Grocery shopping, how has it changed over time for you?

[Prairie~Phlox]

I used to do a lot more couponing, but the deals have kind of stalled, coupons stink and our paper costs went up. I occasionally will still buy multiple coupons, but now I have started shopping at Sam's more, buying less processed stuff (not that we went crazy before, but I've just tried to keep things more simple. I also garden more, can, dehydrate and freeze whatever I can. I also started ordering large quantities from Azure Standard (beans, oatmeal (which I have always bought in bulk) and a few other things. In the end, I think I am doing just as well without the hype of couponing. It's easier to just buy the large package and when I run out, I will buy it again. I also started dating some things (like soap, dish detergent) to get a vague idea of how long things last me.

 

Anyway, how has your shopping changed as the economy has gotten worse and your family has grown.

[GSOchristie]

Hardly any processed foods. I used to buy things in cans to put in recipes, oatmeal packets, microwave popcorn, etc. Now that I stay home, I have time to do things from scratch.

[JustEm]

Next to no processed foods. I no longer use coupons because of it aside from twice a year when I get my cleaning supplies for the next 6 months or so. I don't buy paper except for toilet paper. Everything else is cloth, even diapers. I split a side of beef with 2 siblings which lasts almost a year. I really stock up on chicken when its on sale at rock bottom prices (I can't believe the prices these days.)

[TammyinTN]

I've gotten in the habit of buying more whole ingredients. I do the bulk of my shopping at Costco. There are a few things I get that are already prepared and you just pop in and bake for those nights when it's been a crazy day, but that's no the normal lately.

[Night Elf]

I used to buy lots of processed foods and lots of snacks. When we joined Weight Watchers in 2011, our eating habits changed. I used to shop two grocery stores, looking for the best coupon deals. Now I do the majority of my shopping at Walmart which is better priced. I still prefer to buy meat and some produce from my best grocery store.

[A home for their hearts]

I used to love grocery shopping, now I hate it. End of story. ;)

[dirty ethel rackham]

Since I don't buy a lot of processed foods and look for "clean" brands for the ones I do, coupons are not much use to me. We do most of our shopping at Trader Joe's and try for organic produce where possible and buy meat directly from a farmer (half a cow, half a pig, some chickens) and put them in the deep freeze.) I try to use more natural cleaning products so those rarely have coupons either. We do a menu plan each week and make the grocery list from there.

[*********]

My grocery shopping has changed HUGELY in the eleven years we've been married.

 

I used to buy whatever I wanted when I wanted, regarless of price, And we ate a lot more convenience foods. This was when we first got married and dh and I both worked, eleven years ago. Boy have things changed. I quit working to stay home and raise our kids, and that was an adjustment for both of us.

 

Now? First off, there's a great website a gal runs in our area that matches up the local grocery store sales with coupons. That helps a ton. Plus, I cook much more from scratch now (as an example, I bake homemade muffins insead of buying a mix like I would've back in the day). We eat a lot less processed foods, even though I coupon so much. Who couldn't use a coupon for toilet paper, paper towel, deodorant, shampoo, laundry detergent, peanut butter, etc. There are lots of staples, toiletries, and paper/plastic products that have coupons. Shoot, yesterday at Meijer I even used a coupon on my organic romaine lettuce.

[Spryte]

I hate grocery shopping.

 

Less processed foods, no more coupons (we don't often find coupons for items we use). More shopping at the local farmer's market. Local eggs. Grass fed beef in the freezer. Last year we were part of a CSA, but not this year. More specialty shopping online for items we need for special diets/allergies.

 

Online shopping at our local grocery store is the biggest change for me - it is a $5 flat fee for them to shop, bring to the car and load. For $5, I love it. Love it, love it, love it. Did I say I hate grocery shopping?

 

 

ETA: I love my new meal planning app - Food on the Table - it matches up sales with recipes. Meal planning is a huge change for me, too.

[Tess in the Burbs]

Ours has changed as well. Much less processed food. I buy more in bulk and we only buy organic or grass fed meat from a farm. Eggs from the farm. As I started cooking more I was buying a lot of different ingredients but I noticed in the last year that food costs are just too much, so right now I am noticing that I want simple recipes. I don't do the fancier ingredient list ones much anymore. I try to make the recipe simple as can be. We are gardening more but we wish it was a lot more. So yes, tons of changes over the years.

[Renthead Mommy]

I've never bought processed foods, and I've never found coupons that saved me enough to cover the paper cost or the cost of the Grocery Game memberships.

 

In our last house, I started food shopping more often. If I bought for a week, we'd end up eating out or ordering in so much things would go bad. So I started actually planning a meal or two, and then picking stuff up to get us through a few days, going back when we were out of that. Often I'd walk down to the markets to get stuff for that day's dinner, or just pick up what was needed while out doing other things as there were good food stores everywhere.

 

Here I actually have to cook more as there are fewer restaurants (we don't do big corp chain stuff usually) and absolutely no delivery! Well there is the bad pizza place, but there aren't other delivery restaurants. Things like Italin, Greek, Indian and the like. We drive almost 5 miles for the good pizza place. And we are so far out in the boonies, the grocery store is over three miles away. It would annoy me more that there are so few food stores around here, but that is also the closest Starbucks, so often when I go out for a coffee, I'll pick up stuff for dinner.

[Jane in NC]

I think the biggest change in my shopping came about as a result of a huge change in my cooking. Like many on this thread, I tend to buy ingredients--not a lot of processed food. We have participated in a spring/summer CSA for years but in recent year another farm sprung up which offers a fall/winter CSA. (With a hoop house they can really extend the season!) Now, instead of shopping with a meal plan, I start with a box of produce, supplemented with local eggs and maybe additional produce items picked up from other farm markets. I buy chicken at my food co-op or from the butcher. This goes in the freezer.

 

Last night I make a quiche (local eggs, zucchini, onion, tomato) served with local corn. Tonight we are having "grown up" grilled cheese (organic turkey bacon, cheese and tomato) with roasted green beans and potato salad. Obviously I have a lot of local veg at the moment. In the fall, we will eat a lot of greens, sweet potatoes, turnips--switching over to items of that season.

 

The key for me is to make sure that I keep several protein choices in my freezer and dried beans in the pantry. I also buy local seafood regularly. (The shells from the shrimp we ate last week were made into stock which in turn goes into the freezer.)

 

This type of cooking requires experimentation as I do a lot of substitutions. Usually it works. Usually.

[readinmom]

When we were first married, dh and I used to go together. Definite impulse shopping going on during those times. I started using coupons a few years ago but let it lapse. I cook from scratch now, no mixes, and try to stick to a food budget.

 

Also, our store choices have changed. When we moved here, there was one grocery store within 5 miles. We now have 3-4 every couple of miles, including Costco, Walmart, and Sprouts.

[Julie Smith]

Winter is long past. I find grocery shopping much more fun.

 

With the exception of a few trips a year I do all the grocery shopping on foot, or bike. But in winter it's always on foot. So this means I shop the fruit and vegetable aisle, pick up cheese and eggs, and if I'm lucky some yogurt. I never get to the inner aslies since by that time I have reached my weight limit.

 

But in summer we go to the store more often since it's nice out, and I go on bike. So I can buy whatever I want. We do many more special foods, the inner aslies. The "hhummmm that might be good" things or the sure I'll pick up a container of chocolare milk or coke. Because I don't have to budget so tightly for weight and size.

[Happy]

I've never bought processed foods, and I've never found coupons that saved me enough to cover the paper cost or the cost of the Grocery Game memberships.

 

In our last house, I started food shopping more often. If I bought for a week, we'd end up eating out or ordering in so much things would go bad. So I started actually planning a meal or two, and then picking stuff up to get us through a few days, going back when we were out of that. Often I'd walk down to the markets to get stuff for that day's dinner, or just pick up what was needed while out doing other things as there were good food stores everywhere.

 

Here I actually have to cook more as there are fewer restaurants (we don't do big corp chain stuff usually) and absolutely no delivery! Well there is the bad pizza place, but there aren't other delivery restaurants. Things like Italin, Greek, Indian and the like. We drive almost 5 miles for the good pizza place. And we are so far out in the boonies, the grocery store is over three miles away. It would annoy me more that there are so few food stores around here, but that is also the closest Starbucks, so often when I go out for a coffee, I'll pick up stuff for dinner.

 

I have to chuckle....at one time, I lived 3 miles from my mailbox! And 35 miles from the grocery store--luckily, my mil only lived a couple of miles away. She stocked a mighty fine pantry...as I learned to do as well.

 

When we lived in Europe I got used to buying every couple of days--I really loved that! It was fun to shop small. I live about 12-15 minutes drive from the nearest grocery store now. I really try to shop while I'm already out.

 

We have always cooked from scratch. There were days (teen boy years!) when convenience foods found their way into our fridge and freezer, but not as much any more. I enjoy cooking--if only someone would clean up after me. :)

[Crimson Wife]

Youngest DD switched to a gluten-, dairy-, and soy-free diet in Dec. 2012 so I had to overhaul my cooking for that reason. I had everyone (except for DH, who doesn't eat much with us anyways) on it for 7 months, until insecurity at DH's job forced me to cut our grocery budget. Didn't seem to make any significant difference for my older two kids or me, so we do now have some gluten & dairy, but still a lot less than originally.

 

I'm definitely buying a lot more green leafy veggies since I received a juicer as a gift last Christmas. Green smoothies have been a big hit!

[chiguirre]

I gave up on coupons about 5 years ago when I realized I never read the paper at all. The Houston Chronicle's just not a very good newspaper. I felt bad about buying and having to recycle a newspaper just for 2 coupon circulars and the paper ads. I switched to buying store brand always. Now, we've got Aldi! It's only a minute out of my way on the route home from GW's school, so I buy all my perishables there now. I still pick up some produce Aldi doesn't carry and meat at the HEB along with some frozen stuff that's unique to that store. I'm impressed with Aldi's prices. I've been saving a ton on dairy and bread.

[MunRoLy]

I used to love grocery shopping, now I hate it. End of story. ;)

 

Me too.

[Baseball mom]

Teen boys = more food :lol: so I have to buy a lot more.

[Chelle in MO]

Teen boys = more food :lol: so I have to buy a lot more.

 

 

Same here! It's crazy! But oldest ds is going to college next month ( :crying: ), so the grocery bill will go down. I'll spend enough money on care packages to make up for it, though, I'm sure!

 

My other big changes have been cooking more from scratch, getting meat at a locally-owned market, and going to Aldi for things like milk, eggs, bread, nuts, cheese, juice, salsa, and produce.

[bluemongoose]

Well.... The thing that has changed the most is how much I spend. I have noticed an increase in costs by a lot in my area.

 

Things I have changed... due to our newer family issues we have increased whole foods and organic foods. Part of this is because of life threatening allergies. This has not helped the cost.

 

Also, my boys are eating more. Bigger boys means I have to get lots more food than before.

[Laura Corin]

I've gone from buying what I fancy to buying what's on sale. I've also changed from a regular supermarket to Aldi for most things. Our diet hasn't changed that much - a bit less meat and more pulses/beans, but otherwise I am just shopping more frugally within the same food structure (mostly cooked from scratch). I spend about 2/3rds what I used.

 

I use a credit card that I pay off at the end of the month and that gives me points. I can spend those points at a particular supermarket, or I can exchange it for lots of other things that I would buy anyway - railcards, a rare meal out...

 

Laura

[TravelingChris]

My youngest became highly allergic to citric acid last year and that is in lots of food. So I read labels and not only of food. It is very hard to find soaps and shampoos too. I have to read labels of anything coming into our house and that did not prevent her from getting an anaphalexic reaction a few weeks ago as one item did not have it labeled. It was subsumed under natural flavorings.

[DaffodilDreams]

We buy a lot less meat now due to price. We hardly ever buy processed foods. We no longer buy soda or other chemical filled drinks. The bulk of our budget is spent on fresh produce, so that means we have to shop more often which makes me wish we lived in a European city with small markets and shops on the same street as our home.

[Mommyof4ks]

I have refined my couponing. We only use coupons for razors, toothbrushes, and clothing except for the odd coupon for propane and such. We buy meat, fresh fruit, fresh veggies, and dairy for the most part. The only processed stuff we get is at restaurants now, so coupons do not work for food for us at all anymore.

[linders]

Once I had babies/toddlers in tow, and they were confined to the cart - pretty easy. Then I had preschoolers/early elementary, and they wanted to explore and "help" by adding unneeded things to the cart - hard. Now I have DS10 and DS12, who can push the cart and run to the other end of the store to grab the item I forgot - very easy! Not what you were looking for? :tongue_smilie:

[BarbecueMom]

Our grocery bill has gone up a lot, but I think we shop smarter. I don't go on experimental cooking, high vegetable, or make-everything-from-scratch binges anymore because one cooking burn out, a terrible or enormous recipe, or illness ends in a lot of wasted food. I plan healthy, from-scratch dinners almost every night, but I have enough "convenience" stuff on hand to avoid going out to eat on nights when I physically or mentally just can't cook. We eat leftovers for lunch first, but I keep a few frozen entrees in the freezer for DH so he doesn't go out to eat on weeks when leftovers are sparse. And I buy only the amount of fruits and veggies I know we can reasonably eat, and use the stuff that spoils the quickest first.

 

As much as I hate having a larger-than-frugal grocery bill, I'm satisfied that we don't waste food anymore and our dining out budget is a comfortable $0.

[brendag]

I don't cook with that many processed foods so coupons are not that useful. I also now have grocery delivery which is just so incredibly nice for me since I hate grocery shopping. Yeah! For some reason I don't do any impulse buying when I order online which also helps with the budget. :)

[peachskittles]

Every time we go shopping, it seems a bit more expensive than the last time. We've been together seven years in September and in that time we went from barebones meals (the children got the good meals, we ate ramen) to having to adjust to a gluten free/legume free diet (unemployed as well) to adding a bit of gluten and legumes to offset some costs (good job but wow, food costs money, especially when you are feeding 2 or 3 more people). When we move, we will go back to gluten and legume free. It will only be us as a family of 7, no extra people, so I think I can manage it. I used to coupon and it worked for me. I haven't tried recently but when we move I might attempt it.

[beezus]

I don't buy much meat or soda pop any more. I also do less driving around to shop at different stores. There is one store that I shop at primarily, and another I hit once every month or two for specific things that are cheaper there. My primary grocery store puts out a weekly ad, so I usually look for that to see if there are any coupons or sales for things we might use, but otherwise I don't do much couponing any more. I used to have a big organized coupon wallet, but I found that I never used it as much as I thought I would. We are not totally organic, but I do buy more organic produce now than I used to.

[KrissyMomma2]

I use the online coupons for stop and shop. But it's rare i shop there these days. I do bulk shopping at SAMs, and get most of my fresh produce from a farmers market or my backyard (small garden).

[Susan in TN]

I did extreme couponing for a while. Now I load coupons onto my shoppers card of things I might buy, but I don't really pay any attention to them.

 

I shop at Aldi as much as possible, although now that we are eating gluten free (summer trial-run) I shop more at Kroger, Whole foods, and a natural foods co-op. Our meals are fairly simple, so I am mainly buying fruits and veggies, meats, eggs, cheese, almond/coconut milk, Greek yogurt, and non-wheat flours. I make most of our jam. I buy a couple boxes of gluten free cereals per week for snacks. It has been harder keeping our food budget in line with the gluten-free menu.

[QueenCat]

Less coupons as we buy less processed foods than we used to. I spend more but I'm buying higher quality foods.

[MomtoCandJ]

Don't go as often, rely more on hunting and fishing for sources of protein, buy more generic products. We plan to garden next year to save more on fruits and veggies. We also forge for mushrooms and berries.

[Donna]

I used to do it all and now my husband does all the grocery shopping on one of the days I work. Gives me more time to homeschool when I am not working. I walked into a grocery store to pick up something a couple weeks ago and thought, "Hmmmm. I haven't done this in awhile." It's really nice! ;)