for those of us trying to trim grocery budgets ..

pink.dutch.tulips · January 2010

i posted over on the nest's money matters boarrd what i just got for $180 .. girls is this what your usual grocery budget looks like ? are there places i can trim the fat. obviously spending $200/wk at the grocery store is nuts.

risysmama · January 2010

how many people are you feeding? it's just me, dh and dd and i'm spending about $100 a week, give or take. i spend a lot less when i plan out the meals ahead of time.

megan0071234 · January 2010

I usually spent on average $100 a week for a family of four. Some weeks it is less & some weeks it is more- mostly dependent on meat prices.

I read your post over on MM & I think that you can def cut back. You seem to purchase a lot of pre-packaged/processed foods & many different drink items. For the rice, just buy a big bulk bag. You can add chopped veggies & cheese to add flavor. You can make your own lunchable type foods by buying cheese, crackers & lunch meat independently. We do this for my son & it saves a ton.

Also, I never ever purchase formula, wipes, or cleaning products from the grocery store. I always go to Target- the things are much cheaper there; as are many things like soda & cereal, so I often buy stuff like that there as well.

ladipale · January 2010

not sure if you are looking for tips from us as well, but here is what i would trim/get rid of to help:

1. coke and lemonade - we only drink water, sometimes home brewed iced tea

2. containers of soup - make your own

3. lunch meat - use grilled chix breasts instead

4. lunchables

5. rice mix - its cheaper and healthier to just use white or brown rice

pink.dutch.tulips · January 2010

me, dh, dd and 2 small dogs

i've tried meal planning in the past but dh loves variety ...

ladipale · January 2010

you can still have variety and meal plan. we RARELY eat the same meal twice.

Also, have you thought of joining a CSA? I know my farm delivers at the San Rafael FM on Thursdays. $17/week for really high quality organic veggies.

megan0071234 · January 2010

I have a subscription to Everyday Food from Martha. I LOVE it for meal planning. We never eat the same meal twice unless someone asks specifically for a repeat (and NEVER in the same week). Also, if you shop at Safeway, their Eating Right frozen meals are actually pretty healthy & taste good as well. They are $2.00 each, so that could be a cheaper option for lunches...

We also sometimes use www.spud.com for Organic produce delivery. They have great prices & the stuff is really, really good.

pink.dutch.tulips · January 2010

megan0071234:

I usually spent on average $100 a week for a family of four. Some weeks it is less & some weeks it is more- mostly dependent on meat prices.

I read your post over on MM & I think that you can def cut back. You seem to purchase a lot of pre-packaged/processed foods & many different drink items. For the rice, just buy a big bulk bag. You can add chopped veggies & cheese to add flavor. You can make your own lunchable type foods by buying cheese, crackers & lunch meat independently. We do this for my son & it saves a ton.

Also, I never ever purchase formula, wipes, or cleaning products from the grocery store. I always go to Target- the things are much cheaper there; as are many things like soda & cereal, so I often buy stuff like that there as well.

alot of the processed foods are thing that dh and i can bring for lunch. lunchables transport easily in the diesel.

i'm the one who usually cooks and after being gone for 11hrs at a stretch the last thing i want to do is a ton of cooking .. which may explain some of the convenience foods as well.

formula, wipes, etc .. i did a comparison b/t target and my grocery store and they were about the same. target's up & up formula costs the same amount as my store's generic formula.

pink.dutch.tulips · January 2010

ladipale:

not sure if you are looking for tips from us as well, but here is what i would trim/get rid of to help:

1. coke and lemonade - we only drink water, sometimes home brewed iced tea

2. containers of soup - make your own

3. lunch meat - use grilled chix breasts instead

4. lunchables

5. rice mix - its cheaper and healthier to just use white or brown rice

all of those are great suggestions except for swapping out the lunchmeat for grilled chicken breasts .. dh has a VERY hard time eating chicken due to its fibrous consistency since he had his lapband procedure.

2bearichards · January 2010

Do you have a Costco membership? If not, you should think about getting one. You can buy lots of things in bulk, meat (that you can freeze), wipes, paper towels, dog treats, dog food, garbage bags etc.

I know a lot of people don't like this store, but you can save a lot of money by shopping at Walmart. Their milk and bread is significantly cheaper then the grocery store.

I would also not buy your non-food items at the grocery store, they are more expensive then getting it at Target or Walmart.

I feed a family of four breakfast, lunch and dinner for about $120 a week. I cook 5-6 nights a week (and I commute and work full time) and we bring our lunches every day.

I plan our meals for the week on Sunday before I go to the grocery store. Like the previous poster said, we don't eat the same thing every week. Buy some cookbooks for meals you can make in 30 minutes or less, Cooking Light has a great one, and you will see how easy it is to do.

pink.dutch.tulips · January 2010

ladipale:

you can still have variety and meal plan. we RARELY eat the same meal twice.

Also, have you thought of joining a CSA? I know my farm delivers at the San Rafael FM on Thursdays. $17/week for really high quality organic veggies.

w/ dd moving onto solids, i've thought more and more about joining a csa/ taking advantage of farmers markets just for a organic produce for her. are there csa's that deliver to the east bay ?!?

ladipale · January 2010

pink.dutch.tulips:
ladipale:

not sure if you are looking for tips from us as well, but here is what i would trim/get rid of to help:
1. coke and lemonade - we only drink water, sometimes home brewed iced tea
2. containers of soup - make your own
3. lunch meat - use grilled chix breasts instead
4. lunchables
5. rice mix - its cheaper and healthier to just use white or brown rice
all of those are great suggestions except for swapping out the lunchmeat for grilled chicken breasts .. dh has a VERY hard time eating chicken due to its fibrous consistency since he had his lapband procedure.

egg salad and tuna are other good alternatives.

ladipale · January 2010

pink.dutch.tulips:
ladipale:

you can still have variety and meal plan. we RARELY eat the same meal twice.
Also, have you thought of joining a CSA? I know my farm delivers at the San Rafael FM on Thursdays. $17/week for really high quality organic veggies.
w/ dd moving onto solids, i've thought more and more about joining a csa/ taking advantage of farmers markets just for a organic produce for her. are there csa's that deliver to the east bay ?!?

yes, but having delivery to your door is more expensive then picking up at a site. full belly farm is who i use, i'm pretty sure they deliver to the east bay and have quite a few pick up sites in the east bay

I<3MYHUSBAND · January 2010

2bearichards:

Do you have a Costco membership? If not, you should think about getting one. You can buy lots of things in bulk, meat (that you can freeze), wipes, paper towels, dog treats, dog food, garbage bags etc.

I know a lot of people don't like this store, but you can save a lot of money by shopping at Walmart. Their milk and bread is significantly cheaper then the grocery store.

I would also not buy your non-food items at the grocery store, they are more expensive then getting it at Target or Walmart.

I feed a family of four breakfast, lunch and dinner for about $120 a week. I cook 5-6 nights a week (and I commute and work full time) and we bring our lunches every day.

I plan our meals for the week on Sunday before I go to the grocery store. Like the previous poster said, we don't eat the same thing every week. Buy some cookbooks for meals you can make in 30 minutes or less, Cooking Light has a great one, and you will see how easy it is to do.

Ditto Rachel this is about how we do it. Really frozen food and snacks add up fast. I will now get the ads that come in the mail and shop around the ads and plan most of my meals for the week around them. I stock up on the frozen items on sale (like right now Safeway has Healthy choice meals for 1.99 so I will get those for lunch for next week) and leave the non-sale stuff there.

I also am not tied to brands, I will buy the cheapest of what is on sale. So if the store brand canned corn is cheapest that is what I will buy. I save a lot there too.

pink.dutch.tulips · January 2010

2bearichards:

Do you have a Costco membership? If not, you should think about getting one. You can buy lots of things in bulk, meat (that you can freeze), wipes, paper towels, dog treats, dog food, garbage bags etc.

yes we do have a costco membership .. that usually gets used for paper products, garbage bags, bulk chicken breasts, dog treats .. dd isn't big enough yet for kirkland's bulk diapers

I know a lot of people don't like this store, but you can save a lot of money by shopping at Walmart. Their milk and bread is significantly cheaper then the grocery store.

i just CANNOT do wal*mart, i see people suggest this as a way of shrinking grocery bills but i just cannot do it. i have too many problems w/ the way they do business to spend my money there.

I would also not buy your non-food items at the grocery store, they are more expensive then getting it at Target or Walmart.

i'll be recording how much i spend on non food items at the grocery store and see what the same items cost at target and see what the difference is ...

I feed a family of four breakfast, lunch and dinner for about $120 a week. I cook 5-6 nights a week (and I commute and work full time) and we bring our lunches every day.

we do that same .. breakfast, lunch (soups, lunchables, wl shakes) and dinners 7 days a week ..

I plan our meals for the week on Sunday before I go to the grocery store. Like the previous poster said, we don't eat the same thing every week. Buy some cookbooks for meals you can make in 30 minutes or less, Cooking Light has a great one, and you will see how easy it is to do.

i have a crapload of cookbooks packed away including my rachel ray 30 min meals one. i just might have to dig it out.

prnczmel · January 2010

pink.dutch.tulips:
ladipale:

you can still have variety and meal plan. we RARELY eat the same meal twice.

Also, have you thought of joining a CSA? I know my farm delivers at the San Rafael FM on Thursdays. $17/week for really high quality organic veggies.

w/ dd moving onto solids, i've thought more and more about joining a csa/ taking advantage of farmers markets just for a organic produce for her. are there csa's that deliver to the east bay ?!?

Farm Fresh to You (https://www.farmfreshtoyou.com/index.php) delivers to the East Bay! We get the small box every other week and it works out perfectly for us. Where in the East Bay are you? If you're close to Berkeley, you can always go to Berkeley Bowl for produce

ladipale · January 2010

this may not work if your husband doesn't like to eat the same thing often, but lately I'll make a large lasagna and we eat it for 2 dinners in a row. also, every time i make pasta sauce or soup, i double or triple the recipe and stash in freezer. this saves on time in the evening.

also, have you tried trader joes? a lot of there stuff is reasonably priced if not cheaper than the regular grocery store. cheese, milk, eggs and cereal are definitely cheaper

pink.dutch.tulips · January 2010

prnczmel:
pink.dutch.tulips:
ladipale:

you can still have variety and meal plan. we RARELY eat the same meal twice.

Also, have you thought of joining a CSA? I know my farm delivers at the San Rafael FM on Thursdays. $17/week for really high quality organic veggies.

w/ dd moving onto solids, i've thought more and more about joining a csa/ taking advantage of farmers markets just for a organic produce for her. are there csa's that deliver to the east bay ?!?

Farm Fresh to You (https://www.farmfreshtoyou.com/index.php) delivers to the East Bay! We get the small box every other week and it works out perfectly for us. Where in the East Bay are you? If you're close to Berkeley, you can always go to Berkeley Bowl for produce

we're in concord .. dd's dcp gets all of her produce at the berkeley bowl. she LOVES that place.

abvernon · January 2010

Ditto pp.

I am not sure if there is a Grocery Outlet/Bargain Market near you, but I found that I can buy some stuff there for 1/2 the price. Some stuff is closer to expiration but not spoiled.

What about using a crockpot? When I know it will be a long day for the both of us, I make things in the crockpot. I cook chili, soup, etc. I can freeze 1/2 of that stuff and then use the rest for lunches and dinners for the next few days.

Do you use coupons? They definitely can help reduce your bill.

Are you a fan of leftovers? If so, they are great for next day lunches or dinners.

Also, go to the H&F board, there are TONS of gals who have food blogs where I get quick and easy recipes.

We also do menu planning-we write our dinner meals for the week every Saturday (so I go grocery shopping on Sunday)

I hope this helps you out!

pink.dutch.tulips · January 2010

MrsJulieT:

I read the post over there and you got a lot of great suggestions. It's a matter of if they are worth taking vs the money you're spending.

With the soups you can buy the bigger cans and put it in a Tupperware for your Dh which can easily be microwaved. Also like other posters were saying you can make him a lunchable out of other things you purchased and just put it in a cooler. Lunchables have very little nutritional value.

Coffee...Starbucks really doesn't have great coffee. Are you buying it because you love it or because of the brand and you haven't tried other stuff. I love Don Francisco and Yuban and it's way cheaper than the bux beans.

b/t the 2 i've gotten some really good suggestions Big Smile i can't give up the bux .. we rotate b/t their yukon, sumatra, gold coast and kenya varieties. it saves us a small fortune in coffee costs as we grind/brew our own and take it w/ us to work.

also, i think some of the stuff i got WILL last longer than the wk - 10 days i think it will. i'm half tempted to put a date on everything JUST to see how long it lasts.

Celyn · January 2010

there are meat CSAs too

eastbaygirl · January 2010

pink.dutch.tulips:
prnczmel:
pink.dutch.tulips:
ladipale:

you can still have variety and meal plan. we RARELY eat the same meal twice.

Also, have you thought of joining a CSA? I know my farm delivers at the San Rafael FM on Thursdays. $17/week for really high quality organic veggies.

w/ dd moving onto solids, i've thought more and more about joining a csa/ taking advantage of farmers markets just for a organic produce for her. are there csa's that deliver to the east bay ?!?

Farm Fresh to You (https://www.farmfreshtoyou.com/index.php) delivers to the East Bay! We get the small box every other week and it works out perfectly for us. Where in the East Bay are you? If you're close to Berkeley, you can always go to Berkeley Bowl for produce

we're in concord .. dd's dcp gets all of her produce at the berkeley bowl. she LOVES that place.

Our CSA has a pickup location in Pleasant Hill - very convenient.

https://www.terrafirmafarm.com/

pink.dutch.tulips · January 2010

eastbaygirl:
pink.dutch.tulips:
prnczmel:
pink.dutch.tulips:
ladipale:

you can still have variety and meal plan. we RARELY eat the same meal twice.

Also, have you thought of joining a CSA? I know my farm delivers at the San Rafael FM on Thursdays. $17/week for really high quality organic veggies.

w/ dd moving onto solids, i've thought more and more about joining a csa/ taking advantage of farmers markets just for a organic produce for her. are there csa's that deliver to the east bay ?!?

Farm Fresh to You (https://www.farmfreshtoyou.com/index.php) delivers to the East Bay! We get the small box every other week and it works out perfectly for us. Where in the East Bay are you? If you're close to Berkeley, you can always go to Berkeley Bowl for produce

we're in concord .. dd's dcp gets all of her produce at the berkeley bowl. she LOVES that place.

Our CSA has a pickup location in Pleasant Hill - very convenient.

https://www.terrafirmafarm.com/

i'll have to look into that one as we're literally down the street (monument/meadow)

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