How To Save Money On Food?

[WIS0320]

I do use some coupons but we eat very little prepackaged food so I never seem to be able to get the insane deals I see people on the internet get - I just don't want 12 boxes of Hot Pockets, if that makes sense!

 

I am looking for shopping strategies, meal planning advice, cheap and healthy meals and so on. I need to trim about $300 off our monthly food bill and I'm not sure how I am going to do it.

 

Thanks!

[KristinaBreece]

:lurk5:

 

A question I ask myself every time I walk out of a grocery store. I shop sales, comparison shop, coupon what I can (not highly effective if you don't buy a lot of packaged foods :glare:), and buy what I can at Aldi.

 

DH thinks we should get into hard core couponing. Sounds great, except I refuse to sacrifice fresh foods in favor of packaged crap.

[tinag]

Have you checked out this site: http://www.southernsavers.com/

 

I went to one of the workshops and it was really helpful. A have a few friends that didn't go but watched the videos on this website and have been able to save $150-250 a month.

[Julie in Austin]

Two ideas:

 

(1) Most stores have "loss leaders"--some excellent deal each week. I stockpile those. I've bought, say, 20 lbs. of chicken, diced and cooked it, and put it in freezer bags for future meals.

 

(2) Base meals on beans, whole grains, and eggs. Those are always cheap!

[Wyndie]

Joining a local CSA has been the biggest budget saver here. We don't eat packaged foods either so coupons are almost useless, but the groceries the CSA farmer provides us at a tiny little fraction of the cost I pay at the grocery story adds up to huge savings. We have reduced our grocery budget by over $400.00 a month with this one action.

[Rhonda in TX]

I read a money-saving tips book awhile back and they shopped for groceries once a month. Their idea was that you save money by staying out of the store as much as possible. Reading the "things you bought that saved you money" thread, a couple of people mentioned that they do this.

 

I use coupons, but find most of my savings are on cleaners and other household items, not groceries. I also do not want 12 boxes of Hot Pockets. :)

[beaners]

What are you starting at if you are trimming $300? It's easier to reduce by 10% than by 75%.

 

What do you buy? Any diet restrictions?

 

Cheap breakfasts like oatmeal by the canister help during the winter, but they can be too heavy for the summer. Actually eating leftovers for lunch instead of letting them sit in the back of the fridge until they need to be tossed is helpful. (How do those bowls end up behind the milk cartons? :ack2:)

 

I do only buy things that are on sale, like pork chops when they are below $2/lb. But instead of eating for the week based on sales, I buy a ton and freeze it when its on sale and make my meals based on what's in the freezer. I see a ton of recommendations for shopping from the weekly sales flyers all the time, but I think I spend a lot more doing that than just filling up the pantry and cooking with what I have on hand. I use allrecipes' ingredient search when I need help with recipes using food from the pantry.

[sunflowerlady]

I have recently started couponing. My experience is that it is much easier to find the great deals on things like toothpaste, cleaning supplies and health and beauty aids than on food. I am new so I am still learning and not giving up.

 

Perhaps the savings you could get by couponing and shopping sales for these type of items could give you more leeway in your food budget.:)

 

I am also watching this thread as I try to figure out how to cut food costs.

[mrs.m]

I joined e-mealz for meal planning and it saves us money. I do the portion control plan. It uses some box foods (like rice pilaf, frozen veggies) but for the most part meals are fresh with a lot of veggies.

[Kalmia]

Buy or get The Complete Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyzyn from the library!

 

In it she gives elaborate details on how to save money at the grocery store. The strategies inlcude bulk buying, making a price book, shopping sales, the pantry principle, cooking from scratch, gardening, how coupons don't save you money (!), and how to think differently about food choices and nutrition. This $16 book saved me THOUSANDS of dollars over the past ten years. There is no other thrift book of this caliber.

 

It is also funny and has radical advice about saving money in other aspects of your life. The only thing to note is that it was published in the 1990s so the prices she quotes are dated. The advice she gives is timeless.

[DawnM]

Some great ideas here in this free e-book.

 

http://www.budget101.com/budget101-free-ebook/free-ebook-groceries-200-month-2547.html

[angela in ohio]

If you list some of the things you regularly buy/eat, we might be able to help you think of cheaper alternatives.

 

I skip all the couponing, websites, clubs, etc. and just focus on building a pantry, fridge, and freezer that have what we need. I found the common advice to start with a meal plan each week and then shop for it to be incredibly expensive. Instead, I learned basic meal preparation techniques (how to stir fry, how to make stocks and soups, how to prepare vegetables, etc.) and work with what I have. I buy large amounts of inexpensive raw ingredients where they are cheapest. I got off the grocery-cart-per-week merry-go-round and started looking for wholesale amounts through food co-ops and local producers.

 

One very helpful thing was to get a chart of what produce is seasonal at what times in my area, as well as learning to figure out what was shipped in cheap each month. There are certain times of year when they are practically giving away pineapple, or oranges, or asparagus, etc. We eat them like crazy then.

 

I also second The Tightwad Gazette, if you haven't read it before. It is an eye-opening look at the way we need to analyze our purchases and choices. For example, she has a muffin recipe that lists all the possible things you could use and the basic ratios you need.

 

One other thing... you do have to come to terms with the fact that if you aren't going to eat the cheap boxed usual-American-diet stuff, your grocery budget may never be as low as others'. It is a trade-off. Is there another area you can cut? Sometimes cutting a grocery budget too much (not buying fruits and vegetables, etc.) could actually cost you in the long run in medical costs, lower productivity, etc.

Edited May 10, 2011 by angela in ohio

[AnthemLights]

Buy or get The Complete Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyzyn from the library!

 

In it she gives elaborate details on how to save money at the grocery store. The strategies inlcude bulk buying, making a price book, shopping sales, the pantry principle, cooking from scratch, gardening, how coupons don't save you money (!), and how to think differently about food choices and nutrition. This $16 book saved me THOUSANDS of dollars over the past ten years. There is no other thrift book of this caliber.

 

It is also funny and has radical advice about saving money in other aspects of your life. The only thing to note is that it was published in the 1990s so the prices she quotes are dated. The advice she gives is timeless.

 

 

I love this book. My parents had it growing up and I read it for entertainment...it's that interesting.

 

As for her advice on how to save on money....that's great too. ;)

[Desert Rat]

That's a lot to cut out of a food budget? I'd also like to know where you're starting. I spend about $400 a month for a family of 4 including all toiletries, paper products, etc. BUT, I also started with a full pantry and stocked deep freezer.

Here's a few ways we keep our costs down:

We don't eat fancy meat. Chicken and hamburger, polska kilbasa, and sometimes fish or bacon.

We have a basic menu I stick to. I stock up on those items most. For example, I know we eat spaghetti. If I can get jarred sauce for $75 a jar, I check the expiration date and buy a year's worth. Same for pasta, beans, canned fruit/vegetables. I combine store specials with coupons as much as possible. The store coupons I use most though, are for toothpaste and toiletries, laundry detergent, etc.

I no longer buy snacks. Maybe a bag of chips here or there (especially if I have a coupon). I make muffins on Sunday. We have those, fruit, or yogurt for snacks.

That's off the top of my head.

I hope you reach goal of savings but I want to caution you that that may be unrealistic at least until you have your stockpiled pantry and freezer.

[Mejane]

I read a money-saving tips book awhile back and they shopped for groceries once a month. Their idea was that you save money by staying out of the store as much as possible.

 

We did this when we were really broke, and it did help a lot. I made a menu and a list, and stuck to it. The only thing we bought as we went was milk because we just didn't have the room for multiple gallons in our fridge. When something was gone, it was gone.

[missiemick]

I got the book $5 Dinner Mom at the library. Very helpful -- lots of fresh veggies and minimum of pre-packaged foods. She has a great section on using coupons and portion size.

[Guest]

That is a big amount to cut out (nearly our entire month's worth!) but what I did that has been saving us HUGE:

 

*freezer cooking (I only make one or two bulk meals every two weeks, but it accumulates. We have never eaten so much meat!)

*making my own bread - sandwich bread, hamburger buns, tortillas - I buy NO bread in the store. This has been huge in our budget. And so much yummier!

 

We did the coupon thing for awhile, but I was buying more stuff that I wouldn't even normally buy, just because it was on sale.

:grouphug:

[phathui5]

I was able to get about 50% off of our grocery bill this week:

 

http://naturalparentingsupport.blogspot.com/2011/05/cutting-costs.html

[LibraryLover]

For the Amy fans, a 2010 interview:

 

http://thenonconsumeradvocate.com/2010/05/amy-dacyczyn-of-the-tightwad-gazette/

 

And this one from the old days (1992)--timeless--same issues as today:

 

 

Edited May 10, 2011 by LibraryLover

[Denise in Florida]

Angel Food Ministries. There was a previous thread on this. The food is choice not prime and there are some packaged items. Overall, I find it to be a cost savings.

 

CSAs or other food co-ops. Lots of groups do co-ops you might ask at your local natural foods store. By combining purchasing power and skipped fancy packaging/store fronts you can come up with considerable savings.

 

I don't know if this applies to your family or you but many people can save money by eating less. I know it sounds either cruel or silly (depending) but Americans don't really grasp portion control. Eat a realistic sized dinner and then snack on popcorn or homemade popsickles.

 

Bulk foods. I keep and reuse glass jars to store bulk lentils, quinoa, rice, etc. I base meals around the 'filler' (these are still nutrious) and add small bits of meat, eggs, veggies.

 

Good luck.

 

Have your kids help if they can. Learn about different ethnic foods (some are very cheap to make).

 

Have fun.

[MelanieM]

As others have said, it would be helpful to know what types of things you're eating now. But here are a couple of suggestions...

-grow your own lettuce/salad mixes

-sprouting -- cheap, easy, quick way to get lots of fresh eats

-find out what grows wild around you and take the kids out wildcrafting

-purcase from local farmers when possible

-use baking soda and vinegar for cleaning

-switch to cloth napkins and rags and avoid disposable paper products

-drink water; eliminate soda and juice

-bake your own bread

-when preparing meat dishes, do things like stir fry or casserole that stretch the meat much further

 

-keep an ear out for local people who will share a portion of their garden harvest in exchange for you picking -- often a possibility for people with fruit trees who don't tend to harvest themselves

[FloridaLisa]

My biggest grocery savings, without couponing, come from:

 

* frugal recipes. If I were to cook casseroles, fancy meats and side dishes at every meal, my bill would skyrocket. I try to make meals that stretch the meat (spaghetti, taco soup, chili with ground turkey from Costco).

 

* my price book. Make a list of what your food basics (sugar, EVOO, milk, eggs) and then shop a couple of grocery and warehouse stores. Make a list of the cost of each item, note where it's cheapest and shop for those items there. In my area, Costco was cheaper on all but three items.

 

* buy low, stock up. Once you have your price book, note when items go on sale and the lowest sale price. For example, every few months, chicken breasts go on sale at Pulix for $1.99/lb. That's the rock bottom I've found, and I'll stock up in my freezer to last until the next sale. If you are buying everything at it's lowest price, you'll save money.

 

* buy only low cost or weekly sale vegies.[/u

 

* getting the highest and best food value. I'm feeding 4 big boys, plus hubs, plus teen dd and 2 youngers (think snacking). I need the most bang for my buck! So, I rarely buy things like fruit rollups or apple juice or chips. My kids would eat through that stuff and claim they were starving! :001_smile: Better value: apples, water, popcorn/pretzels (bought in bulk at lowest price), whole wheat muffins, homemade soft pretzels, etc.

 

Amazingly, we do eat well and we can splurge within budget (Wild salmon last night). I think my dc do miss junk food b/c they'll just after getting paid or allowance day, they'll often splurge on Little Debbies or Cream Soda. :tongue_smilie:

 

Lisa

 

ETA: I third the recommendation to checkout the 3 volumes of The Tightwad Gazette. Most of the principles outlined above, and most I've seen on frugal blogs, were first put in print by TWG. While a few of the tips may be obsolete (how to save on floppies, lol), the articles on personal finance and consumption are really timeless.

Edited May 10, 2011 by FloridaLisa

[WIS0320]

Hi, OP here! Thanks for all the great advice.

 

We have a family of five, but my husband is gone all week for work and my children are very little at ages 5, 3, 1 so it isn't like we are needing massive quantities of food. I am almost embarrassed to post how much I've been averaging at the store because it is ridiculous and frankly, I hate budgeting and didn't even realize it myself until I sat down and went through the bank statements for the last several months and added it up.

 

$900 per month! Yikes! This includes eating out as well.

 

I am terribly disorganized about meals, I do not like to cook and do not always have a plan in place for dinner. I think I also spend too much on nice deli counter meats and cheese when I could find replacements for those pretty easily. I do buy huge quantities of fresh fruits and veggies, we have a VitaMix and I use it a lot. I do garden a lot and can in late summer so I do have that in stock but I seem to use fresh food from the store more than my canned stockpile. The only thing I've used up from last summer's canning was all the peach salsa I made.

 

I cloth diaper during the day so our diaper/wipes expenses are not that high. I do feel like my other children use massive quantities of toilet paper though. I do not use many paper towels, I use dish towels and cloth napkins. I do shop a few times a week and I generally go without a list and choose whatever I'm in the mood for rather than looking for sales. That is obviously an area I can fix.

 

What is eMealz? I think if I could get our M-F meals planned and purchased all in one trip that would help save $.

 

ETA: I just read this and realize I sound like a spoiled brat. I am really feeling stress about the waste and I know we could be padding our savings account a bit more each month if I could just pull in the reins and get control of this. This is really the one area that I am shockingly lazy and disorganized about in our financial budgeting and I really feel guilty about it.

Edited May 10, 2011 by drexel

[prairiewindmomma]

I think going from $900/mo. to $600/mo. is pretty reasonable if none of you have food allergies and you aren't in a super high cost area.

 

It was eye opening to me to keep my receipts for a few months and to see what I was actually spending on. Breaking it down to see that 30% meat/eggs/cheese, 30% on household items (laundry soap, tp, etc.) and 30% on grains & produce helped me to see what could be realistically lowered and what couldn't. I also got a sense of how quickly I went through things....

 

Then I went through and did a rough tally of what each meal costs. I discovered that some of my suppers were $15 suppers. I re-did my menu so that we do those kinds of meals once a week (usually Friday or Sunday nights) and put in a lot of lower cost meals. I designed my menu to make use of leftovers to save prep time. So, I might have fajitas one night and then use the leftover diced tomatoes, peppers and onions in omelettes the next morning or over a salad.

 

I now spend $400-450/month to feed 5 and my dh and I eat low carb.

 

Making a menu was not the highlight of my weekend....but I have a summer menu and a winter menu that I've stuck to for a few years now and it's *so nice* to not have to worry about what to make or what to buy. I just operate off of a list and have freed up a huge portion of my brain to worry about other stuff. To keep from rebelling against the menu, I leave Saturdays open--we either eat out or I make something new and fun.

[livingnlearning]

I'll echo what a lot of others have said. I shop at a "warehouse" sort of grocery store-they buy good deals in bulk and pass it on. I can get anything there but the store isn't fancy and I have to bag my own groceries but the price savings are spectacular.

 

I buy in bulk and it's not mangos. lol I buy flour, grains, rice, lentils, and oatmeal in 20 lb bags. Frozen vegies, tons on sale when I can. We buy potatoes direct from the farmer-not sure if that's something you could do where you are, but we buy 50 lbs of potatoes for $10 and they last forever. We hunt for meat so that helps but when it runs out or I'm sick of venison I watch the sales and get the less expensive cuts. I can't stand cheap chicken (what do they feed chickens these days? :confused:) so I will splurge on a good Hutterite chicken when I want one. I buy in season and stock up if I can-sweet potatoes last forever if you buy a bunch in the fall season. Squash from the garden will last close to a year! We go without when it's not in season-it's not worth the money to buy a tomato in February and they taste that much better when they ripen in the garden. Cream cheese lasts forever in the fridge-I buy 20 of them when they're 99 cents each and it lasts until the next time.

 

I make my own bread, tortillas, pastas... it's all the same ingredients just mixed up. Make my stock out of basics.

 

I do get the good stuff on a few items: wine, olive oils and cheeses and spices-no 10 ton bricks of mild cheddar here. A spoonful of good cheese goes a lot further than a lb of the cheap stuff. I'm a cooking freak-I always have food network on in the kitchen and echo a lot of what they do. Pancetta?? getouttahere-$2/lb bacon tastes just as good! ;)

 

As others have said-I go once every two or three weeks and then that's it. I'm due to go again and we don't have a ton of dinner options for tonight-it's going to end up being elk steak, baked potatoes and frozen vegies. For us, that's always always on the menu and seems like "there's nothing to eat!!" but it's a good meal.

 

I grow salad greens and herbs and sprouts for most of the year-cheap and always available.

 

We do have a milk cow so butter, milk, sour cream, and yogurt are all readily available for us. I also have chickens and right now eggs are everywhere! So when my teenagers are hungry they go for the fried eggs. Other houses the teens go for the hot pockets and need to eat six of them to be full. Around here you fix a fried egg sandwich with sharp cheddar and homemade herbed mayo!

[mrs.m]

What is eMealz? I think if I could get our M-F meals planned and purchased all in one trip that would help save $.

 

ETA: I just read this and realize I sound like a spoiled brat. I am really feeling stress about the waste and I know we could be padding our savings account a bit more each month if I could just pull in the reins and get control of this. This is really the one area that I am shockingly lazy and disorganized about in our financial budgeting and I really feel guilty about it.

 

http://www.e-mealz.com/

 

It's a weekly dinner plan. It gives you recipes and a shopping list. It has saved me both time and money! We hardly ever eat out because of this plan.

 

You don't sound spoiled. :grouphug: You need some tools to help get you on track!

[Pretty in Pink]

I mentioned this in another thread recently. I plan my menus and shop either two or four weeks at a time for non-perishables for all meals. I shop weekly for perishable goods like milk and produce. During the months that I do this I *easily* save 200.00 to 300.00 per month (so I spend 500 - 600.00 instead of the 800.00+ that I spend when I don't plan and/or shop weekly for all items).

[FloridaLisa]

I am terribly disorganized about meals, I do not like to cook and do not always have a plan in place for dinner.

 

Do it one step at a time. Make one change a week, incorporate it into your life and after several months you will begin to see big savings.

 

Also suggesting you go through your recipes and find your favorites. Add in some simple meals (beans and rice; eggs or waffles for dinner; sliced ham and potatoes). I always remind myself (as I want to order pizza out) that making buying and making from the pantry will save every time.

 

ETA: I just read this and realize I sound like a spoiled brat. I am really feeling stress about the waste and I know we could be padding our savings account a bit more each month if I could just pull in the reins and get control of this. This is really the one area that I am shockingly lazy and disorganized about in our financial budgeting and I really feel guilty about it.

 

I don't think you sound spoiled! You are probably one busy lady with all those littles and homeschooling as well. Now you know the issue, and you can begin to re-educate yourself and make some lifestyle/consumption/shopping changes. :001_smile:

 

Lisa

 

P.S. There have been lots of frugal grocery threads in the last 6 months b/c of the economy. A search will turn up even more info.

[Dawn in OH]

I save a lot of money by buying meat in large quantities when it's on sale.

 

I also save by making our own bread products; breads, biscuits, muffins.

 

If you have a backyard, plant a garden.

 

Dry beans are less expensive than canned beans.

 

We don't eat a lot of processed foods. We did it for health reasons, but it's actually turned out to be quite a money saver. I make my own salad dressing, barbecue sauce, enchilada sauce, and more.

 

Don't buy jarred tomato sauces. I make tomato sauce from tomato paste. I can of paste plus two cans of water and the seasonings of your choice. I usually start by sautéing some garlic and onions in olive oil, then add the paste and water gradually, along with my spices.

 

Avoiding soda and juice can save a lot of money too.

[JennyD]

I'm certain that if you do nothing more than try to plan out 5 or 6 dinners a week, you will save money. I am not terribly frugal about groceries but a couple of times a week I sit down and plan out the next few days' meals and it makes a huge difference.

[OnTheBrink]

Our Meijer store will mark down meats at about 9pm every night. Also, I've even asked if they had some lower priced meats and they've actually packaged some for me with the discount sticker. Get to know your butcher at your grocery store and figure out when they set out the low priced items then swoop in and get them! These aren't spoiled meats, but cuts that are dated for the next day and they want to get them out of there. If you cook or freeze them immediately, they are fine.

 

I've also noticed our Walmart will throw away their rotisserie chickens, wings, etc from the deli at 9pm. You might want to see if you can get some of those priced at a discount, since they're taking a loss by tossing them anyway. A few rotisserie chickens can be deboned and the meat frozen for casseroles, soups and salads. The bones can be boiled for broth. Can't hurt to ask!

 

Buy local produce in season; use a farmer's market if your area has one. Do you know anyone with chickens? See if you can buy their eggs. See if you can go in on a 1/2 or 1/4 cow with some other people. In some areas, you can do this with pork, too. If you have a buying club or food co-op around you, that can save money, too. You might have to invest in a freezer, but I've started buying frozen veggies by the case. I get organic veggies and the co-op is much less expensive than the pathetic "health food" store we have here.

[Halftime Hope]

I mentioned this in another thread recently. I plan my menus and shop either two or four weeks at a time for non-perishables for all meals. I shop weekly for perishable goods like milk and produce. During the months that I do this I *easily* save 200.00 to 300.00 per month (so I spend 500 - 600.00 instead of the 800.00+ that I spend when I don't plan and/or shop weekly for all items).

 

I'm just don't understand how this would save. I'm clearly not "getting it."

 

I buy produce weekly, trying to shop what's on sale wisely. I buy on sale for perishables (dairy, etc) when I can, but otherwise buy at the best price I can between 3 stores. (I can freeze past-dated organic milk that I get cheaply, but eggs, not so much...)

 

Help? You've got a *lot* of savings going there! :bigear:

[livingnlearning]

It helps me to save by just to not setting foot in the store between trips, if I'm not there I'm not spending the money.

 

I don't plan any meal, except for holidays or birthdays. I rarely even remember to take something out of the freezer. About mid-afternoon I start just wondering what sounds good for dinner, what do I feel like cooking or having, how much time do I have, is it warm out or cold out, other plans that popped up... I wing it, every night.

 

I also never shop with a list-I buy what's on sale and the usuals, maybe a unique ingredient or two. So when I get home I have supplies and ideas-but no plan. I've tried to be on plans before and it never works for us.

[mrs.m]

I'm just don't understand how this would save. I'm clearly not "getting it."

 

I buy produce weekly, trying to shop what's on sale wisely. I buy on sale for perishables (dairy, etc) when I can, but otherwise buy at the best price I can between 3 stores. (I can freeze past-dated organic milk that I get cheaply, but eggs, not so much...)

 

Help? You've got a *lot* of savings going there! :bigear:

 

I think this comes naturally for some homemakers. Some don't need a plan! They are good at making whatever is in the fridge.

 

For others, the over-spending with groceries is with buying "just in case". Having a plan makes it so that you only buy what you are going to eat and then makes it easy to know what to make that evening for dinner. Without a plan, I end up grabbing something from a drive-thru or throwing something not very good together. I'm not a great on-the-fly cook. :D

 

I still do some "just in case" purchases for snacks, breakfast, and lunches. Although I have started planning lunches as well.

[flobee76]

We spend about $600/month for our family of 5. We only eat local organic produce, local grass-fed meat and poultry, organic dairy, raw milk, organic grains. Here is what we do to save $$:

 

1.) grow as many herbs and vegetables that we can

2.) Buy in bulk or from co-op. We buy a lot from Azure Standard.

3.) I shop once a week for milk, butter, produce, etc. from the farmers market or Trader Joe's.

4.) I bake our own snacks including crackers, cookies, and other treats.

5.) we do not buy pre-packaged meals.

6.) we purchase 1/4 cow at a time for our beef.

7.) we have chickens for eggs. We have lots of friends who own chickens for eggs, so we can buy off of them if we don't have enough.

8.) Batch cooking and freezing!

9.) Homemade broth, homemade yogurt

10.) MEAL PLANNING!!!! This saves me time and $$

 

I do not clip coupons. I don't have time for that.

[Halftime Hope]

It helps me to save by just to not setting foot in the store between trips, if I'm not there I'm not spending the money.

 

I don't plan any meal, except for holidays or birthdays. I rarely even remember to take something out of the freezer. About mid-afternoon I start just wondering what sounds good for dinner, what do I feel like cooking or having, how much time do I have, is it warm out or cold out, other plans that popped up... I wing it, every night.

 

I also never shop with a list-I buy what's on sale and the usuals, maybe a unique ingredient or two. So when I get home I have supplies and ideas-but no plan. I've tried to be on plans before and it never works for us.

 

That is *so* my style! Were we separated at birth? :lol:

[Joyofsixreboot]

Buy or get The Complete Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyzyn from the library!

 

In it she gives elaborate details on how to save money at the grocery store. The strategies inlcude bulk buying, making a price book, shopping sales, the pantry principle, cooking from scratch, gardening, how coupons don't save you money (!), and how to think differently about food choices and nutrition. This $16 book saved me THOUSANDS of dollars over the past ten years. There is no other thrift book of this caliber.

 

It is also funny and has radical advice about saving money in other aspects of your life. The only thing to note is that it was published in the 1990s so the prices she quotes are dated. The advice she gives is timeless.

 

:iagree:

 

#2 I vote for staying out of the stores too. If we run out of cereal we eat toast. Run out of chicken? We have grilled cheese. Just learning to wait, substitute and do without for a bit have helped. The kids ate all the pretzels this week already. It's popcorn from now on baby.

[Peela]

Half of our food bill is produce. Maybe more than half. I shop at farmers markets and buy what is cheap and in season. Snacks here are fruit, lately salted peanuts (because they at least have some nutriitonal value), and cereal.

I plan meals but only loosely so that I can make use of specials. When a special is something we use often, I buy in bulk, but not so much that it skews the weekly budget.

Use up leftovers.

 

Cereal is a waste of money- better off buying oatmeal and making porridge, or eating fruit/toast. But then, cornflakes here are cheap and ds loves them.

 

I would not think in terms of calories- trying to get more calories for your $. I would think in terms of nutrition- how much nutrition can you buy for your $. Empty calories which are cheap, processed, tasty, are ultimately unfulfilling to eat and leave you feeling hungry. I woudl be thinking in terms of a balanced diet- lots of vegetables, some fruit- and work from that angle. Healthy fats- the cheap ones make you sick, literally. Make your carbs wholemeal as much as possible. Stretch your meats with vegetables. Then it is efficient nutrition, not wasted calories.

[cathmom]

My biggest grocery savings, without couponing, come from:

 

* frugal recipes. If I were to cook casseroles, fancy meats and side dishes at every meal, my bill would skyrocket. I try to make meals that stretch the meat (spaghetti, taco soup, chili with ground turkey from Costco).

 

 

 

You don't consider casseroles frugal? I'm curious why.

 

As for the price book, I've tried to do that, but have found that prices have been fluctuating wildly the last few years, so it's not as helpful.

[JustGin]

We big shop once a month. I try and keep my pantry/freezer/frig stocked with staples and ingredients rather than prepared/convenience foods. In season we put up as many fruits and veggies as we can. I buy meat in bulk and split it into meal size portions, vacuum seal and freeze. I go to Costco, but I'm very careful to go there with a limited list of items that make sense for us to buy in large quantities and/or items I have price compared and found this is my best price.

 

Cooking from my pantry and freezer and NOT using prepared stuff really helps because when I shop I can skip whole aisles. I also use the bulk aisle at our local discount grocery store.

We don't keep treat food, like ice cream or chips on hand, (we've never kept soda around) I just don't buy it except on rare occasions like a party or picnic, instead we have homemade cookies or desserts instead. Since fixing these first requires more effort we don't have them as often which is healthier for us too.

 

Personally, I think if you can at all do it, cooking from scratch and avoiding prepared/convenience foods can really help.

[Lisabeth]

I make a menu that lasts for one month and then go grocery shopping. I put the meals that can be made with frozen veg/meats and or canned goods at the end of the month. This saves me from walking into the store to buy anything except for milk and fresh fruit during the month. That right there saves me money. I won't even look at the ads during the rest of the month because that means I won't impulse buy when I go in the store to get the "good deal".

 

I also don't allow the family to eat the leftovers until leftover night or nights. This allows me to stretch the original meals to more than one night. They can eat sandwiches for lunch.

 

We have been gluten free/dairy free for 2 months and my grocery budget has now gone up quite a bit so I'm still trying how to manage the new costs of our lifestyle because coupons just don't cut it anymore.

[Impish]

I try to grocery shop the first Tues of the month, as thats when my store has 10% off your total grocery bill.

 

I shop sales, but only stuff I'd normally buy...no pkgd food just b/c its on sale.

 

Frugal recipes = frugal groceries.

 

Crockpot makes any lesser cut of meat falling apart tender.

 

One thing that would be a huge savings would be a deep freezer. Waiting to get that when we move, and I fully intend to buy direct for beef, pork and chicken at that point. Yes, it'll be a huge outlay, initially, but save over the course of the year.

 

We also do home made detergent.

[Katiebug_1976]

Joining a local CSA has been the biggest budget saver here. We don't eat packaged foods either so coupons are almost useless, but the groceries the CSA farmer provides us at a tiny little fraction of the cost I pay at the grocery story adds up to huge savings. We have reduced our grocery budget by over $400.00 a month with this one action.

 

What does CSA stand for?

[Crissy]

Joining a local CSA has been the biggest budget saver here. We don't eat packaged foods either so coupons are almost useless, but the groceries the CSA farmer provides us at a tiny little fraction of the cost I pay at the grocery story adds up to huge savings. We have reduced our grocery budget by over $400.00 a month with this one action.

 

I didn't find that to be true here. I LOVED my CSA membership, but it definitely cost more.

[Crissy]

What does CSA stand for?

 

Community Supported Agriculture.

[CalicoKat]

This is an article that is similar to how I cook. I cook something with a re-made leftover meal in mind for the next day or later in the week.

 

http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/how-to-stretch-a-chicken-to-make-six-meals

 

Using up the leftovers is where I've been saving these days.

[MIch elle]

Read Coupon Mom and America's Cheapest Family books. There are SO many great ideas in both books. I borrowed them from the library more than once!

 

Also, shop at Aldi's - you'll save a TON!!!

Edited May 10, 2011 by MIch elle

[Impish]

To give you an idea of what I mean by frugal recipes = frugal groceries, tonight's supper is a great example.

 

I made potato soup.

 

A pkg of bacon, on sale, $4.

5 potatoes, baked - $6/10 lbs (so maybe $.50? worth)

1/2 carton of whipping cream ($3, other half made Fettuccine Alfredo, so $1.50 for tonight)

Chicken broth, 2 for $3

Frozen veggies, about $2 worth.

Seasonings

 

So, supper for tonight, and tomorrow, for a grand total of about $11. For 5 ppl. Roughly $1.20 a meal per person.

[happypamama]

Not much to add, except that being flexible really helps. I do like to plan meals (and when I've done a several-week rotating menu, that has worked *really* well), but if I don't have time to plan ahead, I keep general ideas in mind and will round them out with what is on sale at the store. (I also don't get sales circulars, and I don't always get to check online for what's on sale that week.) Like, the other day I went to the store with some general ideas in mind (I knew what basics I had already and which ones I needed), but there were some great produce sales -- lettuce was buy one, get one free. So we'll be eating a lot of salad this week; salad on sale, topped with seasoned chicken (left from the chicken I roasted for dinner tonight), with a green vegetable (frozen veggies were also on sale, so I bought a bunch of them; I'll pick whatever looks appealing on a given day), and maybe some bread on the side, and dinner is plentiful, nutritious, tasty, and inexpensive.

[HS Mom in NC]

Ingredients can be stretched between two meals or more.

 

a. I get a bunch of basil that is used one night in a rice pilaf and is used in a Vietnamese cucumber salad the next day so there's no wasted herb being thrown away. (I can only get it in a bunch.)

 

b. When I slow cook a whole 5-6 #chicken in the crock pot, that meat is used in an Indian Curry meal, shredded chicken tacos, and a chicken pasta salad over a two week span.

 

c. A 1 # box of pasta is half used in the chicken pasta salad mentioned above, and the other half is used in a pasta bake.

 

d. The 1# mild ground Italian sausage is half used in the above mentioned pasta bake for one meal and the other half is used in a Pasta Fazool soup in another meal.

 

e. The 3.5# pork loin will be slow cooked over apples and in a marinade and served with other sides too.When I pull it out of the crock pot I'll reserve half of it for shredding and mixing w/ BBQ sauce and burger buns in a couple of days, or I'll freeze it for that purpose later in the month.

 

f. The spiral ham is divided into roughly 2# family sized portions and frozen. One smaller portion will be used for cutting up and putting in a ham and pasta salad. The others make easy meals (because it's pre-cooked) for crazy days where I'm tempted to eat out. I just thaw one of the family sized portions of ham and heat up the frozen corn or mix up some boxed corn bread and heat up some frozen peas.

 

You get the idea. Think of main ingredients (or specialty ingredients) that can be divided into 2 or more meals and plan them for the same week or freeze them for later.

 

Note* I try to plan for a certain order of meals rather than scheduling specific meals for specific days because a 1-3 days worth of frozen meats is thawing in my fridge at various rates due to density. I get more flexibility that way sometimes life happens.