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Family Matters:  Help! How much do you spend for groceries?  |
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hipmamato4
True Blue Farmgirl
51 Posts
danielle
wernersville
pa
USA
51 Posts |
 Posted - Oct 03 2008 : 05:32:48 AM
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I have always prided myself on not spending a lot of money on groceries, shopping creatively and frequenting discount stores. For the past 3 or 4 months I have kept track of all of or expenses, but hadn't added up totals until this morning. In September I spent almost twice what I thought I was spending.
I'd like to know what other families spend and how you eat so that I can see if we are wasting money or I just need to readjust my thinking and budget.
We are a family of 6--kids are 11,9,6,and 2. I would love to move to a flesh-free diet, but we aren't there yet. We eat a fair amount of Wild Pacific Salmon (2-3 times a month, but it is only $3.79lb), chicken 2-3 times a week, and lots of produce. I bake once or twice a week. We also have wheat issues so I do have to spend extra on gluten free, but I am starting to bake more of my own thanks to Carol Fenster's great gluten free Cookbooks.
Any feedback would be appreciated. Danielle
Homebirthing, home-schooling mama to 4 awesome kids, living an idyllic country life in Pennsylvania |
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chickabella
True Blue Farmgirl
177 Posts
D. A.
Austin... ish,
Texas
177 Posts |
Posted - Oct 03 2008 : 05:42:02 AM
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We bake & eat gluten-free in our household as well, but food is the one area where our little two-person household splurges. Organic produce, pasture/grass-fed humanely raised meats, etc. We spend anywhere from $100 to $150 a week.
Farm blog: http://farmnatters.blogspot.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/dasparky
Heart of Texas Farmgirls Chapter; Farmgirl Sisterhood Member #275
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hipmamato4
True Blue Farmgirl
51 Posts
danielle
wernersville
pa
USA
51 Posts |
Posted - Oct 03 2008 : 06:27:47 AM
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I forgot to add that I thought I was spending about $400-500, but calculated September at almost $900. There was some stocking up that I did this month, but I still think this is way too high.
I am also doing a lot of juicing for health reasons, so I would be broke buying organic right now, but normally we try to do a lot of organic. The same with organic chicken $4.79 lb here, right now I am buying cheap and just trying to eat well in spite of it.
Homebirthing, home-schooling mama to 4 awesome kids, living an idyllic country life in Pennsylvania |
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doglady
True Blue Farmgirl
435 Posts
Tina
Howard
Ohio
USA
435 Posts |
Posted - Oct 03 2008 : 07:08:56 AM
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Hi Danielle,
I feed my family of 3 soups, some chicken, lean ground beef dishes, pasta, beans, some fish and cook from scratch 99% of the time. We don't eat a lot of meat and many times I reduce the meat required in a recipe by half. I usually get two meals out of say a roast. I have the regular cut of roast cut in half. I think cooking from scratch is just as fast and you can also double your recipes and freeze the extra for another meal when you're in a hurry. My grocery bill averages about $150 a month. Yes, that number is correct. I did some canning this summer but not nearly as much as some of the other farmgirls. Mainly tomatoes, sauce, salsa, two kinds of jams. Trust me, no one is skinny. I shop twice a month at Aldies (a no frills store) and pick up milk and bread on the off weeks. I do some coupons and make many of my meals around the first and last pages of the store sale flyer - those are the leader sales to draw you into the store. A great book to read is "Americas Cheapest Family". I found a copy at the library and I'm always looking for cheaper ways to live. My family calls me "The Queen of Cheap" and they are always trying to out-cheap me. It's a game in our family. I will admit that many folks could not or would not live as cheap as I do but I've been shopping like this for at least 20 years.
Good luck, Tina
You can tell your dog all of your secrets and they'll never say a word!
www.kennelcreations.com |
Edited by - doglady on Oct 03 2008 08:30:53 AM |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Oct 03 2008 : 07:35:11 AM
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We budget around here as well. We shop at Costco for a lot of things and that helps. They even have a lot of organics- sometimes for less than the conventional stuff! I too will make lots of things like spaghetti sauce, soups, stews etc. That helps the meat stretch. Last night I cut up 2 pork chops and made a pork fried rice with lots of veggies, rice, and a seasoning packet. Usually 2 pork chops would have been only one meal for Doug and I. This way Doug, Nora and I all go to eat as much as we wanted and Doug even has a huge portion to take to work. I only made 2 servings of rice, the rest was meat and veggies, but it turned out to be a lot.
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our blog: www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
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velvetcadi7
True Blue Farmgirl
54 Posts
Amy
Galva
IL
USA
54 Posts |
Posted - Oct 03 2008 : 07:57:41 AM
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I don't even want to think about adding it all up! Yikes!
I do agree with Tina - if you have the room to freeze leftovers that really helps our family of 5. We used to throw a lot more out because no one was "in the mood" for what we just had the day or two before but now I freeze almost all of our leftovers and a week or two later pull it out for a quick meal!
I also save on chicken breasts by splitting them and pounding them out before cooking. They not only cook faster but the smaller portions stretch out the package. |
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mikesgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
3659 Posts
Sherri
Elma
WA
USA
3659 Posts |
Posted - Oct 03 2008 : 09:37:11 AM
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We just increased our budget from $400 a month to $600 a month - that's for groceries, personal care items I buy at Costco, canning supplies, pet food. I hated to go that high, but I'm already doing everything I can think of to shave costs. It's just gone nuts around here the other day. Here's a quick example - I'm used to spending around $6 for a 2 lb. block of cheese - everyonce in a while I'll find a good sale for $5. I ususally shop at Costco and Fred Meyer which are about 30 minutes away. Last week I went to our local supermarket to pick up a few things - the only grocery store in town- and I almost fainted. The 2 lb. block of "Western Family" (not even the more pricy Tillamook that our family prefers) was ON SALE (coupon) for
$12.59!!! I thought it was a mistake so I checked all the other cheese and yep! that was the price. Regular price was $12.99. There is NO WAY I would ever spend over $12 on cheese - as much as we love and use it.
Farmgirl Sister #98
Check out my new online store
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Oct 03 2008 : 10:15:58 AM
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Oh my gosh Sherri! That about made me pass out! Yesterday I went shopping and the ingredients for my stir-fry and milk for Nora came to $40! Luckily I can use the rest of the ingredients that I didn't use last night to make a spaghetti sauce.
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our blog: www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
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Amie C.
True Blue Farmgirl
2099 Posts
Finger Lakes Region
NY
2099 Posts |
Posted - Oct 03 2008 : 12:14:43 PM
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I used to spend $40-50/week on groceries for 2 people (that's also counting some household stuff like detergent and toiletries, but not medications). It crept up a little as our income grew. In the last couple of years we've started buying organic eggs and milk, and my husband has some special dietary needs. Still, it was holding steady at about $65/week. Just recently, when food prices went up, my weekly grocery bill has grown to $85/week.
We don't eat meat, and so we've gotten in the habit of buying veggie burgers, fake deli meat, etc. That stuff runs about $3.50 for 4-6 servings. I've never cooked with real meat, so I'm not sure if you'd be better off to go vegetarian or not. I do know that we could cut back on this sort of thing and rely more on beans if money got tight.
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sweetproserpina
True Blue Farmgirl
535 Posts
meg
Vinemount
Ontario
Canada
535 Posts |
Posted - Oct 03 2008 : 1:17:48 PM
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I haven't been keeping a close eye on it over the summer- but I think we average out to 150-175$/month for the two of us.
I hope with all the canning and freezing I've done this summer to get us down to 150$/month through the winter, plus I'm hoping to join a local food co-op that might help lower the costs too. The thing that's reduced my grocery bill the most over the past year is not buying pre-made. (Tortilla chips are the one exception, although I plan on making those one day too!) When all you need at the store is basics (flour, butter, yeast, rice etc.) it's amazing how much you save :)
"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://quaintandkeepinghouse.blogspot.com New Homekeeping Blog!
http://theprimroseway.blogspot.com/ |
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homemom
True Blue Farmgirl
1593 Posts
Ruth
Warwick
RI
USA
1593 Posts |
Posted - Oct 03 2008 : 1:54:37 PM
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I have noticed our grocery bill going up, too. I try to keep it at about $400-$450 per month but lately it has been closer to $600. I try to keep the amount of meat we eat down. I will many times cut a thick chicken breast in half length wise to make it stretch. I also do alot of stir fry type dishes or rice with the meat cooked in it. You don't use as much meat that way. We eat mostly chicken, some beef. Alot of times I use two chicken breasts a night. We are a family of four so I try to stretch it out.
Ruth
Living the farm life in my heart.
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Ruth
http://farmgirlinmyheart.blogspot.com/ |
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Ga Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
2355 Posts
Karen
Meansville
Ga.
USA
2355 Posts |
Posted - Oct 04 2008 : 06:01:24 AM
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Oh wow! I spend anywhere from 200 a week to 250 a week but I feed 6-7 people each day and 4 are home all day and 2 take lunches with them but this also includes alot but not all animal foods.
Blessings, karen
Create in me a pure heart,O God and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalms 51:10 http://farmgirlingastyle.blogspot.com/ |
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wild daisy
True Blue Farmgirl
503 Posts
Madelynne
Billings
Montana
USA
503 Posts |
Posted - Oct 04 2008 : 3:35:24 PM
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I just went grocery shopping on Friday evening. We do our biweekly thing every other Friday (payday). We got half of the stuff we usually get for over $100 (6 bags). What gives? We usually have a shopping cart full. We will survive but the price of everything has been going up and up. We have always tried to have some food storage on hand but what happens when that is not possible? I know that there are members of our communities that are having this problem.
I hope that we all will try and pitch-in this time of year and help to donate to our community food drives.
Madelynne |
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Betty J.
True Blue Farmgirl
1403 Posts
Betty
Pasco
WA
USA
1403 Posts |
Posted - Oct 04 2008 : 3:47:52 PM
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Is there anyone that cooks for just one? I find that cooking in smaller portions is just as expensive as feeding three or four. Sometimes I wish I had my kids back home---naah, just kidding. Besides that, I don't have a freezer, but I'm looking. And, you can only eat the same thing two days in a row, maybe three but that is pushing it. Tomatoes are going to be gone before long and I'm gonna be hurting. I only shopped once in September and that was almost $100, plus I picked up milk and bread a couple of other times. I think feeding the dog is almost as expensive as feeding me!! :-}
Betty in Pasco
I may complain, but at least I have food to eat. |
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hipmamato4
True Blue Farmgirl
51 Posts
danielle
wernersville
pa
USA
51 Posts |
Posted - Oct 05 2008 : 08:09:01 AM
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Thanks ladies. It sounds like it is a pretty big range, but it still gives me an idea of where I should be falling. I think my GOAL is going to be $500-600 a month for 6 people. We are all home all day-including my husband who works at night. I am up for the challenge!
I am going to get out the Tightwad Gazettes that are sitting on the bookshelf to re-read and also borrow the book that someone suggested America's Cheapest Family. I think I am also going to make a price logbook of where the cheapest food is. There are so many stores that I go to, that sometimes I just buy out of the convenience of not having to go to another store. I also think that I am really stocked up right now too. Tonight I will make a monthly menu and try to use up what we have and then adjust my purchases accordingly. Thanks to all!
Homebirthing, home-schooling mama to 4 awesome kids, living an idyllic country life in Pennsylvania |
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ddmashayekhi
True Blue Farmgirl
4740 Posts
Dawn
Naperville
Illinois
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - Oct 05 2008 : 5:13:25 PM
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I am struggling to keep the bill down to $180 a week for my family of 4. It isn't easy, even with coupons, buying whats only on sale and stretching 1 package of meat to make two meals. We haven't had a frost here yet, so my vegetable garden is still going. That helped out a lot. I also have tons of apples from my yard & the ones Windy Pines Farmgirl, Michele, gave me.
Thanks for the suggestions, we all need all the help we can get to survive this economy! No one will be bailing us out of this one!
Dawn in IL |
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kissmekate
True Blue Farmgirl
890 Posts
Kate
Delano
Minnesota
890 Posts |
Posted - Oct 05 2008 : 5:29:20 PM
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I probably spend around four hundred for my family of three. I have a son who eats anything that isn't nailed down.
Life has gotten rotten for him as I won't buy junk food anymore.
I do a lot of baking to make up for it. I figure home made with a little whole grains snuck in is a heck of a lot better than a hostess cupcake.
I try to buy organic as my budget allows, and often times organic is pretty close to conventional anyways.
Don't miss out on a blessing, just because it isn't packaged the way you expected. ~MaryJo Copeland |
Edited by - kissmekate on Oct 05 2008 5:30:28 PM |
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Family Matters: Help! How much do you spend for groceries? |
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Help! How much do you spend for groceries?
