Kids and food/saving on groceries..

[Stayseeliz]

Our food budget is out of control. I spent over $1100 last month for a family of six in a low cost of living area. We are getting ready to add on to our house and I have to knock $300-400 off our food budget. I try to buy as many whole foods as possible. I shop at Aldi, Costco and Walmart. I'm trying to cut out Walmart completely and I'd like to scale Costco down to once a month. I have the Aldi emeals and I can substitute cream of mushroom, etc for homemade. I don't have a TON of time to make things homemade. I'm going to try to spend some time baking snacks etc on the weekend.

 

The problem is that my kids are swimmers and they are HUNGRY. I don't want them walk around hungry but we have to get our budget under control too. Any tips on feeding hungry children on a budget? Snack ideas, etc?

[prairiewindmomma]

Feed them protein balanced with carbs....

 

carrots and hummus

hardboiled eggs

homemade bean burritos (do the beans in the crockpot)

apples & peanut butter

guacamole and chips (best prices at costco!)

chicken breasts (leftover cooked in the fridge) and cheese in a tortilla grilled/microwaved

 

If i don't feed the kids quality fats with their carbs, they are are hungry again in an hour.

 

We feed 6 people (i count baby because her diapers and organic baby food are $125/month which seems proportional) for about $600/month in a medium cost area. My oldest eats about 3500 cal a day just to maintain his current growth. He is skinny (but not hungry).

 

[Carrie12345]

Feed them protein balanced with carbs....

 

carrots and hummus

hardboiled eggs

homemade bean burritos (do the beans in the crockpot)

apples & peanut butter

guacamole and chips (best prices at costco!)

chicken breasts (leftover cooked in the fridge) and cheese in a tortilla grilled/microwaved

 

If i don't feed the kids quality fats with their carbs, they are are hungry again in an hour.

This. Plus, if my kids want junk food, they can bake some. Half the time they decide it isn't worth the effort.

[Annie G]

Can you post what your family ate for the past day or two so we can see what kind of food you're making and the volume you're serving? Sometimes just typing it out makes you able to see places where you can cut without sacrificing nutrition.  Even with swimmers who need to eat a lot, it sounds like you have room to cut.  

[momto10blessings]

I'll be listening in, but I do have one tip.

 

Do you have a Safeway where you live? Ours often has 2-lb blocks of cheddar and mozzarella cheese for $5. I stock up on those once a month. At our Walmart they are $9

[maize]

Listening in. I used to be great at cooking and eating inexpensively, but as my family has grown and my available poking time has decreased our grocery budget has slipped.

[Mandylubug]

Holy guacamole! Now, THAT is a large food budget,  ha ha! My best advice is to menu plan, precook or at least pre-assemble meals. Even plan out snacks, lunches, breakfasts. I measure out our portions. I serve all my kids an adult portion. If they are still hungry after a snack and a glass of water, I allow them to boil an egg. 

[Laura Corin]

Looking at sources of protein has helped the most for us: we don't eat much meat, but we eat enough protein by using eggs, lentils, dried beans, whole grains, etc.  When we do eat meat, it's often as a flavouring rather than the main part of a dish, in stews, risottos, tagines, pasta dishes, etc.

 

Another way that we save is by not buying sandwich meats: I regularly roast double quantities of meat and keep the rest for sandwiches.  This is usually much cheaper, and you can avoid the salt/sugar load that there is in processed meats.

 

I'm also mean to my children: protein is for meals.  If they want to snack, then it's on whole grain carbs (brown toast, muesli, etc.)  The whole grains keep them full and they don't break the bank.  They are not allowed to eat the leftover meat that is earmarked for the next day's lunch.

 

Food is much more expensive in Britain and I (on a per head basis) spend the same as you (with the bill including gin and paper goods), so I'm actually shopping much more cheaply.

 

L

[pink&bluemommy]

Making our breakfast from scratch keeps my kids fuller longer.  Baked oatmeals are frequent and cheap (can top with nut butter and put in a bowl with milk if you like):  http://www.lynnskitchenadventures.com/2009/05/peanut-butter-baked-oatmeal.html and this http://www.lynnskitchenadventures.com/2009/02/baked-oatmeal.html (raisins optional!) are favorites.  A baked french toast thing is yummy (I don't add any sweetener and we sweeten our plates with maple syrup, just like french toast).  Baked oven (dutch baby) pancakes are favorites.  Pancakes are good, whole wheat blender pancakes are easy and healthy or this overnight oat pancake was good (http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2013/08/ems-famous-overnight-oatmeal-cinnamon-pancakes.html).  

 

I make energy balls for snack its a filling little thing (I don't add chocolate chips) that paired with fruit makes a good snack!  http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/no-bake-energy-bites/

 

Popcorn is pretty inexpensive and you can make it on the stove with coconut oil.  Helps with the just need to munch craving.

 

I could probably think of more.  Oh, we don't do meat as a main dish, its always in something, a casserole or stew, etc.

[Katy]

Yes, please post what a weekly menu looks like so we can see where they money is going.

[Pretty in Pink]

_{Okay, I'll bite on this thread because I'm in the same boat as Stacey. I am spending between between $1000 and $1200 per month for our family of 7, plus one dog.}

 

_{Here is our meal breakdown for last week:}

 

<sub>Breakfasts -- oatmeal (prepped with milk, maple syrup, a sprinkling of nuts or seeds), grits (prepped with water and one slice of American cheese per serving), muesli, dry cereal

Lunch -- sandwiches (could be pb&j, tuna prepped with mayo and pickle relish, or tomato and mayo on toast), piece of fruit or serving of veg (cucumber spears, carrot sticks, etc, usually without dressing); once or twice per week we have leftovers or beans and rice</sub>

<sub>Supper -- here is my menu from last week:

1. Penne a la Betsy -- WW penne (2 boxes @ .99 each), shrimp ($15), milk, tom sauce, fresh parsley, misc pantry staples, salad

2. Spaghetti w/ turkey meatballs -- WW spaghetti (2 boxes @ .99 each), ground turkey ($10), marinara sauce ($3), fresh parsley, misc pantry staples, salad</sub>
 

_{3. Pizza night -- homemade pizza -- misc pantry staples for crust, tom sauce ($2), cheese ($3), salad}
 

_{4. Taco night -- meatless -- dry beans prepped in crockpot with one ham hock ($2), corn tortillas (maybe .40 worth?), lettuce, tomato, avocado, onion, sour cream ($1.49), fresh corn (7 ears @ .33 each), misc pantry staples}

<sub>5. Grilled chicken ceasar salad -- chicken breast ($20/bag for organic, one breast left over and saved for chicken pot pie another night), romaine lettuce ($2-3), croutons (homemade, .99), misc pantry staples

6. Bean w/ bacon soup -- dry beans prepped in crock pot, chicken bullion, 8 oz tom sauce, 1 jar bacon pieces ($1.69), corn bread made from misc pantry staples</sub>

_{7. Breakfast for dinner -- eggs ($4), cheese, pancakes (misc pantry staples), maple syrup, salad}

 

<sub>Snacks throughout the week are popcorn (buy in bulk, pop in brown lunch bag in microwave, a little butter and salt), yogurt, fresh fruit, half of a pb sandwich.

Places I *could* save money:</sub>

<sub>Dairy/eggs/meats: I buy organic when available and it's double the price of conventional. I can't get past feeling sorry for the animals, so I try to limit our consumption of these products.

Boxed goods: I buy one bag of Bob's Red Mill muesli per week for ds14 @ $3.59/bag, 2 boxes of dry cereal @ $2/box, a box of saltines (I am not making my own crackers!)</sub>

 

_{I shop at the base commissary and there aren't really any alternatives here that don't involve commuting at least 30 minutes each way to the nearest walmart.}

 

_{My bill includes pull ups, formula, dog food/snacks, cleaning supplies, and toiletries.}

 

 

 

[justasque]

I didn't notice much protein in your dinners.  Can you include beans, lentils, eggs, etc.?  They are cheap, and the legumes are filling.
Can you substitute less expensive veggies instead of the salad?  
Can you use some rice instead of pasta?  Brown rice may be cheaper than the pasta (though you are getting a good price on it).
Can you find cheaper places to get produce?  We have a place nearby that sells things like smaller onions, different varieties of eggplant, stuff that's pretty ripe, etc, and it's *significantly* cheaper than the grocery store.  

Also, be sure to buy what's in season.

Consider a CSA?

[school17777]

I live in higher food cost area and my budget is $650/month for 6 people (food only - doesn't include non-food stuff).  Our eating out budget is $50/month.

 

The way that I am able to stay in that budget is to pay for my groceries in cash.  I get my basics at Aldi's.  I use coupons at the grocery store.  I buy my meat in bulk (value pack) and divide and freeze the portions.  I plan my dinners around what I have in the freezer/pantry and/or what's on sale.  I plan a week at a time for dinner/lunches.

 

At the end of the month if I run out of money, I am surprised at how many meals I can eek out of the freeze and pantry.  Sometimes, I purposefully try to clean them out by only shopping for fresh fruit & veggies.

[Mandylubug]

_{Okay, I'll bite on this thread because I'm in the same boat as Stacey. I am spending between between $1000 and $1200 per month for our family of 7, plus one dog.}

 

_{Here is our meal breakdown for last week:}

 

_{Breakfasts -- oatmeal (prepped with milk, maple syrup, a sprinkling of nuts or seeds), grits (prepped with water and one slice of American cheese per serving), muesli, dry cereal}

 

Lunch -- sandwiches (could be pb&j, tuna prepped with mayo and pickle relish, or tomato and mayo on toast), piece of fruit or serving of veg (cucumber spears, carrot sticks, etc, usually without dressing); once or twice per week we have leftovers or beans and rice

_{Supper -- here is my menu from last week:}

 

1. Penne a la Betsy -- WW penne (2 boxes @ .99 each), shrimp ($15), milk, tom sauce, fresh parsley, misc pantry staples, salad

 

2. Spaghetti w/ turkey meatballs -- WW spaghetti (2 boxes @ .99 each), ground turkey ($10), marinara sauce ($3), fresh parsley, misc pantry staples, salad

 

_{3. Pizza night -- homemade pizza -- misc pantry staples for crust, tom sauce ($2), cheese ($3), salad}

 

_{4. Taco night -- meatless -- dry beans prepped in crockpot with one ham hock ($2), corn tortillas (maybe .40 worth?), lettuce, tomato, avocado, onion, sour cream ($1.49), fresh corn (7 ears @ .33 each), misc pantry staples}

_{5. Grilled chicken ceasar salad -- chicken breast ($20/bag for organic, one breast left over and saved for chicken pot pie another night), romaine lettuce ($2-3), croutons (homemade, .99), misc pantry staples}

 

6. Bean w/ bacon soup -- dry beans prepped in crock pot, chicken bullion, 8 oz tom sauce, 1 jar bacon pieces ($1.69), corn bread made from misc pantry staples

_{7. Breakfast for dinner -- eggs ($4), cheese, pancakes (misc pantry staples), maple syrup, salad}

 

_{Snacks throughout the week are popcorn (buy in bulk, pop in brown lunch bag in microwave, a little butter and salt), yogurt, fresh fruit, half of a pb sandwich.}

 

Places I *could* save money:

_{Dairy/eggs/meats: I buy organic when available and it's double the price of conventional. I can't get past feeling sorry for the animals, so I try to limit our consumption of these products.}

 

Boxed goods: I buy one bag of Bob's Red Mill muesli per week for ds14 @ $3.59/bag, 2 boxes of dry cereal @ $2/box, a box of saltines (I am not making my own crackers!)

 

_{I shop at the base commissary and there aren't really any alternatives here that don't involve commuting at least 30 minutes each way to the nearest walmart.}

 

_{My bill includes pull ups, formula, dog food/snacks, cleaning supplies, and toiletries.}

 

 

 

 

 

How many ounces of meat are you providing per person per meal? An adult portion would be 4oz or approximately half a cup, a deck of cards, etc. Your meat prices seem high so that's why I'm asking. What size is your family? I noticed you typically fix two boxes of pasta. Is that a pound or smaller? I am typically able to make 8 adult servings with one pound pasta. I do make my ground turkey stretch at these meals and only use one pound. Also, I serve salad and one slice garlic bread per person made from regular sandwich bread.

[Laura Corin]

_{Okay, I'll bite on this thread because I'm in the same boat as Stacey. I am spending between between $1000 and $1200 per month for our family of 7, plus one dog.}

 

 

 

There's a lot of salad on your menus.  Here salad is very expensive compared to other veg if you think about price per healthy portion.  I can get a large head of celery (that turns into an entire celery soup for four plus) for 75p, whereas the cheapest bag of salad, which only works as a side salad for the family, is more than that.

 

L

[Pretty in Pink]

How many ounces of meat are you providing per person per meal? An adult portion would be 4oz or approximately half a cup, a deck of cards, etc. Your meat prices seem high so that's why I'm asking. What size is your family? I noticed you typically fix two boxes of pasta. Is that a pound or smaller? I am typically able to make 8 adult servings with one pound pasta. I do make my ground turkey stretch at these meals and only use one pound. Also, I serve salad and one slice garlic bread per person made from regular sandwich bread.

 

My meat costs are high because when I buy it I buy organic -- I try to serve 4 oz per person per meal. The turkey comes in 12 oz rolls @ $4.99 per roll, so I use two and that is 4 oz per person. When I bought shrimp I got two bags to meet the 4 oz per person rule. When I serve eggs I do a dozen, which is one each for my two youngest and two each for everyone else.

 

The pasta is 13 oz per box. There is no way that one box would be enough for my family as a main course! We are feeding two adults, four boys (the 14 and 10 yos eat a LOT), and one toddler. I can do one box if the pasta is a side dish, like pasta salad with bbq or something.

 

 

[FriedClams]

My bar-none, unchallenged, best way to save --- menu plan and stick with it. For me the "hmmmm, I know I scheduled sloppy joes but I feel like shrimp scampi tonight" Walmart runs KILL my budget. When I plan and discipline myself - we do great.

[Pretty in Pink]

I didn't notice much protein in your dinners.  Can you include beans, lentils, eggs, etc.?  They are cheap, and the legumes are filling.

 

There was protein in each of my meals, save for the pizza (unless you count the cheese); that night, we threw some nuts and seeds on the salad to up the protein.

 

Can you substitute less expensive veggies instead of the salad?  

 

Yes, I can do other things besides salad. The salad runs me about $2 per meal, including dressing (I make it from scratch). I just do a basic green salad with vinaigrette, sometimes toss some nuts or fruit on it if I have fruit that needs to be used up. When I buy broccoli or spaghetti squash or something it still runs me about $1.50-$2 per meal though. Carrots are cheap. Sometimes we do have those, and that's about .80 instead of $2.

 

Can you use some rice instead of pasta?  Brown rice may be cheaper than the pasta (though you are getting a good price on it).

 

Maybe. We already eat rice throughout the week though, at lunch once or twice per week and usually once for supper, though we didn't last week. Actually, we had rice three times in the past two days. I buy bulk Jasmine rice at $13 for 20 lbs of rice.

Can you find cheaper places to get produce?  We have a place nearby that sells things like smaller onions, different varieties of eggplant, stuff that's pretty ripe, etc, and it's *significantly* cheaper than the grocery store.  

 

The farmer's market is 30 minutes away so that's a no go in terms of saving money, and there's only one other supermarket here and the produce prices are thru the roof. The commissary is my best bet for produce. I usually pay about $3 for a bag of apples, $4 for a bag of clementines, .39 for a bag of carrots, $3 for 10 lbs of potatoes, .99 for a bunch of fresh herbs, .79 for an avocado, up to $1 per pound for tomatoes, etc. I think the prices are fairly competitive. What do you think?

 

Also, be sure to buy what's in season.

 

I try to do to do that. I buy whatever is cheapest. I won't pay of .99/lb for apples or grapes, for example. I try to shop smart. It just takes so much food to feed these kids -- if I make strawberry and spinach salad, for example, I need two bunches of spinach @ .99 each and a pound of strawberries @ $2-3.

 

Consider a CSA?

 

There is a CSA out here, surprisingly. I haven't looked into it yet. I've belonged to them before in the spirit of supporting local agriculture and all, but didn't find that it saved me any money in the long run. Does it really save people money? We always had to supplement our CSA box with produce from the supermarket anyway.

 

 

[ChrisB]

I'm always looking for grocery cost savings.  

 

One tip would be to buy a few whole chickens.  On the first night roast them with some potatoes and veggies, the second night make a pot pie or pasta with some of the left over chicken, and the third night make chicken soup with the bones and the rest of the leftover chicken.  This could be done with hams, etc., basically stretching the meat and bones out over three days.  

 

Another tip would be to ask the grocery store where you do the most shopping (probably not at a Costco or Aldi) if they will give you a per case discount, and then buy by the case for the things your use most often.  We are able to get cost + 10% when we buy per case.  We try to wait until the item is on sale when it also makes the cost for the item to the store less.

[justasque]

<sub>ETA:  We cross-posted, so some of this may not be relevant given the info in your post above.  Take what you like and leave the rest.

Breakfasts -- oatmeal (prepped with milk, maple syrup, a sprinkling of nuts or seeds), grits (prepped with water and one slice of American cheese per serving), muesli, dry cereal

Lunch -- sandwiches (could be pb&j, tuna prepped with mayo and pickle relish, or tomato and mayo on toast), piece of fruit or serving of veg (cucumber spears, carrot sticks, etc, usually without dressing); once or twice per week we have leftovers or beans and rice</sub>

<sub>Supper -- here is my menu from last week:

1. Penne a la Betsy -- WW penne (2 boxes @ .99 each), shrimp ($15), milk, tom sauce, fresh parsley, misc pantry staples, salad</sub>

 

<sub>If I was making this, I'd put veg in the sauce. Onion, garlic, maybe some zukes, maybe some peppers, maybe some eggplant.  I might use tomatoes instead of tomato sauce.  If I used sauce, I'd use the inexpensive cans rather than the fancy pasta sauces. Maybe skip the shrimp and add white beans.

2. Spaghetti w/ turkey meatballs -- WW spaghetti (2 boxes @ .99 each), ground turkey ($10), marinara sauce ($3), fresh parsley, misc pantry staples, salad

Again, I'd infuse this sauce with veggies and skip the salad.  Peppers, onions, mushrooms - whatever is a good deal that week.  Or skip the meat and do it with beans.</sub>
 

_{3. Pizza night -- homemade pizza -- misc pantry staples for crust, tom sauce ($2), cheese ($3), salad}
 

_{I'd put a protein food in this - maybe some ham?  I'd include veggies - peppers, mushrooms, etc - and make sure the crust is whole wheat.}

 

_{4. Taco night -- meatless -- dry beans prepped in crockpot with one ham hock ($2), corn tortillas (maybe .40 worth?), lettuce, tomato, avocado, onion, sour cream ($1.49), fresh corn (7 ears @ .33 each), misc pantry staples}

_{I'd skip the sour cream - way too much fat.  Otherwise this is a good meal.}  

 

 

_{5. Grilled chicken ceasar salad -- chicken breast ($20/bag for organic, one breast left over and saved for chicken pot pie another night), romaine lettuce ($2-3), croutons (homemade, .99), misc pantry staples}

 

<sub>I'd be likely to make something where the chicken is in a sauce instead.  Like a curry over brown rice, with a ton of veggies.  I'm noticing that you said romaine here - are your other salads regular iceberg lettuce?  There's not much in that, filling-wise or nutrition-wise, especially given the price.  Spinach might be a better choice than the iceberg.

Or do a roast chicken, saving the bones for broth, and do some potatoes with it (cheap, filling).  Make gravy from the pan drippings.  Add some carrots or other root veggies to the potatoes.

6. Bean w/ bacon soup -- dry beans prepped in crock pot, chicken bullion, 8 oz tom sauce, 1 jar bacon pieces ($1.69), corn bread made from misc pantry staples

Again, can you add more veggies?  Maybe potatoes?  Would it be cheaper to make your own bacon bits with actual bacon, and keep them in the freezer?  (I don't know.)  Do you make your own chicken broth?  It's easy and free, if you save chicken bones and veggie cuttings.</sub>
 

<sub>7. Breakfast for dinner -- eggs ($4), cheese, pancakes (misc pantry staples), maple syrup, salad

I'm not a fan of pancakes.  Fried veggies and hash browns, maybe?

Just ideas.  Take what you like and leave the rest.</sub>

[MissKNG]

You can make a bunch of breakfast sandwiches pretty cheaply and have them wrapped and ready to go in the fridge.

 

Two bags of English muffins $2

That big flat of medium eggs $3

Two American sliced cheese blocks $4

 

About $10 and you can make 16 breakfast sandwiches. These are prices from Save A Lot (like Aldis).

 

And if I have leftover meat (ham, chicken) or veggies (pepper, onions), I tossed that into the eggs for the sandwiches. No need to waste small amounts of leftovers.

[Annie G]

Pretty in Pink- the dinners you posted plus the cereal you priced add up to only about $100- that was adding $2 per meal for salad, which you mentioned is about what it costs you to serve salad to your crew. If you're spending $250 a week, and dinners and breakfast cost $100, where is the rest being spent?  Your lunches don't sound costly at all, and your snacks look to be inexpensive. Are your pull-ups and household costs killing your budget? Using bandanas for napkins and paper towels might cut paper goods cost. 

 

 

[justasque]

Pretty in Pink- the dinners you posted plus the cereal you priced add up to only about $100- that was adding $2 per meal for salad, which you mentioned is about what it costs you to serve salad to your crew. If you're spending $250 a week, and dinners and breakfast cost $100, where is the rest being spent?  Your lunches don't sound costly at all, and your snacks look to be inexpensive. Are your pull-ups and household costs killing your budget? Using bandanas for napkins and paper towels might cut paper goods cost. 

Yes, I was thinking the same thing.  Your food costs aren't horrid.  

We use plastic grocery bags for our trash, cloth napkins, cloth "paper towels" and dishcloths, etc, which makes a huge difference.

Others here can advise on laundry detergent, cleaning fluids, and other non-food items.

 

I'm assuming you are all drinking water instead of soda, juice, or anything else that costs money, yes? 

[ficbot]

I live in a very high-cost area and our food bill is super-cheap because we aren't great cooks and we are both vegetarian. We eat a lot of things you can buy at the bulk food store, so our weekly grocery shopping is mostly just refreshing the bread, fruit, dairy and fresh stuff. This week, I knew we were going away this weekend so I think I spent $12 (for two of us) on fruit, a package of cheese and some bread and that was it!

 

He eats like a five-year-old and would happily eat peanut butter sandwiches for every meal, but I eat decently---oatmeal or smoothies for breakfast, sandwiches or soups or salads for lunch, pasta or rice dishes or frozen entrees for dinner. Ususally my snack is an apple and a handful of nuts or seeds. Some tips:

 

- Oatmeal is by far the cheapest thing for breakfast. For $5 I can get enough to last me a month, or I can get a box of cereral for the same $5 that will last me for three breakfasts (less if he gets into it and starts snacking). Sometimes I will have peanut butter and toast, or a smoothie or something else for some variety.

 

- Snacks you can buy at the bulk food store: pretzels, crackers, popcorn, raisins, nuts or seeds, snack mix, cereral mix, dry cereal (lasts a lot longer as a 1/2 cup snack than as a giant bowl of breakfast), oatmeal (to make cookies or bars), peanut butter (our bulk food store has a grinder machine to make fresh) and dried fruit. Serve it with hummus, peanut butter, Ranch dressing etc. for dipping and for extra protein.

 

- Cook a large batch of dry beans, then freeze it laid flat on a cookie sheet. After a few hours, scrape it all into a big ziploc bag. They won't stick together after they have been flash-frozen this way and then you can grab a handful at any time to throw into a bowl of pasta, rice or soup for extra protein. I care more about protein than he does so I do this often!

 

- Kids often do not understand about serving sizes. Buy them a cute little snack container that is portion-sized appropriately and let them fill it for their snack, but then that's it! There is no bowlful of half a bag of cookies! A measured portion is better for their health and for your budget! Treat expensive foods liek cheese or nuts as a condiment. One of my favourite snack is to make my own trail mix, I have a whole shelf of dry goods (mini crackers, raisins, seeds, pretzels etc) and just take a spoonful of each!

 

- If you stock your kitchen the way I do---dry goods, then a lot of freezeable stuff like rice or beans or cheese that I can grab a serving at will, then a few fresh things---you can make tons of meals without even needing to go to the store. For example, rice bowls, pasta, mini pizzas, noodle soups, bean soups, nacho dip, burritos.

[Berta]

The key to saving on grocery shopping is to build up a pantry. It takes a little bit of extra time but it is well worth it. I always say that I have more time than money, so for me it's worth it. 

 

When you see something you use regularly don't buy just one or two, buy 4 or 6.. or 10 depending on the price. Stop shopping at Sams and Costco, it really does not save you money over shopping sales. All grocery stores have what they call "loss leaders" in their sale papers. Get all the papers for your local stores and make a list of the items that are on a really good sale. They usually run the same products every 4-6 months on a deep price cut. Get enough that will last you that long. If you have three stores by you, go to all three with your list (and coupons if you have them) and get ONLY the items that are on your sale list. It might seem like you are spending a bit more at first, but within 6 months you will have a pantry that you can pull from, all bought at deep cut sale prices. Your weekly shopping lists will be down to just perishables. This is when you will start seeing lots of extra cash in your budget. Take any extra cash and keep growing your pantry. Believe me, it works. I can go approx 10 months and shop for nothing but perishables at this point.

 

By shopping in this manner you won't have to choose between going food shopping or paying an unexpected bill (like me this past week, four new tires on my car!).

 

Some money saving tips:

 

Buy cloth napkins. You can find good quality ones at a thrift store dirt cheap.

Make your own laundry soap. It cost me approx $5 a year to make my soap.

Make your own deodorant. It's just pennies a year and no, you won't smell.

Buy or make your own reusable feminine pads (Mama pads).

Vinegar and water is a better and healthier cleaner then anything you can buy in the store. It also doubles as a fabric softener.

Menu planning according to what you already have on hand will save you time and money.

 

 

[magnificent_baby]

This is pretty common sense, but saves us a lot of money. When i find a great sale, I buy as many as possible. Butter was $1.68 the other day (versus the almost $3 it usually is), so I bought 6 of them and threw them in the freezer. When frozen veggies go on sale for $1 or less, I grab 10 or more bags. Same with toilet paper, cereal, ground beef, chicken breasts and bags of shredded cheese (those last a long time in the fridge). Whatever fruit is on sale for around $1 per pound, is what we eat for the next few days.

 

One store in my area automatically changes their prices to match all area stores sales that week. I can get better prices there than at Walmart. If you don't have a chest freezer, it is a great investment for sale items. I stock up as much as we have the room for, and go to the store every 3-4 days for milk, bread and fruit or recipe specific items. 

[Laura Corin]

Yes, I can do other things besides salad. The salad runs me about $2 per meal, including dressing (I make it from scratch). I just do a basic green salad with vinaigrette, sometimes toss some nuts or fruit on it if I have fruit that needs to be used up. When I buy broccoli or spaghetti squash or something it still runs me about $1.50-$2 per meal though. Carrots are cheap. Sometimes we do have those, and that's about .80 instead of $2.

 

Other root veg is cheap for me too, not just carrots.  In winter, when there isn't much local seasonal (cheap) veg we eat a lot of turnips, carrots, swede, celeriac, etc.  I also find that the various kinds of tight-head cabbage are cheap - probably because they keep well.  Celery is inexpensive too here.  I often make home-made coleslaw with a mix of mayonnaise and natural yoghurt; it's not sweet like the store-bought version and it's a lot cheaper and more filling than lettuce.

 

L

[Mandylubug]

My meat costs are high because when I buy it I buy organic -- I try to serve 4 oz per person per meal. The turkey comes in 12 oz rolls @ $4.99 per roll, so I use two and that is 4 oz per person. When I bought shrimp I got two bags to meet the 4 oz per person rule. When I serve eggs I do a dozen, which is one each for my two youngest and two each for everyone else.

 

The pasta is 13 oz per box. There is no way that one box would be enough for my family as a main course! We are feeding two adults, four boys (the 14 and 10 yos eat a LOT), and one toddler. I can do one box if the pasta is a side dish, like pasta salad with bbq or something.

 

 

gotcha. Yeah. We can't afford to buy organic. I would love to but I just can't with my family size. So that is how I save a good deal compared to your numbers.

[Pretty in Pink]

Yes, I was thinking the same thing.  Your food costs aren't horrid.  

We use plastic grocery bags for our trash, cloth napkins, cloth "paper towels" and dishcloths, etc, which makes a huge difference.

Others here can advise on laundry detergent, cleaning fluids, and other non-food items.

 

I'm assuming you are all drinking water instead of soda, juice, or anything else that costs money, yes? 

 

Yes, we drink only water and milk. I buy orange juice once every month or six weeks at most, for about $4, maybe less.

 

Things just add up. Even eating oatmeal for breakfast, there is a tub of rolled oats each week ($4), plus the milk to make the oats ($3.50/half gallon), plus random nuts and seeds and maple syrup.

 

Making my own salad dressing, there is still olive oil to buy at least once a month ($15).

 

The salad is mixed greens or spring mix, not iceberg. We don't eat iceberg.

 

I spend about $60/month on pull-ups and absorbent disposable pads for my bedwetters.

 

I spend about $125/mo on formula for my toddler. She is dairy intolerant and I tried almond milk but it's just water and doesn't fill her up at all, and she wants something to drink besides water all day long, so I still buy the formula for her.

 

Even keeping the pantry stocked adds up. Baking supplies, canned tomato products, oils, vinegars, peanut butter, dry herbs and spices, it adds up. I spend $4 per week on peanut butter alone.

 

I am really picky about ingredients and try to avoid weird preservatives and things. There is exactly one brand of bread at my supermarket that doesn't contain mono- and diglycerides, and it's $4 per loaf. My kids go through two loaves per week by themselves.

 

My dh buys a box of Life cereal each week for $2.50 to $4 per box. He buys beef jerky to take to work as a snack ($3 per package for the natural stuff).

 

A box of butter costs $3.

 

It all just seems to add up. I don't buy paper towels or plastic wrap. I do buy trash bags. I spend $10 every 3-4 months on laundry detergent. $3 per month on bleach.

 

 

 

 

[Mom2TheTeam]

We spend just under $1000 per month for 8 people, but my 6 kids are all 7 and under. This includes all household items also, like toothpaste and diapers.  (even though we used cloth with all 5 of my others. *sigh*) I feel like we spend too much, but I really don't know how to cut back.  We buy a TON of fruit.  My kids love fruit.  We don't like beans...including me *hide*... I can't eat eggs and my kids aren't big on them. I let my kids eat until they are full.   I don't portion things.  Though, I don't let them gorge either. ;)  We do buy granola bars and some crackers here and there, not every week, but for the most part, we buy from the outside edges of the store.  We do buy a LOT of yogurt.  That is expensive even when we get it on sale.  We get a ton when they go on sale.  But, they are about $.66 per yogurt.  We can sometimes find them for $.50 on sale and we get a lot then...but it only lasts so long. ;)

 

So, questions for those who have tight control:

 

1.  Some are talking about portions.  What if your kids are still hungry? My kids eat a lot.  I don't let them snack much...they get a snack between lunch and dinner sometimes because we eat a little late, but that's it.

 

2.  I saw people mention offering specific things if the kids are hungry.  What if they don't like those?  I have one child in particular who is VERY picky.  I don't cater to him, but he is the type that will go hungry if he doesn't like something.  He will also melt down into tears (sad tears not mad, angry tears) if he is hungry and can't eat for some reason...like because he doesn't like what we are eating.  He is definitely required to eat things he doesn't like, but to offer him only an egg or carrots for a snack would be very hard on him.  He usually eats yogurt or fruit for a snack.  I'm sort of picky too.  (I eat more things than he does) For me, it's very hard to get something down that I don't like.  So, I do understand. I would have a hard time telling him he has to eat XYZ that he doesn't like or nothing.  How do you or would you handle that?

 

3.  Someone said something about not shopping at Costco because you can get the same prices just shopping sales.  We go to Costco about every 6wks.  We shop there because we like their products and the large quantities are really nice for us.  We still pay attention to sales at other stores that might be a better deal than Costco.  We also shop Costco's sales.  We have found many things to be cheaper there, especially with their coupons, even if you count sales at other stores.  Like our cat litter and food...it's cheaper there.  We have an executive membership which covers almost all of our membership dues.  We stick very closely to our list when we go.  What am I missing that makes this not a frugal way to shop?

 

Thank you to you experienced shoppers!

 

PS - We use very few paper towels or napkins.  I switched us to rags a while back instead.  We go through less than a roll of paper towels a month now.  I'm so proud!  :D

[Mom2TheTeam]

Yes, we drink only water and milk. I buy orange juice once every month or six weeks at most, for about $4, maybe less.

 

Things just add up. Even eating oatmeal for breakfast, there is a tub of rolled oats each week ($4), plus the milk to make the oats ($3.50/half gallon), plus random nuts and seeds and maple syrup.

 

Making my own salad dressing, there is still olive oil to buy at least once a month ($15).

 

The salad is mixed greens or spring mix, not iceberg. We don't eat iceberg.

 

I spend about $60/month on pull-ups and absorbent disposable pads for my bedwetters.

 

I spend about $125/mo on formula for my toddler. She is dairy intolerant and I tried almond milk but it's just water and doesn't fill her up at all, and she wants something to drink besides water all day long, so I still buy the formula for her.

 

Even keeping the pantry stocked adds up. Baking supplies, canned tomato products, oils, vinegars, peanut butter, dry herbs and spices, it adds up. I spend $4 per week on peanut butter alone.

 

I am really picky about ingredients and try to avoid weird preservatives and things. There is exactly one brand of bread at my supermarket that doesn't contain mono- and diglycerides, and it's $4 per loaf. My kids go through two loaves per week by themselves.

 

My dh buys a box of Life cereal each week for $2.50 to $4 per box. He buys beef jerky to take to work as a snack ($3 per package for the natural stuff).

 

A box of butter costs $3.

 

It all just seems to add up. I don't buy paper towels or plastic wrap. I do buy trash bags. I spend $10 every 3-4 months on laundry detergent. $3 per month on bleach.

 

 

 

 

I just posted, but this is us too! 

 

The bread I buy, we get at Costco for $2.50 a loaf, but if we run out between visits it's at least $3 a loaf.  My kids go through a loaf of bread in one meal of sandwiches. 

 

We use a lot of peanut butter and I buy the natural kind.  It costs around $5 for the big jar we buy.  That might last us 1.5wks.

 

We have oatmeal at least 3-4 x's a week for breakfast.  I make enough to serve 6, which is 3 cups of oats.  I go through at least a large tub a week.  We buy this at Costco.  Of course, that also needs milk and butter and we use brown sugar in ours. 

 

For milk, I either get organic or we get the Lactaid type.  I have a dairy sensitivity and it's much easier on me if we just use that.  We do buy the no-name brand, but it's still more than regular milk.  My kids don't drink milk.  I cook with it.  (I don't drink it either. ;))

 

We don't buy much juice.  We drink water.  Sometimes we do...my husband is not on board with my very limited juice opinion.  ;)

 

I just don't see where we are way over-spending, but I also don't see why we have to spend so much more than some others do.  Ugh!

[Laura Corin]

 

 

So, questions for those who have tight control:

 

1.  Some are talking about portions.  What if your kids are still hungry? My kids eat a lot.  I don't let them snack much...they get a snack between lunch and dinner sometimes because we eat a little late, but that's it.

 

 

This evening, I underestimated the amount that people would want to eat for supper.  One person had whole-grain toast to fill up, another ate seconds and thirds of veg (already cooked and on the table), the third made himself a bowl of whole-grain cereal.

 

L

[Stayseeliz]

Thinking things over and reading this thread I think the things I can imediately toss are dry cereal and packaged snacks. I think I need to utilize things like quinoa, brown rice and WW pasta more. I think my kids MUST be wasting food or not drinking enough water. I KNOW I need to meal plan.

 

Our typical meals:

 

Breakfast: Dry cereal, eggs, oatmeal (for me) or cheese or peanut butter toast

Lunch: Leftovers or PBJ Sandwiches, etc with fruit

Dinner: Spaghetti, grilled chicken salad, soups, etc.

Snacks: cheese sticks, rice cakes, pretzels, etc.

 

We've been eating from the cabinet since I'm not going shopping until I meal plan with the Aldi emeals I have. We've been getting creative instead of eating packaged fruit snacks, etc. I made oatmeal with blueberried this morning and made SURE that everyone ate their entire bowl. I made a snack mid morning of apples slices and natural PB. They had PBJ sandwiches for lunch. I really think it's the packaged stuff and poor food planning that is killing me. I'm also pretty ready to say yes when they ask for something to eat. I need to make sure they're eating what they get for meals so they aren't hungry an hour later.

 

I do buy raw milk which I plan on continuing. I only allow them to drink the milk at meals. Water in between meals. I do buy organic beef but I try to do things like spaghetti, etc and not hamburgers that will use more meat. I think I'm going to try to cut the meat portion in half for these types of meals. Oh, I have been buying yogurt tubes or tubs too. Is buying a tub of yogurt and sweetening with honey and fruit cheaper? They love their yogurt.

[Ali in OR]

Just a few thoughts after reading through the whole thread.

 

1) Eating healthy foods does cost money. Our costs went up this year after I read a few books on healthy eating and tweaked our diet a bit. We're eating a lot more fruit which just costs money--there's no way around that. It would be better if we ate more veggies which I think can be done for less money, but we're not great veggie eaters and I want to make sure we eat fresh produce, so there's more fruit than there used to be. Dh and I are eating Greek yogurt (he takes one to work every day) and this is more expensive than regular yogurt. But the nutritional profile is better (more protein, less sugar) and he is being very careful with his diet. Anyway, a few changes like those increased our bills. We talked about it and we're okay with that. I'm hoping to average $750 per month for 5 people.

 

2) To stay in budget, I'm trying to NOT stock the pantry so much! I can overspend when items are at a good price and end up with more "inventory" than I really need to carry. All August I tried to plan meals to just use up some of our "excess". Also, eating habits can change, and all of those cheap boxes of rice-a-roni may not get used when you decide it's too processed, or rice has arsenic, or whatever. And it's okay to run out of an item even it's a family favorite. If we run out of Honey Nut O's, then we can move on to a different type of cereal and use that up. I don't need to buy more than one box of Honey Nut O's at a time.

 

3) Easiest way to cut budget here--no "extras". We still buy chips, soda occasionally, some granola bars, ice cream, some interesting new things at Trader Joe's, etc. When the budget is tight, cut all of that. We can always make some homemade treats to brighten our day if needed.

 

4) I don't pretend to be the queen of frugal meals, but I will share my best cheap dinner trick. At Costco, I buy a giant can of crushed tomatoes (~100 oz) for less than $3--maybe about $2.60. I use 3/4 of the can to make marinara in the crockpot (plus tomato paste, some garlic and spices). The other 1/4 can gets used to make pizza sauce on the stove top (more tomato paste, spices). Granted we use a light hand with sauce here, but this makes 3 dinners worth of marinara for pasta (usually with a lunch or two from leftovers) and 5 pizza nights (2 pizzas each night, some leftovers for 1 person's lunch). I put the pizza sauce in 1 cup mason jars with plastic lids and put them in the freezer. For less than $4 of materials, I have a main ingredient for 8 dinners and maybe 3 lunches. That's my best trick.

 

5) Costco can be useful if you have self control and a good idea of what food costs at the best price of a regular grocery store. It will always save us money on cheese, contact lens supplies, some cereal, and those canned tomatoes of course. I buy some meat there but it's pretty close in price to our grocery store. But it gets expensive if you load up on nutella or skinny cows or other treats that increase your grocery bill but aren't really contributing to the meeting of nutritional needs. We do a Costco run every 4-6 weeks here.

 

I'm sure I had other thoughts reading everyone's replies, but that's all I can think of now!

[mamaraby]

Most people overeat protein, so unlike another poster, I thought your meals sounded like they had plenty of protein. My suggestion would be to start tracking what you're eating in something like FitDay to look at basic nutrient ratios and the like. Some folks recommend 1g per 1lb of body weight, but I'd err on the more conservative .5g-.75g per 1lb of body weight to start.

 

Make your oatmeal with water, not milk. Try pumpkin pie oatmeal (add pumpkin puree), apple pie oatmeal (half a chooped apple, applesauce, and a small handful of walnuts), carrot cake oatmeal (grated carrot and a tiny bit of nuts, etc. if you really must have milk with your oatmeal, then add a bit after it's made.

 

Skip the meatballs with the spaghetti and instead brown the turkey first and mix it in with the sauce. People tend to eat more meat when there are meatballs than when it's browned and mixed through out. Bulk up spaghetti sauce with more vegetables (greens, zucchini, etc) and stretch one tube of ground meat with lentils or white beans. If you prefer meatballs, then stretch the meat further with grains/bread crumbs or go with a meatless one (Happy Hebivore has a good recipe).

 

Add in more fiber and starchy veg. Focus on that for snacks instead of pricier protein options. I know the popular thing is protein/fat, but we've found that grains/fiber/starchy veg are far more filling because they trigger all of the sensors in your stomach for satiety.

 

Don't discount the humble potato. Per pound it's pretty darn cheap. Top it with cottage cheese, steamed broccoli/greens, red pepper sauce, hummus, beans, salsa, etc. My dh and son will eat two, but I find one plenty filling.

 

Help kids discern between true hunger and boredom. Encourage them to slow down when eating so they don't miss the aigns that they're full. Go with the dirty dozen for organic and buy conventional for the rest. If you only buy organics for milk, the either cut the milk down or go with a non-dairy alternative. Soy, hemp, cashew, coconut are all options besides almond milk.

[KungFuPanda]

A few ideas I haven't seen yet:

 

I stretch sauce by adding a can of tomatoes to a jar of sauce. (I KNOW how to make homemade sauce, but this is a quick, satisfying thing to have on hand. I add a pound of hot Italian sausage to the sauce for meat/flavor. The hot sausage has so much flavor, you 'could' get away with half as much. It doesn't make the sauce hot, bit it does add a ton of flavor. You could even sneak in red lentils and nobody would ever notice.

 

Can you find an Asian market near you? Produce, spices, rice, and beans are cheaper there than any grocery chain.

 

My sister has a large family. She buys SEVERAL turkeys when they're on sale near the holidays and uses them throughout the year in place of chicken.

[Guest]

I'm probably more extreme than most of you here, but I wanted to mention that I was able to get 80 lbs of organic field run potatoes for $40 from my farmer last week. You have to ask for them at the farmer's market because most people want to buy pretty ones a few pounds at a time, but my boys are big potato eaters so it really helps. Since I have a microwave, I can nuke an average sized potato in 5-7 minutes so my kids consider them "fast food" for between meal snacks. I still subsidize my 21 year old's diet with them even though he is mostly self-sufficient and makes more money than I do.

 

I also make vegan gravy for biscuits 'n gravy with the water I cook my beans in. It tastes a lot better than it probably sounds to those of you who enjoy meat, especially if you add a bit of pepper.

 

hth

[Pretty in Pink]

Thinking things over and reading this thread I think the things I can imediately toss are dry cereal and packaged snacks. I think I need to utilize things like quinoa, brown rice and WW pasta more. I think my kids MUST be wasting food or not drinking enough water. I KNOW I need to meal plan.

 

Upthread someone suggested that I drop the WW pasta and replace it with brown rice, so IDK. Maybe pasta isn't frugal enough? And IDK about where you live but here quinoa is pretty pricey.

 

Our typical meals:

 

Breakfast: Dry cereal, eggs, oatmeal (for me) or cheese or peanut butter toast

Lunch: Leftovers or PBJ Sandwiches, etc with fruit

Dinner: Spaghetti, grilled chicken salad, soups, etc.

Snacks: cheese sticks, rice cakes, pretzels, etc.

 

We've been eating from the cabinet since I'm not going shopping until I meal plan with the Aldi emeals I have. We've been getting creative instead of eating packaged fruit snacks, etc. I made oatmeal with blueberried this morning and made SURE that everyone ate their entire bowl.

 

We do oatmeal as well but I'm not seeing how it's supposed to be inexpensive. The oats are cheap, sure, but you've got to add milk or nuts to up the protein content or everyone will be hungry again soon. Even subbing brown sugar for maple syrup, which would save some for sure, fresh berries and milk and nuts are pricey. :/

 

 I made a snack mid morning of apples slices and natural PB. They had PBJ sandwiches for lunch. I really think it's the packaged stuff and poor food planning that is killing me. I'm also pretty ready to say yes when they ask for something to eat. I need to make sure they're eating what they get for meals so they aren't hungry an hour later.

 

I do buy raw milk which I plan on continuing. I only allow them to drink the milk at meals. Water in between meals. I do buy organic beef but I try to do things like spaghetti, etc and not hamburgers that will use more meat. I think I'm going to try to cut the meat portion in half for these types of meals. Oh, I have been buying yogurt tubes or tubs too. Is buying a tub of yogurt and sweetening with honey and fruit cheaper? They love their yogurt.

 

I try to stretch the meat like this sometimes too, but then I always wonder if we're all getting enough protein. I feel really sick when I don't eat enough animal protein. IDK. And then people are saying to feed protein and whole grains at each meal, which we def try to do, but those items aren't cheap. :/

[Jackie]

I am certainly not the money saving guru. My grocery budget gets killed by wine :). But I'll pass along the two things I have managed to stick to:

 

Homemade laundry detergent. This is the recipe I use, subbing in Ivory soap for the Fels Naptha. It costs me about $25 for about 500 loads of laundry. http://happymoneysaver.com/making-your-own-laundry-detergent-worth-the-cost/

 

Homemade yogurt in a crockpot. Super easy, I've only ever had one batch fail on me.

Ingredients: 1/2 gallon milk, 1 cup instant nonfat dry milk, 1/2 cup plain yogurt for starter

Instructions: I start this about 4:00 pm, adjust for your own usual routines. Combine the milk and dried milk in the crockpot on low for 2.5 hours. Turn off crockpot and just let sit with lid on for 3 more hours. Add in the starter, wrap a towel around the entire crockpot for insulation, and leave for 8-10 more hours (until morning). You'll want to stir it or run an immersion blender through it in the morning. It will keep for 10-14 days easily in the fridge.

 

This makes a thin, drinkable yogurt. You can mix in fruit (frozen works great) for flavored yogurt or smoothies. For the first batch, you do need to buy plain yogurt as a starter, for subsequent batches, just set aside 1/2 cup from your current batch.

[matrips]

I'm just amazed at the person who can feed 8 adults on one box of pasta! Are they actually full afterwards? My three 8yo kids can eat a box by themselves. We do the whole wheat kind. And that's plus a salad, probably some meatballs, a couple pieces of Italian bread and butter, and fruit for dessert. And one of my biggest eaters is my ds who finally just cracked the 50 lb mark. He is pretty darn slim, as are the other two, but they can eat! They've been eating like that since they were toddlers. I'm dreading the teenage years :)

[Stayseeliz]

Oatmeal and quinoa are two things I buy regularly at Costco. I can get huuuuge containers for around $8 and that lasts us a long time. I make my oatmeal with water, stevia (organic sugar for the kids) and just a few blueberries. I make one egg for myself but the is are usually fine with oatmeal. I do buy the organic sugar at Costco as well. I need protein at every meal but I don't eat a ton of meat. I just have to be careful with portion sizes and carbs. I find between pb, cheese, milk and some meat my kids get enough protein. I think. Thanks for the ideas. Keep them coming. I'm working on a meal plan tonight.

[KarenNC]

A few things we do:

Is there a bread outlet anywhere nearby? I get name brand whole wheat bread for 97 cents a loaf (sometimes 69 cents). I go periodically and buy a bunch to stick in the freezer so it stays fresh---for the one who avoids a lot of additives to bread--it may be more cost effective to do big batch baking of your own and keep it in the freezer. The next time they have whole wheat bread on the 69 cent table, I'm planning to make a bunch of french toast for the freezer. I can get English muffins there as well, which I use to make mini-pizzas and freeze them (we like some of the pesto from Aldis, shredded cheese and a couple of pieces of turkey pepperoni). They make good snacks or breakfast if we're in a hurry.

 

Buy large cartons of plain yogurt and mix with a little jelly or frozen fruit or honey, maybe some flax seed/wheat germ/ etc

 

I make more of a burrito filling and use it for tacos---half meat and half refried beans, usually with tomatoes, onions, spinach, etc cooked into it.

 

I add veggies to sauces: spinach, zucchini. yellow squash, onions, canned tomatoes, etc depending on what goes with the flavors. We've had good luck subbing cauliflower for all or part of the chicken in a casserole (especially the one with cream of whatever soup, sour cream and poppy seeds, plus I'll add spinach and whole wheat pasta)

 

if you like juice, start cutting it with water, gradually increasing the proportion of water to juice to as great as you can still enjoy it.

 

I also buy several turkeys and hams around the holidays, but these are going to be extremely expensive to get organic.If you can find a source to do something like buy a half a cow or pig, you will be able to get a much better per pound price than buying organic by the package. You may be able to swing a bulk buy of whole chickens as well. I used to get a quarter cow, but my family really doesn't like beef (except for me)--I was really sad to let that go because I was getting high quality organic meat for less than $4 a pound. Check the CSA provider to see if they know of a supplier.

 

Soups are great fillers. Try serving a cup or bowl of soup as a starter for a meal. We like homemade veggie soup, which can be made with meat broth to up the protein.

[Pretty in Pink]

I'm just amazed at the person who can feed 8 adults on one box of pasta! Are they actually full afterwards? My three 8yo kids can eat a box by themselves. We do the whole wheat kind. And that's plus a salad, probably some meatballs, a couple pieces of Italian bread and butter, and fruit for dessert. And one of my biggest eaters is my ds who finally just cracked the 50 lb mark. He is pretty darn slim, as are the other two, but they can eat! They've been eating like that since they were toddlers. I'm dreading the teenage years :)

 

This is how my boys eat, too. They're all crazy skinny and hungry! My 10yo eats more than my husband every single night of the week and if he doesn't get full at supper he will wake up queasy and half the time end up puking before he can get his breakfast down, no joke. He's always been like that. We never could tell him to eat a meal or go hungry, because if he didn't eat he would vomit. Good thing for us he's not a picky eater, just a hungry one!

[Pretty in Pink]

A few things we do:

 

Is there a bread outlet anywhere nearby? I get name brand whole wheat bread for 97 cents a loaf (sometimes 69 cents). I go periodically and buy a bunch to stick in the freezer so it stays fresh---for the one who avoids a lot of additives to bread--it may be more cost effective to do big batch baking of your own and keep it in the freezer.

 

Maybe I should try my hand at bread baking again. I used to do it but, aside from it being really time consuming ,none of us really cared for the bread unless it was straight from the oven/bread maker. It didn't taste great the next day. Maybe if I made up a bunch of dough and froze it in balls so that it was fresh each day? IDK>

 

Buy large cartons of plain yogurt and mix with a little jelly or frozen fruit or honey, maybe some flax seed/wheat germ/ etc

 

We do that sometimes. Of course, stocking wheat germ or nuts or whatever costs money and goes fast when doling out 4-6 servings at one sitting.

 

I make more of a burrito filling and use it for tacos---half meat and half refried beans, usually with tomatoes, onions, spinach, etc cooked into it.

 

We do this, too. So yummy! Now I want burritos for supper.

 

I add veggies to sauces: spinach, zucchini. yellow squash, onions, canned tomatoes, etc depending on what goes with the flavors. We've had good luck subbing cauliflower for all or part of the chicken in a casserole (especially the one with cream of whatever soup, sour cream and poppy seeds, plus I'll add spinach and whole wheat pasta)

 

You mean leave out the chicken and replace it with an equal amount of chopped cauliflower? But then what about protein? Sometimes I will sub white beans for chicken in a casserole or red beans for ground beef.

 

if you like juice, start cutting it with water, gradually increasing the proportion of water to juice to as great as you can still enjoy it.

 

I also buy several turkeys and hams around the holidays, but these are going to be extremely expensive to get organic.If you can find a source to do something like buy a half a cow or pig, you will be able to get a much better per pound price than buying organic by the package. You may be able to swing a bulk buy of whole chickens as well. I used to get a quarter cow, but my family really doesn't like beef (except for me)--I was really sad to let that go because I was getting high quality organic meat for less than $4 a pound. Check the CSA provider to see if they know of a supplier.

 

This is a great idea!

 

[KarenNC]

You mean leave out the chicken and replace it with an equal amount of chopped cauliflower? But then what about protein? Sometimes I will sub white beans for chicken in a casserole or red beans for ground beef.

 

Well, the one I use most frequently is made with cream of chicken soup, so that adds in protein, as does the whole wheat pasta. If you did this as the main part of the meal, you could have a side dish that had some animal protein in it---veggie soup in a beef or chicken broth, baked potato with cheese, some yogurt as a dessert, etc. You can also just sub half the chicken with cauliflower or other veggies.

 

I would look at your protein intake over a day rather than per meal, picking one meal a day that had more animal protein and less in the other two, if you aren't already. I also need to do a fair amount of animal protein---no way I could be a vegetarian, much less a vegan! Here are the recommendations: http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/protein.html

 

How expensive is fish or tofu in your area? I can get pretty good prices on frozen tilapia at Aldis as a change up once in a while. We do a fair amount of tofu or other soy meat substitutes (there's a good soy chorizo at Trader Joe's and I've heard there was something similar at Walmart). I find good deals on tofu and produce at the Asian market. Aldi's has a decent price on cream cheese---that can be mixed with herbs or finely chopped veggies to make a nice spread for bread or with veggies. I used to make my daughter cream cheese sandwiches when she couldn't take any nut products to preschool. We like Morningstar Farms veggie burgers and crumbles to use in place of meat, but those may not save you a lot of money.

 

Stuffed squash can be great with a bit of sausage, or cut up some smoked sausage in red beans and rice. Fried rice with bits of leftover meat, egg, and veggies. Essentially, the meat becomes the flavoring, not the star.

[Pretty in Pink]

A bag of frozen Tilapia filets runs me about $8-9. We usually have that once per week. That sounds yummy about the cream cheese and herbs, and it would be a great way to use up the last bits of herbs left over at the end of the week.

 

I know I seem like I'm shooting down everyone's ideas in this thread, but I am really trying to take the suggestions to heart. I am meal planning tonight and shopping tomorrow. I'll post back and let you all know how it goes!

 

Would anyone be interested in doing a weekly grocery budget accountability thread?
 

[Stayseeliz]

I'm very interested in a grocery accountability thread!

[Prairie~Phlox]

I would look into buying oatmeal in bulk through Azure Standard. It's usually cheaper than the containers. I never count on "ounce" per person for meat. I just add a pound of ground beef to enough sauce, plus some for leftovers. If we have shrimp, it's 1 bag for all of us. We eat quite a but of beans & quinoa (also bought in bulk) so I don't worry about protein.

[justasque]

 

Things just add up. ...

Even keeping the pantry stocked adds up. 

...

I am really picky about ingredients and try to avoid weird preservatives and things. There is exactly one brand of bread at my supermarket that doesn't contain mono- and diglycerides, and it's $4 per loaf. 

...

It all just seems to add up. 

 

Yeah, it doesn't seem like you have any huge areas where you can cut or change things.  It's just going to be watching the little things.  On the other hand, feeding children well pays off health-wise, so you may actually be getting some savings there to counteract the grocery bill (though of course it's hard to see those dollars-not-spent).  You're making good choices - buying whole foods, preparing them simply, making every penny go to nutrition rather than junk.

 

One more thought - I noticed that a lot of the whole foods you mentioned I buy at Trader Joe's for a bit less - is there one near you that would be worth the trip?

[Pretty in Pink]

One more thought - I noticed that a lot of the whole foods you mentioned I buy at Trader Joe's for a bit less - is there one near you that would be worth the trip?

 

There is either a TJ or a WF about an hour and fifteen minutes from me. I'm not sure how worth the trip it would be. I've never shopped at one! :)