KingM Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 The thread about food stamps made me think about my own shopping habits. I'm curious to see what people buy, whether it's premade foods or what. I have four kids plus DW and do most of the shopping and cooking. I go to the grocery store about twice a week. Â Some of this stuff I might buy only every other week, while other stuff will be every trip. This is the kind of stuff you'll find in my cart: Â Bunch of bananas, bag of apples (usually Fuji or Braeburn), some carrots, maybe some sugar peas for a stir fry or snacking. 10 lb bag of potatoes, garlic, onion. Coffee creamer, wedge of "desert" cheese like brie, plus maybe some high-quality cheddar in a block, yoghurt, 2 gallons of milk. Â Usually three kinds of meat, depending what looks good and/or is on sale. I buy a high quality steak, but in a modest quantity (I'd rather have 3 ounces of sirloin per person than 10 ounces of chuck steak), maybe some chicken breasts for stir fry or curry or a whole chicken for roasting. I'll also buy pork chops, ground beef for burgers or meat loaf, maybe shrimp or salmon, depending on my mood, ribs in the summer, and occasionally something more expensive, like lamb, but not usually. Â Some frozen peas, maybe some cans of corn, black beans, a jar of salsa, perhaps a box of cereal, some yeast and flour, some spices. Unsweetened peanut butter, maybe pickles. Usually one snack-like food like cracker packs, but no juice, soda, or packaged chips or cookies. I try not to buy premade pizzas and the like except to have something on hand in case I have a conflict and can't cook that night. Â A baguette or other uncut loaf of good bread made that morning. About one bottle of wine per week, plus a six pack of beer of local beer about once a month. We drink a little, but not much. Â I get some stuff from Costco that I draw on regularly. We have pancake mix, basmati rice, frozen OJ, cereal, and sausages on hand. We also get great bread delivered twelve loaves at a time (they freeze and thaw nicely), and egg delivery. Â We spend a fairly high proportion of our budget on food, but I like to cook, and if I were making tuna fish and mac and cheese then we'd eat out a lot more. Â How about you? What are your shopping/eating habits like? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 My list this week is quite small. Usually, I'll stock up on things that are on sale and then we'll get the fresh veggies and fruits that are on sale for that week. Occasionally, I'll need to fill in items here and there:  Fruits and veggies - all on sale this week: apples avacados tomatoes raspberries strawberries lettuce cantaloupe potatoes spinach lettuce green beans  Meats (also on sale) ground beef whole chicken  Milk products cream cheese (not on sale - need it for snacks with our celery) cheddar cheese (sale) yogurt (not on sale - eat this every day!) parmesan cheese (not on sale)  other (all at Trader Joe's - so cheap!) tomato sauce corn chips salsa  Most of it is organic. The cheese isn't because I can't justify the difference in cost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeindeed Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 OK, I just went to the store today, so I should be able to remember.:laugh:  Toilet paper Milk-skim and 2% Yogurt Sliced cheese Shredded cheese International Delight flavored coffee creamer Shaved deli ham Baked Lay's Sugar free lemonade Sugar free cranapple juice Apple juice Grape juice Velveeta Spaghetti sauce Spaghetti noodles Ravioli Canned spaghetti and meatballs Real bacon bits Granola bars Cheerios Oatmeal Grits Pancake syrup Chocolate syrup Hash browns Frozen pancakes Ice cream Celery Carrots Grapes Lite Caesar bagged salad Bagels Wheat bread French bread Wheat bolillio rolls Headbands  **OK, I think that's it. I didn't have to buy much meat b/c dh is a hunter, and we use a lot of deer meat for our meals. Also, a lot of what I needed for this week's menu I already had.** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caitlinsmom Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 Here is my usual list:  Apples- 1 sweet red and 1 tart variety Carrots Lettuce Radishes Bananas Cucumbers Zucchini Broccoli Cabbage Seasonal Berries Tomatoes Avacado Spinich Green Onions  Dried Fruits (for snacks)- Cranberries, Raisins, Apricots, and Banana Chips Mixed Raw Nuts Rice Dried Beans Dried Pasta  Cheddar, Mozzerella, and Parmesean cheese (1 of each) Cream Cheese Sour Cream Yogurt (only if it is on sale and isn't filled with crappy fillers!)  Olives Peanut Butter Corn Tortillas Tomato Sauce Eggs Butter Tuna or canned Chicken somtimes  Thats pretty much it. I will occassionally pick up tofu, tempah, or even some chicken breasts but they have to be a dang good deal for me to do so. I will sometimes get bread but it isn't worth the cost to me so I make it fresh at home. My cart changes as the seasons do to accommodate in season eating for better prices and freshness. Summer I spend less because I grow a decent sized garden. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cricket Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 We stick to basics around here--lots of fruit, vegetables, meat (whatever is on sale), dried beans, rice and pasta, milk and cheese, bread and corn tortillas.  Other: yogurt canned refried beans (dds love this) potato chips and Coke (for dh--old habits die hard!) condiments like salad dressing, mayo, ketchup, salsa  Once in a great while I'll get something like frozen breaded chicken strips or frozen sausage biscuits or ice cream. (But now I can make our own ice cream in my Vita-Mix!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 I just came back from the store. I was only there to pick up a prescription and food for lunch since I don't have any bread or cheese or fruit or anything to prepare lunch with quickly. (At 1pm, you don't really want to spend a lot of time preparing food from scratch.) Â I found myself thinking of the food stamp thread while I was there and how one on food stamps "should" shop based on responses to that thread. Â Should I buy lemon juice concentrate so my kids can have lemonade? They've been begging for it for months but the store was out of the cheap kind. After all, juice is a luxury and not the healthiest thing to drink. Â Should I buy the Oscar Meyer chopped ham that was on BOGO sale and have enough to last a while or should I buy something healthier but get less? Â Should I buy canned peaches for $1 per 1lb can or should I get the fresh apricots my daughter is begging for that are $3.99lb? For $4, I can get enough canned fruit so my kids get a serving of fruit each day for four days or I can get enough apricots for one day. The latter is healthier but the former will feed them longer. Or should I only buy bananas because they are consistently the cheapest fresh fruit available? Is that a good idea since variety is suppose to be healthiest? Â As for what I bought for $21.54... lemon juice concentrate bananas apricots peaches ww bread ham cheddar cheese Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pamela H in Texas Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 One or two premade meals (Stouffer's Lasagna, SteamFresh Meals) LOTS of spinach (we use daily, often a few times a day) Broccoli (another fave) Peppers (just enough for specific meals as I can't afford to snack on them, but would if I could) Carrots (for juicing) Onions Apples (mostly for juicing) Oranges (just a few) Bananas Fresh and Frozen fruit and veggies Yogurt (we each have our own kind and enough for each to have one daily) Oatmeal (mostly me) Chicken breast (this is used almost daily) Ground turkey (use when Chicken breast is not) Cheese (slice, shredded, and snack--another fave here) Tortillas (for meals. If they want more, they must homemake them) flour sugar (mostly for hubby's coffee; I use stevia) eggs beans (a couple kinds per week) whole wheat pasta (unless I feel up to some sort of veggie pasta) Tofu brown rice Good whole wheat bread for kids and me; the White Wheat for hubby one package of wraps, pita bread, flatbread, or something of that sort peanut butter (about every other week--different kinds depending on which one is out) protein powder powdered milk (every few weeks--we get the big box of it) bagels (1-3 packages depending on who wants how many) cream cheese (for bagels. LOL) Â Of course, there are various other things for particular meals and if we just pick something up. But usually, we have a strict budget and a list so don't get much extra. Â BTW, we don't generally buy much "stupid stuff." We might pick up gum (5 or Extra) or something at the check out. Usually, our "stupid stuff" is done stupidly also. Instead of getting it while grocery shopping, we spend 2-5 times more and get it at Sonic or the corner store <sigh> We have been doing this less lately since bills are done differently. But that is how we were doing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rafiki Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 (edited) I went shopping yesterday. It was actually a small shopping for us but we are well stocked. I will pickup milk and fruit next week but wont do another big shopping trip for 2 weeks. The majority of the stuff on my SAMS list below is part of what I get there every 2 weeks.. The WM list varies.  From Wal-Mart: broccoli slaw mix shredded carrots spinach tomatoes lettuce pita pockets corn tortillas jelly coffee salsa canned beans ( 3 canseach of four varieties) dry beans, lentils and split peas lemon juice boxed mac n cheese tomato soup saltine crackers freeze pops  From SAMS: cellery carrots four bunches of bananas 7 gallons 2% milk two 5# bags shredded cheese 5 # sliced cheese 15 Doz eggs 4 # butter ramen noodles microwave pop corn for DH :glare::lol: large bag frozen fruit #10 can tomato sauce 25# white flour large bag chocolate chips Edited May 29, 2009 by Quiver0f10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crissy Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 I probably got a few sideways glances today. In my cart was a case of Mikes, four bottles of wine, a six pack of San Pellegrino Limonata, a six pack of Hansen's Raspberry, one large tub of spring greens, one large tub of baby spinach, two quarts of strawberries and a container of crumbled feta. Not exactly a balanced meal. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 A typical list for me would include:  Bananas (usually 2 bunches) 3lbs of apples Strawberries (or another fruit if the strawberries look ew) random fruit salad greens (varies) 2pt grape tomatoes carrots potatoes yams random green vegetables bread milk coffee creamer what seems like a ton of cheese eggs butter and, yes, diet soda  I stockpile everything else, so there's no "typical" week. I might buy 10lbs of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 5lbs of sausage. I'll stock up on brown rice and I'll stock up on regular boxed pasta. Frozen vegetables to frozen waffles and natural peanut butter to sugar laden jam. We're not health food nuts, but we do aim for balance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustGin Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 Over the last couple of years we've been doing more and more cooking from scratch. We eat a lot of fresh veggies and fruit, but not all of those come from the store anymore :) Â From a regular grocery store, or Costco we buy most of our dairy (except milk) bread, peanut butter, eggs, tortillas, tortilla chips, cold cereal, syrup, orange juice, grape juice, grapes, bananas, potatoes, baby carrots, celery, broccoli, mushrooms, melon (in season) and apples. and special baking ingredients for treats like baking cocoa and chocolate chips. Occasional Ice cream and bakery treats, canned soup, chili, refried beans, condiments, pickles, ranch dressing, tea, coffee, hot chocolate, Crystal Light (dh's) and lunch and breakfast meats are about the only prepared, convienence type foods we buy that I can think of. Once in a great while you might see a 2 liter of rootbeer, or some pizza pockets, but unless we're going camping when we have more treats, I can honestly say that most of our groceries carts contain pretty much some variation of what I've listed. Â We buy our staples in bulk as much as possible things like dried pasta, dried beans, nuts, flour, sugar, steel cut oats. Â We buy our meats - hamburger, chicken, pork and occasionally steaks or roasts, in large quantities at a food service supply store. We then break it down into meal size portions and freeze it. Â Fresh produce: In the summer we u-pick or buy in bulk from a farmer market and freeze or can: strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, apples for homemade applesauce, peaches, beans, corn, tomatoes, and beets. Â This year I'm growing my own tomatoes and I'm seriously considering doing potatoes to add to my freezer stock. Â Our milk is delivered once a week from a local dairy co-op. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheryl in NM Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 (edited) This is my grocery list for the next 2 weeks: cat litter puppy food frozen oj 2# lentils 3 boxes mac & ch 3 packages Ramen 2# butter 2 cans tuna salt pork celery hot dogs/sausage - whichever is on sale cheaper The people food on this list will cost me about $25.  That's it. We are eating from Hillbilly Housewife's emergency menu plan for the next 2 weeks.  When money isn't tight and we have no emergencies my grocery list includes the following: milk - it's been on sale for $1.69/gal, but when it's not Sam's usually has it for around $3.20/gal cheese flour sugar cornmeal buckwheat flour apples oranges lettuce carrots celery potatos pasta rice tortillas bread Whatever meat is on sale for $2.50/# or less tuna frozen fish fillets - not fishsticks wheat crackers, ritz, triscuit - generics of course Fritos only if Chili is on the menu plan I have a source of lean ground beef for $1.25/# but they are often sold out  I usually don't buy boxed mac & ch, but it's cheaper than buying cheese right now as it's not on sale. We eat very simply, usually casseroles or meat/veg/starch combos.  Several months ago I bought a 25# bag of pinto beans & a 25# bag of rice. I buy flour and sugar in bulk. So when I couldn't afford much food this payday I had beans, rice, flour and sugar. I bake cookies, cakes, brownies and other deserts.  ETA: I can the veggies from our garden, but when we run out I buy frozen. The quality is decent and it's cheaper. Frozen from the grocery store is actually healthier than canned from the grocery store. Edited May 29, 2009 by Cheryl in NM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emmy Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 our usual stuff is:  fresh fruit - apples, bananas, pears, pineapple - enough for 4 kids to have 2 servings a day each bagged salad and bagged spinach (we eat a lot of spinach...) avocados, jalapenos, bell peppers, onions, garlic are staples we get nearly every week 6 loaves whole grain bread a week 4 packages bagels a week 4 dozen eggs a week 1 tub earth balance a week (maybe a bit less) 1 container sunbutter a week for meat we typically get ground turkey or boneless/skinless chicken at Sam's, we eat steak about twice a month (my dh...I could do without) black beans - we love these potatoes, brown rice fresh broccoli frozen peas 3 gallons juice a week 2 1/2 gallons soymilk a week 1/2 gallon chocolate soymilk a week boxed mac n cheese turkey hot dogs  That's the usual stuff I think. My kids eat either bagels, eggs & toast, homemade muffins, or oatmeal for breakfast. Lunch is always sunbutter/jelly or a lunchmeat sandwich with fruit. Snacks are fruit or homemade cookies my mom makes for us and brings over for our freezer. Dinner is where we have some variety but I don't buy any packaged dinners - it's too expensive for a family of 6 and usually too salty for my taste. I buy the kids packaged chicken nuggets occasionally but usually for my own sake than theirs - they are content to eat grilled chicken or my own beer battered chicken. Our favorite meals are turkey burgers, meatballs in sauce, chicken and rice, lasagna and all of it's cousins (spaghetti casserole, spaghetti, chicken parmesan - you could throw red sauce on cardboard and my kids would cheer), breakfast casserole and taco casserole. The one thing I wish the kids would eat better is beans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 I have a baby who won't let me do anything and a toddler who trashes everything when I'm not looking, so I haven't been cooking in a while. It's "that time of semester" for dh, so it's one pot wonders all the way, to the point where we aren't even bothering to plan menus or write shopping lists.  At the moment our shopping trolley contains: (shopping carts are only for buying online at Amazon in my language ;) )  Fresh fruit Salad ingredients Pouring custard to eat with the toasted museli and tinned plums. Yum! Lots of expensive bread because we are bread snobs Some middle of the price range bread so dh can make jaffles Peanut butter  Not a lot else because we have a pantry full of grain and legume type things, and did a big buy up from the cannery a few weeks ago. We got *lots* of tinned fruit, a big jar of sundried tomatoes, a big jar of marinated artichokes, box of pasta, a few boxes of ginger beer (hey, how did that get into the trolley!) a box of cranberry juice and a new hairbrush. Yeah, they were selling hairbrushes at the cannery...  :) Rosie- currently growing sunflower lettuce on her kitchen bench. Tastes alright too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 I usually go to separate stores for produce. I also shop extensively at pseudo-ethnic markets (which includes regular markets in "ethnic" neighborhoods) and always buy my meat at such stores. Â On my husband's last trip to grocery stores, he bought: pineapple, papaya, mangoes, oranges, pears, apples, bananas, and lemons eggplants, lettuce, carrots, bag of potatoes 2 gallons of oil and about 1/3 lb each of cumin seeds, turmeric, and coriander seeds (total for the spices: about $2) Â I'd previously stocked up on lentils and beans. I almost always stock up on sale items at the grocery store. As an example (besides the oil listed above), we have name-brand pasta, cereal, and juice, stockpiled. I never buy ice cream that's not on sale. And we always buy rice in bulk (usually 20-25 lb bags). When I buy bread (typically whole wheat), I almost always do so at an outlet store, and I do most baking myself. Â When I used to shop at Sam's (I don't go there anymore), my favorite game was to compare the carts of Indians and Chinese immigrants with those of white American shoppers. With virtually no exceptions, the native born team had lots of meat products, processed meat products, giant amounts of cheese products, and lots of prepared food (megapacks of pizzas) and candies. The immigrant team had oil, rice, flour, and so on. It was really noticeable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheBrink Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 I went shopping yesterday. I got:  broccoli tomatoes cucumbers strawberries bananas grapes popcorn 2 loaves of bread burger buns cereal paper towels crackers cheese ice lemons sugar free ice cream chocolate syrup hot wings from the deli cool dill chips  I don't normally buy chips, but they jumped out at me. Really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amy g. Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 Dh does the shopping, and he gets odd stuff like a 4 lb can of stuffed grape leaves, and 3 kinds of imported olives and cheeses. What is funny is that he won't eat any of that stuff. He just gets it for the kids. Â He buys lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, canned beans, flour, yeast, crackers, whole wheat noodles, natural peanut butter, beer for himself, Perrier for me and Ds, juice for the girls, decaf coffee beans, heavy cream for my coffee, ice, vegetable broth, dried beans, wild rice, meat if it is a good sale.....mmmm....I think that is about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 I buy 10 boxes of mac and cheese and whatever frozen dinners I feel like eating that week. Along with double stuf oreos. And the family sized Doritoes. Â I'M KIDDING. Â But don't you think that people who buy lots of pre-packaged stuff aren't going to respond? They know they'll be tsk-tsk'd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Rat Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 I do a big shop every other week. This week was a little one.  Here's my little list:  light cream cheese velveeta cheese slices (on sale) take and bake pizza (12") peaches bananas Malt o meal bag of cereal margarine lemonade balloons (for this week's science experiment) flushable wipes  Our staples are usually:  yogurt pasta tortillas cheddar cheese milk low sugar juices crackers granola bars cheese sticks lunch meat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newlifemom Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 I have pre-packaged in my cupboard right now, so I'll respond. :D Â My cart has been a jumbled mess lately. I try to get fruits and veggies fresh when they are not too expensive. Otherwise I do with frozen veggies and well, just a lot of apples and bananas. Before we moved to Oregon, I used to make my sauces almost entirely from scratch. Now I make them almost entirely from a jar. I don't really know why. I guess I am just busier now. So the average trip to the store would definately include whatever jarred sauces are on sale at the time. bread, milk, cheese, always some kind of salad material(prepackaged :blush:) and some extras to go with said bag, tomatoes, carrots. I buy whatever rice I find and feel in the mood for at that moment. Usually brown, but I have such a hard time getting kids to eat it. I occasionally buy potatoes but my kids are pasta eaters. I know, it's bad for you. OJ is always on the list. Occasionally apple juice will find its way on the list. We keep Capri Suns on hand for special occasions the same as gummies and chips. Lately we have had too many special occasions. I do have to say though, my kids eat very little to no candy at all. Recently we have switched peanut butter and now eat one that has only peanuts and salt. That has been a hard switch for the kids but they are making the most of it. I keep things like tuna, tomato soup, and [gulp] ramen noodles in the house for quick lunches. Meat is always a Costco size bag of Chkn breasts and whatever meat is on sale that week that looks good. Oh yeah, I forgot about cereal. I have been trying to get the kids to eat hot cereal but to no avail. Dh is always finding deals on things like honey-nut cheerios and quaker oat squares so we have a lot of that as well. Hmmm, we are kind of all over the place.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraceyS/FL Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 Went to Sam's last night.  This will be the bulk of our shopping/food for the next month. It was expensive because toilet paper was on there! LOL!!  Scott Toilet Paper 3 packages of hamburger - about 13# (90/10 - it's worth the extra cost) 10# frozen chicken 25# flour 25# bread flour big bag choc. chips (because STBXH was with me) 5# cheese 18 eggs 8# butter (this will last longer unless they get baking cookies, but i like to stay ahead on butter - and we were OUT) baked beans cascade tator tots breakfast sausage oatmeal honey applesauce crush tomatoes (the big can - makes a triple batch of spag sauce) Pam real bacon bits (STBXH wanted them) Tomato paste Oil  $213. If the TP hadn't been on there their would have been a pork loin to cut into chops on there. I"ll try to get that next week if he has money.  Odds and ends will get picked up at the store by STBXH.  They aren't carrying powdered milk at our store at the moment - and it's mucking my stinking cooking plans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretty in Pink Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 Beer for dh Bottled water for infant formula  Brown rice Whole wheat pasta Rolled oats or muesli Whole wheat tortillas  2% Milk, organic, or rice milk Yogurt, organic Sharp cheddar slices, organic if I can find it, hormone-free if not Butter, organic Orange juice Eggs, free-range String cheese, organic or natural Whipped cream cheese  Lentils, dried Variety of legumes, dried  Spinich Salad Bananas Apples Oranges or grapefruit Broccoli Carrots Garlic Onions Lemons Tomatoes, vine-ripened Variety of other seasonal produce items  MSG-free bullion Honey or agave Olive oil Peanut butter, natural  Frozen vegetables  Canned tomatoes Black olives Marinara sauce, Newman's Own Canned chicken breast, all natural Canned tuna  Granola bars, organic "Oreo" cookies, natural Popcorn, microwave Ramen noodles (!) Freezie pops Pretzels  Baby food  Cleaning products, Seventh Generation or other natural products Paper products, recycled  Whole chicken or pieces, organic or natural Sausages, natural Fish, local  I try to buy as much organic produce as possible, especially items that don't have a thick rind or peel that you remove. Oranges or bananas I don't really worry about; tomatoes or lettuce I do.  We do the ramen noodles once a week; a few times a year (on somebody's birithday) I buy a half-gallon of Breyers. During the summer I keep freezie pops in the freezer. We eat very little meat at home but we aren't vegetarians.  I didn't list bread because we just purchased a grain mill and are baking our own now. We can also make grits and steel-cut oats, so I did not list those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Impish Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 Typical grocery list: Milk, 4 L jug (gallon) 1L coffee cream Coffee Margarine Bread 2 loaves Juice, frozen 6 cans Cheddar Cheese slices Lunch Meat Chicken thighs (2) Lean gr beef (3) Spaghetti sauce (2) linguine (2) apples bananas produce (whats on sale...broccoli, etc) potatoes carrots sour cream bacon lasagne noodles frozen mixed veggies bisquick  Out of that grocery list, I can get two weeks worth of meals, combining it with the staples in the house, only needing to get more produce, dairy, bread and lunch meat the next wk. Add in a package of cookies, or doughnuts, or granola bars, since Wolf is incapable of grocery shopping with out adding something :glare:  We pretty much never buy chicken breast, as its almost ALWAYS viciously expensive. I shop sales as much as I can, and always recipe/meal plan when making a grocery list. All meals are a twofer pretty much...meaning that we eat two days from it. The chicken thighs for example...the first night, we usually shake n bake, veggies, and potatoes. Next night is home made chicken pot pie, or chicken noodle soup with dumplings. I stretch everything, out of sheer habit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BikeBookBread Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 Just got back from the Commissary (Air Force Base grocery store for those who didn't know). This is what is usually in our cart every week or two:  Produce:   Tart apples, whatever is the best price: Fuji or Braeburn Strawberries, no matter what the price as they are so healthy and are always eaten up 2 heads of romaine 2 english cukes bag of long carrots (the baby ones always go slimy on us) bag of celery with leaves oranges lemons limes when the garden isn't "going", Italian parsley and cilantro ditto above, tomatoes (we're up to our ears right now!)  Dairy/Eggs   18 pack of eggs shredded cheddar shredded mozzarella large wedge of Italian Parmesan (from Costco -- the real stuff) plain yogurt flavored big yogurt like strawberry cream cheese block for Saturday morning cinnamon roll frosting :) salted and unsalted butter (I bake everything from scratch so need unsalted) 1% milk 1/2 and 1/2 for our morning coffee...DH asks for so little, but fresh 1/2 and 1/2 is one of the few buttermilk (for baking -- I freeze in little ziplocks in 1/4 cup portions)  Pantry/snacks -- I usually buy these in bulk at our local "crunchy" grocery:   whole wheat flour white all purpose flour jasmine rice oats -- I buy at Costco brown and white sugar - bulk at the crunchy store Raw sugar for coffee bulk elbow pasta for mac & cheese fettuccine good granola bars bulk granola for breakfast tortilla chips soft tortillas for wraps and quesadillas A variety of canned tomato products for sauces COFFEE...a must!  Frozen/Meats   Frozen fish - economical and great quality Frozen bone-in chicken breasts or thighs -- it is SO HARD to find bone-in breasts anymore, and if you do find them, they are horrendously expensive. Costco is the best bet. Frozen broccoli Frozen green beans Frozen peas (all of these veggies are organic at Costco...I will get fresh if it's great, but these are convenient, and no nutrition is lost) Frozen OJ cans Occasional ice cream Good steak about once a month or less Kosher hot dogs for the occasional hot dog at lunchtime  I bake my own bread and other baked goods (cookies, rolls, buns, etc.). We just never buy them anymore, unless it's the odd bagel. I haven't gotten the knack of baking them. We just don't buy a ton of prepared stuff. I make my own salsa and pasta sauces for the most part. We do have a BUNCH of condiments because we eat a lot of ethnic foods: Indian, etc, and you need them for the sauces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 I just made a trip to Whole Foods about an hour ago....so I'll list what I got there. But I split my grocery shopping between Whole Foods and Wal Mart. We try to eat organically for the most part. But what we really try to do is stay away from HFCS and any food dyes. We also try to stay away from meats/fruits/veggies that may have been grown with pesticides, etc. However, sometimes we end up having to buy regular ones from the local Publix because Whole Foods is a bit of a drive for us.  And I might preface this by saying I ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY HATE COOKING. There, I said it. I'm not afraid to say that I buy pre-packaged LOL. I counteract that by buying organic LOL. But seriously, I really hate cooking. I do it for two reasons....to save money (as opposed to otherwise going out to eat) and to be more healthy (because restaurant food is full of dyes and HFCS).  At Whole Foods I just bought....  organic ketchup granola bars cantaloupe bananas apples lemon juice lemonade apple juice juice boxes dinner rolls (not for dinner, just cause my 2 year old loves them) orange juice BBQ sauce crackers tortilla chips rice chips organic spaghettio's white and chocolate milk sticks of butter jelly spread lasagna noodles fruit/cereal bars some frozen/fresh veggies one premade pizza (quick dinner for the kids) Cheddar bunnies   Wal Mart list usually looks like this:  quite a few loaves of HFCS free bread peanut butter velveeta shells velveeta cheese yogurt burst Cheerios sliced cheese frozen meatballs some frozen/fresh veggies other sides I may need for meals like rice, noodles, etc.  Then I also make the occasional run to Publix to buy their Greenwise meats....so there I'll get....  ground turkey ground beef chicken And any other meats I may need Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarlaS Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 I try to make sure the bottom of the cart is covered with necessities (produce, meat, veggies, dairy etc) before adding any prepackaged foods, but I *do* buy them. I get mostly whole grain crackers, baked tortilla chips, salsa etc (and I have a thing for Velveeta Shells and Cheese. :D) Â Mostly I shop 2-3 times a week and we are STILL always out of apples and bananas! :001_huh: Â This is my favorite time of year for cooking by the way--grilling season! I just finally got a rotisserie for my grill! This is the best accessory EVER! For the first time in my life I made a pretty turkey breast--all lovely and golden brown. The best part is no roasting pan to wash! :party: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 (edited) We don't grocery shop very much, but I did go a couple of weeks ago and here's mostly what I bought.  Paper goods (toilet paper, paper towels, tissues) Aluminum foil ziploc baggies toothpaste toilet bowl cleaner Lysol 20 kgs. flour several pounds each of dried pinto beans, chickpeas, yellow split peas, black beans, and navy beans 10 kgs. rice 5x 2 kg. bag of macaroni 5x 2 kg. bags of spaghetti bell peppers avocados bok choy (it was on special, we bought lots) an insane amount of broccoli 2 or 3 cantaloupes bananas big bag of apples big bag of carrots 2 heads of cabbage big bag of potatoes various spices  The bulk of our food we grow and process ourselves. Fruit is our biggest produce expense at the grocery store because we can't grow much ourselves except for berries. We have a berry U-Pick operation in the summer and let me tell you, eating berries gets old pretty fast. LOL  We're just starting to get some garden produce again, but not much yet. I can loads and loads of stuff every summer -- around 250-300 quarts worth of food gets our family of 3 through to the next summer.  We get our beef locally, usually buying on the hoof and having it butchered at the local abattoir. We process our own hogs for ourselves. Dh is awesome at making sausage, and pepper/maple bacon -- that stuff is gold, baby! People go nuts over his smokehouse. We make better money at that than at actually selling the hogs. LOL! I get whole cleaned chickens from the Hutterite colony that neighbours us, and I cut them up myself, sometimes can some of them, too.  My freezer and cupboards look very bland and boring, but I also have one cupboard full of all kinds of spices and seasonings. Edited May 30, 2009 by Audrey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wendi Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 Prepared foods I've bought this week: 97% fat free hot dogs buns, bread, bagels, English muffins, tortillas American cheese slices Mandarin Orange Chicken (a Trader Joe's favorite) Frosted Flakes baked potato chips (my weakness) cookies lunch meat (turkey) shredded cheese  Other foods I've bought this week: potatoes Swiss chard cilantro bananas apples romaine lettuce green leaf lettuce eggs strawberries skim milk grapes shrimp chicken garlic carrots broccoli stir-fry veggies  How did I do?  Wendi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 Hmm. Well, this week is an almost no groceries week, because I got paid Thursday and rent is due Monday, and food stamps kick in Tuesday.  On Tuesday we stopped at Frye's because they were supposed to have $1 strawberries. They were out, so we bought some peaches and plums that were on sale, then went to Marketside for: 2 gallons of milk, a 32 oz. vanilla yogurt (I never buy the little cups, just a big tub of vanilla to mix with fruit or plain to cook with) a $1 container of blueberries (consolation prize for no strawberries for DD) A 12 pk of coke because it was on sale for $2.  Wednesday night, in addition to some household items, I bought:  A 20oz. Mt. Dew A noodle bowl for lunch  Last night, I bought a packet of sloppy joe mix and an onion (for tonight's dinner), and a steam bag of cheesy rice and broccoli and a packet of tuna for my lunch.  The thing about working at a store is, some of the shopping gets done in dribs and drabs.  For bread, I got to a local outlet store that has $.50 and $1.00 loaves, bags of buns, etc., whole grain and organic, that retail for $4 or so a loaf. They're "day old" or whatever, but I'll buy enough to last a month or more and throw it all in the freezer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoughCollie Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 Just went shopping yesterday:  3 gal. skim milk 1.5 dozen eggs 10 low fat or fat free yogurts 1 can whipped cream 2 gal. orange juice  red grapes bell peppers corn on the cob 1 green leaf lettuce 2 bunches bananas 5 lbs. apples 2 lbs. carrots 2 quarts strawberries  2 Tasters Choice instant coffee 2 pkgs beef hot dogs 1 pkg liverwurst 1 jar salsa 1 jar peanut butter 1 jar grape jelly  2 loaves bread 1 hot dog buns 1 hamburger buns 2 pkgs. soft tacos 1 box Ritz crackers 2 pound cakes (buy one, get one free) for strawberries 2 pkgs. cookies 1 pkg. lemonade packets for water bottles  Cereal was 1/2 price & we had none, so I bought 5 boxes: 2 Mini-Wheats 1 Cocoa Puffs 1 Captain Crunch PB 1 Honey Smacks  1 bone for the dog 1 frozen meal 1 frozen pizza  No meat, no canned goods, no rice or pasta because we are moving and I have a goodly amount stored. No good homecooked meals this week because I'm not around to cook and bake -- busy packing the office. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 (edited) Suppers Usually two chicken meals, one fish, one red meat - all fresh. The other evening meals are veggie - lentils, beans, etc.  Lunches Fish sticks tinned tuna tinned mackerel 100% chicken breast breaded things we also have leftovers for lunches  Fresh veggies and fruit (mostly organic) Other Bread Pate Orange juice Crumpets Dips (tzatziki, houmous, mushroom) Milk (skimmed, 2% and full fat) Butter Cheese Sausages for boys' breakfasts Eggs for boys breakfasts Hash browns for boys' breakfasts muesli oatmeal rice crispies whole grain pasta white pasta brown rice fresh pasta sauce tinned tomatoes olive oil mayonnaise dark rye crackers cookies x 3 chocolate x 3 bars peanuts  Laura Edited May 30, 2009 by Laura Corin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Virginia Dawn Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 A lot of plain food  Fruits and veggies:whatever is in season and reasonably priced plus, always- bananas, potatoes, onions, garlic, when the garden is not producing- lettuce, tomatoes, broccoli  Meat: whatever is on sale for under $2.00 a lb., bacon if it is under $3.00 a lb.  Lunch meat: prepackaged high quality (no fillers or HFC) sliced smoked turkey or ham  Dairy: Milk, eggs, real butter( I stock up on sales), The on sale brand of - Cheddar, MJ, Mozarella, Pepperjack, American (for dh)  Canned: beans, tomato products, tuna  Frozen: 100% juice concentrate, peas, corn, spinach (when I don't have greens in the garden)  Pasta, rice, flour, oats, sugar, brown sugar, spices, condiments  Whole wheat or rye bread, tortillas, plain tortilla chips, pretzels, graham crackers  The one thing I do buy that I wish I could avoid is boxed cereal. However, I aim for as healthy as I can get on the cheap, usually store brands of shredded wheat and bran flakes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Wisc Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 Produce: carrots, celery, broccoli, lettuce (mine did not come up well in the garden). Rhubarb and asparagus are up in the garden, so they provide a lot of great nutrition these days! Yeah!  Eggs (cleaned out the chicken coup and can't get pullets for a few more weeks) Bagels (a child's special request) 7 gallons of milk  Tomato sauce Great Northerns Pintos Chili Beans Whole tomatoes A few cans of green beans for my shelves downstairs since they were on a great sale ...and peaches, too.  A couple boxes of cereal Frozen pizza (4 for $10--my boys' fast food restaurant)  Salsa Cooking Spray T-shirts (Hey! They had irregular Fruit of the Loom T's for a buck!) Hamburger buns  I suppose I missed a few items. I need to go to the little store down the road today for honey.  :)Jean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maria from IN Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 Thanks to my food allergies my grocery bill is always expensive--and I'm on food stamps, too. Needless to say, $176/month is not going to feed the two of us (and sometimes the Tall Bald Guy) the healthier foods I wish we could afford. Â For example, I keep buying eggs because right now they're on sale for .98--but eating hard-boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, and egg salad is probably not the thing for someone to eat very often if she has a big family history of cholesterol problems...not to mention that if I make egg salad I have to use mayo made out of canola oil, which currently costs $5.79... Â A typical sandwich for me is with almond butter instead of peanut butter, with natural fruit spread instead of jelly, and on bread made of tapioca and rice flours...so we're talking at least $7.00/jar for the almond butter and $3.00 for the natural fruit spread, and $4.69/loaf for the tapioca bread...I have to spend $15 if I want to make sandwiches to take to school, instead of $.88 for bread, $2.00 for peanut butter, and $1.50 for store-brand jelly... Â Usually the only fresh fruit we have around here is apples and bananas. Last night I was so happy to find apples at 4/$1.00, I bought an even dozen! I would love to have more fresh vegetables in the house, but I can't bring myself to get it when the frozen versions are at Wal-Mart for .98/bag. Â If I want pasta, I have to go to the natural foods store here and pay $4.19 for a 12-oz bag of Tinkyada brown rice pasta. Needless to say, I don't eat pasta that often... Â I buy chicken thighs mostly, because they're cheap. I would love to get back in the habit of buying boneless/skinless chicken breasts and lean cuts of beef, but again, that takes money. I can get ground turkey at a reasonable price from Wal-Mart--usually it's cheaper than ground beef. Â I eat a lot of rice because it's cheap, and about the only grain I can eat. I would love to select whole grains again and balance my diet with all those things I used to eat...the Young Man and the Tall Bald Guy kinda get cheated on that one...I used to buy oats and make granola for them, but even the dust triggers a reaction--they're going to have to learn to make their own now! In one way or another, rice is a part of every meal around here. Â I have a container garden here in my condo, so I'm not buying any fresh green beans, tomatoes, peppers, green onions, or radishes because eventually I will have my own...even if green onions are only .55/bunch right now! Â I try to keep in mind what The Tightwad Gazette said about people only eating what's in season because that's what's coming out of their gardens at the time...that way I only buy the produce that's on sale. Â As far as the Young Man, he has become very aware of food choices because of my allergies, and some of his favorite foods are gluten-free. However, I still have to buy cheap versions of chicken patties, cereals, and meals that he can cook himself (think Ramen noodles and mac-n-cheese) just to be able to afford everything else with our food stamps. I feel I'm cheating him out of healthy eating, and I'm tired of making two separate meals. I'd just feed him what I'm eating, and I often do, but it gets expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TammyinTN Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 Heres my cart this week:  12 weight watcher meals - for me 12 pink lady apples 1 bunch of bananas tomatoes cucumbers 2 bags romaine lettuce onions mushrooms 1 dozen eggs quick cook oatmeal mineral water ff coffee creamer Ham/Turkey -Deli Select wonderbread  I had plenty of stuff in the pantry to cook for the kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pamela H in Texas Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 But don't you think that people who buy lots of pre-packaged stuff aren't going to respond? They know they'll be tsk-tsk'd. Â I kinda felt funny mentioning pre-packaged...esp after both food stamp threads (one being about whether we should apply). Â But I'm honest. And it's not much. I honestly don't see a problem with a family buying SOME pre-packaged. I am concerned about the idea of mostly pre-packaged though. Â But if someone isn't on welfare? It'd be sad if their diet was just mac-n-cheese, frozen dinners, oreos and doritoes, but I don't think we have the right to tsk-tsk them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laughing lioness Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 tub of Kiwi 10 #oranges 2 bunches of bananas (ds 14 lives on these lately) watermelon 5 # carrots 2 boxes of 12 flavored yogurt cartons (great sale) 1 gal of milk bag of boneless, skinless chix breasts 5# grated fresh parmesan doz eggs box of T.P. (up almost $19!! egads, I was paying $14 for it in Dec!!). 5 gal olive oil gal dish soap 4 #butter 10# potatoes block of cheddar cheese large bag of tortillas 2 large bottles real lemon juice (dh makes sugar free lemonaide- he is running again and craves the vit c). Â Also a flat of marigolds and a hanging pot both ridiculously prices, along with a Wee Sing set of 3 (folk songs) for the notsolittles and a box of stationary for my dd. "If you have 2 loaves of bread, sell one and buy a lily" - or 2, or a book :001_smile: Â I have flour, sugar, oats, salsa at home, plain yogurt to make more with. Lettuce in the garden and a bit of sausage left. Still canned applesauce, tons of jellies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peachskittles Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 I went yesterday and grabbed a few things from Whole Foods (80 miles away from me btw)...My lil one has multiple food intolerances and a couple more that are more like food allergies, so running to 5-6 different stores to make sure there is food in the house for him is so annoying...I did have some flours for him shipped, along with his hemp milk so we don't have to worry about that as often... Â Let's see...I got 5 boxes of cereal (these are his snacks and occasional breakfast), 2 jars of spaghetti sauce, a box of quinoa, a pound of ground pork and ground lamb (I hope this tastes good...it's our trial item of the week), a few more flours for him, bananas, pears and apples (pink lady which are really good), 2 boxes of corn spaghetti and 2 boxes of quinoa pasta, raw honey for his quinoa flakes in the morning, a big thing of real apple juice and a tube of Tom's toothpaste...This will last combined with whatever is in the house (like I have a poor pathetic artichoke that I bought a whim last week...Not sure what I am supposed to do with it yet...)... Â We do buy prepackaged for my SO and I...There is no way in the world I can afford to feed all of us exactly like my littlest one, so my kids eat amazing healthy meals and me, well, not so much....It's harder that we are limited in the meats we can eat (like no beef/fish and try finding ground chicken/turkey/pork/lamb without "natural flavors" added...I'd buy the off limit meats if I didn't worry that I would cross contaminate, because I have a tendancy to be a bit ditzy in the kitchen)...In addition, all those amazing low cost foods (like beans and rice) are a big no no with the lil one so we don't even buy them at this time (all though I'm really craving a big pot of white beans right about now even though it is like really warm outside)... Â Next week we will need to buy pork chops, boneless skinless chicken breast, some more ground meats, coconut oil, random vegetables and fruits, etc...Our kitchen looks like a science experiment at times, I swear...I don't know how many times my sister walks in and points to the food and asks "What exactly IS that?"...LOL She amuses me... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renee in NC Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 This morning:  16 lbs potatoes 3 lbs carrots 2 lbs onions 4 lbs oranges 5 links italian sausage 9 pork chops 5 lbs chicken 2 packages totillas 1 lb cheese 8 lbs sugar 4 packages frozen veggies 2 cans mushroom soup large can green beans 2 lbs bacon 2 bottles ranch dressing 3 cans spaghetti sauce 2 lbs spaghetti toothpaste 24 tea bags sour cream peanut butter strawberry preserves bread  Last night I got:  4 boxes jambalaya 2 lbs turkey kielbasa lettuce cucumbers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ereks mom Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 (edited) Fruits & Vegetables  fresh cabbage, carrots, celery, bell peppers, onions, potatoes, apples, bananas other in-season fresh fruits and vegetables when they're on sale cheap (such as grapes for 99Ă‚Â¢ per pound, etc.) prepackaged salad mix (around $1 for a 12-oz. package at Save A Lot). canned tomatoes, beans, green peas, peaches, pears frozen green beans, corn, broccoli, lima beans We also get produce (peas/beans, corn, squash, okra) for our freezer each summer from my FIL's garden.   Meat  fresh ground beef, chicken, pork loin, turkey breast, beef roast (but I buy only what's on sale at or near my target price of $2 per pound or less) packaged hot dogs (made from chicken), turkey ham, turkey smoked sausage, thin-sliced sandwich meat (prepackaged, not from the deli) frozen fish canned salmon, canned tuna Dh & ER are hunters, so we usually have at least a little bit of venison in the freezer.   Dairy/Eggs/Juice  cheese, margarine, milk, sour cream, eggs orange juice or apple juice when it's on sale lowfat ice cream (everyday price of 99Ă‚Â¢ per half gallon at Kroger)   Other  peanut butter, jelly bread, hamburger & hot dog buns sugar, flour, coffee oatmeal, grits, rice, pasta graham crackers, saltines or snack crackers granola bars (about $2 a box) store brand/generic cold cereal (around $2 per box) tortilla chips, flour tortillas catsup, mustard, BBQ sauce, mayonnaise, pickles  Edited May 30, 2009 by ereks mom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phathui5 Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 Yesterday I got:  apples oranges bananas potatoes lettuce  macaroni & cheese pasta sauce peanut butter wheat bread cake mix icing cupcake wrappers chips (d's work lunches) little pies (dh's work lunches) Cherry Coke Zero  frozen peas frozen broccoli Morningstar veggie ground garlic bread spinach munchies  chocolate soymilk eggs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mazakaal Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 My grocery list is pretty regular milk yogurt butter sometimes cream if a recipe requires it apples bananas any other fruit that's on sale carrots bell peppers cucumbers potatoes onions garlic other veg that are required for a particular recipe frozen peas, corn, green beans bread flour yeast sugar eggs lunch meat tuna peanut butter jam cheese pasta rice ground beef frozen chicken frozen sausage sometimes cereal toiletries paper towels toilet paper cleaning products laundry detergent any other cooking ingredients that are needed for particular recipes candy (the kids are allowed a couple of gummy candies after lunch) cookies (kids are allowed a couple of cookies in the middle of the afternoon) tea, coffee crackers  The only premade, convenience foods we get are occassionally frozen pizza. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 For the poster that mentioned having to use almond butter to avoid peanut...is there a Trader Joe's near you? We have to avoid peanut, too, so I buy sunflower seed butter from TJ's. It's still more expensive that peanut butter, but a LOT less expensive than almond butter. Â For the poster who has been eating a lot of eggs...have you ever tried baking things and adding extra egg? I get sick of eggs in a hurry, but I like french toast and pancakes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 We have to avoid peanut, too, so I buy sunflower seed butter from TJ's. It's still more expensive that peanut butter, but a LOT less expensive than almond butter. And a lot yummier. That stuff is dangerously good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nukeswife Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 This is a hard one for me to answer, because I don't shop week to week. My cart will usually look odd to many. We like to buy a lot of stuff at once so I don't have to go buy the same thing week after week. So somtimes it will be all meat , other times all kinds of staples.  Yesterday I ran to Walmart and here's what I got 3 bags of rold gold cheddar cheese pretzels 2 bags of ruffles 4 bags of mini pringles (Sour cream and onion) 3 6 packs of trix or yoplait kids yogurt 6 6 packs of drinkable yogurt for kids bunch of bananas small watermelon 2 boxes of entenmans small bites brownies for ds  So as you can see I look like the junk food queen, but what all that may look at me like I'm a wacko don't know is that 2 weeks ago dh and I went to the commissary and wholesale club and bought 12lbs of ground beef, 12 (2) breast packages of BLSL Chicken breasts, 2 (5) count packages of porkchops, 4 packages (2 steaks each) of tenderloin steaks (on sale for about $9/pack) 2 huge boxes of cheerios, 2 large boxes of instant potatoes (we don't eat enough to make mashed from fresh) and 8 loaves of bread (it's been too hot to bake my own) or that the shwans delivery man stops every 2 weeks to deliver our frozen tortellini, frozen veggies and frozen strawberry fruit bars (maybe not the best but better than somethings out there)  I will usually stop twice a week though for things like milk (usually 4 gallons or so each time, we drink A LOT of milk) and whatever fresh fruit looks good, tomatoes and cucumbers.  I know it may seem weird but I hate having to buy the same thing week after week if I can buy a bunch at one time and it will keep just fine on the shelves in the pantry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Closeacademy Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 I can and freeze a lot of fruits and veggies so our shopping cart usually includes items like: Â milk, diet coke, butter, cookie dough (we freeze it to eat), promise fat free spread, eggs, fat-free cottage cheese, fat free sour cream, yogurt, gogurt, low fat string cheese, low fat cheese, mexican blend cheese shreds, italian blend cheese shreds, extra sharp cheddar cheese, fat free wrapped cheddar or swiss cheese slices, baked tortilla chips, pretzels, a variety of cereals, slow cook oatmeal, unbleached bread flour, spices, sweet n low, sugar, corn meal, masa, generic canola oil spray, olive oil, fat free pudding, marshmallows, juicy juice, capri sun (for picnics), cheap cheesy crackers, canned black and dark red kidney beans, good spicy baked beans, tomato soup, chilie sauce (both red and green), fat-free refried beans, brown rice (the kind that takes an hour to cook), wild rice, lentils, barley, whole wheat pasta, A-1 sauce, cheap ketchup and mustard, fat-free ranch & italian dressing, vinegar, coffee, vanilla coffee, natural peanut butter, whole grain bread, whole grain low fat tortillas, corn tortillas, frozen pizza, french fries, ice cream, cool whip free, lettuce, out of season fresh veggies, bonless skinless chicken breasts, top sirloin steak, Laura's lean hamburger, smoked turkey deli meat and ice by the bag. Â We use a lot of fat-free, low fat, low carb items and I make a lot of Tex-Mex. We do a lot of whole grain too. The kids do usually get a candy bar or an overprocessed sugary treat when we go.:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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