Kids and food/saving on groceries..

[KungFuPanda]

Can you ask around and see if any of your friends have a bread machine they can give or lend you? You could cut your bread spending by 2/3s if you make your own bread.

[mamaraby]

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

This...well, except the vegan part. My family does quite well on a vegan diet even though my dh was reluctant at first. My food budget stretches quite a ways including enough to keep my knobby kneed, skinny 8yo ds full which is not an easy thing to accomplish. Fiber is your friend.

 

But really, you have to stop thinking in terms of "protein" foods where the assumption is that it looks like a piece of meat or beans or what have you. There's protein in almost everything you eat including cauliflower. Rather than trying to get all of your protein in with three very specific foods in three very specific meals, tthink instead of the balance of your day. A few grams here and a few more there plus a handful later on and you're already on your way to a healthy amount. There is little benefit to eating more protein than your body needs. Considering that some sources can be quite expensive, I'd suggest focusing on that instead of cutting down on whole wheat pasta (another source of protein).

 

And yes, Pretty in Pink, it does seem like you've discounted most of the suggestions given. I think you might have to accept that you may not be able to shrink your grocery budget below what you already spend. Not a judgement, just a function of the equation. It's an issue of math - there are only so many variables. The more of them that are set in stone (animal protein focused, organic, etc), the fewer there are left for you to change.

[justasque]

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! :)

WF is not cheap.  Good, yes, but not cheap.  I can get many of the things they carry cheaper elsewhere.

 

TJs takes some getting used to.  At first there seemed to be little that appealed to me, but now they are my go-to for brown rice, breakfast cereal, ww pasta, certain cheeses, frozen berries, yogurt, ww tortillas, ww pitas, and so on.  Their produce is decent too.  Many of their products are very seasonal.  

[sillymommy]

I'll preface by saying we eat mostly Paleo. I've eliminated all grains from my diet & dh's. I'm slowly weaning the kids off grains. They're carb-addicts, so it's been tough. ;)

 

Anyway, here's one idea I haven't seen mentioned yet. Buy eggs that are sized small or medium. We can get a 2 1/2 doz for less than $3. They are local, not grass-fed, but I find them better than standard grain-fed. Cheap, complete protein. Keeps their bellies full far longer than boxed cereals did!

[Lisbeth]

We have very high metabolisms here. We would be very hungry following most of this. Diffrrent strokes!

[mamakelly]

 

 

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.

 

 

ITA, but I usually hit Costco every week. I can buy a box with 2 gallons of non organic milk for around $4, cheese blocks for $5, apples for .95 cents a pound...I know what the good Costco deals are, and i use them! You just have to stay away from the expensive stuff.

[Laura Corin]

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 :)

 

I rarely serve salad because it doesn't fill us up.  An entire head of cabbage, stir-fried, costs less than a measly bag of salad, and is much more filling.

 

I serve about 75 grammes (dry weight) of pasta per person.  The plate is about 1/3 filling veg.

 

L

[Roadrunner]

Soups! Make lots of soups. I have discovered quite by accident that it's economical in addition to healthy.

Bake bread at home. You don't need a bread machine. There are tons of easy recepies online.

[MSNative]

If you choose to make bread, check out Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day.  It gives tons of great recipes but the system is what is so great.  You make a basic dough (no kneading) and leave it in the fridge til you want to bake it.  Really easy!

 

Other than that, no advice really.  We cut the eating out budget to offset our grocery costs.  A few things that have worked for us:

1. I make big batches of chili and then freeze it in small portions.  My boys love that for lunch and it's cheap and filling.

2. Limit fruit.  If I let my kids, the will eat an entire bag of apples in one sitting.  Yikes.  I tell them 1 apple is enough for a snack. I serve it with nut butter to fill 'em up more.

3. Give your kids water bottles and tell them no snacks til the water is gone. 

4. I started setting meal and snack times.  If it's not time for a snack, get the heck out of the kitchen.  My kids and I love to graze and that can kill the budget. We actually had to stop homeschooling in the kitchen 'cause it was too easy to snack the day away.

 

 

[Tohru]

There are some great ideas in this book.  She does suggest having a garden.  If that's possible in your area, then that might help.  Also have you tried looking into a meat or dairy co-op? 

 

 

[*Michelle*]

You may just need to accept that you're going to have high food bill.  I've come to the point where I would rather cut back on other things than be overly stressed about the grocery tab.  We like food.  We enjoy eating it.  I (mostly) enjoy cooking it.  Food takes up a lot of our days, so I'd rather celebrate it than try to keep cutting and cutting in order to get our food bill down under some "acceptable" amount.

[Dory]

If you choose to make bread, check out Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day.  It gives tons of great recipes but the system is what is so great.  You make a basic dough (no kneading) and leave it in the fridge til you want to bake it.  Really easy!

 

Other than that, no advice really.  We cut the eating out budget to offset our grocery costs.  A few things that have worked for us:

1. I make big batches of chili and then freeze it in small portions.  My boys love that for lunch and it's cheap and filling.

2. Limit fruit.  If I let my kids, the will eat an entire bag of apples in one sitting.  Yikes.  I tell them 1 apple is enough for a snack. I serve it with nut butter to fill 'em up more.

3. Give your kids water bottles and tell them no snacks til the water is gone. 

4. I started setting meal and snack times.  If it's not time for a snack, get the heck out of the kitchen.  My kids and I love to graze and that can kill the budget. We actually had to stop homeschooling in the kitchen 'cause it was too easy to snack the day away.

 

I have browsed through that book before and for those that are wanting fresh bread daily and are trying to cut cost, it looks like a good read. Many bread doughs will survive in the fridge for almost a week and you can just take enough off for one loaf in the morning. Doing it that way only takes a few minutes and you can have fresh bread for lunch. Making soups, chili, and broths (and bean burritos) in large batches and freezing the extra in appropriate portions can also help cut down on the extra costs that happen when you are too stressed or busy to cook frugal meals. Doing things like that also allow for days where you don't have to cook but can move your focus onto making soaps and other things to help cut down on household costs. A person can't spend all their time in the kitchen.

[regentrude]

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.

 

You buy herbs? Herbs are ridiculously expensive when you buy them (in out store, three sprigs in plastic box for over $2). Growing your own will save you a lot. For $2 you can buy a plant that lasts you all year. I don't garden, but herbs are easy.

[*Michelle*]

Yep.  I don't cut unless I absolutely have to.  I'd rather cut elsewhere.  I'd stop watching cable TV before I cut down on my food bill.

 

We did!  Hooray for Netflix and Amazon Video. :)

[mamaraby]

Not everyone thrives on a high starch diet though.

*shrugs* Then don't.

 

Historically speaking, this is often how people would have fed their families. Meat was a luxury. it was expensive and certainly not something they would have had everyday let alone two or more times a day. Instead, they would have focused on starches, fiber, and veggies because they kept bellies full and people moving. Are there people who conceivably require less or somehow cannot thrive on this sort of diet? Sure, but it's a far smaller proportion than popular dietary wisdom suggests.

 

My main point still stands. Grocery budgets are an issue of math, not magic. The more fixed aspects to the equation the less there is to change and the fewer savings there are to be had. It also doesn't negate the fact that this is how many families, including my own, keep the grocery budget low while keeping growing kids full.

[briansmama]

You may just need to accept that you're going to have high food bill.  I've come to the point where I would rather cut back on other things than be overly stressed about the grocery tab.  We like food.  We enjoy eating it.  I (mostly) enjoy cooking it.  Food takes up a lot of our days, so I'd rather celebrate it than try to keep cutting and cutting in order to get our food bill down under some "acceptable" amount.

This. Personally, I'd consider this breakdown of the American food budget recommendations before I tried to slash our food budget so drastically:

http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/Publications/FoodPlans/2013/CostofFoodJul2013.pdf

 

A family of 4 is expected to spend $1036/month on a moderate eating plan. I realize we all have to do what we have to do in order to stretch the food dollar, but I think it's unrealistic to expect to spend less than the low-cost amount for 4 on a family of 6, unless you're extremely talented at growing your own food. 

 

This is not to say it can't be done, as i know there are some here who do, but just because we are in charge of the food budget doesn't mean we have superhuman powers to slash that budget so low and expect to feed our family quality foods that fill them for less than a low-cost plan for 4 when you are feeding 6.

 

Food costs money and I feel it's really important to consider what I put in my growing children's bodies, as well as dh and mine, for the sake of our overall health.

[*Michelle*]

According to that food chart, we fall right between low and moderate for our family-size and ages. It makes sense.  It was getting so hard to do at our previously budgeted amount and I finally succumbed and upped the budget. We had to cut in other spots, but it's worth it to have good, fairly healthy food.

[Laura Corin]

According to that food chart, we fall right between low and moderate for our family-size and ages. It makes sense.  It was getting so hard to do at our previously budgeted amount and I finally succumbed and upped the budget. We had to cut in other spots, but it's worth it to have good, fairly healthy food.

 

We come in between thrifty and low-cost for a family of four on that chart, but prices are higher here and my children are older.  My budget also includes the odd bottle of gin and paper goods, but not wine/beer.

 

L

[Annie Laurie]

You may just need to accept that you're going to have high food bill.  I've come to the point where I would rather cut back on other things than be overly stressed about the grocery tab.  We like food.  We enjoy eating it.  I (mostly) enjoy cooking it.  Food takes up a lot of our days, so I'd rather celebrate it than try to keep cutting and cutting in order to get our food bill down under some "acceptable" amount.

 

I agree. Plus, it's important to me to buy animal products that aren't factory farmed and to buy organic as much as I can, so that's just going to be more expensive.

 

Pretty In Pink, I spend as much or more than you and I'm not buying formula. Formula is expensive, so I don't think you're doing that bad with your bill.

 

Some areas I'm going to work on myself are making my own bread (using the Artisan Bread in 5 min a day method), and cutting back on packaged foods. My kids all think they'll die without cereal for breakfast, but it's not even that healthy and they can eat a regular sized box between them in one sitting. Also, I need to find more local sources for grass fed meat and produce and see if that would save us, it would also be better for us. But, other than that, I'm fine with what we spend and don't want to stress over my grocery spending.

[Stayseeliz]

I do understand that good food costs money and I plan to continue feeding my family good food. But we have to cut the budget. We simply cannot afford to spend $1100 a month on food. I would be happy with $800 a month. That's my goal. I'll continue to buy raw milk and organic beef but we'll eat less of it.

[momto10blessings]

One easy way to make fresh bread every day is to keep all the ingredients and measuring cups/spoons in a basket next to your machine. First thing in the morning (like some do with coffee) throw the ingredients in the bread maker and turn on. I turn it on the dough cycle and when it's done I move the dough to 2 loaf pans and let it rise until lunch time then throw it in the oven.

 

Apple season is just getting underway here. We buy fresh apples from the orchards for 35-69 cents a lb. peaches are ending, but they were 80 cents/lb for big beautiful fresh peaches (nothing better!)

 

I agree with cutting all drinks out besides water and homemade tea. Ok, and coffee!

 

The daily artisan bread recipes are great, but the dough does take up a lot of room and it only makes 6 (I think) very small loaves each batch. We eat it in one day. You don't need the book, just look it up online

 

Cutting out most condiments or making your own can save a ton.

[momto10blessings]

Wow, that is a bargain! Our local place charges $1.29 for pick your own apples. THAT is a bargain even. But your prices are unheard of to me.

It's crazy- there is an orchard that sells apples for 45 cents and across the street there is another that sells for $1.19. The more expensive one is more crowded too!

[LibraryLover]

Timely thread for me.

[Pretty in Pink]

We live in CA but shop at the base commissary. IDK if regional pricing has any impact on commissary pricing. We live in the high desert. I have a black thumb under the best conditions so trying to garden here would be a colossal waste of resources! :P

 

The fresh herbs I buy are .99/bunch and I buy two bunches of parsley and one of cilantro every week. They are generously sized bunches so I think that's a good price.

 

Anyway, I am going to start a new grocery spending accountability thread since I just went shopping today!

[Aelwydd]

Yep. I don't cut unless I absolutely have to. I'd rather cut elsewhere. I'd stop watching cable TV before I cut down on my food bill.

I'm there with you. I typically spend about $680-750 a month for our family of 3. I spend on good food because i'm gluten intolerant, and dh and I would rather spend extra for increased nutrition and taste.

 

Another big reason is when we have good choices at home, eating out is far less attractive. We average eating out maybe 3x a month. Before I went on a restricted diet, it was more like 3x a week!

[Carrie12345]

I paid $10 to use my store's Shop From Home service today. It brought my bill to $175... when I usually spend $250.

 

Not that I'm saying it'd always be that way. I didn't need to buy cat food this week, and we're stocked up on baking items (though I did buy more flour.) Still, the $10 kept me from spending $50 on "Hey, that looks good!"

[Laura Corin]

We live in CA but shop at the base commissary. IDK if regional pricing has any impact on commissary pricing. We live in the high desert. I have a black thumb under the best conditions so trying to garden here would be a colossal waste of resources! :p

 

The fresh herbs I buy are .99/bunch and I buy two bunches of parsley and one of cilantro every week. They are generously sized bunches so I think that's a good price.

 

Anyway, I am going to start a new grocery spending accountability thread since I just went shopping today!

 

For basil, I buy a pot of growing herbs then split them in three and repot them.  They last for weeks like that on a sunny window sill.  You keep pinching out the leaves from the top and they produce more and more leaves from side shoots.

 

L

[Pretty in Pink]

For basil, I buy a pot of growing herbs then split them in three and repot them.  They last for weeks like that on a sunny window sill.  You keep pinching out the leaves from the top and they produce more and more leaves from side shoots.

 

L

 

I buy basil plants a couple of times each year at the supermarket and they die within a week every. single. time. I set mine up on the bar next to all of my other plants but it's not in full sun like a windowsill would be. Is that my mistake? Does basil need full sun?

[MSNative]

I'd love to do this.  The problem is I don't have a sunny window sill!

 

And I kill plants. 

 

Seriously, I have some weird problem where I can't keep plants.  Plants hate me.

 

Except virtual plants.  My Plants Vs. Zombies Zen garden is fantastic. 

If you really want to, you can put a grow light bulb in a lamp and grow herbs there.  I did that once and was only slightly concerned that the DEA might think I was growing something other than basil and rosemary, iykwim.

 

 

I agree with cutting all drinks out besides water and homemade tea. Ok, and coffee!

 

Whew.  We almost had to have a rumble.  Glad you amended your statement. ;)

[MSNative]

And then I imagine I'm not really saving money if I'm running the electricity for a special bulb.

 

If it's just for one plant, probably not.  The bulb is cheap and I don't think the electric is more than a regular light bulb.

BTW - Since we agree on the coffee issue, we can agree to disagree on this one.  It can be a big ol' hassle.  Especially when your child knocks the whole table over and you have plants and dirt everywhere. ;)

[mamaraby]

I think there is plenty of evidence to suggest a large number of people cannot thrive on a high starch diet. Why do so many people have Type 2 diabetes? Once you have that or pre diabetes you are not supposed to eat a high starch diet.

 

I eat mostly meat and vegetables. I don't skimp on food, but I don't think I spend a ridiculous amount on food either.

And there are those that eat low-carb and have metabolic syndrome. Jimmy Moore comes to mind as he tries ever crazier things to try and get his numbers under control. On the flip side there are also those who have gotten their metabolic syndrome/type-2 diabetes under control eating a plant based diet including whole grains and starchy veg. Some have had success specifically with a high starch diet. The reality is that the "cause" of any of our illnesses of civilization is most likely a combination of factors and not necessarily any one thing. After all, an apparent correlation does not equal causation.

 

And again, the point still stands. If you feel that you don't like it or your n=1 experience says that it's not a sustainable diet for you, then don't eat it. That doesn't negate the n=1 experience of those who do.

 

Herbs - Sometimes you'll have better results if you put the plant in an area where there's lots of sunlight to bounce around the room rather than a sunny windowsill. For instance, I have better luck with my plants/herbs in my living room across the room from the window. The walls are a cream so while there isn't a crazy amount of sunlight, there is still quite a bit bouncing around.

[Carrie12345]

I'm in with the grocery accountability.

After all these financial threads, dh and I are back on board with Dave Ramseying the last bit of our debt, so I'm going to try to be good.

I like to stockpile, so I have quite a bit to lean on, but I also don't want to deplete too much or miss too many good deals, so I'll work to strike a balance there.

 

I do usually make our bread and a bunch of other things from scratch, and we have a small, struggling garden, so that helps a bit.

 

Cheese is our weakness. Good cheese, cheapo cheese, even sometimes cheese that shouldn't qualify as cheese (shh!)

[LucyStoner]

We're presently in the $650-750/month range for 4 (human food only- cat food and household items in a different line item) and I don't consider it high at all. I can feed us for much less but unless I had to, I wouldn't. This is less than we spent when I worked (but we took a greater than 50% paycut when I started staying home) and includes quite lot of thrift. It is about $5.50-6.25 a day per person. We are not low carb but we do eat good protein and plenty of produce (more than 5 a day for sure). No one is regularly eating meals not from home. We often have a 5th person eating with us for 1-2 meals a day. We eat a lot of soup and I cook from scratch. I barter for some garden produce and we share chickens with a family with a large yard. I have a ton of free blackberries in the freezer and canned. I grew up poor enough that food comes before every thing else more or less. I certainly plan to increase our food budget again when our income grows in the not too distant future.

[Laura Corin]

I buy basil plants a couple of times each year at the supermarket and they die within a week every. single. time. I set mine up on the bar next to all of my other plants but it's not in full sun like a windowsill would be. Is that my mistake? Does basil need full sun?

 

If you look at the basil plants you buy at the supermarket, you will see about ten little stems coming out of the soil.  Each of those is an individual basil plant that, in a hot climate as I had when I lived in California, could grow two feet tall and two feet wide outside.  The reason they die is that they are all competing against each other for light, air, moisture and nutrients.

 

That's why I split them.  Tip the plant out of its pot and you will see a root ball of thousands of tiny roots.  Don't touch the stems but just grasp the root ball and pull it apart into three or four pieces.  The stems will move with the roots and you will end up with three or four little plants.  Replant in whatever compost/earth/dirt you have handy - you can use yoghurt pots for them if you punch holes in the bottom.  Put on a sunny window sill and water daily.  Use an ordinary plant food dissolved in water to make them last longer.

 

My current set of basil plants have been on my windows sill for over a month.  Some of the leaves are just starting to go yellow, but most are green and we have had five or six meals from that one pot.

 

Good luck!

 

L

[MyThreeSons]

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.

Where and how do you store your potatoes?

[DianeW88]

Well, to be honest, those of you who only want to buy organic foods are going to have huge grocery bills.

 

I get my milk from a local dairy (delivered) which saves money and is healthier than grocery store milk.

 

I have a garden for produce and I can and freeze like crazy.

 

I buy produce from a local farm where you can pick your own...and do even more canning.

 

We also have farms here that will sell you a side of beef (not officially labeled "organic", but I know where the cow grew up and what it's eaten) at a huge savings over grocery store prices.  All you need is a second freezer to store it.

 

If you can do any of the above, you will slash your food bill and still eat healthy foods.

[Guest aliaanderson]

This is useful information for everyone. You can save time and money via this service.

[DawnM]

I would advise the opposite.  90% of our shopping is at Costco.

 

You can buy meat and vegetables in bulk and save quite a bit.

 

Dawn

 

 

I spend a lot on food.  I consider it an important expense.  Plus I like to cook (and eat).

 

Anyhow, I'd look first to the most obvious stuff you don't need.  For example, are you buying any beverages?  That's one thing to cut that you don't need that costs quite a bit.

 

I would seriously consider ditching the wholesale clubs.  I found I'd do my regular shopping then hit the club.  I couldn't get out of there without spending $100 at minimum.  And most of it really wasn't stuff I needed.  Plus I didn't see a huge savings by buying bulk vs. Aldi.  With Aldi it was often cheaper per unit and you weren't forced to buy a lifetime supply to get the lower price.

 

Making a menu and shopping lists and sticking to it helps too.

 

[Jane in NC]

The grocery issue is challenging since geography influences choices and costs--and individual needs vary.

 

For us, eating seasonally and locally provides better quality food at a lower cost. But I live in an area with two growing seasons--and one of my local farmers has expanded growing capability by adding a hoop house for winter greens.  Granted, the lettuce or tatsoi from the hoop house may be the same price as the grocer's product, but for us farm fresh produce lasts longer.  I hate buying greens from the grocer (stuff that has been shipped from California or Mexico) only to have it die in a couple of days.

 

We are a smaller family so I do not buy the large quantities that some of you require.  I do buy massive jugs of olive oil at an Asian import store that has a Turkish foods section.  That is also where I buy certain Asian ingredients like rice vinegar and sesame oil--items that are expensive in a regular grocery. 

 

When I was in the NC mountains last November, I bought a bushel of apples.  In my cool garage they did just fine until recently.  The apples at the bottom of the box are a bit soft, but fine for cooking.  Last week I made apple sauce and apple chutney with the remainder. I hate food waste which is why buying huge quantities of stuff doesn't necessarily work for us.  (By the way, I still have some sweet potatoes left from a bushel I purchased last fall.  These are from a local farmer and are stored in my garage.)

 

Not all of my local farmers are certified organic but several use organic practices.  Know your farmer.

 

Today I am making a quantity of  black bean quaesadillas from Budget Bytes.  My husband works six days a week in March, long hours, so I stock the freezer with grab and go meals.  Accompanying those with dinner tonight will be an avocado shrimp soup.  I am taking advantage of seasonally low avocado prices now.  My shrimp are local and less expensive than most of you will find.  I freeze shrimp at the end of the fall fishing season.  So this is not necessarily going to be a suggested menu for anyone else.  But do consider your seasonal and local foods.

 

 

[happypamama]

Oooooh, those black bean quesadillas look great -- and for the freezer too! Yes, some more variety for our lunches. If I can get to BJ's amongst the winter weather, I can make a batch this weekend. Thanks for the inspiration!

 

I find that the warehouse club saves me money in certain ways. With four children eating, we go through produce often enough to make the larger quantities worth it. Same with meat. And olive oil. Also, butter and cream -- my local Giant wants $6.29 for a quart of heavy cream (which DH puts in his coffee). BJ's wants $3.50 for the quart. I think butter and cream alone saved me the cost of the membership. But not everything there is a good deal. Otherwise, it's Aldi when I can get there, and sales at Giant when I have to. But it just plain costs a lot to feed a large family.

[Jane in NC]

Oooooh, those black bean quesadillas look great -- and for the freezer too! Yes, some more variety for our lunches. If I can get to BJ's amongst the winter weather, I can make a batch this weekend. Thanks for the inspiration!

 

I find that the warehouse club saves me money in certain ways. With four children eating, we go through produce often enough to make the larger quantities worth it. Same with meat. And olive oil. Also, butter and cream -- my local Giant wants $6.29 for a quart of heavy cream (which DH puts in his coffee). BJ's wants $3.50 for the quart. I think butter and cream alone saved me the cost of the membership. But not everything there is a good deal. Otherwise, it's Aldi when I can get there, and sales at Giant when I have to. But it just plain costs a lot to feed a large family.

 

You are welcome.  I have black beans cooking in the crock pot as I write. 

 

Budget Bytes has some great ideas.  If you are snowed in, it might be a fun website for you to peruse for further inspiration!