Can we talk grocery bills? Budgeting time and money

[Tammyla]

:bigear: We're tracking our spending this month and I'm already :blink: nearly hyperventilating looking at the actual spending on paper. Prices keep going up and the actual grocery items are shrinking to smaller and smaller packages. We need to cut, but I want to keep it as healthy as possible.

 

We don't eat a lot of meat here (one vegetarian and I only eat fish) and that saves a lot on meals. I do cook three meals a day; I do not love it btw, but it is pretty much how we eat. (We deal with allergies, the different likes dislikes and some days I'm a little nuts pulling it all together.) Everyone can cook around here, but that seems to boost the grocery bill.

 

I like cooking in big batches and often freeze a number of meals that dh can take for lunch or someone can heat up if they don't love what's on the menu. Some dear boardie recommended once a week cooking way back when and I do all of the meat on the weekend, while it's fresh from the grocery store. Thawing meat and then cooking it creeps me out, and it just takes more effort than I like. Each week a number of our meals are vegetarian, but the guys deal with it; sometimes they don't notice I've made vegetarian chili phased out any meat in our pasta dishes a long time ago..

 

Reading the different ideas and tips is helping my find my happy place again. Cooking, grocery shopping and meal planning in January is dull and as depressing as the weather.

[Audrey]

I can't comment on the amount spent. For all of you that doesn't sound bad, but I don't know your local costs.

 

However, on the subject of the time you invest in food and food prep -- that is too much.

 

You have teens? Why are they not cooking/making/preparing their own between meal foods? Why are they not also helping or taking over some of the meal chores?

 

We are a busy family and growing up, my family was always on the go, but as teens, my brother and I did our own snacks. My ds is expected to take care of his own between meals food needs as well. There is always food and if he doesn't know how to make something, I am usually happy to tell him how, but I've stopped doing it for him all the time. Sometimes I get grumbling because what he "wants" to eat isn't available, but quite honestly, I just tell him "that's tough noogies, babe. Find something else to make."

 

Because it comes down to the fact that my ds is old enough to know this: Our house is not a restaurant. There is no personal on-call chef. There is no maid service.

[Deb in NZ]

We couldn't get away with one lb of meat and one can of beans for an entire meal of chili either. :)

 

I

 

I use one pound of meat & 2-3 cans of beans + one can of corn (or a big handful of frozen corn) in my chili & I serve it over rice. The meat is more for flavour. The legume (beans) / grain (corn & rice) combo makes a complete protein so even if I didn't have the meat, it would still be a high protein meal. Top with a bit of grated cheese, & it has even a bit more protein. My family loves chili-con-carne.

 

I use the cheapest ground beef & buy heaps when on sale. I brown it up, drain it in a colander, & freeze it in 3cup lots (roughly a pound of meat.) When I want to make chili-con-carne, tacos, shepherds pie, etc. I defrost a bag of browned meat 5 minutes in the microwave. No mess & as you drain off much of the excess fat you get the flavour without the fat & a great deal as far as price.

 

HTH,

[Lady Florida.]

You have teens? Why are they not cooking/making/preparing their own between meal foods? Why are they not also helping or taking over some of the meal chores?

 

It was my understanding that she picks them up from high school and takes them straight to their practices or matches/meets. I think they're not home enough during the school day to cook for themselves, but they need the calories for their activities. It's possible I misread the post though.

[Danestress]

I can't comment on the amount spent. For all of you that doesn't sound bad, but I don't know your local costs.

 

 

Because it comes down to the fact that my ds is old enough to know this: Our house is not a restaurant. There is no personal on-call chef. There is no maid service.

 

 

I am glad you are happy with the way you are raising your sons.

 

I am also overall happy with the way I am raising mine, so I wasn't really looking for parenting advice, though anyone is welcome on a message board to weigh in however they like.

 

The reality is that my tennis player son is gone from our home many many hours a day. We made a family commitment years ago to support his athletic ambitions, and I think it was the right choice. But part of that choice is that he spends many hours a week at the tennis courts. Since he started at a regular, private high school this year, he often is gone from the home from 8:00 am until 6:30 or 8:00 pm. I miss him! It's really a hard adjustment - even though I feel certain it's the right one.

 

I choose to help with food prep because I want him to be able to study in the morning and evenings as his time is so short. I am really proud of him for how hard he works, both at tennis and in school. He's definitely a slob and NEEDS a personal maid. But he actually is a pretty decent cook, is fully aware of how to feed himself and others. He always fixed his own breakfast and lunch when we homeschooled and his time was less structured. And he would manage fine now if I refused to help him. But I don't choose to do that. I have free time. He really doesn't. He's an entirely sweet and adorable 15 year old boy, so I don't really mind. If he started acting like an entitled brat, all bets would be off. If I got a job, things would also have to change. For now, I think our division of labor is ok for our family, even though it might not be right for your family.

 

My swimmer is currently gone from 8:00 until 5:30, but the swim season will end in February, so this is a shorter season with him - not a permanent way of life.

 

ETA: Even though they are "gone" from the house those hours, I see them at 3:30 when I pick up the swimmer's school book bag as he gets on the swim bus, and I give him a snack. The tennis players I drive over to the tennis courts which are not far from the school. That's when I take him "second lunch" lol. Just wanted to be clear.

[Danestress]

I

 

I brown it up, drain it in a colander, & freeze it in 3cup lots (roughly a pound of meat.) When I want to make chili-con-carne, tacos, shepherds pie, etc. I defrost a bag of browned meat 5 minutes in the microwave. No mess & as you drain off much of the excess fat you get the flavour without the fat & a great deal as far as price.

 

HTH,

 

 

That is smart and I don't know why I haven't been doing it that way. I typically buy extra ground beef when it is on sale, but then I put it in the freezer still uncooked and take it out to thaw when I need it. It seems like your way would be smarter in terms of saving time - just spend one day cooking up a number of pounds of ground beef, freeze it appropriate meal sizes, and use as needed. Do you ever cook onions and garlic with it and freeze that? It seems like most of the time if I am going to use ground beef, I can use the onions sauted in with it.

[Danestress]

Ok, where is the problem though? Do you need to save money? I personally have no qualms about spending good money on food. I don't spend money on lots of other things that some people spend money on though. I feel like food is an important expenditure. I know how to skimp and save if I absolutely have to, and there have been times, but if I don't have to...what's the big deal? There are worse things to spend good money on.

 

 

Right. This is how I have always been. It didn't make a big difference in my life if I spent a little more money on food. And because I haven't had household cleaning help in a long time, I sort of justified convenience food and more expensive food that way.

 

But while we do have a decent income, we have a high outflow too. We spend a LOT of money on kid activities. We also have private school to pay for. And late at night, do you ever see those commercials in which they ask, "Do you know your number?" It's about retirement savings. And I don't want to know my number because it would just totally stress me out.

 

We used to always go to my parent's vacation home in the summer, but now that is sold, and I feel like we "can't afford" to rent a house at the beach for a week like my parents always did. I am thinking about ways that we squander the money we do have when we could use that money for much better things - for taking a family vacation, saving more for college, or saving for retirement. Heck, my boys are going to be 16 this year, and just the increase in insurance means I should probably plan on some belt tightening.

 

It's not that I need cut our budget back to bare bones. We have a sense of peace about job security. But I don't want to have regrets about not being more careful. I just want to be a good "steward."

[Denise in IN]

We used to always go to my parent's vacation home in the summer, but now that is sold, and I feel like we "can't afford" to rent a house at the beach for a week like my parents always did. I am thinking about ways that we squander the money we do have when we could use that money for much better things - for taking a family vacation, saving more for college, or saving for retirement. Heck, my boys are going to be 16 this year, and just the increase in insurance means I should probably plan on some belt tightening.

 

It's not that I need cut our budget back to bare bones. We have a sense of peace about job security. But I don't want to have regrets about not being more careful. I just want to be a good "steward."

 

 

I would encourage to consider keeping track of your expenses so you have a better understanding of where your money is going and what you really can and "can't" afford. I just started doing this last fall, after many years of not keeping track. I found a simple budget system (Budget Simple website), and use a zero-balance budget. I had a decent idea of where the money was going, but now that I keep track more closely, I feel much more confident about my purchasing. I can say "better not buy that large item right now, already spent $$ in that category", or "no problem, our groceries have been low so far this month", instead of always having a vague feeling that I was probably spending too much. As much as I fought budgeting/keeping track of expenses (for years, my poor dh!), I really like the clarity of thought and decision making it has brought!

[Audrey]

I am glad you are happy with the way you are raising your sons.

 

I am also overall happy with the way I am raising mine, so I wasn't really looking for parenting advice, though anyone is welcome on a message board to weigh in however they like.

 

The reality is that my tennis player son is gone from our home many many hours a day. We made a family commitment years ago to support his athletic ambitions, and I think it was the right choice. But part of that choice is that he spends many hours a week at the tennis courts. Since he started at a regular, private high school this year, he often is gone from the home from 8:00 am until 6:30 or 8:00 pm. I miss him! It's really a hard adjustment - even though I feel certain it's the right one.

 

I choose to help with food prep because I want him to be able to study in the morning and evenings as his time is so short. I am really proud of him for how hard he works, both at tennis and in school. He's definitely a slob and NEEDS a personal maid. But he actually is a pretty decent cook, is fully aware of how to feed himself and others. He always fixed his own breakfast and lunch when we homeschooled and his time was less structured. And he would manage fine now if I refused to help him. But I don't choose to do that. I have free time. He really doesn't. He's an entirely sweet and adorable 15 year old boy, so I don't really mind. If he started acting like an entitled brat, all bets would be off. If I got a job, things would also have to change. For now, I think our division of labor is ok for our family, even though it might not be right for your family.

 

My swimmer is currently gone from 8:00 until 5:30, but the swim season will end in February, so this is a shorter season with him - not a permanent way of life.

 

ETA: Even though they are "gone" from the house those hours, I see them at 3:30 when I pick up the swimmer's school book bag as he gets on the swim bus, and I give him a snack. The tennis players I drive over to the tennis courts which are not far from the school. That's when I take him "second lunch" lol. Just wanted to be clear.

 

 

Got it. It's a JAWM. It helps if you just state that.

[Deb in NZ]

 

 

That is smart and I don't know why I haven't been doing it that way. I typically buy extra ground beef when it is on sale, but then I put it in the freezer still uncooked and take it out to thaw when I need it. It seems like your way would be smarter in terms of saving time - just spend one day cooking up a number of pounds of ground beef, freeze it appropriate meal sizes, and use as needed. Do you ever cook onions and garlic with it and freeze that? It seems like most of the time if I am going to use ground beef, I can use the onions sauted in with it.

 

I don't put any seasoning (onions, garlic, spices, etc.) with the meat as I like that I have lots of options of how to use it later by adding seasonings when I use it later. The only time I freeze ground meat already seasoned is when I make up a batch of saboro (from justbento.com ) I freeze the saboro in silicon muffin cups & when frozen, peel off the cups & put the frozen blocks of saboro in a ziploc bag. They are the perfect size for a couple burritos or for topping a baked potato or rice. I make the basic saboro with ground beef or the taco flavoured saboro. The taco flavoured saboro is great for a super easy chilli when mixed with a can of baked beans.

 

Just Bento has some great ideas for packed lunches that are more than the basic sandwich, apple, potato chips. You'd get some great ideas for the afterschool refuel that your boys are asking for & in bento boxes a little goes a long way, making them easy on the budget & easy on time as you can prepare them when you make you own lunch.

 

HTH,

[starwarsmomma]

Oh, gosh-- somewhere I was reading a special menu type plan for athletes that was supposed to be the healthiest with just the right amount of starches, protien, etc to keep growing teens going...

It was simple, homemade stuff too. I'll try to find it again.

 

 

I get what you are asking-- keeping them fed with GOOD food (not junk food) that will keep them at their optimum without you spending a fortune or every free second in the kitchen.

 

Boy, I'd like that too! LOL

 

I like the banana suggestion someone made. Maybe include a jar of peanut butter for more of a stick-to-your-ribs snack?

 

I send my middle kid with several Klif bars, but he's getting sick of them.

How about a carnation breakfast drink with their afternoon snack? That would fill them up and keep them going. It was recommended to us for my son being severely underweight and they actually do taste good.

[Deb in NZ]

Oh, gosh-- somewhere I was reading a special menu type plan for athletes that was supposed to be the healthiest with just the right amount of starches, protien, etc to keep growing teens going...

It was simple, homemade stuff too. I'll try to find it again.

 

 

I get what you are asking-- keeping them fed with GOOD food (not junk food) that will keep them at their optimum without you spending a fortune or every free second in the kitchen.

 

Boy, I'd like that too! LOL

 

I like the banana suggestion someone made. Maybe include a jar of peanut butter for more of a stick-to-your-ribs snack?

 

I send my middle kid with several Klif bars, but he's getting sick of them.

How about a carnation breakfast drink with their afternoon snack? That would fill them up and keep them going. It was recommended to us for my son being severely underweight and they actually do taste good.

 

During hockey season ds#2 will havesome days that include practice 6:45-8am, then PS. then practice 4-6pm & practice 6:45-8:30pm. I drop him off at the hockey stadium at 6:30am & pick him up just before 9pm. He walks to & from school from hockey. Otherdays are hockey, PS, sailing, & more hockey. I understand your need to pack extra "real" meals. Last year ds#2 took a small breakfast box box with an Up&Go liquid breakfast, a OneSquareMeal bar, & a snack bag of cereal. His lunchbox contained a wrap with roast meat & salad, a yogurt, a piece of fruit, & a piece of cake. His afterschool box another wrap, a banana, & a veg/fruit juice box. Teen boys do need refueling ;)

 

I've been trying to find a homemade replacement for the boughten items in his menu (Up&Go, OneSquareMeal bars, & juice boxes) but I need to find something that is shelf stable as sometimes he saves part of his breakfast for later & it sits in his hockeybag all day. I'm thinking of trying some Breakfast Cookie recipes & seeing if they could replace the bars. Any ideas?

[joannqn]

During hockey season ds#2 will havesome days that include practice 6:45-8am, then PS. then practice 4-6pm & practice 6:45-8:30pm. I drop him off at the hockey stadium at 6:30am & pick him up just before 9pm.

 

 

Nothing to add. Just that's an insane schedule.