Parrothead Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 First is what we bought for a two week period and the amount I spent. Below that is what I plan on making with this purchase over a period of two weeks. If you can see any way to significantly save money on groceries, without turning to hamburger helper type stuff, please let me know. Bakery Bagette 2.49 Italian bread 1.99 Portuguese rolls (4 ct) 1.99 Deli Crumbled feta 5.99 HRD garden Jack (cheese) 4.87 Parmesan Wedge 7.09 Apple Smoked Mozzerella 4.59 Guda 2.99 Cleaners Lysol liquid cleaner 2.79 Snuggle 3.69 Grocery Del Monte Strawberry banana peach fruit gel cup 2.73 Contidina Tomato Paste 3@1.29=3.87 Del Monte diced pear 2.73 Cheeze Its 2.79 Good Earth Chai Tea 3.39 Dole Fruit n Gel 2.39 Sugar 2 5 lb bags@3.65=7.30 Penne .89 Farfalle .89 small shells.89 Raspberry preserves 2.49 Egg noodles 1.39 Oatmeal Raisin cookies 1.89 Dutch Chocolate Chunky cookie 1.89 Kool-aid 10@.22= 2.20 Triscuits 1.99 Wheat Thins 1.99 Taco Seasoning .99 Taco shells 2.49 Organic table sugar 2.79 Irish breakfast Tea 4.79 Black Olives 1.89 12 Grain Bread 2.39 Dairy Dannon Trad Peach yogurt 2@ .60=1.20 Yoplait yogurt3@.60=1.80 CoffeeMate 3.29 Single serve frozen yogurt 4@1.00=4.00 Shredded mozzarella cheese 3lb 8.79 Gallon Milk 3.55 Ricotta 3.89 Sour Cream1.89 Health & Beauty Shampoo 4.49 Irish Spring 3.49 Zyrtec 9.99 Shaving cream 2.29 Razors 14.49 After Shave 5.68 Men's shampoo 4.99 Genteal Dry Eye Gel 9.48 Benedryl 3.99 Produce 3 Apples 1.73 7 Bananas 1.75 2 Oranges 1.78 3 Apples 2.28 2 lb. grapes 6.98 1 Cuke .99 2.41 lbs Tomatoes 8.15 3 Apples 2.26 2 Pears 2.10 1 Broccoli Raab 2.35 1 Garlic .69 2 Leeks 1.98 2 avocados 2.58 1 Jalapeno .14 3 Lemons1.47 10 lbs potatoes 5.99 1 Celery 1.99 3 Sweet peppers 2.99 1 pk Mushrooms 1.99 1 pk baby spinach 3.49 1 pk spring mix 5.99 1 bunch cilantro 2.49 1 bunch sage 2.49 Seafood Salmon 17.97 Haddock 6.84 Flounder 7.49 Tax 3.41 Balance due 285.18 Menu Breakfasts Breakfast burritos, pancakes, leftover pancakes French toast, scrambled eggs w/spinach, eggs w/fried potatoes and sausage, leftovers, banana bread, leftovers, fried eggs, scones, leftovers, scrambled eggs with toast, muffins. Menu Lunch Quesadillas, grilled cheese w/ soup, Greek salad, Caesar Salad w/chicken, California dream salad (all salads served with multi-grain muffins, black bean soup, leek & potato soup, chicken noodle soup, leftover lasagna, left over pasta, left over chili, leftover stew, leftover quinoa Menu Dinner Beef stew, fish with salad and bread, pork chops with rice and veg, steak with baked potato and salad, lasagna, Peruvian Quinoa stew, pasta with chicken piccate sauce, lentils and rice, chili, pasta with bruchetta and capers, tacos, fish and chips, dinner out at SB party, free night for whatever Some notes: Some things are not typical. Dh ran out of all shaving supplies this week while gone so all that had to be purchased today. The eye gel is medically necessary. I can not dump that. The fruit cups and individual yogurts are to fill out dh's lunches. The salmon is a treat to celebrate dh's homecoming today. The massive tomato purchase is to make Pico de gallo for the Super Bowl Party we are attending. And I ran out of all my allergy meds yesterday. I find it cheaper to buy mozzerella in large quantities and freeze it. I did not buy the melons today. The cantaloupe was almost $4.00 for one melon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 If it were me: 1. I'd make those breads from scratch. I bet that would save you close to $4 - $5, depending on how much you have on hand. 2. I'd not buy the cleaning products. Get yourself some vinegar and mix it with water. It cleans everything. Try the laundry without the Snuggle. Saves money! 3. I'd get the bigger things of yogurt and divide it into smaller Tupperware-type containers for lunches. MUCH cheaper. 4. Not for this week - but later on - I'd do research on the deals at CVS and Rite Aid. I never have to pay for toiletries/allergy medicine, etc. I do have to buy the Sunday paper each week and save the coupons. It takes a bit of planning, but for us, it's worth it! Your food is much more expensive than ours!!! I don't know how you could cut back on that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayne J Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 I am wondering what all the Deli cheeses are for? I added it up and you spent about 35$ on cheeses. (including the ricotta and mozz.) Is there any way you could cut out some of the expensive cheeses and replace with a less expensive type, or use less than your recipe calls for to make it stretch? It might also be worth it to buy some small reuseable storage containers for the yogurt and fruit for dh's lunch and fill them from larger, more cost efficient containers. I also noticed that most things were brand name--could you/have you tried store brands for some of them? Those were the big things that popped out at me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie in Austin Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 First is what we bought for a two week period and the amount I spent. Below that is what I plan on making with this purchase over a period of two weeks. If you can see any way to significantly save money on groceries, without turning to hamburger helper type stuff, please let me know. Bakery Bagette 2.49 Italian bread 1.99 Portuguese rolls (4 ct) 1.99 You could probably make all of these yourself for less than a dollar. Deli Crumbled feta 5.99 HRD garden Jack (cheese) 4.87 Parmesan Wedge 7.09 Apple Smoked Mozzerella 4.59 Guda 2.99 I love cheese, but there is just no denying that it is expensive. Could you cut quantities, use coupons, store brands, etc.? Cleaners Lysol liquid cleaner 2.79 Snuggle 3.69 I don't know what Snuggle is used for. I use straight vinegar for general cleaning and "scrubbing bubbles" stuff for dirtier jobs. Sales, coupons, store brands. Grocery Del Monte Strawberry banana peach fruit gel cup 2.73 I wouldn't buy these. You could make jello with little fruit chunks in it for less than a dollar. Contidina Tomato Paste 3@1.29=3.87 Holy cow! Our tomato paste is like 50 cents. Can you buy a store brand? Del Monte diced pear 2.73 I generally don't buy canned fruit. I buy whatever is fresh on sale. You could have bought 2+ pounds of pears or apples or whatever for that price. Cheeze Its 2.79 Replace with microwave popcorn at 50 cents. Good Earth Chai Tea 3.39 Skip. Dole Fruit n Gel 2.39 See above. Sugar 2 5 lb bags@3.65=7.30 Penne .89 Farfalle .89 small shells.89 Raspberry preserves 2.49 Egg noodles 1.39 Oatmeal Raisin cookies 1.89 Dutch Chocolate Chunky cookie 1.89 Homemade would be less han half that price. Kool-aid 10@.22= 2.20 Skip. Triscuits 1.99 Wheat Thins 1.99 Store brands should be about half that price. Taco Seasoning .99 Google for a homemade mix--should be less than half that price. Taco shells 2.49 Sales, coupons, or use regular tortillas instead. Organic table sugar 2.79 Irish breakfast Tea 4.79 Skip or replace with cheaper tea. Black Olives 1.89 12 Grain Bread 2.39 Make bread yourself for maybe 60 cents per loaf. Dairy Dannon Trad Peach yogurt 2@ .60=1.20 Yoplait yogurt3@.60=1.80 I only buy yogurt when on sale for 30cents or less. CoffeeMate 3.29 Single serve frozen yogurt 4@1.00=4.00 Buy yogurt on sale and freeze yourself. Shredded mozzarella cheese 3lb 8.79 Gallon Milk 3.55 Ricotta 3.89 Sour Cream1.89 Health & Beauty Shampoo 4.49 Irish Spring 3.49 Zyrtec 9.99 Shaving cream 2.29 Razors 14.49 After Shave 5.68 Men's shampoo 4.99 Genteal Dry Eye Gel 9.48 Benedryl 3.99 Zyrtec you probably can't do anything about, but what about switching to store brands for other items? Produce 3 Apples 1.73 7 Bananas 1.75 2 Oranges 1.78 3 Apples 2.28 2 lb. grapes 6.98 I would focus on just buying whatever produce is on sale. I generally try to stay at one dollar per pound. 1 Cuke .99 2.41 lbs Tomatoes 8.15 3 Apples 2.26 2 Pears 2.10 1 Broccoli Raab 2.35 1 Garlic .69 2 Leeks 1.98 2 avocados 2.58 1 Jalapeno .14 3 Lemons1.47 10 lbs potatoes 5.99 1 Celery 1.99 3 Sweet peppers 2.99 1 pk Mushrooms 1.99 1 pk baby spinach 3.49 1 pk spring mix 5.99 1 bunch cilantro 2.49 1 bunch sage 2.49 Seafood Salmon 17.97 Haddock 6.84 Flounder 7.49 Good seafood, like cheese, is just expensive. Could you limit quantities or sub some vegetarian dishes? Tax 3.41 Balance due 285.18 Menu Breakfasts Breakfast burritos, pancakes, leftover pancakes French toast, scrambled eggs w/spinach, eggs w/fried potatoes and sausage, leftovers, banana bread, leftovers, fried eggs, scones, leftovers, scrambled eggs with toast, muffins. Menu Lunch Quesadillas, grilled cheese w/ soup, Greek salad, Caesar Salad w/chicken, California dream salad (all salads served with multi-grain muffins, black bean soup, leek & potato soup, chicken noodle soup, leftover lasagna, left over pasta, left over chili, leftover stew, leftover quinoa Menu Dinner Beef stew, fish with salad and bread, pork chops with rice and veg, steak with baked potato and salad, lasagna, Peruvian Quinoa stew, pasta with chicken piccate sauce, lentils and rice, chili, pasta with bruchetta and capers, tacos, fish and chips, dinner out at SB party, free night for whatever Some notes: Some things are not typical. Dh ran out of all shaving supplies this week while gone so all that had to be purchased today. The eye gel is medically necessary. I can not dump that. The fruit cups and individual yogurts are to fill out dh's lunches. The salmon is a treat to celebrate dh's homecoming today. The massive tomato purchase is to make Pico de gallo for the Super Bowl Party we are attending. And I ran out of all my allergy meds yesterday. I find it cheaper to buy mozzerella in large quantities and freeze it. I did not buy the melons today. The cantaloupe was almost $4.00 for one melon. My comments in blue. I think there is a lot that could be cut here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mejane Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 The first thing I noticed is that your cheese expenditure alone ($35) is about 1/2 of my weekly grocery budget. :001_smile: I agree with Jennifer that the bakery items are expensive. I'd cut them out and just make do with sliced bread (or bake them yourself; I don't bake.) I love salmon, too, but if I had to spend almost $20 for it, I wouldn't eat it. Your H&B products seem expensive as well. Can you buy cheaper brands or do some rebating? Your menus look delish, but may be ingredient-expensive. Can you simplify in any way? Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elfgivas Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 at the risk of sounding like a broken record, i don't see how you can cut food costs significantly and not be miserable... you aren't eating much meat, bad cheese is dreadful, and healthy is good. the one thing i do is that i don't use tomato paste at all any more. i puree overripe tomatoes in the blender, or i drain liquid from canned tomatoes, and use the puree instead of the paste. where we live, that is cheaper, and tastier, than tomato paste. so that is the one area where saving money results in better taste and health.... a neighbor and i used to buy produce in bulk and split it between the two of us; that actually saved us a lot, but i'm thinking you're a long way from any good bulk produce : ( ann Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simka2 Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 1st off I love good cheese! That said...I don't know when I last had good smoked gouda :glare:. My Sams membership has made it so I am not totally deprived. Their deli cheeses often get clearanced and I buy TONS!!!! and freeze it. My menu's get worked around what I can buy on sale/in bulk and freeze. I think your biggest issues is your dairy. Have you attempted the crockpot yogurt yet? Take a day...give it a try! I divide mine up and mix in different things...peaches, vanilla, plain. I can put it into plastic cups and freeze them for individial frozen yogurt. The rest goes in tubberware. I keep some plain to use in homemade muffins or anything that call for greek yogurt. I cannot be totally deprived in the cheese dept. So, I would stick to the cheapest bulk item....mozzerella? and pick 1 other pungent cheese that can go far. If I find it on sale....YEAH!!!! I cannot make homemade bread!!! Finally, I tried the artisian bread in 5min a day...yup it worked. I took the plunge and started with bread flour, it really helped me get the feel for the process. Then I started mixing in healthier flours. I make a yummy sourdough :D. There's some ideas! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quad Shot Academy Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 The first thing that stuck out at me is quantity. I figured you had 6 kids or more when I was reading the list. Second is the cheese. Cheese is just too expensive to eat every day. Next is the lack of on sale produce. I rarely ever spend over $1 per pound on any produce. If that means we eat 10 lbs of one kind of fruit that week, so be it, the next week we will have something different. I would seek to greatly reduce your prepackaged foods too. I am guessing if you did away with the cheese, that would take care of the crackers too. ;) I also agree with a bunch of the other comments made. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissel Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 Do your stores double coupons? If they do (and sometimes even if they don't), you'd be amazed at what you can get free or for pennies if you're careful and develop a system. Yes, it can be a little tedious, and yes, it takes some time, but it can save you tons of money. If you have space to stockpile a bit, you can save a lot. For example, Ronzoni goes on sale here occasionally at 3 for $1. Last time it did, we could combine it with coupons to bring the price down to something like 8 cents each. Stock up on that and you have nearly free pasta for as long as you need it. Same with the yogurts, mozzarella, and more. Sorrento blocks will be on sale here for $1.99 a pound soon, and $1 coupons just came out in the paper--get a stack of coupons on eBay for a few bucks, stock up on the Sorrento for 99 cents each, freeze them until you need them, then grate as needed. By comparison, you just paid nearly $3 a pound for pregrated cheese. If you're interested in and willing to put in the time with coupons, you can save a ton of money. I can link you to some blogs and forums if you want to see what others do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MSNative Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 Do your stores double coupons? If they do (and sometimes even if they don't), you'd be amazed at what you can get free or for pennies if you're careful and develop a system. Yes, it can be a little tedious, and yes, it takes some time, but it can save you tons of money. If you have space to stockpile a bit, you can save a lot. For example, Ronzoni goes on sale here occasionally at 3 for $1. Last time it did, we could combine it with coupons to bring the price down to something like 8 cents each. Stock up on that and you have nearly free pasta for as long as you need it. Same with the yogurts, mozzarella, and more. Sorrento blocks will be on sale here for $1.99 a pound soon, and $1 coupons just came out in the paper--get a stack of coupons on eBay for a few bucks, stock up on the Sorrento for 99 cents each, freeze them until you need them, then grate as needed. By comparison, you just paid nearly $3 a pound for pregrated cheese. If you're interested in and willing to put in the time with coupons, you can save a ton of money. I can link you to some blogs and forums if you want to see what others do. I'm not OP but I'm interested in the links to diff. blogs and forums. I use Southern Savers currently. :) The only other thing I noticed - fresh herbs. You can grow cilantro, sage, oregano, basil and parsley grow really well on the windowsill. I also buy green onion and keep it in a glass of water on the counter. I clip what I need and it keeps growing. Two bunches usually last me about 4 months that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda in VT Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 I think some of this is regional. Where I am, produce is never on sale for $1 per pound. When I am watching prices, I stick to what is under $2 per pound. Given that I am in your neck of the country, I'm guessing you are seeing similar prices? We were on a tight budget when I was growing up, and I know the boxed crackers and cookies on your list where things we just never had. Store brand saltine and graham crackers. Cookies were homemade, and not an every week thing. Ditch the Coffeemate. I replaced mine with one teaspoon of sugar and a splash of whole milk. It tasted odd for the first week or two, but now Coffeemate tastes fake. I missed your earlier post, I think. Is there some reason you are looking to save money on food? I don't think a low food budget is necessarily a virtue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LidiyaDawn Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 We don't buy any fancy cheeses - just cheddar or mozzarella, and always the store brand unless the name brands are on sale or I have a coupon. That salmon? NO WAY. There's gotta be cheaper fish than that! Brand names - why? I know they make those fruit cups in the store brands cuz we buy them sometimes. ;) ....same with "Snuggle" & "Lysol" -- Walmart or grocery stores, get the store brand. What I said about the cheese above? I apply it to everything. I always ALWAYS look for generic/store brands of stuff. Triscuits, Wheat Thins, Danone Yoghurt, etc etc... I've seen cheaper store brands for all of that stuff. Hmmm. I don't see anything in your menu that needs fancy breads like "baguettes" and stuff... 99% of the time, I just buy plain store brand whole wheat bread. Heck, I don't even buy hot dog buns - we just put a hot dog on a slice of bread. It's the same thing, just a different shape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tylianna Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 Obit generic zyrtec at SAMs wholesale club for $15. That is a 300ct bottle. That will last almost a year Buy on sale and if you have coupons. If the taco shells are on sale for $1 buy three! You get it for the same price, but you have three weeks worth. When something is on sale, buy double or triple. We eat a lot of chicken, cheap beef and pork. Rarely do we buy seafood, since it is expensive. Beans, pasta, rice, etc make cheap fillers. Buy these and learn how to cook with it. Only buy fresh fruit at is a good sale, not just because. I would not pay ,ore than $1 for a can of fruit, or $1.50 for a large can of fruit. I am good at remembering prices, but you can make a journal and write deepen sale prices (and applicable coupons). If you know that it is a good price on something, then buy it. At most, I will spend $200 a week for a family of five, but that is when dh is being picky. I used to have a budget of $400 a month for groceries, and that is including paper and cleaning supplies. If something costs more than $5, evaluate if you really NEED it or just like it. Buy in bulk, if you can and repackage it to last. There have been times that we ate pork in different ways for a week because it was .99/lb. Pasta goes a long way, especially if you make your own sauce or buy the 1.00 sauce (hunts cans) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawn in OH Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 Honestly, I wouldn't have bought the bread. I can make bread for far less, and have it fresh. I don't know what size block of Parmesan cheese you got, but I get mine for about half of that. I would skip the Lysol and the Snuggle. I clean with white vinegar, baking soda, and peroxide, depending on the job. I don't use fabric softener. I'm sure there's a recipe for homemade that's cheaper and better for you, if you really must have it. Fruit gel cups? I don't even know what those are. Is it cut up fruit in a cup of syrup? I would get fresh or frozen fruit instead. DelMonte Diced Pears.....buy fresh, I could have gotten at least 2lbs of pears for that price. I would make the cookies homemade. Cheaper and healthier. Taco Seasoning...way overpriced. I make my own. 5 T Chili Powder 2 T Cumin 2 T Paprika 1/2 t Cayenne Pepper 1 T Cornstarch 1 T Garlic Powder 3 t Salt 6 T Dried Minced Onion Instructions: Mix seasonings and store. Add 3T seasoning, Tomato Paste, and Water to browned ground beef. That tomato paste sounds expensive. I'm sure ours doesn't cost that much. Kool aid. Are you only concerned about price or health? That's loaded with dyes, sweeteners, etc. We are a water drinking house here, but that's just us. 12 Grain Bread. That price sounds good for what it is. I try to make my own bread, but when I can't keep up with sandwich bread demands that's about what we pay for whole wheat bread with no HFCS. I don't buy individual yogurt cups. We get a large container of Stonyfield Organic Vanilla yogurt. Have you looked at the price on a large container and making your own serving sizes? We buy the store brand Benadryl. It works just as well. Really, you are paying for the name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 Kool aid. Are you only concerned about price or health? That's loaded with dyes, sweeteners, etc. We are a water drinking house here, but that's just us. It also necessitates a lot of sugar that could be cut out of the budget. That was some expensive sugar! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwickimom Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 (edited) Bakery Bagette 2.49 Italian bread 1.99 Portuguese rolls (4 ct) 1.99 Deli Crumbled feta 5.99 HRD garden Jack (cheese) 4.87 Parmesan Wedge 7.09 Apple Smoked Mozzerella 4.59 Guda 2.99 Cleaners Lysol liquid cleaner 2.79 Snuggle 3.69 Grocery Del Monte Strawberry banana peach fruit gel cup 2.73 Contidina Tomato Paste 3@1.29=3.87 Del Monte diced pear 2.73 Cheeze Its 2.79 Good Earth Chai Tea 3.39 Dole Fruit n Gel 2.39 Sugar 2 5 lb bags@3.65=7.30 Penne .89 Farfalle .89 small shells.89 Raspberry preserves 2.49 Egg noodles 1.39 Oatmeal Raisin cookies 1.89 Dutch Chocolate Chunky cookie 1.89 Kool-aid 10@.22= 2.20 Triscuits 1.99 Wheat Thins 1.99 Taco Seasoning .99 Taco shells 2.49 Organic table sugar 2.79 Irish breakfast Tea 4.79 Black Olives 1.89 12 Grain Bread 2.39 Dairy Dannon Trad Peach yogurt 2@ .60=1.20 Yoplait yogurt3@.60=1.80 CoffeeMate 3.29 Single serve frozen yogurt 4@1.00=4.00 Shredded mozzarella cheese 3lb 8.79 Gallon Milk 3.55 Ricotta 3.89 Sour Cream1.89 Health & Beauty Shampoo 4.49 Irish Spring 3.49 Zyrtec 9.99 Shaving cream 2.29 Razors 14.49 After Shave 5.68 Men's shampoo 4.99 Genteal Dry Eye Gel 9.48 Benedryl 3.99 Produce 3 Apples 1.73 7 Bananas 1.75 2 Oranges 1.78 3 Apples 2.28 2 lb. grapes 6.98 1 Cuke .99 2.41 lbs Tomatoes 8.15 3 Apples 2.26 2 Pears 2.10 1 Broccoli Raab 2.35 1 Garlic .69 2 Leeks 1.98 2 avocados 2.58 1 Jalapeno .14 3 Lemons1.47 10 lbs potatoes 5.99 1 Celery 1.99 3 Sweet peppers 2.99 1 pk Mushrooms 1.99 1 pk baby spinach 3.49 1 pk spring mix 5.99 1 bunch cilantro 2.49 1 bunch sage 2.49 Seafood Salmon 17.97 Haddock 6.84 Flounder 7.49 Tax 3.41 Balance due 285.18 The items in red I currently have a coupon for, or have recently had a coupon for, or have gotten for FREE. I think couponing would help tremendously. Almost all the items in your Health and Beauty column I have for free in basement right now from stockpiling. I have coupons for the Genteal and Zyrtec and the rest sitting there for use that I paid either tax or very little. I sugget looking at hotcouponworld.com and then finding a blog in your area. I could probably cut your bill by at LEAST 40% with coupons and stock ups!!! from quickly adding up in my head with my stockpile and coupons I could knock $50 off that list no problem. Edited February 5, 2011 by kwickimom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomOfOneFunOne Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 (edited) First is what we bought for a two week period and the amount I spent. Below that is what I plan on making with this purchase over a period of two weeks. If you can see any way to significantly save money on groceries, without turning to hamburger helper type stuff, please let me know. Bakery Bagette 2.49 Italian bread 1.99 Portuguese rolls (4 ct) 1.99 Oh, my! I make my own ww (which is more epensive than white) for approx. 50 cents/loaf. If you are committed to the different kinds, I'd definately learn to make them! Deli Crumbled feta 5.99 HRD garden Jack (cheese) 4.87 Parmesan Wedge 7.09 Apple Smoked Mozzerella 4.59 Guda 2.99 If you use the rind to flavor your own broth it *might* be justified but you can buy a wedge at Whole Foods and ask them to cut it to any size AND get it without the rind. I think you get A LOT more in a chunk of feta than already crumbled. I'm not one to talk about expensive cheees, though, b/c I buy it, too. I buy the very flavorful ones and in small wedges/chunks. Cleaners Lysol liquid cleaner 2.79 vinegar and baking soda are all I ever use and I'm quite satisfied. Snuggle 3.69 I find that for the most part, this isnt' necessary. The only time I use it is in winter. Also, I use a half sheet/load. Grocery Del Monte Strawberry banana peach fruit gel cup 2.73 I mean this with all love. Junk! Contidina Tomato Paste 3@1.29=3.87 Del Monte diced pear 2.73 Cheeze Its 2.79 junk! Good Earth Chai Tea 3.39 junk -- it's too cheap to make from scratch to waste money on that! Buy the cardamom pods in bulk and you can get as many/few as you want. Dole Fruit n Gel 2.39 junk Sugar 2 5 lb bags@3.65=7.30 Penne .89 Farfalle .89 small shells.89 Raspberry preserves 2.49 Egg noodles 1.39 Oatmeal Raisin cookies 1.89 junk Dutch Chocolate Chunky cookie 1.89 junk Kool-aid 10@.22= 2.20 so so junk Triscuits 1.99 junk Wheat Thins 1.99junk Taco Seasoning .99 same as cardamom Taco shells 2.49 for that price you could buy tons of corn tortillas and instead of tacos, you could have enchilladas or tostadas for less. Organic table sugar 2.79 you buy two kinds of white sugar? Irish breakfast Tea 4.79 okay, a definate necessity but you get more cups from loose leaves. Black Olives 1.89 12 Grain Bread 2.39 SO much cheaper to make it yourself. Dairy Dannon Trad Peach yogurt 2@ .60=1.20 Yoplait yogurt3@.60=1.80 for both yogurts it would be less expensive b/c you would get so much more and it would be so much cheaper if you'd buy a large container of plain yogurt and a bag of frozen peaches. Warm the peaches till they exude their juices and spoon on some yogurt. If you must have it sweeter, add a bit of something. Making you yogurt would even be cheaper. CoffeeMate 3.29 junk Single serve frozen yogurt 4@1.00=4.00 ditto above Shredded mozzarella cheese 3lb 8.79 Gallon Milk 3.55 Ricotta 3.89 Sour Cream1.89 Health & Beauty Shampoo 4.49 Irish Spring 3.49 Zyrtec 9.99 Shaving cream 2.29 Razors 14.49 After Shave 5.68 Men's shampoo 4.99 Genteal Dry Eye Gel 9.48 Benedryl 3.99 Produce 3 Apples 1.73 7 Bananas 1.75 2 Oranges 1.78 3 Apples 2.28 2 lb. grapes 6.98 1 Cuke .99 2.41 lbs Tomatoes 8.15 3 Apples 2.26 2 Pears 2.10 1 Broccoli Raab 2.35 1 Garlic .69 2 Leeks 1.98 2 avocados 2.58 1 Jalapeno .14 3 Lemons1.47 10 lbs potatoes 5.99 1 Celery 1.99 3 Sweet peppers 2.99 1 pk Mushrooms 1.99 1 pk baby spinach 3.49 1 pk spring mix 5.99 1 bunch cilantro 2.49 1 bunch sage 2.49 For a lot of your veggies, frozen is a lot less espensive and, frozen and pkgd at or near the source, healthier some say. If it's out of season, buy frozen. Seafood Salmon 17.97 Haddock 6.84 Flounder 7.49 That's over 30 dollars that, as a veg, I don't pay. Not suggesting that you b/c a vegetarian but you could add more meatless days. Tax 3.41 Balance due 285.18 Menu Breakfasts Breakfast burritos, pancakes, leftover pancakes French toast, scrambled eggs w/spinach, eggs w/fried potatoes and sausage, leftovers, banana bread, leftovers, fried eggs, scones, leftovers, scrambled eggs with toast, muffins. Menu Lunch Quesadillas, grilled cheese w/ soup, Greek salad, Caesar Salad w/chicken, California dream salad (all salads served with multi-grain muffins, black bean soup, leek & potato soup, chicken noodle soup, leftover lasagna, left over pasta, left over chili, leftover stew, leftover quinoa Menu Dinner Beef stew, fish with salad and bread, pork chops with rice and veg, steak with baked potato and salad, lasagna, Peruvian Quinoa stew, pasta with chicken piccate sauce, lentils and rice, chili, pasta with bruchetta and capers, tacos, fish and chips, dinner out at SB party, free night for whatever Some notes: Some things are not typical. Dh ran out of all shaving supplies this week while gone so all that had to be purchased today. The eye gel is medically necessary. I can not dump that. The fruit cups and individual yogurts are to fill out dh's lunches. The salmon is a treat to celebrate dh's homecoming today. The massive tomato purchase is to make Pico de gallo for the Super Bowl Party we are attending. And I ran out of all my allergy meds yesterday. I find it cheaper to buy mozzerella in large quantities and freeze it. I did not buy the melons today. The cantaloupe was almost $4.00 for one melon. I mean it with love and I hope the word "junk" isn't hurtful to you. I do consider it junk food in our house -- if it's man-made, you need to reconsider. Pls don't get made about the word. It's just a label. It's not about you! none of your menus even mention some of the stuff on your list like koolaid -- girl, that is just sugar, water, and chemical. *****I guess my recommendation is to eat more whole foods, make more things from scratch, and drink water.***** Edited February 5, 2011 by MomOfOneFunOne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teachermom2834 Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 People that have very low grocery bills don't have things like the deli cheeses and the prepackaged stuff unless they have done a coupon deal. I do well with my grocery spending but there are sacrifices. I would love to have different types of pasta for use depending on the meal but I end up with one type I can get cheap in bulk and have to use that shape for every pasta dish. I love cheese but I buy shredded cheddar and mozzarella in bulk at Sam's club and I have to make use of one of those two types for every dish. I do the artisan bread in 10 minutes method to save on those nice bakery breads. Those wonderful deli cheeses are a once or twice a year splurge. But, you need to decide how much you want or need to sacrifice those things. If you can afford it and cooking/eating special dishes brings you joy then by all means have at the expensive cheese and seafood. I'm a penny pincher on groceries and I think that is admirable. But, as I was reading through your list I was thinking that you were serving your family some delicious meals. I think that is plenty admirable too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen in PA Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 It also necessitates a lot of sugar that could be cut out of the budget. That was some expensive sugar! :iagree:It takes me 2 months to use a 5 pound bag of sugar (I would say 3 months, but averaging for holiday baking we'll go with 2), and I use it in all of our baking plus dh's coffee and tea. Were you stocking up on sugar? I also can't believe how much potatoes cost you! 10 lbs. of local potatoes this time of year would cost me $2 at most. That must be a regional difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 Hi, I'll be a different voice here because you are getting a lot of suggestions from people about shopping here or there and what not, yet you live in the boonies and don't have access to the cheaper places to shop. I also note that your grocery prices are A LOT higher than ours. So, many people who are saying that they limit produce prices to $1.00 per pound etc, aren't speaking from your reality. If you can see Canada from your house and you aren't near a city, well, it's MAINE....everything is being trucked long distance to you and except for ready access to seafood and potatoes, your state is more known for other natural resources than agricultural products. The price of potatoes kind of shocked me! Here in Michigan, 10 lbs of very nice Yukon Gold or Baby Reds would be about $2.50 maybe $3.00. I guess what I would try to do is look up some recipes for homemade shampoos. You've got about $9.00-10.00 in shampoo costs and yes, at first the change is hard, but eventually your hair actually adjusts and feels better, looks better, and your scalp is heathier. I would also eliminate the fruit cups and if necessary, use juice and unflavored gelatin with chopped fruit. It doesn't set up really, really firmly like jello does, but I've done this with clemetines or canned mandarins and then orange juice and Knox gelatin before and my family loved it. I'd probably choose more of the lower priced cheeses and also look online and see if you can buy a wedge or a wheel for a significant savings per pound. We do this with swiss and mozzarella. We cut it into pie shaped wedges and freeze. It works well. You might also be able to make a yummy yogurt that your family would love for a lot less per serving. Maybe try a big container of plain yogurt and a bag of the cheapest brand of frozen peaches. Thaw the peaches and then run through your blender with the yogurt and a little sugar or, at our house, honey...it is loved with honey! It should freeze okay too. The cleaners would be the other thing I'd try to eliminate. I hate baking bread so that would be a hard change. But, I make chocolate chip oatmeal cookies for about $.50 a dozen. However, everything is so cheap here in Michigan, I am not certain what the price tag would be for you. However, if oats aren't too bad, the granola I listed in the other thread might be a good way to go. It could easily take the place of the cookies and you can put most anything in it. It doesn't have to be chocolate chips. (((HUGS))) Food is not cheap where you live. I hope you get your piece of land. A garden, canning, dehydrating, and freezing will be a real blessing for your family...because OUCH, your grocery prices are high! Faith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissel Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 I'm not OP but I'm interested in the links to diff. blogs and forums. I use Southern Savers currently. :) The only other thing I noticed - fresh herbs. You can grow cilantro, sage, oregano, basil and parsley grow really well on the windowsill. I also buy green onion and keep it in a glass of water on the counter. I clip what I need and it keeps growing. Two bunches usually last me about 4 months that way. Very true about the herbs. That's about the only thing I've manage to grow successfully in my shady yard, so this year I'll be growing and drying as much as I can. I even want to get a little Bay Laurel tree! MsNative, I just started couponing in earnest again because we need to cut our grocery budget hard. I apologize in advance if I'm oversimplifying my explanation! I have all of these sites bookmarked and check on them periodically throughout the day as I can. Often a new printable coupon will become available but the prints won't last too long, so it pays to be able to get to your printer fairly quickly. I also follow the forums for my local grocery stores on A Full Cup. Some people get their circulars quite early in the week, and they can post deals that match with the coupons that are available (either online or in the papers--I get the newspaper ones on eBay) as early as possible so you can get your coupons in order. Here are the sites I use: http://www.afullcup.com/forums/index.php (find your grocery stores in the forum list and see if the forums for them are well moderated--some of mine are, and some are not) http://www.livingrichwithcoupons.com/ http://www.stretchingabuckblog.com/'>http://www.stretchingabuckblog.com/'>http://www.stretchingabuckblog.com/'>http://www.stretchingabuckblog.com/ http://www.stretchingabuckblog.com/ http://www.couponing101.com/ http://www.survivingthestores.com/ http://www.forthemommas.com/ http://www.savingcentswithsense.net/ My favorite one is the first one, run by a woman who lives in my state, so the deals are generally more pertinent. You can search for ones nearer to you too, and ones that specifically provide match-ups for the grocery stores near you. Google "coupon matchup [your store name]" and see what comes up. You can also print online coupons on the following sites: http://www.redplum.com/Coupons.aspx?t1id=1118&t2id=1118&t1=Grocery&t2=&view=all http://www.coupons.com/Couponweb/Offers.aspx?pid=13306&zid=iq37&nid=10&varc=oqa8hdktei65shkbjj9j&alt=yes http://smartsource.com/smartsource/index.jsp?Link=5S2ZUA6PWPEPO Usually you can print two coupons per computer. Sometimes they reset and you can print two more again. I like to follow those blogs because they post when new coupons are listed or different ZIP codes that have different coupons available or when the great coupons are reset so you can print more. This past week I got 8 pounds of ground turkey for 39 cents each thanks to those printable coupons and six bottles of free organic lemonade (a huge treat for my girls, we never buy anything but water!). Other places offer printable coupons too--for example, if you "like" the Athenos brand on Facebook, you can print two coupons for $2 off 2 products from their page. The blogs will also alert you to those kinds of things--apparently you can get a lot of coupons via FB that way now! You can also sign up for good coupons via brands' Web sites--again, the blogs will post those as they're found. Again, I hope I haven't totally overexplained to you! If I have, forgive me. Hopefully you can use some of what I wrote :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomOfOneFunOne Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 Just another thing I would add . . . If it's processed, white, boxed, whatever, it's often cheap so it's easy to think of it as cheap. However, if you leave it off your list, it's even cheaper still! Koolaid is so cheap, a few cents per pack! You could buy a lot of it for just a dollar. or you could save your dollar. that's one more dollar in the bank. Also, we want to buy wholesome food but what I have found is that if they have to tell you it's wholesome, they charge double. Make it at home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 (edited) What Kwickimom said concerning the coupons. All of your health and beauty could be bought with coupons. And what Joannqn (down there) said about what I don't buy (same as her) and how I DO buy (same as her). Make your own yogurt, you don't want all of that sugared up stuff anyway. NO COFFEEMATE. That stuff is horrible for you. Just use milk or light cream. The produce don't trim. That is what it is. Same with the fish. Make your own cleaners OR if you must use the chemicals, wait for a sale and then use a coupon. Pasta-around here I pay a dollar a pound when it's on sale-so when it hits that, I stock up. It's really funny that people are saying your prices are high-they're low as can be compared to here! I think if you make a few more tweaks, you could save about 100 off that bill. You're almost there. Edited February 5, 2011 by justamouse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissel Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 I'll be a different voice here because you are getting a lot of suggestions from people about shopping here or there and what not, yet you live in the boonies and don't have access to the cheaper places to shop. Chucki, this is an excellent point too. We're all giving lots of advice, but if you don't have much option in where you shop and you live in a high COL area, well then you may not be able to cut much. I also agree with the PP who said that you need to decide if the ingredients you're buying are important to you to make the kinds of meals your family wants/needs. We use Cabot cheddar almost exclusively for the cheese we need ($4 a pound at MOST, and ethically produced), but that's because everyone here likes it. If I felt I needed better/fancier cheeses, I'd try to find a way to buy them. The same with the coupons--if you're busy and overwhelmed and can't possibly devote a few hours a week to couponing and feel your time is worth more than you'll possibly save, then that will affect your grocery bill too. It's so hard to prioritize these kinds of things--I'm having to give up some of my natural/organic/gluten standards to lower our budget, but there are some things I just don't feel I can give up yet, and those will keep our budget higher than I like unless we find ourselves in more dire straits. :grouphug: while you work through all this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 Bakery Bagette 2.49 Italian bread 1.99 Portuguese rolls (4 ct) 1.99 I very rarely buy bakery bread. Borrow Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day and you can make Bagette and Italian bread really easily. Ingredients for these two breads are simply flour, water, salt, and yeast. That's it. Portuguese rolls look like they'd be just as easy to make, or sub another basic roll recipe with. Deli Crumbled feta 5.99 HRD garden Jack (cheese) 4.87 Parmesan Wedge 7.09 Apple Smoked Mozzerella 4.59 Guda 2.99 The only cheese we buy regularly is cheddar in 2 or 5 pound bricks. I buy mozzarella, grated Parmesan, and feta only when I'm specifically making something with it, and that is only occasionally. I treated us to Havarti and Munster recently when it was on sale for $3 a pound. I typically spend about $7 a week on cheese, unless I'm making something with the other cheeses. Cleaners Lysol liquid cleaner 2.79 Snuggle 3.69 I don't buy cleaners except laundry detergent. I use water, a teaspoon of dish soap, and 30 drops of tea tree oil in a spray bottle for my all purpose cleaner. I mop with plain hot water. During the winter, I use cheap, generic, scent-free fabric softener sheets to deal with static. Grocery Del Monte Strawberry banana peach fruit gel cup 2.73 Contidina Tomato Paste 3@1.29=3.87 Del Monte diced pear 2.73 Cheeze Its 2.79 Good Earth Chai Tea 3.39 Dole Fruit n Gel 2.39 Sugar 2 5 lb bags@3.65=7.30 Penne .89 Farfalle .89 small shells.89 Raspberry preserves 2.49 Egg noodles 1.39 Oatmeal Raisin cookies 1.89 Dutch Chocolate Chunky cookie 1.89 Kool-aid 10@.22= 2.20 Triscuits 1.99 Wheat Thins 1.99 Taco Seasoning .99 Taco shells 2.49 Organic table sugar 2.79 Irish breakfast Tea 4.79 Black Olives 1.89 12 Grain Bread 2.39 I don't buy the items listed in red or items like it on a regular basis. Wheat thins are bought during the holidays to go with a dip I make for the holidays. I buy chips and tortilla chips to go with specific dinners (ie. hamburgers or taco salad) and we enjoy the leftovers with our lunches when we have them. Our lunches are typically a sandwich or leftovers. If we have it, I'll serve fresh fruit or left over chips with our sandwiches. We drink water most of the time. If our meal is light on protein, I'll let the kids have milk. Occasionally, I'll buy gatorade powder as a treat. I buy canned fruit during the spring and summer because my son cannot eat fresh fruit during pollen season. Dairy Dannon Trad Peach yogurt 2@ .60=1.20 Yoplait yogurt3@.60=1.80 CoffeeMate 3.29 Single serve frozen yogurt 4@1.00=4.00 Shredded mozzarella cheese 3lb 8.79 Gallon Milk 3.55 Ricotta 3.89 Sour Cream1.89 Yogurt is an occasional treat here. When I buy it, it's 50 cents each or less. We don't buy CoffeeMate; however, DH does buy espresso beans and makes his own mocha most mornings. The cheeses I explained above. We do spend much more than that on milk. Health & Beauty Shampoo 4.49 Irish Spring 3.49 Zyrtec 9.99 Shaving cream 2.29 Razors 14.49 After Shave 5.68 Men's shampoo 4.99 Genteal Dry Eye Gel 9.48 Benedryl 3.99 You can get generic zyrtec at Costco. It's $15.95 for 365 tablets. You can also buy generic benedryl for pretty cheaply there. I get disposable razors for very cheaply when on sale. When I was actively using coupons, I got them free and had over a year's supply sitting in my cabinet. We don't use shaving cream or after shave. Shampoo and soap can be bought like the razors...on sale with a coupon. Produce 3 Apples 1.73 7 Bananas 1.75 2 Oranges 1.78 3 Apples 2.28 2 lb. grapes 6.98 1 Cuke .99 2.41 lbs Tomatoes 8.15 3 Apples 2.26 2 Pears 2.10 1 Broccoli Raab 2.35 1 Garlic .69 2 Leeks 1.98 2 avocados 2.58 1 Jalapeno .14 3 Lemons1.47 10 lbs potatoes 5.99 1 Celery 1.99 3 Sweet peppers 2.99 1 pk Mushrooms 1.99 1 pk baby spinach 3.49 1 pk spring mix 5.99 1 bunch cilantro 2.49 1 bunch sage 2.49 I'm curious as to why you bought three different kinds of apples. I buy whatever is cheapest. During the winter, we usually only eat apples and bananas because of cost out of season. If I see produce on a good sale, I'll get that, too. I won't buy grapes unless they are on sale for under $2 a pound, preferably 99 cents a pound. I buy mushrooms in bulk only because those packages usually cost more per pound. I buy a huge box of spinach for that price and slice it up and add it to every thing so it doesn't go back. I don't buy spring mix often, but rather grow several kinds of lettuce during the summer. I don't buy fresh herbs because of cost and it goes bad before I can use it. Potatoes are expensive there. A 10 pound bag here goes for $2-$3. Seafood Salmon 17.97 Haddock 6.84 Flounder 7.49 I only buy fish when it is $5 pound or less. I buy 1.5 - 2 pounds to feed 6 of us. We usually eat ground beef (cheapest high fat and drain), whole chicken (79 cents a pound, used for three meals), chicken breasts ($1.99 a pound when on sale), pork loin (buy a whole loin when on sale at $1.99 pound and cut it into roast/chops), country style ribs ($1.99 a pound or less), london broil (when on sale buy one get one free). I generally look at the prices and choose cuts from there. We'll eat nicer steak once or twice a year. That's when I'm buying meat from the store. When I can, I buy meat from a local butcher selling local meat in packages that run $2.50-$2.65 a pound for a variety of meats and cuts. It's much higher quality and free from hormones and antibiotics and tastes so much better. Tax 3.41 Balance due 285.18 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Nyssa Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 Hi, this is just me, but here is what I would do differently: Bakery Bagette 2.49 Italian bread 1.99 Portuguese rolls (4 ct) 1.99 Deli Crumbled feta 5.99 I think it costs less if you crumble it yourself HRD garden Jack (cheese) 4.87 Parmesan Wedge 7.09Parmesan really varies in price according to the quality, so I usually buy cheaper, and save the really good stuff for special occasions Apple Smoked Mozzerella 4.59 Guda 2.99 Cleaners Lysol liquid cleaner 2.79 buy generic Snuggle 3.69 Grocery Del Monte Strawberry banana peach fruit gel cup 2.73again, generic Contidina Tomato Paste 3@1.29=3.87generic Del Monte diced pear 2.73generic Cheeze Its 2.79generic will really save here Good Earth Chai Tea 3.39 Dole Fruit n Gel 2.39 Sugar 2 5 lb bags@3.65=7.30 Penne .89 Farfalle .89 small shells.89 Raspberry preserves 2.49 Egg noodles 1.39 Oatmeal Raisin cookies 1.89I don't buy cookies, we don't eat them unless I bake-- usually Dutch Chocolate Chunky cookie 1.89 Kool-aid 10@.22= 2.20 Triscuits 1.99 Wheat Thins 1.99generic Taco Seasoning .99 Taco shells 2.49 Organic table sugar 2.79 Irish breakfast Tea 4.79get supermarket brand for about 2.50 Black Olives 1.89 12 Grain Bread 2.39 Dairy Dannon Trad Peach yogurt 2@ .60=1.20 Yoplait yogurt3@.60=1.80 CoffeeMate 3.29 Single serve frozen yogurt 4@1.00=4.00 Shredded mozzarella cheese 3lb 8.79 Gallon Milk 3.55 Ricotta 3.89 Sour Cream1.89 Health & Beauty Shampoo 4.49this is expensive-- can you try another brand? Irish Spring 3.49ditto Ivory is cheaper Zyrtec 9.99get generic or you may be able to order it through your insurance plan's mail program? Shaving cream 2.29 Razors 14.49 After Shave 5.68 Men's shampoo 4.99try a cheaper brand, this is expensive! Genteal Dry Eye Gel 9.48 Benedryl 3.99 Produce 3 Apples 1.73 7 Bananas 1.75 2 Oranges 1.78 3 Apples 2.28 2 lb. grapes 6.98 1 Cuke .99 2.41 lbs Tomatoes 8.15 3 Apples 2.26 2 Pears 2.10 1 Broccoli Raab 2.35 1 Garlic .69 2 Leeks 1.98 2 avocados 2.58 1 Jalapeno .14 3 Lemons1.47 10 lbs potatoes 5.99 1 Celery 1.99 3 Sweet peppers 2.99 1 pk Mushrooms 1.99 1 pk baby spinach 3.49 1 pk spring mix 5.99 1 bunch cilantro 2.49 1 bunch sage 2.49 Seafood Salmon 17.97I know, salmon is expensive-- not much you can do about that! Haddock 6.84 Flounder 7.49 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margo out of lurking Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 I'm falling over dead here. Perhaps you live outside of the U.S. or in a very, very expensive area (NYC or San Francisco?) or are shopping at a Whole Foods-type store? I cannot imagine eating Hamburger Helper. I am not on a food budget. I don't have a stand alone freezer. I shop at a combination of WalMart and Kroger. I can't imagine buying the kinds of foods you are buying, particularly if you want to save money. I can't find an earlier thread referencing your food buying, so I'm unsure of any other goal than cutting back expenses. Bakery: A little $ for me, but okay. I'm not a bake-my-own-bread person. Deli: Wow. That's fancy cheese, and a lot of it. I buy feta sometimes, parmesan frequently and mozzeralla, but all at half the price. Grocery: Buy canned fruit in larger cans and pack up individual servings yourself for dh's lunch. I rarely spend more than $1 per can on canned fruit. Health & Beauty: Buy generic shampoos and OTC meds. Produce: Buy produce in season. Buy a 3-lb. bag of apples instead of three different kinds individually. (I buy a 3-lb. bag of Galas for $4. They are smaller than the apples sold individually, a much more reasonable "serving size.") I only buy grapes when they are below $2/lb.; avocados below $1/ea.; cantaloupe below $2/ea. Were there any potatoes that were cheaper? I'd also find substitutes for the spring mix, cilantro and sage--that's $11 just for those three items. Seafood: I see that your salmon is a special treat, but WOW. At that price, I'd be going out to dinner! My goal is to spend less than $10 per night for dinner. Sometimes I meet the goal, sometimes not. I try to plan many meals around the weekly food ad. Breakfasts are usually less formal around here. I try to get my ds to eat a grain, a dairy, and a fruit to make him feel full; dd is more of a challenge, and I'm happy if she eats a yogurt. A few times a week, someone might cook eggs and hash browns, or pancakes. Lunch is sandwiches; rice/beans topped with cheese and any other condiments; tortilla pizzas; dinner leftovers; occasionally boxed mac and cheese; canned soup, etc. Sometimes I fix lunch for my family, sometimes they are on their own. Many years ago, I got into the habit of fixing what many others would consider a "fancy" meal every night. My menu plan looked like yours. I don't think most people eat that "big" all the time. You may take a cue from your or dh's childhood for ideas. (That wouldn't work for everyone, including me.) I still think I spend way too much on food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherry in OH Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 First is what we bought for a two week period and the amount I spent. Below that is what I plan on making with this purchase over a period of two weeks. If you can see any way to significantly save money on groceries, without turning to hamburger helper type stuff, please let me know. Bakery Bagette 2.49 Italian bread 1.99 Portuguese rolls (4 ct) 1.99 Deli Crumbled feta 5.99 HRD garden Jack (cheese) 4.87 Parmesan Wedge 7.09 Apple Smoked Mozzerella 4.59 Guda 2.99 Compare prices on crumbled and block feta. Block is usually cheaper. If you want to save money, you may need to settle for plain mozzarella. You live in Maine. Cabot cheddar is made in Vermont. How does it compare price-wise to garden jack and gouda? Cleaners Lysol liquid cleaner 2.79 Snuggle 3.69 Vinegar works well for cleaning. If you don't like vinegar, how about store brand. I don't know what Snuggle is. Grocery Del Monte Strawberry banana peach fruit gel cup 2.73 Junk food. If you must have, make your own. Gelatin plus fresh, frozen, or canned fruit. Use the least expensive fruit you can find. Contidina Tomato Paste 3@1.29=3.87 Del Monte diced pear 2.73 Try generic or store brands. Cheeze Its 2.79 Good Earth Chai Tea 3.39 Do without the crackers. Make your own tea at home. Dole Fruit n Gel 2.39 Make your own or do without. Sugar 2 5 lb bags@3.65=7.30 Penne .89 Farfalle .89 small shells.89 Raspberry preserves 2.49 Egg noodles 1.39 Oatmeal Raisin cookies 1.89 Dutch Chocolate Chunky cookie 1.89 Make your own. Kool-aid 10@.22= 2.20 We drink water. If you must have this, use less sugar than recommended. Triscuits 1.99 Wheat Thins 1.99 As far as crackers go, these are far from the worst. Taco Seasoning .99 Make your own. Taco shells 2.49 Store brand corn chips or tortilla chips are cheaper and taste the same. Make taco salad instead of tacos. Organic table sugar 2.79 Irish breakfast Tea 4.79 Black Olives 1.89 12 Grain Bread 2.39 Dairy Dannon Trad Peach yogurt 2@ .60=1.20 Yoplait yogurt3@.60=1.80 Buy a large container of plain yogurt. Add fruit or a spoonful of preserves to each serving. CoffeeMate 3.29 Single serve frozen yogurt 4@1.00=4.00 Luxury item Shredded mozzarella cheese 3lb 8.79 Gallon Milk 3.55 How does non-fat dry milk compare. Would you be willing to follow the advice given in The Tightwad Gazette? Substitute reconstituted dry milk for whole milk in recipes or mix it half and half. Ricotta 3.89 Sour Cream1.89 If you buy plain yogurt you can substitute it for sour cream. Health & Beauty Shampoo 4.49 Irish Spring 3.49 Have you tried other brands of soap and shampoo? Zyrtec 9.99 Shaving cream 2.29 Razors 14.49 After Shave 5.68 Men's shampoo 4.99 Genteal Dry Eye Gel 9.48 Benedryl 3.99 Produce 3 Apples 1.73 7 Bananas 1.75 2 Oranges 1.78 3 Apples 2.28 2 lb. grapes 6.98 1 Cuke .99 2.41 lbs Tomatoes 8.15 3 Apples 2.26 2 Pears 2.10 1 Broccoli Raab 2.35 1 Garlic .69 2 Leeks 1.98 2 avocados 2.58 1 Jalapeno .14 3 Lemons1.47 10 lbs potatoes 5.99 1 Celery 1.99 3 Sweet peppers 2.99 1 pk Mushrooms 1.99 1 pk baby spinach 3.49 1 pk spring mix 5.99 1 bunch cilantro 2.49 1 bunch sage 2.49 If you want fresh produce out of season, you will have to pay a premium for it. Could you substitute frozen or canned for some of the fresh? If you bought the bananas to make banana bread, I hope you got them marked down. Old mushy bananas are fine for baked goods. Seafood Salmon 17.97 Haddock 6.84 Flounder 7.49 Was there a special occasion? The salmon is too expensive. What about canned salmon or a less expensive fish. Tax 3.41 Balance due 285.18 Some notes: Some things are not typical. Dh ran out of all shaving supplies this week while gone so all that had to be purchased today. The eye gel is medically necessary. I can not dump that. The fruit cups and individual yogurts are to fill out dh's lunches. The salmon is a treat to celebrate dh's homecoming today. The massive tomato purchase is to make Pico de gallo for the Super Bowl Party we are attending. And I ran out of all my allergy meds yesterday. I find it cheaper to buy mozzerella in large quantities and freeze it. I did not buy the melons today. The cantaloupe was almost $4.00 for one melon. Have your husband save the containers or buy reusable plastic containers for his lunches. The individually packaged snacks are very expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MSNative Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 Again, I hope I haven't totally overexplained to you! If I have, forgive me. Hopefully you can use some of what I wrote :D Thanks for the post! And you can't overexplain with me. Use small words. I'm still learning the whole couponing thing. OP - I did want to say that your menu sounds delicious. You have me salivating for a huge salad, soup and a whole grain roll. Yum. It looks like you feed your family very well. I wouldn't change your menus too much - just use the tips you can to lower your costs. Your menu reminded me - if you are up to gardening, you can grow some cherry tomatoes, mini - peppers, lettuces, herbs and spinach in containers even (I'm trying to think of things that you use that would also tolerate a shorter growing season). You can freeze all but the lettuces. I had a banner basil crop this year and have been rolling in frozen pesto. (ok, not literally) But it's been great to throw into soups this winter to give a fresh taste. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara in Colo Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 (edited) I have read the responces and everyone makes good points. I mostly agree with the couponing and the cheese items. I rarely find that baking lowers my bills, because I find the hour in the oven makes my electric bill WAY higher compared to the cost of bread, however, I don't buy gourmet bread. Couponing is hard work--no getting around that. If you need help, PM me. It also takes time to build a pantry so you have to factor that into the budget (about 20.00 a week for stockpiling for about 6 months). After that, you only buy stuff on sale/coupon. For instance my store has kleenex on sale with a coupon for .75 a box (200ct)--I'll buy 9 boxes and this will last 6 months. I won't buy tissue until the next sale time. Same with toothpaste, deodorant, pasta, mayo, ...you get the picture. I can do this because I don't have to buy the other stockpiled stuff. The only new advice I can offer is to take cash. This works for me. I only have 80.00 to spend, no checkbook to back me. You will find out real quickly what is needed and what is extra. For your bill, start with 200.00. The reason we started the cash thing is we were (still are) broke. If DH doesn't have it on Sunday, the check would just bounce on Monday. This at least saves us the 35.00 returned check fee and a lot of stress. I also have to stockpile. Sometimes I get 100.00+ for the week, sometimes I get 40.00. If I don't have it at home, we will have some VERY strange meals (like beans and franks for a week). Lara Edited February 5, 2011 by Lara in Colo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaKinVA Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 1. My #1 best comment is going to be reverse-engineer your menus to reflect the weekly sales and specials in your grocery store. For example... here in my area, both Bloom and Giant's sales run from Thursday to Wednesday. The circular comes out on Wednesday. Using what is ON SALE (meat, cheese, produce, etc.). So, you would do your menu planning on Wednesday/Thursday, and purchase Thursday/Friday. (if you don't have the circulars delivered to your house, you may be able to have them e-mailed to you from the company. Go to their website and sign up!!) For example, last week, I bought Sirloin Roast for $2.49/pound (half price). At Costco, they had $4 off a package (about 7 pounds worth) of skinless, boneless chicken breasts. Routinely, hamburger is $1.89/pound, and whole chickens are $0.89/pound at Costco. That goes a long way for us! 2. Redplum.com, Coupons.com, and Smartsource.com should be a place you check weekly for printable coupons. I routinely get household items for 75% off (or better). My goal is 50% off, and I can do that with ease. 3. Go to the websites of products you purchase on a regular basis -- or would purchase if they were cheaper -- (proctor & gamble, betty crocker, Kellog's, etc.), register for their coupons. Make a note of when the P&G savers are in the paper, then purchase a few. Thanks to Kellog's site, I just got 6 boxes of Kellog's Raisin Bran for 60 cents a box!! (20oz box). 4. Register at 'For the Mama's" -- it's free, they will send you a newsletter with some of the "best deals" on things. It's free. 5. Watch the sales. Stock up when you can. My goal is to match a great sale with a good coupon. This week, I purchased Vlassic Pickles (normally $2.79/jar) on BOGO sale, WITH coupons. I got 4 jars of good pickles for $0.85! I got a package of Kraft sliced cheese for $0.50! I got Kellog's Raisin bran for $0.60 a box (20oz box). Carry your coupons with you, and *even if you don't need it right now* go down the aisles! At Giant today, I went down the health and beauty aisles. They were discontinuing a TON of Crest products... things I had $1 off coupons for! I got toothpaste for $0.25! Toothbrushes for $0.50! Shop at Rite Aid (I don't do as well with CVS, but occassionally, like right now, they have Campbell's soup for 50 a can). Rite Aid has videos on-line that you can "watch" and earn credits... about $11 off your next purchase there can be earned. PLUS, you can use one of their "coupons" with a manufacturer coupon... I got haircolor (name brand) on sale for $7.99, plus a $2 off Rite Aid Coupon and a $2 off manufacturer coupon... I paid $4) Because of working their ads, I not only get items FREE, I get UP rewards (like cash) that I can use the following week. I spent $23 at Rite Aid and paid nothing. In my coupon holder for this week, I have $35 in UP Rewards and $ off Purchases that I can use over the next 2 weeks. 6. Costco/Sam's... I have Costco. I saw what you are spending on tomato paste. You can get a commercial-size can of paste for $2.50! This CAN be split into smaller portions and frozen in ziplock baggies. I make my spaghetti sauce ahead of time. I buy the commercial-sized tomatoes/paste, and use cooked lentils to replace 1/2 of the meat in our recipe. I freeze it in portions we cook for our family. These are my best ideas for how you can save money on what you purchased. The fresh fruits and vegetables are always difficult... but if you take advantage of at least tips 1-5, you will start seeing some huge savings! Here are my totals for the week: Giant -- Retail $275, I paid $135, plus I eard $1 off per gallon of gas ($16.50 off my fill-up!) Rite Aid -- Retail $23.12, I paid nothing... and walked away with UP Rewards for next week. CVS -- Retail $78.27, and I paid $36.84 Bloom -- Retail $39.72, and I paid $12.73. If I needed to, we could eat for a month on what I have stocked in my pantry and freezer right now... except for eggs, milk, bread, and fresh fruits & vegetables.... it's not all junk (I won't say I didn't buy *any* junk, but most of it is not). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwilliams Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 You buy cheap double disposable razors for $1 that work great. Switch from zyrtec to claritin but buy non-name brand loratadine for $3. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MSNative Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 1. My #1 best comment is going to be reverse-engineer your menus to reflect the weekly sales and specials in your grocery store. For example... here in my area, both Bloom and Giant's sales run from Thursday to Wednesday. The circular comes out on Wednesday. Using what is ON SALE (meat, cheese, produce, etc.). So, you would do your menu planning on Wednesday/Thursday, and purchase Thursday/Friday. (if you don't have the circulars delivered to your house, you may be able to have them e-mailed to you from the company. Go to their website and sign up!!) For example, last week, I bought Sirloin Roast for $2.49/pound (half price). At Costco, they had $4 off a package (about 7 pounds worth) of skinless, boneless chicken breasts. Routinely, hamburger is $1.89/pound, and whole chickens are $0.89/pound at Costco. That goes a long way for us! 2. Redplum.com, Coupons.com, and Smartsource.com should be a place you check weekly for printable coupons. I routinely get household items for 75% off (or better). My goal is 50% off, and I can do that with ease. 3. Go to the websites of products you purchase on a regular basis -- or would purchase if they were cheaper -- (proctor & gamble, betty crocker, Kellog's, etc.), register for their coupons. Make a note of when the P&G savers are in the paper, then purchase a few. Thanks to Kellog's site, I just got 6 boxes of Kellog's Raisin Bran for 60 cents a box!! (20oz box). 4. Register at 'For the Mama's" -- it's free, they will send you a newsletter with some of the "best deals" on things. It's free. 5. Watch the sales. Stock up when you can. My goal is to match a great sale with a good coupon. This week, I purchased Vlassic Pickles (normally $2.79/jar) on BOGO sale, WITH coupons. I got 4 jars of good pickles for $0.85! I got a package of Kraft sliced cheese for $0.50! I got Kellog's Raisin bran for $0.60 a box (20oz box). Carry your coupons with you, and *even if you don't need it right now* go down the aisles! At Giant today, I went down the health and beauty aisles. They were discontinuing a TON of Crest products... things I had $1 off coupons for! I got toothpaste for $0.25! Toothbrushes for $0.50! Shop at Rite Aid (I don't do as well with CVS, but occassionally, like right now, they have Campbell's soup for 50 a can). Rite Aid has videos on-line that you can "watch" and earn credits... about $11 off your next purchase there can be earned. PLUS, you can use one of their "coupons" with a manufacturer coupon... I got haircolor (name brand) on sale for $7.99, plus a $2 off Rite Aid Coupon and a $2 off manufacturer coupon... I paid $4) Because of working their ads, I not only get items FREE, I get UP rewards (like cash) that I can use the following week. I spent $23 at Rite Aid and paid nothing. In my coupon holder for this week, I have $35 in UP Rewards and $ off Purchases that I can use over the next 2 weeks. 6. Costco/Sam's... I have Costco. I saw what you are spending on tomato paste. You can get a commercial-size can of paste for $2.50! This CAN be split into smaller portions and frozen in ziplock baggies. I make my spaghetti sauce ahead of time. I buy the commercial-sized tomatoes/paste, and use cooked lentils to replace 1/2 of the meat in our recipe. I freeze it in portions we cook for our family. These are my best ideas for how you can save money on what you purchased. The fresh fruits and vegetables are always difficult... but if you take advantage of at least tips 1-5, you will start seeing some huge savings! Here are my totals for the week: Giant -- Retail $275, I paid $135, plus I eard $1 off per gallon of gas ($16.50 off my fill-up!) Rite Aid -- Retail $23.12, I paid nothing... and walked away with UP Rewards for next week. CVS -- Retail $78.27, and I paid $36.84 Bloom -- Retail $39.72, and I paid $12.73. If I needed to, we could eat for a month on what I have stocked in my pantry and freezer right now... except for eggs, milk, bread, and fresh fruits & vegetables.... it's not all junk (I won't say I didn't buy *any* junk, but most of it is not). So how are you doing this? I just started couponing a few months ago. My Kroger does not double coupons. I do look at the ads, match the coupons and try to get the best deal. I only buy when items are on sale and I am the queen of the manager markdown. However, I never get the 4 jars of pickles for 85 cents. At best I would get a buck off the $2.79 (or a buck of 2 for $5). What am I doing wrong? I've tried to do the CVS/Walgreens/Rite Aid deals that Southern Saver shows, but each time the deal is on stuff I don't use. I can't see spending $7 to get $5 of ECB and a bunch of mascara that I'll never use 'cause I blind myself trying to apply the stuff, kwim?:lol: OP- Sorry to hijack. I just get frustrated at myself when I see people getting these amazing deals that I can't seem to get the hang of. I feel like I'm trying to keep costs down, but then I see a post like this and realize there is more of this mountain to climb. Help!! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted February 5, 2011 Author Share Posted February 5, 2011 (edited) I'm just going down the line here and commenting on posts. I do forget that we have a Rite-Aid. We were so long without a local pharmacy that I have to make myself remember to go there. Where am I to get the Rite Aid coupons from? The dog likes vinegar too. If it clean with it he licks it, then I have to clean it again because it is covered with dog drool. I do agree that I can get get cheaper than Lysol. The stuff I bought is the liquid concentrate. I've never made yogurt. I'd need a recipe. Do I need special equipment? The deli cheese is because dh went to the store with me. I will say this is the first time in 6 weeks he has not spent just as much on chips. Yes $15.00 a week in Doritos and potato chips. :glare: If I have to spend it to keep him happy I'd much rather buy cheese than Doritos. I did not realize there was $35.00 on cheese. I will not have to buy parm (big block) or mozz (big bag) for the rest of the month. Maybe even 2 months for the mozz. I will put artisan bread in 5 minutes a day in my Amazon cart. I have baked bread in the past, but I got a bit burned out on it. I won't buy microwave popcorn because of the additives, but I know I should use my whirley pop much more than I do. My people won't drink plain water. I do cut the sugar to about 2/3 of a cup instead of the whole cup. The organic sugar is for my tea. The other sugar is for baking and for kool-aid. The taco shells were on sale. If I freeze yogurt from the dairy case is it the same thing as frozen yogurt? The zyrtec I bought was the store brand. I couldn't spell citriz..... I don't have a Sam's close. I wonder if they will ship meds. Also the Benedryl was store brand. I can't spell psuedoephri.... Again, the salmon was just special for dh's returning home. He is cooking, too. The reason I buy that particular (large size) tomato paste is because it is just tomatoes. Dh and I compared today and for the price that was the best we could get. Even when apples are harvested locally they aren't less than $1.29 per pound. I can't get anything less than $1.00 per pound ever where I live. The three different is because I like fuji apples which were $1.69/pound, dh likes a different kind at the same price. I'm not sure why there are three types in there. I was surprised when I got home and put them in the fruit bowl. I'll have to ask dh. ETA: The bananas are for my reflux. They are a bit green so they last longer since I've got a few left over from last trip. The fruit/gel stuff for dh's lunch is one of those things. I'll make some Jello even adding fruit and it will sit in the fridge until I get tired of seeing it. Even if I put it in custard cups with their own lids. I'll have to revisit the issue with dh and see. I told dh I'd make cookies. He said the packaged cookies are faster and put them in the cart. :glare: I'm starting to sound like a broken record. The coffeemate is a dh thing. I don't drink coffee. I spend $300 a year on his coffee alone. If it were up to me he be getting instant coffee. :D Seems that there are some things that are sacred which I'm not allowed to change. I don't have a sam's, whole foods, super walmart or costco within driving distance. Some are not even in my state. Where I live, everything is out of season. And I realized today that my frozen veggie section is awful. It is full of veggies with sauce or veggies with some kind of something else. Are people not buying plain frozen green beans? Maybe not in my area. We are about half and half for vegetarian - meat meals. I might be stocking up on sugar. I haven't bought any in months. I told dh to get sugar and it might be the whole biggest package thing because he said, "10 pounds?" I said, "Sure." and that is why we have two 5 pound bags. I actually thought he bought one big bag until I got home. It was store brand. The potatoes are grown here. If I had bought 100 pounds in October, and stored them properly (my 50 pound bag froze then thawed then froze again in my mud room) I'd be okay with potatoes. The potatoes were grown here, put up for sale and then shipped to Frito Lay. If I buy them at the market I get them from Idaho. So, yeah, I messed up 5 months ago. The pasta was on sale so that is why I bought so much even though it isn't on the menus. Thanks Melissa for the coupon links. I'll have to look into it. About 6 weeks ago I printed off a bunch of coupons and cut them out and left them at home. :001_huh: I'll have to do better. Edited February 5, 2011 by Parrothead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairytalemama Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 You have so many great ideas here! Here are my tips, but they're dietary in nature so take or leave --- avoid the deli, reduce the meat consumption (make it an extra, not the focus of the meal), and dump the dairy. Once I realized that everything per pound in the deli (at least for the quality stuff) is $5 per pound and up I started looking for alternatives. We eat leftovers or hummus and pita with veggies or salads with no cheese most days for lunch. We established last year that dh is dairy sensitive so cutting out the dairy was a must for meals. You'd be amazed what you can make without cheese and still have it taste good. I was raised putting cheese on everything so it was a big adjustment, but it helped his health and reduced our grocery bill. We still buy 1 gallon of milk each week and some yogurt for the kids. One more thing- I just realized this myself (and I think someone in the thread already suggested it) but buying frozen veggies in the winter is the way to go. I can't believe how much I've saved just by doing that. Can't wait to hear more ideas from others. Thanks again for a great thread :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam Wilhelm Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 Leave the husband at home? :D :lol::lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Random Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 My only question for the OP is, "HOW CAN YOU GO TWO WEEKS WITHOUT CHOCOLATE?!?" I didn't see any on your list! Seriously, though, you have gotten many suggestions, but I understand what it is like to live in a remote area, without access to more than a single, small grocery store. I also understand not giving up fresh produce because of its health benefits. I don't think you should do that, either. However, many things on your list were expensive but NOT healthy, as others have pointed out. I agree with what others have said about the mini-single-serve-anythings. They're almost always more expensive. I also agree with reducing the amount of cheese and crackers on your list. We like air-popped popcorn for snacks. Or baby carrots. Or tortilla chips. In order for me to save money baking bread, I had to buy a grinder and buy whole wheat berries in 50# bags. A 5 lb bag of whole wheat flour at my grocery store is almost $6, which makes home-made more expensive than store-bought. But, a 50# bag of wheat berries is about $15 from a large distributor, which totally changed the game. Same thing for oats. Is there anything like that in your area? A co-op? An Amish settlement? An LDS church? You could ask the LDS ladies where they buy their food storage. Anything like that? The only other thing I can think of is, have you checked the prices on Amazon? Where I live, it was cheaper for me to buy many things on your list from Amazon, and when the order is over $25, the shipping is free, plus there was no sales tax. Best wishes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara in Colo Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 Never. Shop. With. A. Husband. :D They complain about the money AFTER it's spent (like at the end of the month) but can't seem to do "without" in the checkout lane. Remember... they are still little boys and I never take the children with me either!;) Lara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted February 5, 2011 Author Share Posted February 5, 2011 I'm going to have to check into the Rite Aid thing. Of course we wouldn't use any of the things you listed. I haven't seen ground beef at less than $2.50/pound in any grocery store since I left Arizona. I really think it has a lot to do with where I live. Again, dh won't use cheap razors. I'm really starting to wonder where my marketing problem really lies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted February 5, 2011 Author Share Posted February 5, 2011 Have I ever mentioned that we have an old fashioned candy store in our downtown area? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 I agree with a lot of the great suggestions (namely, do more yourself at home, use store/sale brands, and eliminate the single-serve items), but I also wanted to suggest that you decide your target weekly grocery amount and work from there. $285 for two weeks in the winter in high cost-of-food area doesn't sound astronomical, but I do think there are ways to reduce that if you want/need. You have some high-price items there -- extra tomatoes for making salsa, salmon, cheese, etc. Rather than simply eliminating all of them, I'd figure it like this: let's say you want to get your budget down to $250 for two weeks, so $125 a week. I'd decide on a target amount per meal. Maybe $2 is a reasonable amount for breakfast, $5 for lunch and snacks, and $10 for dinner. That's $17 a day for food, multiplied by seven to give you a target food cost of $119 a week (plus $6 a week for toiletries and cleaners). Only you can decide what your target amount per meal is, and where you want to make cuts. (And then you see that if salsa is the only contribution you need to bring to the SB party, then that fits nicely with your target amount for dinner.) Maybe you don't need as much cheese and would rather have the salmon dinner; maybe you don't want to make your own cleaning products and would prefer to skip the salmon. It's really up to you, but this has really helped me in my budgeting. Also, if you have occasional large expenses like medicines or shaving products, you may want to set aside a bit each month for them, rather than try to fit a large chunk into your budget at once. Also, for things like the salmon dinner, I'd probably count that in a separate budget category, like entertainment or miscellaneous, unless you have one of those sorts of fancy meals every month. My budget works better if I handle irregular stuff differently from regular meals and such. Oh, my other trick is to make my list at home, with estimates about how much I think things will cost next to them. Then I total it all up and have an idea of what the whole bill should be. I keep a running tally as I walk through the store. I'm generally right on target with most things, but I'm almost always pleasantly surprised when certain expensive things are on sale. (We don't get the sale circulars for the store I prefer to use.) Like, last night, I needed a bunch of cheeses for various dishes (not able to get to my preferred places for buying meat this week, so more cheese-based dinners), but several turned out to be on sale, so yay! Your meals sound delicious, btw! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 The dog likes vinegar too. If it clean with it he licks it, then I have to clean it again because it is covered with dog drool. LOL! That's not very helpful then. :) I use mostly Dr. Bronner's liquid soap (in a spray bottle with some water -- a small bottle of Dr. B's lasts quite a while) for cleaning, vinegar for glass/mirrors. You can add a few drops of tea tree oil or lavender oil for more germ-fighting power. I've never made yogurt. I'd need a recipe. Do I need special equipment? I use a barely-warm oven; you might need to prop the door open if it doesn't go low enough. Other than that, you basically stir some plain yogurt into some milk and let it sit at the right temp for several hours. It may be a bit runnier than store-bought, but it should work fine. Leave the DH at home. :) (Though if he was away, I'm sure you're happy to see him and spend as much time as possible with him.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaKinVA Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 I do forget that we have a Rite-Aid. We were so long without a local pharmacy that I have to make myself remember to go there. Where am I to get the Rite Aid coupons from? The dog likes vinegar too. If it clean with it he licks it, then I have to clean it again because it is covered with dog drool. I do agree that I can get get cheaper than Lysol. The stuff I bought is the liquid concentrate. I've never made yogurt. I'd need a recipe. Do I need special equipment? I have a different problem with my dh... he goes "off list." I don't buy a lot of junk, but if he sees it BOGO, he buys it. OY! For Rite Aid, just go to www.riteaid.com -- make sure you watch the video offers (for the record, I play them with the sound off, and just make sure I pay enough attention to when they end to enter the code). If you watch all the videos there (especially the ones that say 1 CREDIT plus), you should get about $11 off your next purchase. (in addition to the coupons). If your grocery store rarely has good sales, watch Rite Aid for your personal care and household items. They also have (at times) decent sales on cereal, canned soup, and some food. That stinks about your grocery store not doubling any coupons. Mine limit me to 3 doubled coupons (of the same item), and will only double up to $.99. Keep in mind that coupons and sales cycle every few months... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 Costco does online ordering. Check and see if they ship to your area and if it will be worth it. The zyrtec alone might cover your membership costs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 (edited) 1. My #1 best comment is going to be reverse-engineer your menus to reflect the weekly sales and specials in your grocery store. . Exactly. You spent an awful lot on fancy cheeses and fish alone - don't plan out what you are going to make for the week until you see what is a good deal at the store that week. My kids want pulled pork. I am waiting for the local store to have its periodic uber-cheap pork loins ( the big things in the plastic bags, not the tenderloins) on sale. I only get store-brand yogurt, and that in the big tubs, at Aldi for hubby. No one else gets yogurt unless it is really on sale. Cheaper to have them drink milk. Don't buy Trisket or gel cups or canned fruit (ok, I get canned pears when we have the flu). Hubby can have a piece of whatever in season friut is on sale in his lunch! I will stop now, or I will be just echoing everyone else. Idea - try to alter your shopping a bit at a time, so the chock dosn't make it too hard to adapt - week one cut down on the cheeses and only get what is on sale and only half of what you think you need. Week two - only one meal of fish, and that whatever is on sale. BUT - if more than 3 - 4 dollars a lb, skip it. Stock up on generic jello when it is on sale. Don't spring for $5 worth of two herbs - SKIP!!! Edited February 6, 2011 by JFSinIL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaKinVA Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 So how are you doing this? I just started couponing a few months ago. My Kroger does not double coupons. I do look at the ads, match the coupons and try to get the best deal. I only buy when items are on sale and I am the queen of the manager markdown. However, I never get the 4 jars of pickles for 85 cents. At best I would get a buck off the $2.79 (or a buck of 2 for $5). I'm sorry, it was $0.85 a jar, not $0.85 for all four... but still, it is a very, very good deal. I got this because Bloom is offering the pickles at Buy One Get One Free with a coupon for 55 cents off of one jar of pickles, that was doubled. Since I was buying 2 jars of pickles I used two coupons, which took $1.10 off each paid jar (making it $1.69), and then I got my 2 FREE jars... making my total per jar about $0.85. This only works if you are patient, build your coupon stash, and stock up when they DO go on sale. I still have 6 coupons left... and the sale limits me to 2 FREE jars, so I'll be going back several days to pick up more pickles. I've tried to do the CVS/Walgreens/Rite Aid deals that Southern Saver shows, but each time the deal is on stuff I don't use. I can't see spending $7 to get $5 of ECB and a bunch of mascara that I'll never use 'cause I blind myself trying to apply the stuff, kwim?:lol: OP- Sorry to hijack. I just get frustrated at myself when I see people getting these amazing deals that I can't seem to get the hang of. I feel like I'm trying to keep costs down, but then I see a post like this and realize there is more of this mountain to climb. Help!! :) I don't shop at Walgreens, mainly because the closest one is 40 minutes away... just not worth my time to drive over there for a handful of items (or not yet, anyhow). CVS only occassionally has decent sales on items I use. I know what you mean about the UP Rewards stuff, though (like ECB). There may be two weeks where I don't buy much of anything, and then BAM, they have a BUNCH that I do use. This week, Charmin is on sale. I had some coupons, so I bought as much TP as I could, using my near-expiring UP Rewards to pay for them. For every 2 pkgs. of Charmin I bought, I got a $1 back. They also have deals on personal care (shampoo/conditioners), and other household items. I do try to be careful, but I'm not always picky. I have $35 to spend in the next few weeks. I've been printing coupons, and hoping for the best. At worst case, I will purchase shampoos, soaps, detergents, etc. that I may not use (brand preference), but that will earn me UP Rewards for another day... and then donate everything to our church's food pantry. Keeping the UP Rewards for another day. Also, don't forget to visit their website for their video rewards. They have about $11 off your non-prescription purchases for watching a bunch of different videos (as I mentioned to OP, I don't really watch them... I just turn the sound down on my computer, and pay close enough attention to enter the appropriate codes). Rite Aid coupons are on-line and in the circular that comes out on Sunday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 Never. Shop. With. A. Husband. :D They complain about the money AFTER it's spent (like at the end of the month) but can't seem to do "without" in the checkout lane. Remember... they are still little boys and I never take the children with me either!;) Lara This. Completely. Even my FATHER is like that. He'd buy this HUGE thing of pudding and I'd visit and be like, "Dad. What's with the Vat O Pudding?" My Dh uses good razors, too, but I stock up on them when they're on sale and I have a coupon. I think you know where your $ drain is... He's gonna hafta start sucking it up and not blowing $ on jello cups. :D My yogurt recipe is on my blog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 HUSBANDS are murder on spending!!!! Dh had to run to Walmart for batteries for the rocket team and asked if there was anything I needed him to pick up. All I wanted was their cheap coconut oil (because I'm lacing the lamb's milk with it to up the fat content - one of them is very emaciated, but doing well on the bottle) and one, count it ONE, 16 oz. container of sour cream. I normally get my sour cream from the Mennonite Store (72 oz. container for $4.99). IT TOOK HIM FOREVER TO GET HOME! Well, guess what....never leave a man in Walmart with a debit card UNATTENDED! He bought Dorritos (WHICH I NEVER BUY), two containers of sour cream, pop (WHICH I NEVER BUY), a movie, paper plates (this is what I have children for - to load the dishwasher, LOL), two containers of coconut oil, ("You'll got through it won't you??? Me: "Yes, but I wouldn't have needed it before your next paycheck. Was it on sale?" Him: "No, but I just figured if one was good, two was better!"), expensive bakery bread, and a package of cheese even though I told him I already had the cheese. Sigh, we will eventually consume the cour cream and cheese...the lambs will go through the coconut oil before they are weaned....honestly, he paid double for the sour cream and cheese and don't talk to me about the dorritos, pop, and bakery bread. Oh, his other splurge was a bouquet of daisies. I love daisies, so that was very sweet and I did thank him. But, I'm pretty certain that the bouquet was a bribe because he plans on consuming that entire bag of dorritos plus a lot of pop tonight with the boys and then leave me to figure out what to do about their caffeine, junk food high! Never, ever take a man to a store and do not ever let him have the debit card alone! Faith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 Oops. Double post Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 My only question for the OP is, "HOW CAN YOU GO TWO WEEKS WITHOUT CHOCOLATE?!?" I didn't see any on your list! yes! Or WINE!!! Seriously - woman - you have problems!!!! LOL!!! I'll try to post about the Rite Aid savings later. Gotta' go give a girlie a bath!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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