - had enough to keep it to just milk, veggies, etc. I did have to do a sizeable shop when he became employed, but i spread it out over a few months, so i wouldn't feel it as much. I look at what's on sale locally and do buy those in bulk weekly - if it's something we genuinely use. I do need to get back on the coupon wagon again though. |
| mellaisbella |
Posted - Feb 11 2010 : 3:56:11 PM
this is a great idea. I would love to shop only once a month...then I wouldn't be tempted to buy things I don't need every time I am there!
"we must be the change we wish to see in the world"
farmgal #150 |
| Karrieann |
Posted - Feb 11 2010 : 3:38:22 PM
...I forgot to mention.. as far as for milk, we're not much of milk drinkers but always have on hand dry milk for times we want some for cereal or cooking.
Karrieann ~ Farmgirl Sister #766 (29 Sept 2009)
My etsy: Yesterday's Scraps, Tomorrow's Treasures http://www.etsy.com/shop/2TomorrowsTreasures |
| pamcook |
Posted - Feb 11 2010 : 11:46:24 AM
Leanne at savingdinner.com has menus and shopping lists for a month's worth of meals at at time (or a week at a time). Her plans are wonderful.
www.ikat.org
www.longaberger.com/pamcook |
| krbrown@rocketmail.com |
Posted - Feb 11 2010 : 10:35:52 AM
Thanks for your advice. |
| palmettogirl |
Posted - Feb 11 2010 : 08:30:25 AM
shopping once a month, or even twice sounds like the most efficient and economical way....however, i have to tell you, grocery shopping to me is therapy! i just do it at my own pace, nothing to distract me....but, i might be getting a job and so i'll probably want to try and be efficient like you guys!! |
| emsmommy5 |
Posted - Feb 11 2010 : 07:49:29 AM
I do a big shop once a month because that's how I get paid. We have considerable "food storage" so it works out really well.
We have 4 adults living at home with two who wander through on a regular basis. And we always pick up an extra at least once or twice a week.
Like Karrieann, we eat the fresh veggies and fruit till they are gone and then its back to frozen or canned.
It was nice yesterday, I made bread and rolls and then pulled a couple of jars of home-canned soup off the shelf and that was dinner. I have started pressure canning alot more this last few months and LOVE it!!! THen I can buy things on sale and can away. I have done meats, soups, vege's, etc. If you don't can, you can stock up on store bought and work those into your menu. =)
After all that.... guess I am saying it's pretty easy to do! A little pre-planning, a few life style changes, you will be on top of it!
Do what you love, love what you do. |
| Karrieann |
Posted - Feb 11 2010 : 06:46:13 AM
My Hubby and I shop once a month... he gets paid once a month. It is just the two of us in the household. We use up the fresh produce up within two weeks and make meals from frozen or cupboard stuff... like rice, dried beans, pasta. I have a small upright freezer that is stocked with lamb, chicken, turkey, some beef and veggies. I also bake bread. It always works out just fine and some things carry over to next months.
I am glad to shop once a month... the cost of things gives me fainting feeling, and shopping once a month for us also cuts down on the gas.
Karrieann ~ Farmgirl Sister #766 (29 Sept 2009)
My etsy: Yesterday's Scraps, Tomorrow's Treasures http://www.etsy.com/shop/2TomorrowsTreasures |
| chaddsgirl |
Posted - Feb 11 2010 : 06:39:00 AM
You have to be really organized (like Alee) to be able to pull this off. Plus, you have to discipline yourself to cook with what you already have. I have done it before, especially when money is SUPER tight. But it's really easy to say, I'll just run to the store and pick up (whatever). I do get really excited if I haven't been to the grocery store in a couple of weeks. The fewer times I go, the more money I'm saving!!! Woohoo!!
A person is a success if they get up in the morning and get to bed at night and in between does what they want to do. Bob Dylan
Deeperrootsfarm.etsy.com |
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