Quiver0f10 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 I found this site yesterday and didn't really look around that much, but it looks interesting. I don't think I could do this mostly because we don't eat a lot of things that take coupons such as prepackaged stuff and I don't have anys stores nearby that double and triple coupons. http://jane4girls800dollarannualbudget.blogspot.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Impish Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 No way on the planet. We don't have coupons here the way that you guys in the States seem to. About the only way I could potentially come close is whenever we finally move to an acreage and grow as much food as we can, including livestock. Even then, figuring in their feed, plus butchering, etc, it would end up more than that, I would think! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathleen in VA Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 Did you mean $800/month?:D Ok, no way could I feed my family on $800/year. Of course, if it had to be done (as in, no funds available) I suppose we could eat rice and beans. So, technically, yes. But if you mean we'd be eating the same general diet we eat now, then no, not possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shenan Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 No! Many, many years ago when I lived near double coupon stores, I was able to feed our then family of 4 on just $100 a month. That of course, was back before Internet, coupon groups, and credit cards that offered cash back, all the reward programs, etc. If I had those available then, I bet I could have only spent $800 a yr easily. We now live in an area where the stores do not offer double or triple coupons. I have also lost access to a bread thrift shop. :crying: So I am back to baking our own bread just like when there was just 4 of us. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraceyS/FL Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 I probably could if i had too, i've gotten us down to about $150/mo. I could for sure if it was just the girls and I though - they are more open to meatless meals that the STBXH that seems to require it at every meal and eats 2 servings at dinner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BamaTanya Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 We don't have any local grocers that double coupons, and I don't, as a rule, purchase brand name items. I read about these ladies who can do this, but their situations seem to be vastly different from ours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen sn Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 Yah, right!!! Sarcasm over..... No, I could not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 Only if I had absolutely no other choice. If subsisting on the bare minimum was my only option, well, I can bake a loaf of whole wheat bread nearly every day for about $3 a week. And I could buy dry beans, onions, and whatever the cheapest seasonal produce was... And maybe, just *maybe* we wouldn't starve on $800/month. But I have *zero* motivation to try unless it was truly a matter of survival. Way too happy buying the produce I *want*, and cans of beans sometimes and dry pasta and convenience foods like pre-made hummus, and luxuries like fresh herbs I don't grow myself, and yogurt and... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katiebug_1976 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 We too, live in an area where the coupon thing just isn't an option. I also do not buy the name brand, pre packaged foods that most coupons are for. I think we're doing good to feed our family of 7 (soon to be 8) on $400-$500 per month. I suppose I could always try to do better, but with the way grocery prices are rising around here, I just don't see how it could be done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 I don't think so. I read about her in our Sunday paper. Didn't she say she grows a lot of her own veggies? I don't have enough yard space to save much on veggies each year. She also said she uses a lot of coupons. I do that sometimes, but quite often a lot of the items are pre-packaged. We don't use those things often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orthodox6 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 Only if I were willing to serve what, in my arena, would be "garbage food" for that price range. (As I've posted before, show me a newspaper coupon for fresh grapes or onions, and maybe I'll consider coupons.) Her budget includes far more than food, which reduces her "$800 per year" to something even MORE absurd. Sorry, but I do question the truthfulness of her claims. EXCERPT : What IS included in my budget. 1. all food 2. all HBA (health and beauty items) Non-food. 3. all dog food I feel sorry for the dogs, guessing what"off-brand" is served. 4. all eating out There won't be any restaurant meals on that figure. 5. all cleaning supplies Non-food. 6. all coupons I pay for (the paper) Non-food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danestress Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 I'm checking to see which of my neighbors have good gardens and no fences. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Impish Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 I'm checking to see which of my neighbors have good gardens and no fences. :lol::lol::lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Impish Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 Only if I were willing to serve what, in my arena, would be "garbage food" for that price range. (As I've posted before, show me a newspaper coupon for fresh grapes or onions, and maybe I'll consider coupons.) Her budget includes far more than food, which reduces her "$800 per year" to something even MORE absurd. Sorry, but I do question the truthfulness of her claims. EXCERPT : What IS included in my budget. 1. all food 2. all HBA (health and beauty items) Non-food. 3. all dog food I feel sorry for the dogs, guessing what"off-brand" is served. 4. all eating out There won't be any restaurant meals on that figure. 5. all cleaning supplies Non-food. 6. all coupons I pay for (the paper) Non-food. Actually, if you feed dogs a raw diet, their food could be free or next to it. Many hunters have no problem giving away what they don't use, as do butchers, taxidermists, etc. When we had a dog, we found that the raw diet was actually cheaper than kibble by far...and we consider it much better for the dog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orthodox6 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 I'm checking to see which of my neighbors have good gardens and no fences. Watch out. You might start craving a rapunzel salad -- and a wicked witch shall exact recompense for your theft ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orthodox6 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 Sounds reasonable. We in the mega-cities, though, are in the thrall of our vets -- who insist on a dry food diet ! (I guess I'll relent, then, and allow the rapacious beagle to continue slaughtering and consuming birds ! :D ) Actually, if you feed dogs a raw diet, their food could be free or next to it. Many hunters have no problem giving away what they don't use, as do butchers, taxidermists, etc. When we had a dog, we found that the raw diet was actually cheaper than kibble by far...and we consider it much better for the dog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Impish Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 Sounds reasonable. We in the mega-cities, though, are in the thrall of our vets -- who insist on a dry food diet ! (I guess I'll relent, then, and allow the rapacious beagle to continue slaughtering and consuming birds ! :D ) I'm in the capital city of my province, and still did raw diet. *shrugs* Just one of those things that if you think its important, you go looking for what you need. We especially became adamant about raw diet after the pet food tainting that killed many pets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ereks mom Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 I'm not sure I could do that. $800 per year? Hmmm... We are a family of 4, and it was a real challenge to keep the bill that low. But it was of necessity, because I only had $25-40 per week (on average) to spend. Fortunately, because dh hunts & fishes, we've been able to have wild game & fish in our freezer, and we also freeze produce from FIL's garden each summer. That helps a LOT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orthodox6 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 Not at all disagreeing with the approach. (replying only because it sounded as if you thought I was challenging you negatively) I'm in the capital city of my province, and still did raw diet. *shrugs* Just one of those things that if you think its important, you go looking for what you need. We especially became adamant about raw diet after the pet food tainting that killed many pets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
babysparkler Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 HA! I spend $850 a year on MILK alone (and I nurse my babies through toddlerhood, so I'm doing my part;))! Can't get double coupons for that :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted July 22, 2009 Author Share Posted July 22, 2009 Only if I were willing to serve what, in my arena, would be "garbage food" for that price range. (As I've posted before, show me a newspaper coupon for fresh grapes or onions, and maybe I'll consider coupons.) Her budget includes far more than food, which reduces her "$800 per year" to something even MORE absurd. Sorry, but I do question the truthfulness of her claims. EXCERPT : What IS included in my budget. 1. all food 2. all HBA (health and beauty items) Non-food. 3. all dog food I feel sorry for the dogs, guessing what"off-brand" is served. 4. all eating out There won't be any restaurant meals on that figure. 5. all cleaning supplies Non-food. 6. all coupons I pay for (the paper) Non-food. She says it breaks down to .54 cents per person per day. Milk alone would cost more than that. I don't see how it could be done either but to each their own . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillieBoy Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 Yes I can and have, by choice, but it was a while ago. Some of it does depends on how you do your book keeping. Way back when, each division of our homestead was it's own entity. I.e. chickens, I would take cost - sales and the remainder was our egg and meat expense for our household budget or often times it was a profit and I would deduct it from our overall household food expense. Same went for seeds and other livestock. We usually sold enough to friends and family to pay for all feed and upkeep expenses so our basic meat, fruit, and vegetables were "free". Since I cooked everything from scratch and to the season our only out of pocket was for staples which I bought in huge bulk so I didn't even use coupons. Occasionally we'd buy out of season fruit or vegetables but it was a rarity. Actually my goal is to get back to this again. I was a lot of work but oh so rewarding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orthodox6 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 Perhaps she keeps miniature milk goats, as her family is small. (I'm not joking.) My close friends has four of them, right here in "burb-land". (More for baking with the milk and making some cheese, though. They are a family of 10, soon to be 11, so four mini-goats doesn't supply enough milk !) She says it breaks down to .54 cents per person per day. Milk alone would cost more than that. I don't see how it could be done either but to each their own . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted July 22, 2009 Author Share Posted July 22, 2009 Perhaps she keeps miniature milk goats, as her family is small. (I'm not joking.) My close friends has four of them, right here in "burb-land". (More for baking with the milk and making some cheese, though. They are a family of 10, soon to be 11, so four mini-goats doesn't supply enough milk !) I do think it would be easier if you have a garden ( I do think she does) some laying hens, a milk cow or goats, fruit trees etc. We are looking foward to the day we can buy a place with land and be more self-sufficiant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Impish Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 I do think it would be easier if you have a garden ( I do think she does) some laying hens, a milk cow or goats, fruit trees etc. We are looking foward to the day we can buy a place with land and be more self-sufficiant. I'm praying every single night that God provides a way for us to be in this situation...that He shows us the way there. That's exactly what I want for our family, self sufficiency. To provide for our family from our own land and hard work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 No. I think it would be hard even if we had a farm with animals and a large garden. You would have to factor in animal feed, gardening expenses on top of your food bill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionfamily1999 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 http://jane4girls800dollarannualbudget.blogspot.com/ I was just going to do some searches for cheap eating. Thank you for this, it comes at a perfect time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretty in Pink Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 Wow, now way! I'm closing in fast on 800.00/mo now that the kids are getting older. I could cut my bill a good bit if I purchased more non-organic products (I buy organic dairy, beef and poultry, eggs, some organic produce...). We also buy a few convenience foods like breakfast cereal for dh and two boxes of granola bars each week. The baby is starting to consume more solid foods and a bit less formula (organic) so we are beginning to see a small amount of savings there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillieBoy Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 No. I think it would be hard even if we had a farm with animals and a large garden. You would have to factor in animal feed, gardening expenses on top of your food bill. It is hard work, but if you sell to friends and family it works. Also if you find niche markets it works as well. In order to keep your goats freshened they have to have babies and unless you plan on quadrupling your numbers every year you need to sell. We had a large Hispanic community that bought every kid we had. That alone would pay for the doe's feed for a year not to mention the profits I made from the cheese and soap I made. And again we had all the goat's milk and cheese for the family consumption. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satori Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 If utterly forced to, I could probably think of a way to do it. I'd start a garden, grow lot of sprouts for protein (the government had this plan in the past) and buy a lot of rice. I'm vegetarian so it is remotely possible for me to think of it. That is $2.19 a day to feed 3 people. But right now, realistically thinking, I couldn't even do it at $800/month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbie Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 Nope, I think we pass that amt. per mo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maeintx Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 She lives in our area so I've followed her blog on occasion. She does lots of trading for coupons and has gotten to know managers well enough at some stores that when things go on sale they will order her mega amounts so she really stocks up. She also takes coupons of things in stores that she doesn't purchase, those sticky peely coupons. It's just a personal issue for me but I have a hard time taking those. Also she does lots and lots of online reward sites, ebates, She puts a lot of hours into her efforts. Which I am sure is very rewarding for her but not everyone has that much time. I've gleaned a few great things from her site but leave the rest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 I try to shop cheap, but I'm in the process of revamping my budget to eat better, not necessarily cheaper. If I can manage to get below $5,000/yr (not including pet food), I'll throw a party! Personally, I thought the example she gave of a week's menu was probably fairly normal, but it kind of bothered me to see it described as healthy, well-rounded and nutritious in the comments. It doesn't meet my qualifications for any of those (even if I might have a week here and there that looks somewhat similar. ;)) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d.g. Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 If this is the blogger I'm thinking of, then yes...if I had the time and resources she did, I could feed my family on $800 for the year. What a lot of people miss is that while she's only aiming to spend $800 in the year out of pocket, she's getting much, much more than that in actual value of food purchased. Coupons, rebates, reward dollars...it all adds up, and quickly. Even if I could, though, I don't think I would. There is a time-money trade-off involved, and I'm not sure all that time would be well spent saving money when I could be dedicating it to hanging out with my husband and my boys. I'm willing to pay a bit more for food if it means I have more time to enjoy my family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ncmomo3 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 Even if I could, though, I don't think I would. There is a time-money trade-off involved, and I'm not sure all that time would be well spent saving money when I could be dedicating it to hanging out with my husband and my boys. I'm willing to pay a bit more for food if it means I have more time to enjoy my family. :iagree: I don't think I could muster the patience for it, but props to her for being able to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Rat Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 No, I couldn't. We live in the middle of the desert with little or no access to home grown produce. If we had a farm and raised our own meat animals as well, I could definitely see spending less than $800 a year on flour, sugar, etc. It would still be hard. We don't have any stores that double or triple coupons here. I do use coupons regularly though-mostly for dairy products, spag sauce, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 (edited) I am pretty thrifty....I am not sure I could do it for $800 a year, though, but I've never quite kept track of every single purchase throughout the year; I have certain priorities about what I eat (I don't eat things like hot dogs, for example), because I think I "save" in the long run on my health. I buy very little prepackaged food. I don't get many coupons either, so I rarely use them. Most of all, I have very little time/incentive to run all over the place given that I'd have to take my kids with me, and I'd rather be outside under a tree. I find very complicated plans to save money, to be more than I want to deal with. I'd rather deal with a cheaply-to-reasonably priced store than go here and there all over the place with many different schemes and plans. I get tired, honestly. Happily, I have access to decent priced produce, and I buy staples at a reasonable price, and we eat only a little meat. I always stock up on sales (most recently Barilla pasta; I refuse to divulge how much I bought). I virtually never buy ice cream at full price, or cheese. At this point, the best way I can think of to cut costs is to use what I have instead of letting it rot and then throwing it away (=complete waste of money). I used to shop at a store that was known for good bargains on produce, but in the past year they seem to have moved into buying nearly-rotten stuff at auctions or something, the quality has gone down to unacceptable levels. I am also sure a person could save money by getting expired things out of the trash, but I don't want that either. Now I shop more often at another place that sells a lot to restaurant owners as well as immigrants, and everything is impeccably fresh -- much happier. And I must say that I don't find the list of what she eats to be very appealing at all. I don't eat like this, so it's hard for me to get shopping tips from her, I think....I eat far more vegetables and just a different style. Sunday- Pork tenderloin, mashed potato, green beansMonday- Hamburgers, corn on the cob Tuesday- Grilled salmon, rice, peas Wednesday- Cold tomato soup, homemade bread Thursday- Spaghetti with sauce and meatballs Friday- Chick-fil-a Lunches normally consist of sandwiches, leftovers, chicken nuggets or pizza. Breakfasts normally consist of cereal, pancakes, French toast, eggs, smoothies or yogurt and granola. But I did laugh at the shape of her homemade tortillas. :) Cute. Orthodox6: I once got a coupon (in the aisle of a grocery store) for $1 off any fruit when I bought pectin for jam-making. That's the only produce coupon I've ever gotten. Edited July 22, 2009 by stripe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgiana Daniels Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 I take it she doesn't include non-food items in the total? I'm sure I couldn't do it, unless I cut out Diet Coke and Schwan's:tongue_smilie: Lately, we're really working on eating healthier, and stocking up bigtime on sale items. Also, I've been looking at how much I spent on gourmet coffee stops: $3.50 x 2 trips per week. $7 x 52 weeks = $364!!!! That's a LOT in iced coffee. Sooo, there's one area that'll provide huge savings. Not that I won't ever stop, but I'll limit it to when I have the quarters on hand. $800 a year is a pie in the sky goal, so I prefer to look for areas where I can save without scrimping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 No. I'm glad I don't have to try being that frugal. I have started using coupons and grocery game again but I simply can't imagine getting most of my stuff for free. While I know it takes a while to build my coupon stash up, the few lists I'm getting from the grocery game only show 1 to 3 free items each. Obviously that is with the coupon stash built up. So I really don't know how people really save so much. I think I remember someone once saying their grocery store allowed multiple coupons for one item. I had never heard of that before. My stores certainly don't allow that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lolly Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 I could do anything if I had to. They wouldn't enjoy it though. But, I usually spend more than that in one month.:glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jujsky Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 I just spent $134 TODAY, so the answer to the $800 question is no. None of the supermarkets around here double or triple coupons, and we don't eat much pre-packaged stuff other than mac n cheese and some Near East rice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeeAnn Balbirona Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 No, I wouldn't have the patience. I did Grocery Game for a couple years and that was enough. I spend about $800-1000/mo for our family of six. We eat a lot of beef and chicken and dairy and fresh produce and not a lot of grains. It does cost more though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacy in NJ Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 Yes, of course, I can fee my family on $800 a month. Ohhhhh, I see, a YEAR. Not gonna happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 Nope. I also think I'd go bonkers if I was in line behind her, or if I was the cashier. For items that are one coupon per purchase, she makes them ring up separately; I'll bet it's a headache to figure out, especially after reading one post where she had 10 transactions. I'd probably tell her to get back in line for each one... She did have a cool post about making a water barrel for gardening. When I do my CVS shopping, I sometimes need to split up my transactions. I can't imagine trying to do it all at once! That's just RUDE!!! I do one at a time and take my stuff out to my car after each one. The most I've done is three though. Oh and I love my water barrel! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrixieB Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 No, I could not. We don't have enough yard space for a garden, nor the 3 chickens the city could potentially allow us to have, never mind any other livestock. Stores here don't do double/triple coupons. Even as a single, low-wage person in the early 90's, I spent $20 most weeks on groceries/cleaning supplies/paper products etc. (which the blogger includes in her budget) which put me over $800/year back then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orthodox6 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 If you have time to back-up to my first post, where I included an excerpt detailing what the $800 covers, the woman does include non-food items in this fairy-tale sum. I take it she doesn't include non-food items n the total? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaT Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 No way. Right now I spend way more than that monthly. I'm in the process of coming up with a plan to save money, but $800 a year sounds unreasonable. I don't have time to cut coupons and don't buy much processed food, which is what they are usually for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardening momma Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 She also takes coupons of things in stores that she doesn't purchase, those sticky peely coupons. It's just a personal issue for me but I have a hard time taking those. Are you talking about the coupons that are sometimes attached to a product? So she takes them off, and uses them later when the item is on sale? I think that's wrong--it should stay with the item until someone buys it...when they choose to use the coupon is up to them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orthodox6 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 Unethical action. I consider it theft. Someone else in the store right then needs those coupons. Are you talking about the coupons that are sometimes attached to a product? So she takes them off, and uses them later when the item is on sale? I think that's wrong--it should stay with the item until someone buys it...when they choose to use the coupon is up to them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeProvides Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 My mom could. She has a tupperware container that fits perfectly in the front of the shopping cart and it is organized with coupons. It's too hard cutting, organizing, and finding the coupons especially when the kids are always there. My mom could ...I only wish I could too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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