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Farm Kitchen:  Grocery budget  |
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mikesgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
3659 Posts
Sherri
Elma
WA
USA
3659 Posts |
 Posted - Jun 29 2007 : 2:36:17 PM
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| Any of you care to share what you budget a month for groceries? I don't have any good reasons for asking..... I'm just curious and nosy. I'd like to see if we're "normal"! I'll start - DH and I spend on average $75 week for groceries - a little more (alright a LOT more) on the weeks we go to Costco. Sometimes less if I make the effort to plan meals around what we already have in the house. How about you? |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Jun 29 2007 : 2:53:53 PM
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For my fiance and I we budget $150 for family groceries. I get WIC as well and he gets about $40 a month for food while at work. So I guess that works out to be around $200 a month.
I like to do a lot of meals that can really stretch the budget. I can make all of this homemade for much cheaper than buying the pre-made components in the store:
Pot Roast with Carrots, Celary, Onions and Potatos
Roasted Chicken with the same
Spagetti a few times a month (homemade sauce!)
Deluxe baked potatoes (Cheese, hamburger, sour cream, salsa)
Tacos with refried beans
Lentils and Rice
Black Beans and Rice
Shepherds Pie
Chicken pot pie
Lasagna
Hamburgers
BBQ or Broiled chicken
Stir Fry
Beef Stew
Chicken and Dumplings
Stuffed Green peppers
Chili
Cold Tuna Salad
Tuna Fish sandwiches
Tuna casserole
My fiance would love it if meat took a center stage to all of our meals, but by decreasing how much meat I put into everything, we consume less fat and make the budget stretch just a bit farther. I cook most of my beans and rices with chicken base to give it an extra flavor punch. I am really looking forward to when the garden starts to produce tomatoes since they go into a lot of different dishes.
Also we usually buy 20 lb hamburger logs at the store. These usually cost around $20, but we wait until our grocery store needs to sell them or they will go bad- so they but $6 savings coupons on them. Since I just take it home and cook it immdiatly or freeze it, I don't mind meat that needs to be sold. We also buy stew meat for any dish where I have to cut the meat up anyway. I also make the meat budget stretch a bit farther by using things like Tuna fish a couple of times a month.
Alee
The amazing one handed typist! One hand for tying, one hand to hold Nora! |
Edited by - Alee on Jun 29 2007 2:54:16 PM |
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UrbanChick
True Blue Farmgirl
331 Posts
Ayako
Atlanta
GA
USA
331 Posts |
Posted - Jun 29 2007 : 3:24:50 PM
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Our household budget is around $150 per week so about $600 per month for food. I spend on average about $125 everytime I go to the grocery store so I budget and additional $25 per week just in case.
"Courage dosen't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying: I will try again tomorrow." |
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mikesgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
3659 Posts
Sherri
Elma
WA
USA
3659 Posts |
Posted - Jun 29 2007 : 3:31:36 PM
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| wow Alee - those are great meals with that kind of budget!! You must really be a whiz in the kitchen and at the store. Been a long time since we had a pot roast! Poor DH - tonight and the next few nights I think it's going to be soup and pudding until the mouth heals!! |
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KarenP
True Blue Farmgirl
666 Posts
Karen
Chippewa Falls
Wisconsin
USA
666 Posts |
Posted - Jun 29 2007 : 3:51:36 PM
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I used to spend about $60 to $80+ a week for 2 people.
Of course we ate a lot of convenience foods.
When my husband quit work to go to school, we had to make drastic cuts, we now go with a list of what's needed and spend $20 to $40+ a week depending.
If things we like are on sale I pick up a few to have on hand. But the big difference is cooking from scratch and no soda pop. we drink water and once in a while buy a pop as a treat.
I try not to beat myself up about how much of a spendthrift I was before this change in our life.
I'm just glad to be enjoying homemade meals and actually better health.
KarenP
"Purest Spring Water in the World" |
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willowtreecreek
True Blue Farmgirl
4813 Posts
Julie
Russell
AR
USA
4813 Posts |
Posted - Jun 29 2007 : 4:12:32 PM
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We spend way too much a month! I would guess around 400 a month for the two of us! My hubby doesn't like leftovers so I have to try to make sure we don't have anything leftover. But I am also having to cook a full meal every day. We almost NEVER buy cookies or chips or things like that. We never buy ice cream. I have no idea where all the money is going!
Jewelry, art, baskets, etc.
www.willowartist.etsy.com
www.willowtreecreek.com |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Jun 29 2007 : 4:19:10 PM
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One thing to keep in mind is that Groceries cost different prices all over the country. Here a 2lb block of Tillamook cheddar might cost around $4, but in Wyoming it costs around $8. Grocery stores really mark stuff up, and with gas prices going up, so will the cost of groceries.
Here is an idea- Lets all make a goal of buying and eating with a budget. Maybe we could even post our reciepts here?
We do stock up at Costco every couple of months (basically when a financial windfall comes or when we budget for it). I am going to be going shopping next Friday or Saturday and will post my meals that I plan on making and my budget.
I don't always plan out my meals in advance because sometimes it depends on what is on sale.
Here are some things that I try to never let myself run out of:
Flour
Sugar
Yeast
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Beef Base
Chicken Base
Pasta
Potatoes
Tomato Sauce
Right now we are out of a few things, so I know it is time to go shopping again. The last week before payday always means you have to be more creative :)
Alee
The amazing one handed typist! One hand for tying, one hand to hold Nora! |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Jun 29 2007 : 4:20:35 PM
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Oh and Julie! I have an idea!
Make large batches of food, but freeze all but what you will eat for that meal. Then you will have the basis of a good meal always in the freezer and it doesn't have to be "Left Overs".
Alee
The amazing one handed typist! One hand for tying, one hand to hold Nora! |
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mikesgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
3659 Posts
Sherri
Elma
WA
USA
3659 Posts |
Posted - Jun 29 2007 : 4:38:59 PM
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| I love the idea Alee - of making grocery goals and posting our menus and costs. We could make it a sort of challenge to meet our own goals. Shall we do it in this forum or start a grocery challenge thread? |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Jun 29 2007 : 5:17:42 PM
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Either way! It'll be fun I think! :)
Alee
The amazing one handed typist! One hand for tying, one hand to hold Nora! |
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willowtreecreek
True Blue Farmgirl
4813 Posts
Julie
Russell
AR
USA
4813 Posts |
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mikesgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
3659 Posts
Sherri
Elma
WA
USA
3659 Posts |
Posted - Jun 29 2007 : 6:53:46 PM
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| I posted a grocery challenge thread separate from this one - in the kitchen area. |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Jun 29 2007 : 7:39:05 PM
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Sounds great! I can't wait to see what people post!
Alee
The amazing one handed typist! One hand for tying, one hand to hold Nora! |
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mikesgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
3659 Posts
Sherri
Elma
WA
USA
3659 Posts |
Posted - Jun 29 2007 : 9:22:11 PM
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| So far we haven't had much interest in the challenge - oh well, we can do it ourselves if no one else wants to. It'll help us. |
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Carol Sue
True Blue Farmgirl
4033 Posts
Carol Sue
Washingtonian
USA
4033 Posts |
Posted - Jun 29 2007 : 9:32:16 PM
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I love the idea, don't always have a budget amount for groceries because of major bills. Don't own credit cards, don't have health insurance, ugh.
Every 3 months approx we spend about 200 and stock up at Costco, then go to Freddies or Safeway. Usually run into some good sales, when do stock up, on beans, tom sauce, basics like that. Then I have something to throw together especially towards the end of the month.
Truthfully sometimes dineer is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for my dh and me when neither one of us can come up with something...... LOL. Hey if it works for him it works for me. He is a good cook and does a lot of dinner. Now when he makes his artisian bread, yummmmmoooooooo.
He makes a great rosemary garlic that is great with cream cheese with red peppers in it. Okay, I am hungry, tooth hurting so eating is a challenge tonight. Hmmmmm
drinking tea, will do jello water Good grief, I am rattling.....
Enjoying the moments. |
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mom2knk
True Blue Farmgirl
321 Posts
Blanche
So Cal
321 Posts |
Posted - Jun 29 2007 : 9:40:31 PM
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| My grocery budget has gone way up over the last several months because I have gone to more organic foods and lots of fresh fruits and veggies. For my family of 4 I spend about $125 a week.....and that also includes dog food. We go to the Farmer's Markets in our area each week and I spend a lot there as well. |
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mikesgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
3659 Posts
Sherri
Elma
WA
USA
3659 Posts |
Posted - Jun 29 2007 : 10:08:37 PM
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| Farmers markets are my downfall too - although it's all good healthy food. I'm going to make sure that my $65 goal that I set in the Grocery Challenge includes the farmer's market. |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Jun 29 2007 : 10:13:27 PM
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I try really hard to keep under $500 a month for our family of 6 (no kids under 10..so they are eaters!!) including dog and cat food (3 dogs and 3 cats). We stock up on meat (1/2 beef and whole hog) once a year (I include the meat in our average), raise our own meat chickens and have a milk cow and hens for eggs. I tend to cook fairly simple meals, and I do love to cook. This time of year we have unusual stuff when it is really hot out.....but that makes life fun, right?
I would love to get down to $400 a month, and will be closer in a month or so when we are harvesting more from the garden.
Jenny in Utah
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
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mikesgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
3659 Posts
Sherri
Elma
WA
USA
3659 Posts |
Posted - Jun 29 2007 : 10:21:36 PM
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Jenny - we're challenging ourselves to meet our goals and reporting back on a thread called Grocery Challenge if you want to join.
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Farm Kitchen: Grocery budget |
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Grocery budget
