› Budget101 Discussion List Archives › Budget101 Discussion List › About the 250.00 a month grocercy budget
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August 24, 2008 at 1:05 pm #262043
Guest
A year and a half ago I could easily do the 250 monthly grocery budget. So many food items have gone up in the last 18 months that I now find it pretty challenging.
The same is true with The Hillbilly Housewife’s 70 dollar menu for a family of 4 – 6. Two years ago I tried her list and it came to about 70 dollars. It can’t be done in my area for that now.
I have a total food bugdet of 279 a month for a family of 5.
A show of hands please.
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August 24, 2008 at 1:05 pm #397986
Guest
Re: Budget101.com : About the 250.00 a month grocercy budget
I can spend that in a week. And the kids have no concept and have it gone in a few days. I can spend alone $5.00 per day for just milk.
Dee
Mom to Kyle 08/11/91
Mom to Stephanie 03/25/97
Wife to Jeff 09/28/02 -
August 24, 2008 at 3:44 pm #397981
Guest
Re: Budget101.com : About the 250.00 a month grocercy budget
I also buy and cook much of what we eat from scratch, occasionally can the left over soups (we have soups at least 5 days a week). My daughter has autism and is a picky eater so I cater to her whims and we have compromised. Soups work great because she’ll eat veggies in soups but not as a side dish.
I also garden so have fresh produce this time of year.
The prices have gone way up here and it is harder and harder to make ends meet. (we are on a very limited income). The bread machine and crock pots (I have 4:) really help.we use a lot of beans (refried beans on sale ) so it is high in protein.
we also now when traveling, instead of stopping for ice cream, go to the grocery store and buy a box of ice cream treats. the treats are typically the price of one treat or cone if we bought them at dq.
kay -
August 24, 2008 at 5:54 pm #397979
Guest
Re: Budget101.com : About the 250.00 a month grocercy budget
Still, it gets tight.
We don’t buy convenience foods. I make our meals at home. Slow cookers, casseroles and cooking at night helps.
Herlean
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August 24, 2008 at 7:55 pm #397980
Guest
Re: Budget101.com : About the 250.00 a month grocercy budget
We cloth diaper/ clothtoilet train our younger two and are expecting a child in February.
We cloth diaper part time and buy approximately 1 pkg of $30 ish diapers every two weeks. There are a lot of cloth diapers that are low cost. Baby Best Buy! or BestBuyBaby.com – Your source for great baby products is a good resource for cheap diapers. Pro-wrap wraps work pretty well but plastic covers work ok too.
You plain save money cloth diapering. If you buy cloth diapers for 2-3 children and wraps from the above website it would cost you about $200 total for all sizes, you can go even cheaper using chinese pre-folds. I really like cloth diapers because when you have zero money, you still have diapers.
Nicole
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August 24, 2008 at 8:06 pm #397983
Guest
This might be a little unconventional but when there is about 1/3 of a gal. of milk left. I buy a small container of 2% milk and fill it halfway, then I fill it with water and powdered milk.
No one bats an eye. When it goes down to 1/3 I repeat. It saves money and I believe it is juist as nutritous.
We also could go through $20 by snacking a day until I put an end to all the grazing.
Nicole
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August 25, 2008 at 1:48 am #397977
Guest
I can say honestly that cloth diapering my babies have saved us hundreds of dollars. I do make my own diapers, so they do cost less than just buying them. There are many different options, even for potty training.
My guy in trainers love his Cars “pull-ups” that I made for him.
christina coyle
jackson hewitt tax service
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August 25, 2008 at 8:13 am #398005
Guest
I would like to know how families of 5 & 6 survive on $57-70/wk on groceries. Do you have any teens? Do your kids eat much?
Are they satisfied with what is in the house. I get complaints all the time from the kids that “there is nothing to eat” and I spend double or triple that amount weekly. Can you give me example of your food lists/meals per week.
And how do you take care of that got to eat feeling for teens without going broke? TIA. Lisa
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August 25, 2008 at 8:20 am #398007
Guest
I am not against cloth diapers. I used them when our son was at home. When I had to return to work, he got the pampers for daycare.
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August 25, 2008 at 11:39 am #397982
Guest
Re: Budget101.com : About the 250.00 a month grocercy budget
My daughter buys one gallon whole milk and splits in into two halfs using a extra gallon container and then adds water to make up 2 gallsons of 2% milk. I had read this on one of the lists and so far the kids drink their choco milk and cereal fine.
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August 25, 2008 at 1:28 pm #397966
Guest
Just make sure the kids get enough calcium. Maybe add in vitamins for them, containing calcium. Teeth and bones, cost more to fix than a gallon of milk.
dash
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August 25, 2008 at 1:34 pm #397964
Guest
does that include cleaning, paper and pet stuff?
mine does and I dont keep track, but I probably
spend 200 for a family of 3 (+ 1 dog and 3 cats)Marguerite
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August 25, 2008 at 1:35 pm #397965
Guest
I agree that prices have definitely gone up everywhere. One thing that I have begun doing and has worked well is to check into the grocery departments at non-traditional places such as Big Lots and Walgreens. For example at Big Lots, I found Kraft brand mac-n-cheese for $0.35 a box and bought 2 cases, 22oz boxes of Rice Krispies for $1.50 per box and 16 oz Del Monte ketchup for $0.30 per bottle.
The bottom line is that just because it isn’t a “grocery store” doesn’t mean that the grocery item prices are sky high. Sometimes they are but it is at least worth a quick look especially if you are in the area anyway.
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August 25, 2008 at 9:14 pm #398012
xtena
Mixing whole milk with water doesn’t give you 2% milk, it gives you watered down milk. I would recommend using reconstituted fatfree milk and mixing that half and half with whole milk so you get the nutrition. (Not my original idea, first read about this in the Tightwad Gazette).
Of course there are very convincing arguments from the vegan perspective that milk is not a health food at all! But I understand most people can’t/won’t accept that point of view. If you are going to feed kids milk, it’s probably not good to water it down.
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August 26, 2008 at 9:02 pm #398037
Candace
Milk isn’t good for kids anyway, You should read The notmilk homepage! (milk is a bad-news substance!) , she’s doing those kids a favor by not poisoning them.
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September 6, 2008 at 12:50 pm #398288
lcove2000
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September 7, 2008 at 7:52 pm #398312
judith_northcutt
We are a family of five with a 279 dollar monthy grocery budget. I have a 14 year old boy , 12 year old boy , 9 year old girl and a husband.
Breakfast is usually made from scratch pancakes, muffins, biscuits or grits with a little cheese on top. We have cereal once a week . I only buy cornflakes because they are the cheapest. I mix a gallon of whole milk with a gallon of (reconstituted) powdered milk. This gives me two gallons of 2% for about 70 cent less per gallon.I put one gallon in the fridge and the other in the freezer untill next week. We are alotted one gallon per week for drinking/cereal. I use powdered milk in all my cooking & baking.
I make just about everything from scratch: tortillas, rice-a-roni, yogurt, shake-n-bake, cocoa mix, salad dressing, spaghetti sauce etc, etc.. I do make an exception for 30 cent brown gravey mix and 79 cent pepper gravey mix ( makes 3 1/2 cups) .
Meat is usually an ingredient in a casserole, soup or stew. We only occaisionally have a serving of just meat. I only buy meat when it is on sale. When I find a good sale I buy as much as I can afford.
I also only buy fruit that is on sale. One week we may get apples, the next week bananas or something else. If the fruit is too expensive one week , then I may buy canned peaches or applesauce instead.
I have to get the best price available on everything. Some things I only buy at Aldi because they are the cheapest on those things. Some things I only buy at Walmart because they are cheapest on those. I do grab loss leader items from other grocery stores. No, I do not run all over the place using extra gas. I shop Aldi’s one week and get everything that I need from there. The next week I shop Walmart. I get loss leaders at other store as I am passing by and see the sign. No extra trips.
This week I found a very good sale price on a fifty pound bag of potaotoes. I normally get the 10 pound bag. This week I got the bigger bag. Five 10 lb bags would end up costing 10 dollars more in the long run.
I use my crockpot and breadmachine on an almost daily basis. A hot loaf of ( fresh from the oven ) bread can really jaz up a plain meal. A jello ring ( cheap to make) can also spruce up a simple meal.
I learned most of my shopping/ cooking stategies from the Tightwad Gazette Books by Amy Dacyczyn. I highly recommend all three books ( The Tightwad Gazette vol 1, vol 2 & vol 3) All three books have been combined in a single volume titled ‘ The Complete tightwad’. These books are available at most libraries. These books will change the way you think when you shop. They are worth every penny that I paid for them.
Diane -
October 16, 2008 at 1:06 pm #400737
JennyCup
We are a family of 2 (plus a dog) and I spend under $100 a month on food some months I can go as low as $65. I buy in bulk, make from scratch as much as I can, buy from the bread outlet, Buy at places like Big lots (watch those expiration dates!), do not buy soda at all, etc. It is a lot of extra work on my part to keep the cost down, but it really makes me feel good knowing that I can feed my family and not feel like we are missing out on anything.
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October 16, 2008 at 2:24 pm #400744
mdowdy
Use coupons, make from scratch as much as possible, freeze those leftovers you can use them again later on, buy extras when the prices are good and you have a little extra cash. We are only a family of 3 and I have not been able to get down to the 250.00 a month including detergents etc, but I am working on it and will figure it out eventually. I just love a challenge. When diapers come into play, it makes it even harder, but you can get freebie diapers out there. You don’t get but one or two most of the time but it means you have one extra diaper before having to buy more. Babies are actually the easiest to get freebies for. It takes some time and planning sometimes on time management to get those scratch items made. Make some on your days off and freeze them, may be one idea. And remember use those coupons etc.
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October 17, 2008 at 6:27 am #400793
wilbe95
lcove2000
I have a family of 6, I am the only female. 19 year old, 12 year old, 9 year old, 6 year old, the hubby and myself. I should take stock in milk the way they drink it!! Dry milk does help cut some of the cost especially for cooking. Making mostly from scratch helps because you do pay extra for that convience of the food being partially prepared. I like to keep cheese and bread around the boys will fix grilled cheese sandwiches for in between meals which helps. I have not been able to keep the budget below $250 for groceries. However, I am making other changes. First thing I have done is purchase things like supplies (toilet paper, cleaning, laundry items) separate. Then get the groceries at another time. This helps me to look around for the better bargain. Not so overwhelming. I have saved so much by just making my own laundry soap, dish soap and hand soap that the extra money helps with the food budget. Cutting expenses in other ways makes the groceries seem not as bad. -
October 17, 2008 at 6:59 am #400795
brchbell
Prices are way up and I had 3 month’s in a row that I went over on my monthly budget. I had to change how we eat to get us more in line. We’re eating a lot more beans and growing more of our food. We only eat out once a month at most and use no boxed helps. All our food is from scratch. I have 5 teens and if they want snacks they have to make them. If they need flour they have to grind it themselves. We work hard so we all eat more but we sure are getting much more creative getting to that point these days! I’m worried about the winter’s heating also. We always buy 1000 gallons of propane in the summer but I just realized we’ve already gone through half of it and winter hasn’t even started yet! Added 2 hours of cutting wood to the boy’s daily schedule– think we’re going to need it this year and I’m making a lot more desserts and breads to help feed hungry tummies!
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October 17, 2008 at 10:55 pm #400842
lcove2000
I thank everyone for their good and thrifty suggestions! I think that it is making things from scratch that seems hard for me. I do make some things from scratch but it seems to take soooooooo much time. Do you make your scratch items all at once or one meal at a time? If I could do a once a month kind of thing with just scratch mixes it might help. Ideas please? Thanks. Lisa
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October 17, 2008 at 11:19 pm #400845
mdowdy
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October 17, 2008 at 11:41 pm #400848
brchbell
If you have freezer space you can make up lots of stuff and freeze it. We make up several batches of cinnamon rolls and we refrigerate the dough. We have to punch it down a couple times until it get really cold. then we start making the cinnamon rolls in small batches. After we cut the rolls we put them into cookies sheets and put them into the freezer. We continue working until we have them all done and into the freezer. It takes about 2 hours for them to freeze all the way through. We then bag them up into freezer bags. then when ever we want cinnamon rolls we just take out how ever many we need and bake those up. We do the same with cookie dough. Our bread and rolls we go ahead and bake then freeze. We just made up a huge batch of Italian meatballs and canned them with the tomato sauce. Looking forward to those instant meals later on this winter! When I have time later I can post some of the meals we make and freeze. We home school so I try to have several freezer meals each month ready to pull when I get behind and need it! Freezer meals and crockpots– don’t know how Grandma lived without them!:048:
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October 18, 2008 at 11:38 am #400866
wilbe95
Lisa, I like to make my things up on a weekly basis. One week I will make up several batches of mac and chees then freezer into sizes we would eat (small ones for the kids and larger ones for dinners). When I have the food items and the freezer space I make enough to have meals for the whole month like pot pies, make a larger roast or soup then package and freeze to just heat up later. If I am fixing pasta I will go ahead and fix extra almost to the point of being done then freeze to reheat. Get the idea? It doesn’t really take any longer to make four pans of mac and cheese or a larger pot of soup and as long as you have freezer space it does save time and energy ($) in the end. Hope this helps.
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October 19, 2008 at 1:21 am #400889
lcove2000
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October 19, 2008 at 7:18 pm #400903
brchbell
I also can a lot. Today we had 7 can taco soup:
2 cans diced Tomatoes with green pepper & onion
1 can Rotel Tomatoes
1 can corn
1 can red beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can black beans
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 pkg. powdered Ranch dressing
1 pkg. powdered taco mix
Excellent Emergency food Storage recipe! -
October 19, 2008 at 7:37 pm #400917
rtebalt
Thanks for the Taco soup recipe! I’m gonna try it & I also sent it to my mama. I think she & my dad will like it as well. Thanks again!
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October 19, 2008 at 7:47 pm #400918
brchbell
You’re most certainly welcome! When I get a chance I’ll add more quick throw together meals that we can for. I really love canning different tomato mixes up and beans. I prefer pint jars to be closer to what we get at the store. We’re preparing for a 4 day trip to Omaha mid week so will be awhile before I can add much here!
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October 20, 2008 at 7:55 am #400932
JoAnn
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October 20, 2008 at 12:29 pm #400949
HSLINKS
bulk pancake mix:
get out that huge tupperware bowl or clean dishpan
find a cereal keeper (dollar tree has them too)
sharpie or permanent marker2C Oatmeal (I use quick but have used the long cook)
4C AP Flour
3C W/W Flour
2/3C sugar
6T Baking Powder
2T Baking Soda
< 1 1/3C Dry Milk (just a bit under)
good size splash of cinnamonToss into the cereal keeper .. write pancakes on the skinny side so it shows when shelved
i put the ingredients on the side so i can make more when needed .. if you aren’t sure if this is the ‘right’ directions for your family ..make a smaller batch and see if you need to increase sugar
i don’t bother measuring when i make pancakes – add liquid till its the right consistency
if i have left overs i put in plastic containers and freeze for dh to take to work
i have a sourdough starter sitting in plastic bag that i got from a woman named alicia – so my starter is named “alicia” .. sometimes i add in a cup of alicia to the dry mix, then the egg, oil and water as needed
syrups: do you have some jelly or jam in fridge? grape jelly in a glass container with a bit of water nuked makes great syrup — i had some small raisins so i added a bit extra water and nuked it all together .. its a favorite at this point
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October 20, 2008 at 12:30 pm #400951
HSLINKS
myo biscuick clone?
anyone have one they really like a lot?
ria
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October 20, 2008 at 12:49 pm #400957
HSLINKS
pizza on weekend
we used to make it then because of the punch down time factor .. fridays were a slow hs day so it could be done then too .. they also help with heating the house in the cold weather ..pizzas can use up all kinds of left overs .. save them into small bags and freeze .. write pizza night on large zip bag, put the little bags inside it
i buy keibasa from save a lot its a 3# bag .. one keilbasa cut in quarters lengthwise, then cut coin style works great on a pizza .. bag and toss into the pizza night bag
if your kids don’t like carrots or whatever, you can blend them and add to sauce and cook it down – nutrition and no whining because they see carrots, onions mushroom etc
funny enough recently i found a recipe i use on the grill, its a flat bread style and they like it better (could be because in summer we don’t cook pizza?) .. as soon as i find it i will post it
ria”s pizza crust:
this is written so my dd can easily make this ..
food supplies:
flour
sugar
yeast
warm water
salt
italian seasoning
olive oiltoppings/fixings:
cook down pasta sauce til thicker
your choice, pre cut and get ready to toss oncooking supplies:
measuring spoons 1/2t, 3/4t, 1/4t
measuring cups 1 C, 1/2 C 1/4 C,
glass measuring cup (2 cp)
fork
timer
mixer with beaters & hooks
larger mixer bowl
larger mixer bowl (*not a typo 2 bowls)
knife (not sharp)
2 pizza pans or 1 cooky sheet
*rolling pin (I use my hands to pull it out)
deep and oversized baking pan (this is what I use to work dough vs counter)
put in glass measuring cup
2 pkg of yeast
3/4 t sugar
1 1/4 C warm water (105-115*)
stir with fork, let sit til it proofs (fuzzy/foamy looking)***start cooking down pasta sauce
STEP 2 a:
mixer beaters & larger mixer bowl
put in the proofed yeast water
1 1/2 C flour
mix til smooth, pull the beaters & replace with hooks
cover with clean towel (tuck the towel around the hooks)
let rise in warm spot for about 1 hr (should be foamy & bubbly)
***prep toppingsstep 2 b:
while waiting – in second bowl mix together:
1 1/4 C flour
3/4 t salt
3/4 t Italian seasoning (can increase)
* option 3/4t cayun seasoning can increase
*option 1/8 -1/4 t garlic powder*** clean the bowl, dry and oil it for STEP 4
remove towel, turn on hooks (low speed), add in the spiced flour mix &
3 T olive oil (*if you have garlic oil try some)increase speed a bit for about 5 mins add in up to 1/2 C flour if needed (*dough will be soft and sticky)STEP 4:
put the dough in the oiled bowl let sit covered for 40 – 45mins set up racks so one is centered & one is towards the bottom lightly grease the pans***finish washing dishes, wipe down area
put oil on hands, sprinkle flour on counter or working cooking sheet .. cut
the dough in half, put one ball onto the counter or working cooking sheet, work
it for a little bit .. either roll out or use hands and put onto the pizza
pans (*can sprinkle pans with cornmeal if you want)STEP 6:
put your “fixings” on the crust ..put your oven on 475*
cook about 10 mins and swap levels with pizza pansif you have it try brushing on garlic oil on edges
cook for another 10 mins
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October 20, 2008 at 4:41 pm #400969
JoAnn
What a wonderful step by step recipe. My oldest son isn’t handy in the kitchen and this recipe will be great for him to use. I’ll be on the lookout for more of your postings.I might even make a recipe file to give him for Christmas. This will go to my favorites until I get some link, so that I can print it out.;-)
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October 20, 2008 at 5:18 pm #400972
HSLINKS
JoAnn,
I definately recommend making a recipe book or cards for kids.I found a recipe card she wrote for mama-roni, she could just about do that one from scratch by the time she left home. Too bad the place she moved didn’t stress cooking or other life skills. I know in the year she has been gone she has lost most of her cooking skills.
Getting family recipes and giving them to the kids become an heirloom in many ways .. Check with your parents and dh’s parents for family recipes, if they are nearby see if gm or gp will cook with the kids take some photos and make sure you write it down. Later on they can see the pics and make it again even if the family members have passed.
Do you need anything in particular? I have a bunch in files
Ria -
October 20, 2008 at 7:47 pm #400983
jkpjohnson
Ok I have a few questions for everyone. 1st I APPLAUD all of you, I do not know how you do it.
note: this is why i am trying to save money. we currently live in a apt. in mn, but live on ground level so i do have a garden (plenty of room for two).
so not alot of storage room or room for a freezer until we get a house. we never eat out (ok once a month we get mc donalds breakfast from the dollar menu).
I am just lost, LOL.
1) Does powdered milk taste like real milk, do you use the same amount when baking or cooking?
3) Do the MYO cleaning and bath/beauty items work well?
4) How do you save on coffee, I already gave up POP and took up coffee and tap water. I buy the Chase Sanborn at walgreens when on sale, make one pot (6 scoups to make 9 cups), then leave the filter and grounds in the machine, add 2 scoups for the next 9 cups). But it is still expensive.
5) What about cheese, it is very expensive in MN and we are a dariy state.
I must also say I live just outside of Mpls (like 4 miles) so lets say there are not alot of farms around, to swap with neighbors.
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October 20, 2008 at 8:10 pm #400987
wilbe95
1) Powder milk some say tastes different if you drink it in a glass (at least my kids complain if they see me make it, if they don’t see they don’t seem to notice). You use the same amount of milk when baking or cooking that the recipe calls for-I have it made in the fridge so pour from that.
2) I do not know what a Loss Leader is, sorry.
4) Coffee-I buy the store brand or whatever is cheaper if I have coupons and it is cheaper than I will buy that way. Larger for coffee usually equals cheaper. Several (like ten years ago) I bought one of those gold filters for around $5-well worth the money.
You wash it every now and then but it will last forever and I never have to worry about running out of filters.
If you are nervous about canning contact your local Extension Service, ask for the Family Consumer Sciences Educator they can help you to make it less scary. Talking with someone helps a tremendous amount. They might also know of a local area to get a bargain-farmers markets, local dairy, etc.
Hope this helps
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October 20, 2008 at 11:52 pm #401020
JoAnn
Very Good posting to jkpjohnson questions. I believe you gave her a lot of info to work with.
I don’t remember seeing anything on Loss Lenders—or I would have asked what it was at the time..Maybe someone will come forward with this answer..What is Loss Lenders ?
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October 20, 2008 at 11:58 pm #401021
HSLINKS
loss leader:
an item for sale by the company/store in which they usually are close to cost price (ie no profit) or significantly lower than norm .. they do not mark them as loss leaders in the flyers etcmany stores will have tie in items to the loss leader .. if its school supplies (certain ones) then they will have displays nearby for impulse buying .. for food if they mark down turkey for example, stuffing, yams, the aluminum cooking pans etc are nearby or slightly on sale so you end up picking them up too
ria
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October 21, 2008 at 2:35 am #401030
jkpjohnson
We are a family of five with a 279 dollar monthy grocery budget. I have a 14 year old boy , 12 year old boy , 9 year old girl and a husband.
Breakfast is usually made from scratch pancakes, muffins, biscuits or grits with a little cheese on top. We have cereal once a week .I only buy cornflakes because they are the cheapest. I mix a gallon of whole milk with a gallon of (reconstituted) powdered milk. This gives me two gallons of 2% for about 70 cent less per gallon.I put one gallon in the fridge and the other in the freezer untill next week. We are alotted one gallon per week for drinking/cereal.
I make just about everything from scratch: tortillas, rice-a-roni, yogurt, shake-n-bake, cocoa mix, salad dressing, spaghetti sauce etc, etc.. I do make an exception for 30 cent brown gravey mix and 79 cent pepper gravey mix ( makes 3 1/2 cups) .
Meat is usually an ingredient in a casserole, soup or stew. We only occaisionally have a serving of just meat.I only buy meat when it is on sale. When I find a good sale I buy as much as I can afford.
I also only buy fruit that is on sale. One week we may get apples, the next week bananas or something else.If the fruit is too expensive one week , then I may buy canned peaches or applesauce instead.
I have to get the best price available on everything. Some things I only buy at Aldi because they are the cheapest on those things. Some things I only buy at Walmart because they are cheapest on those.The next week I shop Walmart. I get loss leaders at other store as I am passing by and see the sign. No extra trips.
This week I found a very good sale price on a fifty pound bag of potaotoes.I normally get the 10 pound bag. This week I got the bigger bag. Five 10 lb bags would end up costing 10 dollars more in the long run.
I use my crockpot and breadmachine on an almost daily basis.
I learned most of my shopping/ cooking stategies from the Tightwad Gazette Books by Amy Dacyczyn. I highly recommend all three books ( The Tightwad Gazette vol 1, vol 2 & vol 3) All three books have been combined in a single volume titled ‘ The Complete tightwad’.These books are available at most libraries. These books will change the way you think when you shop. They are worth every penny that I paid for them.
DianeThis is were I saw the Loss Leaders comment.
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October 21, 2008 at 9:23 am #401047
JoAnn
Ria,
I did retail for 21 yrs. But we never used that term. Thanks again for explaining. -
October 21, 2008 at 9:30 am #401048
HSLINKS
Hi JoAnn,
Retail has it’s own language at times .. It used to be if you were figuring a keystone markup it meant double – not sure if the term is still used today .. Never could figure out why it was called that either ..It’s depressing I realize my retail background is a ‘bit’ over 30 years ago – I refuse to think how close to 40 … ahhh age it creeps up on you
Ria
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October 23, 2008 at 5:49 pm #401377
beansthemama
I was thinking that a butcher would be more than my local cheapie grocery store. No was I wrong! I purchased at the butcher for $48.00 10 Ilbs of lean ground turkey, a huge thing of flank steak, pork chops to die for, kielbasa, & bacon that had barley any fat on it.
Now I did purchase some chicken at the grocery store that was the only thing I felt at the butcher was high. He wanted $2.50 a Ilb for boneless and skinless breast. I should have bought it there, I ended up paying $3.15 a Ilb at the store.
I tried this for the first time 3 weeks ago and got 14 bags of it and put in the freezer.
I know the cost of food has dramaticly increased this past year. Try to be a creative as possible, and never throw anything away. I have been freezing my leftovers, instead of placing them in the fridge were it will go bad.
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October 24, 2008 at 9:52 pm #401543
sharonamick
I’m new at couponing and budgeting. I always spend too much at the grocery store and never have much to eat. I have a 20 yr old son at home, my husband and myself.
We are on the go all the time, never home before 7 p.m. at night and we leave before 7 each morning. I would love any ideas on how to cut my budget.
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October 25, 2008 at 12:29 pm #401582
trekglo
I appologize, that this became a bit long…
I honestly can’t imagine spending so little for groceries. Double that a week, EASILY, and still more for a week, and that’s just for 3 adults and a colony of cats.
I am looking for ways to save, but I know, what I can and can’t do or is it won’t do. I simply don’t do cooking from scratch because by the time I get home from my day at work, I do not want to spend more time in the kitchen.I really don’t enjoy cooking, and guess I value my time to do what I want more over cooking, even if it means for less. Sounds very selfish, but I suppose until I absolutely have to, I won’t do but a certain amount of frugal style living. Also, I don’t have the inclination to do up a number of meals ahead of time.
I do need to use coupons more. I have only just begun to do that.However, my largest costs are in meat. My guys are basic meat, starch/veg. And for them they want it meat most, starch, then veg as far as “amount” that satisfies them.
This isn’t going to change, he’s 58, and been a very picky eater his whole life. His Momma had stories… So, it’s pretty much steak, chicken, pork, hamburger, ham, and back again with some “breakfast meats.”
Veggies are also pretty limited, both eat peas, one will also green beans, but other corn. So, I need to buy the smaller size cans for those items. Both complain about frozen peas or green beans, though frozen corn is ok, but usually, i just use the cans as i have them in the house, whereas anything other than basics in the freezer are out in the garage at the back of the property.
as for picky, it’s nothing with a tomato ingredient for hubby, nothing at all. so all those sorts of foods are out.and, since he pays for the food, he does have a say in what he gets to eat.
i also use a lot of convenience foods–canned gravy, boxed items, as i am usually in a hurry to put supper on the table.
and i almost never eat with them. i don’t like to cook, and most of what i do like–pizza, spaghetti, chili, etc., hubby won’t eat, so i fix a separate supper for myself. and, often it is convenience packaged.
another big expense is cat food and litter. i am going to try making my own wet cat food. just bought a container of chicken liver and cooking it today.i’ll follow a recipe i got and “see” if that helps, if the few cats that do get wet food will eat it. they are a funny bunch. but, i have one cat who is so old and has eating problems so she gets the “better” or at least more expensive wet cat food, so i’m hoping she’ll take this instead, it will be far more economical.
and she also eats meat baby food, again hoping this will reduce that expense. the rest of the cats eat a lot of dry food. i have 6 cats that are “truly” mine, but a whole colony of feral cats that I feed.
I buy rather cheap litter for one of the pans in the utility room, but a more expensive brand for my bathroom, however, I am going to start finding, I hope, and using coupons to help with that by pairing whatever is on sale.
Also, I buy fresh lettuce and such for the bunny, not terribly expensive, I do look for any mark downs, but he does love the fresh over the boxed bunny mix.
My next biggest expense is laundry/cleaning.Liquid Tide because I know it doesn’t bother anyone’s skin. Dryer sheets, but I went for the cheaper brand instead of the more expensive, and I honestly don’t notice a difference. Also, bleach for whites, not sure if it really helps or not, and vinegar for my “softener” though I can’t say I really see any difference with it or without it.
So, once I have all the ingredients I will try that. I wash a lot of clothes.
I confess one area where I spend too much is immediate gratification foods. In the morning at work I like to have something to munch on, usually salty, but I try not to keep that stuff at home, as I tend to also munch at home…So, I just buy a box or bag of whatever catches my eye/taste that day.And, I like more “exotic” foods, which means expensive, so if I see a new item that looks good I tend to try it. Something I have been cutting back on doing. By not going to the grocery store as often on my way to work.
Also, I buy a lot of ice cream. Hubby is addicted to it, and he can go through a container in 2 or 3 days alone. I have a penchant for the Weight Watchers Creamcicles, more than ww recommends per day i might add.and they are pricey.
some ways i know i could/should, but won’t economize is with raising food and canning. but, i don’t like to cook, so that isn’t about to happen.
a couple of things i have done, is to stop buying coffee on my way to work. i now make and take it from home.and, while i still do have lunch out, it’s not every day, and it’s no longer lunch and breakfast every day bought out. but, i do miss it…i honestly prefer someone else to cook/prepare food for me!!!!
i have learned a lot from this group about how to save, but truly, if i had to go to some of the lengths, i would become one mean person. i realize that sounds horrible.
but, i used to buy precooked foods on the way from home for hubby and son, stop by a fast food or even the prepared items in the grocery store.that’s something i almost never do anymore. it’s the sheer cost that really made me stop. if i do it now, i need a really good reason, and i always balance that against the option of simply fixing a burger.
the time i’d spend stopping, is easily as much and more than just cooking a sandwich. so, that’s not an expense anymore. funny, with the few spending changes i’ve made i don’t feel that i have “more” money.
Almost every Saturday was out, and that ran upwards of $30 or more for the 2 of us. Again, I don’t see that $1500. Same for my breakfast and lunches out, often besides the coffee I’d get a bagel sandwich or something from fast food, so that could add another $2 or $3 or more per day and lunch might be another $3 to $7.
Couple that with all the stops for fast food for hubby and son, and obviously our food bill was out of control. And, honestly, it was only when I really started to calculate that cost did I have an epiphany. Still, I’m not convinced I see all that savings!!!!
One thing I don’t do/have is a true budget. Money for food is simply there. That is something I confess I feel very grateful about now.I think I’d be scared to death if I had to really go on a strict food budget. But, I should become more aware of what I spend and find ways to lessen that. I also, should take any true savings–coupons, major reductions by using other items and sock it away.
I did just start doing that for coffee, to reinforce my not buying it. And, just tucking $20 a week in a specific place really does make a difference!!!
I do enjoy finding out how others manage. And again, I am impressed with how people do what they do.I’ve never really worried in the past, but this is a different economy we are in, so I am not going to take anything for granted! But, I work at a university, a small/medium size one, and I see how many people are basically walking out into an economy that might not have any job for them, and the number of people who are losing their jobs, without any other opportunity available. So, I am more appreciative of finding ways to save.
And, I suppose if I did manage to give up eating out, something I so enjoyed, I can find new and other ways to save, even if I don’t want to.
Gloria -
October 25, 2008 at 1:42 pm #401585
semmel88
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October 25, 2008 at 1:51 pm #401587
mdowdy
Hey trekglo, Ok I also have a picky eater who at times will not eat tomato based stuff and I can count on one hand the number of vegetables he will eat. Here are some things I thought of while reading your post. The crockpot it takes all of 5 minutes tops to put stuff in the crock pot so you really don’t have to get up earlier and if you did its not that much earlier. When you are cooking you don’t have to stand right over it the whole time it is cooking so you can do other things while things are on the stove. I would suggest checking on it frequently however just to make sure the water hasn’t cooked out of the greenbeans etc. If you are always fixing two different dinners that is part of the problem. The cats take up at your house because you feed them. Country cats can make it in the wild, if you don’t want to not feed them at all cut down on the amount you are putting out there. Make sure your cats are getting there food, feed them in the house or something because with that many cats around I am betting the other cats are eating the majority of all the food. Laundry if you are worried a detergent will irritate someones skin you can buy the free and clear brands which will not and they are cheaper than tide. I like tide also but because of the price it has gone up to have had to find something else to use in its place. Cooking from scratch once you get used to doing it doesnt take as long as you think it would and the food tastes so much better. What are you doing with the leftovers, could they not become lunch to save on the lunchmeats? You have started making some cuts so you are on the right path. The last thing I can think of which may sound like preaching is get rid of the excuses, you have an excuse not to do most of what needs to be done. if you don’t and the rug falls out from under you because of cutbacks at work etc you are going to be hurting. Sorry to be so straight forward and harsh but the truth is the truth.
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October 26, 2008 at 10:32 am #401627
HSLINKS
Gloria,
Time for the 20 year old to help .. What is his schedule? no reason he can’t turn on crockpot or even start to learn to cookIf they don’t like tomatoes how about ethnic foods? Most use LESS meat and a starch (rice whatever). How are they about spices?
The crockpot can be used for some of the foods you are doing .. Heck there are even CP recipes for breakfast
If you know that you will be making a stew, clean potatoes cut down on time .. if you go ahead and cut the meat the night before, and have a zip bag of veggies (onions, garlic, potatoes etc) in fridge – its a “crockpot dump and go” .. stick a can of stock on the counter, along with the spices and you will be ready to goSwiss steak can be done in the crockpot and its a definate meat potatoes kind of meal
BREAKFAST:
Eggs with cheese, veggies etc can be put into flour torillas and frozen for use later .. Pull out the night before and nuke for morning meals .. If you want to eat later put in fridge and haul to work for laterSAVING TIME:
Make a menu planner up – saves time & money .. You know what is coming up and can plan easierI can recommend getting a rice cooker – it saves a ton of time
Preclean all the potatoes at one time .. once they are dry they don’t rot any faster than if they were dirty (but quicker to use)
Timers for the crockpot .. If you have something that cooking all day would ruin, use an electric timer so it will kick on at X time .. Dinner will be done when you walk in .. Now instead of coming home from work tired and having to cook its done ..
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October 26, 2008 at 4:56 pm #401645
HSLINKS
WHY?
IS IT WORTH IT? Try it for a month.. If you do a menu plan you should save money and time both.
Instead of going out for breakfast, make it at home. Freeze breakfast tortillas for work. (*how much would you have spent to buy breakfast? write it down)
Use your left overs for lunches, again write it down how much you would have spent.
I DON’T KNOW HOW? If you do not have the knowledge from your mom etc it’s much harder to enjoy or feel good about results. This applies to just about everything.
My mom was from the first era of TV dinners & convience foods, rarely did she really cook. I don’t think she really knew how to cook as Nana had maids & cooks when my mom was young. Nana lived far away and I wasn’t able to learn from her (*I think her skills actually came later, soap making, canning, making beer & wine, etc etc).
Ask about basics.
I DON’T HAVE THE EQUIPMENT: Our grandmothers did it without running water and over a fire. I still have to do this when at camp, and come home and really appreciate running water etc.
I used to have the good ceramic cast iron pots, but with arthritis can’t lift them. I am now using the granite ware that your grandmother probably used (speckled looking and light). They actually clean up easy too. The T-Fal, and other teflon never lasted in the house and I’m not sure I want to use it anyway. Have your Dh or older kids sharpen knives on regular basis. Then have them test it on chopping onions LOL.
There are some small appliances that you really do use. For me its my:
rice cooker (absolutely love it – rinse rice, dump in pot, add water, flip switch), cooking rice from scratch was always one of those “who knows it it will be done/sticky/whatever?”vintage or antique perc I actually use it for making my daily batch of ice tea .. 10 tea bags to 4 cups hot water in glass measuring cup, once its cooled dump in plastic container and heat another batch of water using same tea bags. Again a find at the dump – absolutely love this one, its an oldy with a definate french looking style art neuvo-ish
my big oster back when the hands were just starting to go bad, my dh told me to go ahead and get it (I used to make 3 – 5 loaves of bread from scratch every other day). I love the dough hooks, very handy for pizza dough etc .. I really don’t use the rest of it as much as when I had all the kids home
IT TAKES TOO MUCH TIME: this morning I made pancakes from my mix .. I got over 24 pancakes (*enough to make a container for Bert to bring to work) this took less than 30 mins, from start to finish. I do need to make some more mix.
If I had gone out to eat I would need to:
change clothes (time?)
drive or walk to restaurant (time & gas?)
wait for meal (time?)
pay (time & money)
drive or walk home (time & gas?)Another reason to teach your kids how to cook. It takes time, bigger mess in the beginning but later they can do it without you (*big smile). Some guys think cooking is only for women, but BBQ is another story. Have them check out the net for BBQ sauce recipes. Grill pizza (works great even over fires). Veggies can be marinaded and put on grill too. Turkey is absolutely fantastic on the grill, there has been many Thanksgiving or Yule celebration that Bert has been outside cooking the turkey while it snowed. It is so moist yumm.
DO YOU LIKE YOUR KITCHEN? DOES IT WORK FOR YOU? aka WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO TO MAKE THE KITCHEN SOMEPLACE YOU LIKE?: If you don’t like it, or it doesn’t work for you then you don’t want to cook in it. What bugs you every day? Is there a cheapy cure? If you can’t find a cheap cure then use the savings for item you want (for me its beadboard).
My pot of rosemary makes me feel good, and I love the smell. Now if I can get it to live all winter
. I hate having kids and husband put silverware in my dishpan or sink – there is always some liquid (I have 3 sets that physically match but different companies so will rust looking at them) so I put a plastic silverware tote on counter for dirty silverware – no more rusty silverware and cussing/grumbles by me
When I set up this kitchen 30 years ago, I set it up the same way I had it (pretty much) as I had in the previous apartment. For over 20 years I walked all across the kitchen to get plates (for 5 kids and 2 adults). Hello ? Duh? I’m not sure which session about my kitchen finally kicked in “I don’t have to keep everything where it is – I could move it to a more efficent placement” What a differance it makes.
Now it took 30 years to convince Bert that the cabinets are horrible – they are so dark they grab all the light. Winter in Maine is depressing enough without spending time in the black hole of Calcutta. I have one spot I have been rubbing bleach on every day for 30 years – you can’t tell. Arghh .. I really want to build new cabinets (so I am saving up for new beadboard to build cabinets)
My next goal is to make an appliance closet .. think big jelly cubboard for crockpots, dehydrators, mixers etc.
Do you have rugs in front of the sink and stove? It cuts down on mess and is easier on your feet too
eventually you will find you have some extra cash for paying on a credit card, paying for oil, paying to have your nails done, a new comforter for your bed etc ..
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October 26, 2008 at 4:59 pm #401646
HSLINKS
is it allergies or dislike? if its not an allergy, toss some of whatever into a blender and add a little to what you are cooking ..
Roasted veggies take time but the flavor is so good ..
Bert went through a phase where he NEVER wanted whatever I cooked .. Lots of money spent for food out (and I was po’d) it took adding up the checks for a month and showing him what it cost to slow it down.
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October 26, 2008 at 5:00 pm #401647
HSLINKS
Tell them, “here’s a cookbook, and here’s the ingredients” .. “great tomorrow it’s your turn to cook.”
I think a snack pack of something sweet,choc, salty and sour might sell
.. I found that making up mini cake mixes into sandwich baggies helped for the sweet attack (use the brownie mix for choc attack) .. 3T of any bownie mix or cake mix, 1T mini chips tie into corner of bag .. add 1T+ of water and nuke for 1 -2 mins in small little glass bowl (I picked up some at Dollar Tree that works great) … Something salty like pretzels -
October 26, 2008 at 7:47 pm #401651
rtebalt
You guys are a lot “nicer” than my mom was! Just kidding! But really, in our house it was “You eat what I make. If you don’t like that, I’ll see you at breakfast.” Like most kids, I would say “I don’t like that” to a food I had never eaten. But my mom’s rule was that we had to try it. I actually came to like a lot of things I never thought that I would! 🙂
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October 26, 2008 at 10:38 pm #401667
lcove2000
I am trying to cook from home and not spend a lot of money on food. I even ordered Angel Food this month and that seems like it is going to be a great help. One of things I struggle with is that sometimes my homemade items don’t seem to taste as good as premade ones from the store. I guess I need to improve my cooking skills. Why is it that my homemade pancakes come out flat not fluffy? I have tried several different recipes, they all seem to be called “fluffy” but they do not come out that way. What am I doing wrong? TIA
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October 26, 2008 at 10:51 pm #401670
brchbell
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October 26, 2008 at 11:35 pm #401674
mdowdy
Too much water maybe? I am not sure what recipes you are using but I find if I use box mix with just a touch less water than what they call for or milk if that is the case, they turn out fluffier.
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October 27, 2008 at 10:50 am #401708
HSLINKS
check the labels of the store or convience foods .. You will see some kind of sugar .. We as humans tend to like sugar and fats (humm wonder about weight?), most convience foods have these in larger amounts than homemade.
When the kids were little (I had a brittle diabetic, multiple food allergies, High BP & cholestrol etc) it took minimum of 2 hours because I had to read every single ingredient. I had never ever put sugar in my spaghetti sauce – but the bottle/jarred stuff does. Supposedly so the tomatoes don’t taste acid-y
TIP: if your tomatoes are really acid, toss in baking soda it’ll fuzz like crazy and balance out the acid (becomes sweeter tasting).. then add in spices or it will wipe out most the spices too
Make sure the griddle is HOT .. sprinkled water should dance like crazy on itTry not serving the box item for a while – then change to the homemade one .. If its pancakes – try more cinnamon, chop up apples and add to batter or make an apple/cinnamon/syrup for on top ..
Latest favorite in house – Grape syrup : a small handful of currents tossed in water, nuked (they plump up a bit) .. then add some grape jelly and a bit more water, nuke and stir .. really good on Blue berry pancakes
TIP: If you have recipes that you like, make copies .. If nothing else you can make a cookbook for the kids (*that way when you loose your copy there is another one)
Ria
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October 27, 2008 at 10:56 am #401711
HSLINKS
if you are using one with oatmeal in it you may need to add in more water/milk as the oatmeal will suck it up ..
ANOTHER TOPPING/COMBO:
whenever I go through and grab a sundae at Mc Donalds I always ask for the nuts – if I haven’t used them for a chicken dish I add to batter and top with melted peanut butter .. sounds weird but good .. also increases the protein content for diabetics (which is a good thing) -
October 27, 2008 at 12:11 pm #401720
brchbell
“check the labels of the store or convience foods .. You will see some kind of sugar .. We as humans tend to like sugar and fats (humm wonder about weight?), most convience foods have these in larger amounts than homemade.
Oh and SALT .. the numbers on the sodium content are scary.”
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October 27, 2008 at 1:52 pm #401738
lcove2000
How long does baking powder and soda stay “good” for? …that may be it. Lisa
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October 27, 2008 at 1:59 pm #401739
semmel88
wow you really give me to think . My mom is my person who used to cook from scratch and since she was a kid in WW2 , she knew how to make the most off money. Sadly i never appreciated it until recently now she is not able to cook anymore but at least she can tell me still her recipes. and her being so far away that is kind of hard. I guess you get older and learn that your mom was right after all.:xmas10:
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October 27, 2008 at 2:16 pm #401745
brchbell
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November 18, 2008 at 4:49 pm #403891
atta76
Wow, I’ve still got a lot to learn being new to this. We spend about $130 per week which includes cleaning supplies, toiletries, and food. I think the most expensive part is lunch meat.
One problem I have is that no stores double coupons here. We do have a Sam’s club which helps some. They also just opened a brand new Aldi but when I went in there they didn’t have anything that was advertised in their flier.
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November 18, 2008 at 5:30 pm #403895
brchbell
All of this is a learned art! I wish I knew what I know now 30 years ago! Having a very good food storage on hand that I keep replenishing makes great things possible!
When I find a big bargain I can forget my list and go for the bargain to replenish what I need at a big savings. If I don’t have my years supply I can’t just chuck my grocery list to get the bargain so having the full supply on hand makes saving more possible. I’m making up menues based on what we have stored.
I do buy canned chicken 5pk. at Sam’s Club. I love their white meat and it’s enough for a 9×13 casserole and it’s cheaper than if we raised the chickens and butchered our own.
We are getting chickens next year but we will be using them as egg layers and monthly fryers and will continue to buy the canned chicken. Our beef is grass feed with some home raised grain to supplement the winter feed so doesn’t really cost us after the initial purchase. We sold all but 12 off and then either sell or butcher the excess every 2 years.
Oh, I love living in the country! can’t wait to see how much we can get our food budget down to next year!
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November 25, 2008 at 9:19 pm #404481
ab2401
I in no way was able to read this all…. but I would LOVE it if someone could tell me if there is a list of what you guys can get for 250 a month and what page it might be on.
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March 5, 2009 at 3:28 pm #416805
jep143
I am new here, but I have had the same grocery budget for years, 300.00/month. I do end up going to the store to buy milk and xtra things, but I shop every two weeks when my husband gets paid.
We have a dollar store in our area, I go there for cleaners, wraps and such, my husband buys meat from a farm further north in nh, so i don’t always buy that. and i make a lot of my own stuff from scratch, leftovers bread and rolls in the processor make bread crumbs and put in bag in freezer.my husband plants a garden, so we have fresh produce and veggies in summer. it is a lot of work sometimes, but it is worth it. my next budget saver will be to plan meals in advance according to the sale items at my grocery store.
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March 5, 2009 at 8:12 pm #416824
brchbell
@ab2401 92850 wrote:
I in no way was able to read this all…. but I would LOVE it if someone could tell me if there is a list of what you guys can get for 250 a month and what page it might be on.
I can spend so little because a have a years supply of dry/canned goods to pull from that we replace annually or quarterly. Make sure yu get the free e-booket on this site:
https://www.budget101.com/Ebooklet/EBooklet_Fam4.pdfYou may already be doing a lot of these things but you might also find a few ideas you haven’t tried before!
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