Oh my gosh. $865 on groceries in two weeks. Big families, how much do you spend?

[starwarsmomma]

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH LOL

 

It's a MAJOR stress in my life!

 

We already do so much from scratch.

I'd love a CHEAP recipe/idea thread... I can never think of anything when it's time to cook. I get mental block or something...

 

 

I rarely buy pre-made anything--- when I do the kids act like it's Christmas. LOL

 

We even make our own corn dogs (I can make 16 corndogs for about $2)

[Um_2_4]

Ok, now i feel much better about our $700/mo for 6 of us! I just meal planned my whole next 4 weeks and I think it will be much easier to stick to my budget this month. I know that feeling of just meandering through the store and then get home with a car load of groceries and no idea what to cook!

I do not buy pre packaged much. Shop local produce places. I can't afford organic. Today I bought 8 lbs of oranges,2 lbs strawberries, 5 lbs apples for $6. Organic that would cost closer to $24. This will be snacks for 4-5 days.

I would love to find some meatless meals DH would eat, but he (for a long list of reasons I understand based on his childhood) associates meatless meals with poverty and since he has a decent job thinks we shouldn't have to go there. I spend about $100 per month on meat, which I don't think is much.

I would like to hear about buying in bulk. We go through lots of raisins, etc. Anyone want to link a website they have used?

[2squared]

I'm thinking I need to get up and make eggs for breakfast more often, or some other cheap, filling alternative. They eat cereal every day. I just got a bunch of boxes on sale for $1 a box, but they ate a WHOLE box this morning. Sheesh. I know, cereal isn't the most nourishing anyway. I just hate starting my day in the kitchen, since it feels like I spend my whole life there (if I'm not at the school table).

 

Your kids could cook their own eggs and even make some for you. My 10yo has been cooking scrambled eggs for at least a year now.

[DawnM]

This book might help.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Family-Month-Without-Coupons-ebook/dp/B008QQ9VHI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1359327027&sr=8-1&keywords=how+to+feed+family+of+10+on+%24500

[beaners]

It's hard when your dh "hates legumes." :glare:

 

My husband has questioned some of my meal planning ahead of time, but he has the good sense to rave over anything that I set in front of him.

[butterflymommy]

We are a family of 9 (7 kids) and we were holding steady around $225 a week including non food items like toilet paper. But suddenly I am seeing $300/ wk grocery bills. Costs are going up-- we don't buy packaged or processed, don't even consider organic or free range. My only advice is to buy generic, look for wholesalers (some restaurant wholesalers will sell to the public), and go to regular foods instead of organics, even if you just occasionally buy organic.

[MamaBirdX7]

We spend at least $1200 or more for a family of 8. Two of are low carb, with one more joining in part-time; meat and vegetables are much more expensive than pasta and potatoes. We are too busy in this season to cook everything from scratch.

[eclecticschooler]

We are vegan and spending around $1000-1200 between Costco, Natural Grocers and Traders Joe. Also some Walmart thrown in there for when we need something between big trips.

[Stayseeliz]

We are a family of six with two that eat more than me. They are on swim team so they burn through those calories. I shop at Costco, but a few organics at Aldi, a few organics at Ingles and buy raw milk, free range eggs and grass fed beef from farmers. I spend $800-1000 a month. I try to only use one pound of meat at a time and that helps. I add it to other proteins like beans or put it in soups. Snacks are chase sticks, pretzels, fruit and veggies.

[Gentlemommy]

We aren't a large family (yet!), only three kids, 7, 4, and 2. My 7 year old eats good though lol. I have my grocery budget set at $160 per week. I put $40 aside for dd's riding lesson, $10 for pet needs, $10 for books :) so that leaves $100 for food, toiletries, and cleaning supplies. Dh got on to me because I used the debit card for some gift purchases, he thought that the cash I get out for groceries should have covered those other expenses as well. :-/

What I am trying to do with the $100 is spend $80 of it per week, and save $20 for a big SAMs run or stocking up on something that is a great deal. I try to have one meatless dinner per week, and one leftover night, and usually we go to dh's parents house once a week. Dh is out town a lot, and when he is, dinners are really simple. For example, yesterday I made a bag of lentils, threw in some leftover rice, and added tiny bits of carrot, spinach, green beans, and Lima beans. Made enough to for tonight's dinner too, and total cost was probably $2?

I also have a small list of meals I make. I don't have the time or energy or money to try a bunch of new meals that may or may not be well recieved. Plus, I don't want to buy a bunch of new ingredients I don't usually have.

[skimomma]

We are a much smaller family (of three) but for some reason, all three of us eat far more than what I see others eat. I don't know why. 9yo dd eats as much as we do and she has had to order adult meals at restaurants starting at age 5 because the kids meals were simply not enough food. Anyway, we spend about $125 a week for all groceries, including all household items/cleaners/toiletries/etc. And that is 100% organic and as local as I can get it. That is what we have to spend so I cannot go over on a regular basis. I do meal plan and map out meals for the whole week. I could list all sorts of recipe ideas and tips but there was one single thing that really helps me keep the budget down. I save every single receipt. Even for single items that I may have had to pick up between grocery days. Once a month or so, I sit down with a highlighter and study every receipt. I circle anything that seems to carry a big sticker price and then analyze what it was for (even if it means going back to my meal planning notes) to see exactly how far it stretched. I don't do this to cut out ingredients or anything. It is just very good for me to know which ingredients cost the most, what we got out of it (be it nourishment, comfort, fun, etc....), and take note. I have discovered some interesting things from this exercise over the years. And now in this day of shrinking packages and increasing prices, I have more tools for stretching dollars. Some basics I learned:

 

1. Spices/herbs in bottles can run up to 4X the cost of bulk. I buy all from the bulk bins now. Another big plus for this method is that I can just buy a little bit of something new if I don't know that we will like it. Or if I won't use it often and a whole bottle would go stale.

2. Tea in bags was killing us. We are big tea drinkers. Again the individual herbs and teas in bulk (organic to boot) are 1/2 - 1/4 less in cost. And I can make my own blends:)

3. Seemingly similar veggies can vary widely in cost. I was appalled to find that I paid twice as much per pound for cauliflower over broccoli when broccoli would have worked just as well in the recipe I was using. This changes seasonally, but now I have an idea in my head what things cost at any given time and substitute whenever I can.

4. Again, bulk bins. All legumes and grains are much cheaper this way and I can buy only the amount I need rather than having partial packages sitting around.

5. Large volume stores are not my friend. Sure, the cost per pound of many items are far cheaper, but if they are taking up valuable space and/or going bad before I can use it up, then it is no bargain. I have a small kitchen and I prefer simplicity. I just buy what I need aside from staples I know I wiil use up.

6. Local farmers often have better prices and even when they do not I find that their product typically lasts longer and is less likely to spoil. This is especially true with milk.

7. Almost anything where some of the processing has been done for me costs much more than it is worth. Like baby carrots. I can make carrot sticks for 1/3 the price. Same with cheese sticks. I buy the cheese and cut it myself. There are things where the cost of convenience IS worth it to me but knowing exactly what it costs is empowering.

8. You probably already know this, but almost any processed grain is a rip-off. It is not good for you, it costs a lot, and it does not keep anyone satisfied very long. I quit buying it all. And I do mean all. That is a big lifestyle change for a lot of people and I won't say everyone should do it. But for my family when it came down to eating well and breaking the budget, everyone agreed we could do without cold cereal and crackers. A bowl of hot oatmeal for breakfast or a slice of homemade whole wheat bread to hold up that slice of cheese is far cheaper and more nourishing.

 

And sometimes it is worth the cost. I keep a few boxes of mac and cheese in the pantry so we don't totally traumatize dd's friends. I also have a secret box of cereal stashed away for sleepovers. Dd's poor friend just about starved when we had local eggs over a millet pilaf for breakfast. With home-fermented veggie on the side to boot! Poor kid! It was a last-minute event and I felt really bad. That was honestly, the most "normal" breakfast I could throw together. And I did omit the fermented veggies from her plate (we eat them daily as an immune booster) but she still looked a little green about the "weird grainy stuff." Whoops. I won't let that happen again!

[VeritasMama]

 

Months ago I noticed this "dirty trick" at Kroger. I like to stock up on the "!0 for $10" bags of frozen vegetables there. The store, however, shrank the content from 16 oz. to 12 oz. A 12 oz. bag of vegetables feeds only three people when a major element of a meal. With all the "health push" for people to eat more vegetables, this seems a truly stupid marketing move.

 

Inflation. Fuel costs and other costs are increasing the cost of production, food prices are going up, people's incomes aren't, so this is the food processor's solution.

 

With the drought this year, prices will probably get even worse next year.

 

I've been noticing this "hidden inflation" for years, and it has been really hard on our family of 8.

[melmichigan]

Today I bought 8 lbs of oranges,2 lbs strawberries, 5 lbs apples for $6. Organic that would cost closer to $24. This will be snacks for 4-5 days.

 

Some of this is regional, I was thrilled to get 5lbs of apples for $6 yesterday. Prices certainly aren't going down.

[BlueTaelon]

Wow, Many of you are spending more a month on food then I do my entire budget from rent to bills to food:( My kids eat as much as I do and were sharing with my mom half the meals (so 4 people) and I still only spend about $400 a month. Thats all I can afford and I shop hard, I shop ethnic markets and winco, I hit the supermarket (Albertsons) in the mornings to snag the meat mark downs and I love when they are out of the sale item I want (Rain check for when its off sale and I can often get a coupon to match). Whole chicken hasn't gone below .99 cents a lb in over a year, its .69 cents this week and I managed to get a rain check and went back that afternoon and got 2, 6lb chickens that I cooked up today that will be made into chef salads, tacos, taquitoes, sandwiches. I got 3lbs of ground turkey yesterday on sale for $5.99 which is a stellar price these days (we don't eat beef due to allergy) and turned it into 3 dishes and stretched it with beans that accented the flavor in a good way. If it comes in a box chances are I don't buy it. With a little planning you can cook from scratch in no time flat. Today in about 3 hours I: (C&P from mt FB)

 

I've had a rather productive morning, made Italian salad dressing from scratch http://www.food.com/recipe/good-seasons-italian-salad-dressing-mix-34573 (the real stuff is no longer GF), got 2 chickens roasting on a bed of potatoes, carrots and onions & using a rub from this recipe http://allrecipes.com/recipe/turkey-brine/detail.aspx which tastes amazing on both chicken and as a turkey brine, the pan juices turn into an excellent gravy. Made Taco Salad http://allrecipes.com/recipe/san-antonio-taco-salad/detail.aspx and Taco meat with this seasoning http://www.food.com/recipe/kittencals-taco-seasoning-mix-76616 and after the taco stuff cools and can be put away, and I've had a rest lol, I'll make a pot of chili and some banana bread and maybe a loaf of sandwich bread. I just realized we didn't even eat until 10am when we had this http://www.food.com/recipe/kittencals-fluffiest-scrambled-eggs-251220 and bacon for breakfast then I got busy in the kitchen, so all that in about 2.5 hours and that includes mixing up the spice mixes and fixing the girls lunch.

 

 

After lunch and a rest I made the chili http://www.food.com/recipe/ground-turkey-chili-for-people-who-hate-ground-turkey-79308

 

Total cost was about $20 for 4 different meals with left overs(that become lunch for 2-3 people the next day) and the chicken leftovers will make 3-4 more meals for about $5. I generally don't have this much energy but today I'm feeling good so I thought I'd stock the fridge:)

[GSOchristie]

We only have little kids, but if you go to Pinterest, you can search kids snacks and get about one million ideas. I alternate, fruit, protein (cheese or yogurt, which I make in the crock pot so it's super cheap), veggie, protein. Usually my six year old will stop at veggie because he doesn't like them :). If he gets hungry enough, he will plow through the baby carrots to get yogurt. I'm scared of the teenage eating years.

[GSOchristie]

Oh, and my kids love beans, which are super cheap! I buy dried ones and cook them in the pressure cooker. Sprinkle about a a tablespoon of Colby Jack on top and Asher thinks they are delicious.

[Miss Peregrine]

Wow, Many of you are spending more a month on food then I do my entire budget from rent to bills to food:( My kids eat as much as I do and were sharing with my mom half the meals (so 4 people) and I still only spend about $400 a month. Thats all I can afford and I shop hard, I shop ethnic markets and winco, I hit the supermarket (Albertsons) in the mornings to snag the meat mark downs and I love when they are out of the sale item I want (Rain check for when its off sale and I can often get a coupon to match). Whole chicken hasn't gone below .99 cents a lb in over a year, its .69 cents this week and I managed to get a rain check and went back that afternoon and got 2, 6lb chickens that I cooked up today that will be made into chef salads, tacos, taquitoes, sandwiches. I got 3lbs of ground turkey yesterday on sale for $5.99 which is a stellar price these days (we don't eat beef due to allergy) and turned it into 3 dishes and stretched it with beans that accented the flavor in a good way. If it comes in a box chances are I don't buy it. With a little planning you can cook from scratch in no time flat. Today in about 3 hours I: (C&P from mt FB)

 

I've had a rather productive morning, made Italian salad dressing from scratch http://www.food.com/...ssing-mix-34573 (the real stuff is no longer GF), got 2 chickens roasting on a bed of potatoes, carrots and onions & using a rub from this recipe http://allrecipes.co...ine/detail.aspx which tastes amazing on both chicken and as a turkey brine, the pan juices turn into an excellent gravy. Made Taco Salad http://allrecipes.co...lad/detail.aspx and Taco meat with this seasoning http://www.food.com/...oning-mix-76616 and after the taco stuff cools and can be put away, and I've had a rest lol, I'll make a pot of chili and some banana bread and maybe a loaf of sandwich bread. I just realized we didn't even eat until 10am when we had this http://www.food.com/...led-eggs-251220 and bacon for breakfast then I got busy in the kitchen, so all that in about 2.5 hours and that includes mixing up the spice mixes and fixing the girls lunch.

 

 

After lunch and a rest I made the chili http://www.food.com/...nd-turkey-79308

 

Total cost was about $20 for 4 different meals with left overs(that become lunch for 2-3 people the next day) and the chicken leftovers will make 3-4 more meals for about $5. I generally don't have this much energy but today I'm feeling good so I thought I'd stock the fridge:)

 

Very productive! I do that, too. Cook a chicken for several meals, make my own broth. Almost everything we eat is from scratch. SO it is depressing to spend that much and still have to do all that work! lol

[Janie Grace]

 

Very productive! I do that, too. Cook a chicken for several meals, make my own broth. Almost everything we eat is from scratch. SO it is depressing to spend that much and still have to do all that work! lol

 

 

Me too. I rarely buy canned broth or separate cuts of chicken. I cook whole birds and stretch and stretch the meat. But, I do admit, I buy pasture-raised. I just cannot eat regular "supermarket chicken" anymore. The smell of them makes me sick, as does knowing what's "in" them, in terms of their diet/conditions. I don't, however, buy a lot of other organic stuff (can't afford it), unless it's on crazy sale. I guess we all choose what's really important to us and scrimp for that.

[justamouse]

Yep, the shrinking sizes on packages are really annoying. How stupid do they think we are? And how stupidly wasteful are they? The packaging to contents ratio is getting worse. Yep, I'm really annoyed. (This last week it was cookies--did you think I wouldn't notice, Ch*ps Ah*y, that your package was three ounces smaller? Huh!?)

 

 

It's starting to infuriate me. I mean, it's so close to false advertising.

[BlueTaelon]

 

Me too. I rarely buy canned broth or separate cuts of chicken. I cook whole birds and stretch and stretch the meat. But, I do admit, I buy pasture-raised. I just cannot eat regular "supermarket chicken" anymore. The smell of them makes me sick, as does knowing what's "in" them, in terms of their diet/conditions. I don't, however, buy a lot of other organic stuff (can't afford it), unless it's on crazy sale. I guess we all choose what's really important to us and scrimp for that.

 

 

 

For us we don't really have a choice but that will be solved soon, next month were FINALLY moving to a farm where we get to raise our own chickens, turkeys, pigs and sheep:) It will end up costing about the same as the supermarket but a heck of a lot healthier and organic:)

[Orthodox6]

The neighbors think we eat adventurously but really we eat cheap LOL.

 

 

:smilielol5: Traditional culture foods often cost much less to prepare, especially dishes from the less-affluent end of the society. Nowadays, we go to ethnic restaurants and spend an arm-and-a-leg for what we decide is a trendy, upscale meal. The cooks must be laughing fit to kill back in the kitchens.

[BlueTaelon]

:smilielol5: Traditional culture foods often cost much less to prepare, especially dishes from the less-affluent end of the society. Nowadays, we go to ethnic restaurants and spend an arm-and-a-leg for what we decide is a trendy, upscale meal. The cooks must be laughing fit to kill back in the kitchens.

 

 

No kidding! When were totally broke we eat like Mexicans, good, filling food for dirt cheap!

[saraha]

We try to go meatless once a week for dinner, and what ended up working for us (we raise our own beef cattle, so it isn't a cost thing, more of a health trend I am working on setting) was to make elbow macaroni, add spaghetti sauce (I use canned because this is one of my quick meals for those crazy evenings) and add a carton of cottage cheese. Before getting our milk cow, this was actually more expensive for us than having hamburger in it. My husband and son seem to be more satisfied with the cheese mixed in than with just pasta and sauce.

Oh, and another meatless meal is to make tacos, but to season a can of black beans with the taco seasoning. Then serving the seasoned black beans and a can of refried beans. Eating the canned beans is more expensive for us, but it makes a complaintless meatless meal for us. My kids are resistant to change :tongue_smilie:

[Alyeska]

When we were in a high cost of living area, we easily spent $1000-$1200 (all household/food items) a month at the grocery,and that was a few years ago! That was for two adults, a 9 y.o. girl who ate like a bird, a 5 year old boy, and a cat.

 

Now, we spend $600 maximum (all household/food items). That is for two adults, a teen girl, a bottomless pit 8 year old boy, and a dog. We are in a lower cost of living area now and are able to get a significant amount of items at Costco. A much smaller shopping trip is made to another store for odds and ends. We eat pretty typically...and I cook breakfast and dinner from scratch (dairy and wheat free). Dd is allergic to dairy and I don't eat wheat.

 

It would be very, very easy to spend more. I would love to buy different cheeses (mmm...muenster...) but rarely do. We do have meat in the freezer from our elk hunt. I only buy 10 pounds of chicken per month, and 5 pounds of burger for tacos etc...because we don't like elk meat tacos. lol! $30 a month is spent on rice cheese, rice milk, and coconut milk for dd. I don't buy replacement items like gluten free breads...I just do without.

 

On the USDA chart we are$26 below the lowest $ amount for a family of our size and ages. But I don't see that lasting long. Once the elk is gone, we will be back to purchasing ground beef until the next hunting season.

 

In the last couple of days, I have researched couponing. We will see...I don't have a ton of time to coupon, but every bit helps I guess.

[LucyStoner]

Well, $865/14 days/7 people is $8.83 per person per day and I reckon you have some food left over to use in the next week or so. While your budget is not the cheapest it is not outrageously or inconceivably high. Food is expensive and generally will be your largest expense after housing.

 

Small trips do add up because the most times you go to the store the more little extras you grab. Grocery stores know this and that is why they LOVE daily shoppers!

 

You can explore average food costs with this table.

 

http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/Publications/FoodPlans/2012/CostofFoodNov2012.pdf

[*Inna*]

If I take time to prepare a bunch of freezer meals and esp. frozen breakfasts (egg burritos, english muffins/eggs/sausage, pacakes, waffles etc), oatmeal packets (pre-measure everything, they just need to add milk and heat), then our budget looks good.

 

They love cereal, but just like PP's said it disappears quickly and they are hungry again soon.

 

Popcorn is great as a snack. We pop it in the microwave in brown paper bag and add the toppings. Try PB2 sprinkled on top if you guys like PB taste.

 

I love Winco bulk section. Spices, couscous, quinoa, nuts.

[fraidycat]

It's hard when your dh "hates legumes." :glare:

 

This, totally. Except it's not my DH, it's my DS. I'm pretty sure it's a sensory/texture issue. He does not "do" rice, quinoa, lentils, beans, oatmeal, etc. I sure hope he grows out of it soon, as it seems to be something he "grew in to" -he was never a picky eater as a toddler, he ate everything we gave him. Now, he will projectile vomit if he gets the wrong texture in his mouth.

[caroljenn]

Three of us here and I easily spend over $300 per week, so I think youre doing pretty good!

 

I mostly buy organics (90%) and we eat some weird green powders and bars and stuff. My costs do include paper towels, cleaning supplies, etc. too.

[thebacabunch]

We live in the pacific nw and things aren't cheap. I spend about 6-700 a month on a family of 5. This includes all toiletries, cleaning supplies, etc.

 

I have a few tricks that my family doesn't even really notice to stretch the food budget. For instance, when I make tacos I use 2 corn tortillas instead of 1 per taco. That really bulks up the grain and corn tortillas are dirt cheap. I also add pinto or black beans and corn to my taco meat. I serve salad every night. I don't get fancy, I just buy a thing of spring mix and maybe throw in a couple of veggies that are on sale. Salad is usually cheapest at places like costco and is a great healthy way to add bulk to a meal. I always shop the sale circulars for fruit, veg, and meat. I find that if I buy what is in season and on sale we save a ton. For instance, right now we eat a lot of oranges because they are in season right now. I also buy 10 dozen eggs a month. I will boil about a dozen and a half a week for grab and go protein, egg salad for lunches, and chopped egg in salads to bulk up protein. I buy whole milk. It is more satiating and we go through it less quickly. I will make a pot of rice to pour homemade soup over. I never use canned soups for recipes, bechemel sauce is so easy and versatile. I buy bread, meat, and frozen veggies and fruit on sale and stock up my chest freezer. I buy canned goods by the case when on sale. I have tried and adopted a few grain type breakfasts that my kids like: arroz con leche which is just rice with milk, a little sugar, and a little cinnamon or boiled wheat berries. I serve these with boiled eggs. I make my own biscuits, rolls, muffins, cornbread (no mixes). For snacks I serve a protein with a carb: peanut butter and apples, cheese and crackers, popcorn and a glass of milk, whole wheat mini bagels and cream cheese, peanut butter with bananas rolled in chocolate chips, coconut, or whatever else we have. I never, EVER buy herbs and spices in the spice aisle. I always buy from the bulk bins.

[MedicMom]

Two quarts of strawberries alone here would be $6. DS loves fruit and would eat it constantly, but I really have to ration it sue to price. Even locally grown fruit tends to be pricey due to the short growing season.

[beaners]

For instance, when I make tacos I use 2 corn tortillas instead of 1 per taco. That really bulks up the grain and corn tortillas are dirt cheap. I also add pinto or black beans and corn to my taco meat.

 

How do you use two tortillas? Are these fried (hard) or soft? I love "double decker" tacos (like Taco Bell :blush: ) where there is one hard and one soft with refried beans between them. There's something I really like about the combination of textures. I was going to make tamales this week, but I might switch those out for tacos! We serve both *very* authentic and *very* Americanized food in our house. My husband and I make better hot and sour soup than the takeout we got last week, but ramen noodles are a base for a few of my other recipes. :laugh:

 

My daughter sat down on my lap and read that I might not make tamales and was so disappointed. I guess I'll be making both this week!

[Cassy]

We're two adults and four children. I spend around £950 a month on food, toiletries, cleaning supplies, etc - that's about $1400 a month.

[Um_2_4]

There is no local produce when one lives in some parts of the country though. Even apples around here which sometimes one can find locally are nearing $2 a pound. And that's not for organic. So the 5 pounds of apples here would cost closer to $10 just for the apples.

 

edited to add:

 

I priced 6 pounds of apples, 8 pounds of oranges, and 2 pounds of strawberries. I chose the cheapest on sale for each. The strawberries happened to be about half price this week too. The total came to $21. (I went with the 6#s of apples in my comparison because it was cheaper to buy 2 three pound bags of apples than any other configuration).

 

This makes me feel better though. At least I'm not imagining that food is expensive.

 

Oh, I totally know we live in a great area for buying produce. I was just comparing non-organic to organic in my area. It's 4x as much.

The strawberries just got ripe here.

The other stuff is what gets me. The smaller packages are in everything:

[beaners]

There is no local produce when one lives in some parts of the country though. Even apples around here which sometimes one can find locally are nearing $2 a pound. And that's not for organic. So the 5 pounds of apples here would cost closer to $10 just for the apples.

 

edited to add:

 

I priced 6 pounds of apples, 8 pounds of oranges, and 2 pounds of strawberries. I chose the cheapest on sale for each. The strawberries happened to be about half price this week too. The total came to $21. (I went with the 6#s of apples in my comparison because it was cheaper to buy 2 three pound bags of apples than any other configuration).

 

This makes me feel better though. At least I'm not imagining that food is expensive.

 

 

I guessed that the apples, oranges, and strawberries would be closer to $6 EACH here too. Sometimes it's hard to find decent produce in different parts of the country too. I don't ever remember seeing a good-looking apple when we lived in Memphis.

 

I checked the new grocery flyer for Jungle Jims (my new favorite place in the whole world). They had oranges at $2 for a 4 lb bag last week. They had apples that were "seconds" for just less than $1/lb last time we were there, but those were starting to get pretty picked over. They've had apples at that price for more than a month, but I don't know if there will be something different once those bins are empty. I'm not seeing any fruit except bananas and grapefruit listed this week though. We always buy bananas. We'll buy oranges this time of year, although the kids go through them like water.

 

Under vegetables there are carrots at $1 for a 2 lb bag. Our Kroger had organic carrots in a 25 lb bag for $15 last time I was there, but we didn't have room in the fridge for that. These aren't organic but the price is better and the size is more manageable for our pathetic little vegetable bins. 5 lb bags of potatoes are $1. Greens like kale are almost always 79 or 89 cents per pound. The cheap sausage I use for my red beans and rice is $1 for 9 oz. This is the store I buy most of my legumes at right now. It's a little tricky because they have something like kidney beans in every country where they're served, but I've found the best prices in the Middle Eastern section. They have a few different dry lentils and split beans close to $1/lb. Other beans are slightly more expensive, but off the top of my head, the prices were all better than the link to the co-op someone posted earlier.

 

We use Kroger and a smaller local store for their sale items and a few dairy products. I won't buy pork for more than $2/lb. Since the ginormous packages are usually what is on sale, we have them cut up and I bag them. Pork cut into chops is usually less than $1.25/lb like this. Hams and turkeys less than $1/lb. We had an awesome enormous chest freezer, but it just died last month. I hate having to pass up sales because we don't have freezer space!

 

We've lived in places with relatively low food costs since we were married, but each time we've moved (4 times!!!) I need to learn new sale prices and new sale items. London broil went on sale at $2/lb once a month where we lived in NY, and chuck roast was like that in PA. Chicken quarters were as low as 20 cents a pound when we lived in Memphis, but I don't think we'll ever see that price again. We used to feed it to the dog because it was cheaper than kibble!

[sassenach]

This is making me feel so much better! We spend about $900/month for 4 adult eaters and 2 kids. I thought we were really high (and we do live in a very high COL area). We don't eat organic meat, but I do mostly organic produce and milk. We eat fresh. The meat is the big one that I just can't find the budget for, yet.

 

I use plan to eat to meal plan and it's the only thing that keeps us on budget. I think this is the big key.

 

Snacks are fruit, nuts, peanut butter and the afore mentioned popcorn.

 

On teenage boys: a friend told me once that when they go out to eat with their 2 teen boys (athletes), the boys will eat huge meals, then come home and walk straight into the kitchen to make themselves another meal.

[Miss Peregrine]

 

On teenage boys: a friend told me once that when they go out to eat with their 2 teen boys (athletes), the boys will eat huge meals, then come home and walk straight into the kitchen to make themselves another meal.

 

 

I picked up my son from a friend;s house on Saturday. As we walked in the door I asked if he ate over there. he proceeded to tell me what they pigged out on. He ended with, "I'm stuffed."

Not ten minutes later he wandered into the kitchen, "What do we have to eat? I'm starving." :confused1:

[happyhomemaker25]

I spend about $300-$400 for meat, cheese and some canned goods at Costco every month. If its a really lean month I can usually get by with about $200 or $250 for meat. Usually I just get ground beef and chicken. Sometimes I will get a roast and/or some pork chops.

I spend anywhere from $100-$200 a week for other stuff. Other stuff is milk, pasta, veggies, fruit, eggs, other ingredients...

We have a few convenience foods, but they are very, very few.

I have two girls who can eat my husband under the table!

Beans and rice are kind of out for us right now because I'm pregnant and they really mess up my blood sugar when I'm pregnant. Even with diabetes I can usually eat beans when I'm not pregnant so our grocery budget is a littler higher now than usual.

[Jenny in Florida]

I do have five kids, and three of them eat as much as or more than I do. So that's about five "adult-sized" appetites, plus two little ones, plus a large dog.

 

Let's see: If we count each of the younger kids as half an adult, that means you're feeding the equivalent of six adults (and a dog), right? So, $865/2 weeks/6 adults = $72 per adult per week.

 

I'm feeding only four, all adult-sized people, plus two cats and a medium-sized dog. One of those people is a teenaged boy, a dancer, who easily eats more than my husband. I typically spend about $150/week, which doesn't always include all of the dog food, but usually includes at least the cat food. In the name of trying to get a reasonably close comparison, let's add $8 per week for dog food. (The stuff I buy when I do get it elsewhere is $15 per bag and lasts a couple of weeks.) Rounding up to make it easier, that means I'm spending $160/4 adults (and the pets) = $40 per adult per week.

 

I don't know where you live or what the cost of living looks like there. I know, because I looked it up last time we talked about grocery spending, that our area is smack dab on the national average for food costs.

 

We eat mostly vegan (meaning three of us are vegan, but I buy cheese and sour cream for my husband), and I do buy more convenience foods than I'd like, because it's the only way I've found to survive our schedule with anything like good humor.

 

Many of our meals start with a base of some kind of bean and some kind of grain. I buy mostly dried beans and cook and season them as the mood strikes. I bake most, but not all, of our bread. Many of our favorite meals are "ethnic" in origin: Mexican, Indian, etc. We eat a fair amount of produce, but not an especially wide variety and rarely organic. The biggest hits my grocery budget takes are for things like soy milk and the protein powders I use for my son's breakfast smoothies.

[tsavoie11]

Just be careful. I did that once and it caught on fire.

 

I caught my microwave on fire recently popping popcorn in a paper sack. :(

[Jennifer in MI]

This is making me feel so much better! We spend about $900/month for 4 adult eaters and 2 kids. I thought we were really high (and we do live in a very high COL area). We don't eat organic meat, but I do mostly organic produce and milk. We eat fresh. The meat is the big one that I just can't find the budget for, yet. I use plan to eat to meal plan and it's the only thing that keeps us on budget. I think this is the big key. Snacks are fruit, nuts, peanut butter and the afore mentioned popcorn. On teenage boys: a friend told me once that when they go out to eat with their 2 teen boys (athletes), the boys will eat huge meals, then come home and walk straight into the kitchen to make themselves another meal.

I picked up my son from a friend;s house on Saturday. As we walked in the door I asked if he ate over there. he proceeded to tell me what they pigged out on. He ended with, "I'm stuffed." Not ten minutes later he wandered into the kitchen, "What do we have to eat? I'm starving." :confused1:

 

Yup! These are my boys too. I do require they wait until the dishes are done from one meal before getting MORE food out.

 

We went on a cruise this month. My oldest ate FIVE entrees one night. FIVE!!! An hour later he was at the pizza place eating 8 slices of pizza. No joke.

[2squared]

 

 

How do you use two tortillas? Are these fried (hard) or soft? I love "double decker" tacos (like Taco Bell :blush: ) where there is one hard and one soft with refried beans between them.

 

 

The cheapest way for us to serve tacos is with tortilla chips rather than shells. An 11oz bag of chips costs $1.50, and we seem to eat less of the meat mixture with chips than we do with shells.

[sassenach]

Yup! These are my boys too. I do require they wait until the dishes are done from one meal before getting MORE food out.

 

We went on a cruise this month. My oldest ate FIVE entrees one night. FIVE!!! An hour later he was at the pizza place eating 8 slices of pizza. No joke.

 

Cruising really must be the way to vacation with that many teenage boys. I imagine it pays for itself.

[mommymilkies]

Today I bought 8 lbs of oranges,2 lbs strawberries, 5 lbs apples for $6. Organic that would cost closer to $24. This will be snacks for 4-5 days.

 

 

I'm jealous! Even price matched, I can't get that for under $20-30+. Organic isn't even sold around here, but when we're somewhere it is that was $5/lb strawberries just off the top for conventional and you can imagine for organic.

 

I buy bulk on amazon when we get taxes. I try to buy enough coconut, oats, and gf flour things to hold us over. For those who are gf, vitacost seems to have the best pasta options and price.

[BlueTaelon]

I'm jealous! Even price matched, I can't get that for under $20-30+. Organic isn't even sold around here, but when we're somewhere it is that was $5/lb strawberries just off the top for conventional and you can imagine for organic.

 

I buy bulk on amazon when we get taxes. I try to buy enough coconut, oats, and gf flour things to hold us over. For those who are gf, vitacost seems to have the best pasta options and price.

 

 

If you have a Winco within an hour or so (the bulk section alone is worth the gas) they carry, white rice, brown rice, soy, almond flour, tapioca and potato starch, corn starch Bobs red mill GF oatmeal in quick and old fashioned. They even have several GF pastas for $1 something a lb. I find Millet cheapest on Amazon.

[mommymilkies]

 

 

 

If you have a Winco within an hour or so (the bulk section alone is worth the gas) they carry, white rice, brown rice, soy, almond flour, tapioca and potato starch, corn starch Bobs red mill GF oatmeal in quick and old fashioned. They even have several GF pastas for $1 something a lb. I find Millet cheapest on Amazon.

 

I've never even heard of that! I Buy a lot of flours on vitacost really cheaply. We don't use much, so we go through maybe 3 bags millet and almond flour a year.

[thebacabunch]

I use corn tortillas and fry them. I take two instead of 1 and put them together before adding meat, etc.

[Alyeska]

Yup! These are my boys too. I do require they wait until the dishes are done from one meal before getting MORE food out.

 

We went on a cruise this month. My oldest ate FIVE entrees one night. FIVE!!! An hour later he was at the pizza place eating 8 slices of pizza. No joke.

 

 

Wow! Where does it all go? lol!

 

My ds 8 eats as much as my dh (sometimes more). I wonder HOW his body can even use all the calories!! And occasionally I will tell him enough and he must wait until breakfast. : )

 

...ahh to have the metabolism of a young person...

[GraciebytheBay]

When my boys are home on college break (for a total of 6 of us), our 2-week food bill is about $350-400. When it is just the four of us (+ commuter boy who eats breakfast and snacks here), it is $300. That is if I am careful. If I am shopping with abandon or buying special party food, it is higher.

[Jennifer in MI]

Wow! Where does it all go? lol! My ds 8 eats as much as my dh (sometimes more). I wonder HOW his body can even use all the calories!! And occasionally I will tell him enough and he must wait until breakfast. : ) ...ahh to have the metabolism of a young person...

 

Tell me about it!!! :) My boys are athletes and the older two are trying to eat between 5500 and 6000 calories a day. The oldest is 6'1" and 185. The other is 6'0" and 169. Both very fit! I get jealous of them sometimes.