Feed a Family of Four on $400 a month

[fairfarmhand]

Tell me more about Aldi. There's one about 10 miles away from where I live and not in an area I would normally drive, so I'd have to justify the extra gas $.

I just went yesterday. I don't know where you live and what the prices are, but I'll give you  some of my prices here.

 

Sandwich meat--Regular store 3.50, Aldi 2.50

Butter--Regular Store 3.00 Aldi 1.89

Cheddar Cheese Block-- Regular Store 2.50 Aldi 1.79

All Purpose Flour-- Regular Store 2.00 Aldi 1.39

Sugar--Regular Store 2.00 Aldi 1.79

Canola Oil-- Regular Store--2.50 Aldi--1.89

Ground Turkey-- Regular Store--2.50 Aldi--1.89

 

I really find their bargains on produce

 

Yesterday, I bought 2 lb carrots for .49 there, whereas at another store I could pay 1.89 for it. I bought a bag of 12 lemons for 1.29 whereas at another store they are .50 each. The lemons are a bit smaller than what I might get normally, but really the price is much better.

 

I bought a cart of stuff yesterday that cost about $90. At another store, i probably would've spent about $130

 

note that I don't buy organic, grass-fed whatever. Just conventional food.

 

I have to drive 20 minutes to Aldi. Since it's near the library, I just do Aldis when I go to the library.

 

I have a receipt here that includes other stuff that I bought, so if you have a question about another item I might be able to help you.

 

ETA: I live in Middle TN

[SparklyUnicorn]

Don't know where you are, but add about $1 for every item on your list for both regular store and Aldi.  And I would not even consider that we live in a high cost of living area.

 

 

I just went yesterday. I don't know where you live and what the prices are, but I'll give you  some of my prices here.

 

Sandwich meat--Regular store 3.50, Aldi 2.50

Butter--Regular Store 3.00 Aldi 1.89

Cheddar Cheese Block-- Regular Store 2.50 Aldi 1.79

All Purpose Flour-- Regular Store 2.00 Aldi 1.39

Sugar--Regular Store 2.00 Aldi 1.79

Canola Oil-- Regular Store--2.50 Aldi--1.89

Ground Turkey-- Regular Store--2.50 Aldi--1.89

 

I really find their bargains on produce

 

Yesterday, I bought 2 lb carrots for .49 there, whereas at another store I could pay 1.89 for it. I bought a bag of 12 lemons for 1.29 whereas at another store they are .50 each. The lemons are a bit smaller than what I might get normally, but really the price is much better.

 

I bought a cart of stuff yesterday that cost about $90. At another store, i probably would've spent about $130

 

note that I don't buy organic, grass-fed whatever. Just conventional food.

 

I have to drive 20 minutes to Aldi. Since it's near the library, I just do Aldis when I go to the library.

 

I have a receipt here that includes other stuff that I bought, so if you have a question about another item I might be able to help you.

 

[Lady Marmalade]

Oh, and this may or may not be related to food costs, but if you have family members who are extremely active with working out (eg. my dd dances 3 hours a week), etc., do you think that's going to up the food costs?

 

I think it can up the food costs, depending on what your family considers normal.  My kids each dance between 10-12 hours a week, and we make an effort to make sure that they are snacking wisely and not just on empty snacks that won't fuel them properly.

 

Yesterday's pre-dance snack was several ounces of Brick cheese slices with some organic poppyseed-thyme crackers and a small glass of chocolate milk. (Local hormone free, but not organic on the milk.)

 

They frequently have a bowl of fruit or popcorn as a snack.  DS has become fond of tortillas spread with peanut butter.  Homemade trail mixes with nuts and craisins are always welcome.

 

I do think I spend a little more in making sure the snack options are plentiful and smart for active kids.  But really, I wasn't a big snack spender before.  If someone frequently buys the expensive processed snack stuff like chips, fruit snacks, pop-tarts, granola bars, etc. Then they probably wouldn't notice an increase, and may actually see a decrease.  

[Lang Syne Boardie]

There is a gal speaking at our local homeschool convention (which I am boycotting not b/c of her but b/c of the keynote speaker) who feeds her family for that amount or less.

 

She has acreage, cows, sheep, chickens, and a HUGE HUGE HUGE garden, plus her three kids are younger than puberty age and (according to her) the type who don't eat much.

 

I don't think she speaks about the veterinary, hay and feed costs for the critters, or the costs of seeds and garden equipment - I don't get the impression she counts those things as food-related expenses. But she should, because not having the startup money for land, feed and seed is one major reason people can't emulate her lifestyle.

 

I'm not denigrating her or discounting the tremendous amount of work and creativity she exerts toward feeding her family cheaply and well. I'm just saying that even she can't get this low grocery bill without growing so much of their food herself, and spending enormous amounts of time preserving and preparing. (The time factor is another reason people can't emulate her lifestyle -- once her dc are high school aged, if she is still homeschooling, I doubt she'll have this much time for gardening and canning, herself.)

 

 

EDITED TO ADD: Whoa. I looked her up to get my facts straight, and her claim is $200 per month for a family of five.

 

EDITED AGAIN TO ADD: That evidently includes paper products, disposable diapers, and cleaning supplies. What.

[Lang Syne Boardie]

I just went yesterday. I don't know where you live and what the prices are, but I'll give you  some of my prices here.

 

Sandwich meat--Regular store 3.50, Aldi 2.50

Butter--Regular Store 3.00 Aldi 1.89

Cheddar Cheese Block-- Regular Store 2.50 Aldi 1.79

All Purpose Flour-- Regular Store 2.00 Aldi 1.39

Sugar--Regular Store 2.00 Aldi 1.79

Canola Oil-- Regular Store--2.50 Aldi--1.89

Ground Turkey-- Regular Store--2.50 Aldi--1.89

 

I really find their bargains on produce

 

Yesterday, I bought 2 lb carrots for .49 there, whereas at another store I could pay 1.89 for it. I bought a bag of 12 lemons for 1.29 whereas at another store they are .50 each. The lemons are a bit smaller than what I might get normally, but really the price is much better.

 

I bought a cart of stuff yesterday that cost about $90. At another store, i probably would've spent about $130

 

note that I don't buy organic, grass-fed whatever. Just conventional food.

 

I have to drive 20 minutes to Aldi. Since it's near the library, I just do Aldis when I go to the library.

 

I have a receipt here that includes other stuff that I bought, so if you have a question about another item I might be able to help you.

 

ETA: I live in Middle TN

 

Each of the listed items is quite a bit more expensive here, and I'm in the midwest!

[Guest]

On a good month we are at about $1000 for all grocery and paper items. And I'm frugal, too! Transport costs of food kill.

[Guest]

Each of the listed items is quite a bit more expensive here, and I'm in the midwest!

Our lunch meat is $7 per pound, occasionally 5.99 on sale!

[fairfarmhand]

Our lunch meat is $7 per pound, occasionally 5.99 on sale!

 

The sandwich meat was prepackaged, 9 ounces per package.

 

[Guest]

I want an Aldi :(

[fairfarmhand]

And oddly, just within the last 3-4 weeks grocery prices have dropped substantially. Just a month ago, I was paying 4.00 a pound for butter. I'm wondering if the lower fuel prices paired with the coming of spring in the South are helping prices go down, and some of you all in other, colder parts of the country will see a drop soon.

[SparklyUnicorn]

There is a gal speaking at our local homeschool convention (which I am boycotting not b/c of her but b/c of the keynote speaker) who feeds her family for that amount or less.

 

She has acreage, cows, sheep, chickens, and a HUGE HUGE HUGE garden, plus her three kids are younger than puberty age and (according to her) the type who don't eat much.

 

I don't think she speaks about the veterinary, hay and feed costs for the critters, or the costs of seeds and garden equipment - I don't get the impression she counts those things as food-related expenses. But she should, because not having the startup money for land, feed and seed is one major reason people can't emulate her lifestyle.

 

I'm not denigrating her or discounting the tremendous amount of work and creativity she exerts toward feeding her family cheaply and well. I'm just saying that even she can't get this low grocery bill without growing so much of their food herself, and spending enormous amounts of time preserving and preparing. (The time factor is another reason people can't emulate her lifestyle -- once her dc are high school aged, if she is still homeschooling, I doubt she'll have this much time for gardening and canning, herself.)

 

 

EDITED TO ADD: Whoa. I looked her up to get my facts straight, and her claim is $200 per month for a family of five.

 

EDITED AGAIN TO ADD: That evidently includes paper products, disposable diapers, and cleaning supplies. What.

 

That's just dishonest.  We garden.  The growing season is not only extremely short, it costs us more to grow our own food than to buy it.  We have to pay to rent the plots (which does include the cost of water).  The seeds are not cheap.  Space is very limited.  Many times several crops don't make it at all so all that work and money for nothing.  Then some plants have no fat chance in hell of growing at all unless we buy plants rather than seeds.  We grow a few things in our small yard.  All of those things have needed high start up cost including containers and even dirt. Then when we finally get some produce there is the cost of bagging stuff up for the freezer.  I tried canning some stuff, but that ended up costing a small fortune.  All of this is more like a hobby than something that could sustain us in any way. 

 

 

 

 

[SamanthaCarter]

We budget $600 per month for groceries for a family of five, including paper products, not including meals out (we do that maybe twice a month). Mid COL. I think I am pretty frugal. I buy (mostly) good quality ingredients. I've looked into some of those cheapskate menu plans. While I think they're doable, I don't really think they are sustainable long term. Especially if you're not a big fan of beans. They are very restrictive; no snacks, water only, and not much variety. The food stamp menu plans are better. 

[foxbridgeacademy]

If I were to take out non-food items we'd be at about $525.  If I cut out the junk food and non-nutritional stuff (think ice cream) and planned more cheap meals, (often carb heavy) $400 would be  doable for my family of 4.  I just don't like them eating so much pasta and potatoes and Dh insists on some of the junk food (he likes potato chips and dip).

 

My advice for cutting grocery bill is what most websites advise: Make a meal plan based on what is on sale.  I also try to make sure that each meal is under a certain $ amount (based on budget and how many are eating).  So no steaks but we will have roast or steak tacos.  Meat is rarely a main dish, it's always in something.  One of the biggest $$ savers for me is that I shop at Aldi's for over %50 of our groceries, that's another trick, shop at multiple stores.

 

 

[Lisbeth]

After reading about how reclusive the Albrecht brothers of Aldi were, and how  they never felt the need to come out publicly, give statements to the press, and were obsessively private, I became fascinated.  My personality is such that I am already very private, and if I had their amount of coinage, I would be using it for ways to make extremely introverted me happy.  Which would involve a lot of privacy and keeping out of the public eye.  Give me the money, I want none of the fame, ;).  Anyway, so it made me  want to revisit an Aldi store just last week.  It has been a long time, and the first time I wasn't impressed.  Maybe because I've been reading Marie Kondo's book - but this time I found a lot more I could see using and I was more impressed with the store, even though it is fairly sparse and to the point (no frills.)  It wasn't that I wanted to buy more overall (not very Marie Kondo), but that I could see replacing some of our frillier food purchases with some things from the more streamlined store (kind of Kondo).

 

So I will be adding an Aldi rotation into our shopping, in place of one of my other shopping trips.  We are doing a larger garden, and I can.  This means I can meat on sale, not just freeze it.  I buy things from LDS canneries, too.  I bulk buy produce and meat with Church members.

 

Still, not going to see $400 food budget, or the equivalent for us, any time soon.  I had a thread not long ago about our horrible food, allergy, sensory issues and how it makes our food budget insane.  So, yeah.  Also, I get a weird guilt knot in my stomach at the thought of limiting food.  My kids have those super high metabolisms and extreme pickiness (ARFID) - bad combo.   

 

[leeannpal]

I hope that isn't true. We live below the poverty line and I will never be able to afford that. My 4 year old is the size of the average 7 year old and eats as much as we do.

 

This reminds me of that commercial where all of the kids are eating all of the food and the dad walks in one of the kids and says "Are you eating butter?" He was.

I hope it isn't true for your family. I know for my family (me, husband and 12 year old daughter) food expenses have grown quite a bit now that my daughter is adult-sized. We often feed our family for under 600 a month, and that includes paper products and toiletries. This amount does not include the once a week we eat out.

[SparklyUnicorn]

If I were to take out non-food items we'd be at about $525.  If I cut out the junk food and non-nutritional stuff (think ice cream) and planned more cheap meals, (often carb heavy) $400 would be  doable for my family of 4.  I just don't like them eating so much pasta and potatoes and Dh insists on some of the junk food (he likes potato chips and dip).

 

My advice for cutting grocery bill is what most websites advise: Make a meal plan based on what is on sale.  I also try to make sure that each meal is under a certain $ amount (based on budget and how many are eating).  So no steaks but we will have roast or steak tacos.  Meat is rarely a main dish, it's always in something.  One of the biggest $$ savers for me is that I shop at Aldi's for over %50 of our groceries, that's another trick, shop at multiple stores.

 

I agree.  Shop sales.  Make a plan and stick to it.  That'll save money right there.  I do that.  Although I admit I don't try all that hard because I don't have to and I don't want to.  I like food...good food.  It's a hobby for me to try new recipes.  That sort of thing.

 

I am just sick of people being dishonest about what they spend.  I simply do not believe all of them and I don't believe some are counting everything that constitutes the cost of their food (like the example of the woman with the family farm).  If I can grow most of my own vegetables it's not that they are in the end free.  They might cost less if I can grow enough of them and it all works out, but there are still costs even down to packaging the food for storage.  Packaging is part of the cost of food.  So is storage.  If I need three big freezers to hold all my produce or 100 cans and a large pantry that's a cost that is part of the cost of food.  A lot of people don't buy massive quantities of food at a lower unit price because they cannot store it.  But lets say they can and do? They are paying for the electricity to store their food!  How is that not a factor? 

[Lang Syne Boardie]

That's just dishonest.  We garden.  The growing season is not only extremely short, it costs us more to grow our own food than to buy it.  We have to pay to rent the plots (which does include the cost of water).  The seeds are not cheap.  Space is very limited.  Many times several crops don't make it at all so all that work and money for nothing.  Then some plants have no fat chance in hell of growing at all unless we buy plants rather than seeds.  We grow a few things in our small yard.  All of those things have needed high start up cost including containers and even dirt. Then when we finally get some produce there is the cost of bagging stuff up for the freezer.  I tried canning some stuff, but that ended up costing a small fortune.  All of this is more like a hobby than something that could sustain us in any way. 

 

My experience was similar. Our yard is very shady so there's not much we can do, unless we cut down a lot of trees...

 

my Grandma raised her family on home-grown food. She was an expert gardener. But even she said it takes about 10 years for a garden to really mature and start paying for itself with reliability and good yields, and even then there's all the work and energy required constantly. In her case, she didn't count her man hours (SAHM, kids in school) and she cut energy expenses elsewhere to make up for the freezer and the canner, so it worked out. Over decades she definitely saved a lot of money, and absolutely her family got more nutritious meals the whole time.

 

But I don't have the down payment in either cash or time, even if I did want to cut down a dozen trees to get a sunny patch of yard. These are things I will likely do when I am done homeschooling, for DH's and my health and savings as we prepare for our old age.

[Lisbeth]

SparklyUnicorn, I understand what you are saying.  I can have somewhat cheaper food bills now because we spent more ahead of time to stock up, so we could rotate. (In the long run, it's cheaper, because you only buy in any given week what is on serious sale, buy it in bulk for future use, for when it's not on sale - because you know that you have the basics covered from storage.  When you keep that going, over time it's a lot cheaper.  But it takes bulk startup money.)  Also, I found a big freezer for $75 that was nearly new at a yard sale.  Actually, my mom found it in her neighborhood and had them hold it for me.  Also when we re-did our kitchen, with incentive money from dh's work, we used our old fridge as extra storage.  Those cost $, unless you can get them some way handed down, etc. 

I get it.

Gardening also costs money to get started and maintain.  Canning costs in pressure canners, canning supplies, etc. 

Bulk cooking might take bigger pots, storage supplies, etc.

 

(ETA:  Our food bills are really high anyway, but they would be even worse than they are without the rotating thing.  I am talking relatively speaking.  Most people aren't probably operating in our crazy universe of extreme allergies, celiac, pre-diabetes and ARFID.)

[Slache]

I hope it isn't true for your family. I know for my family (me, husband and 12 year old daughter) food expenses have grown quite a bit now that my daughter is adult-sized. We often feed our family for under 600 a month, and that includes paper products and toiletries. This amount does not include the once a week we eat out.

I think we can handle $600. :)

 

That $400 is really more like $300, but I budget $400. We've been paying dept off, which of course eliminates monthly payments, and as soon as it's paid off we're buying or building a house and becoming serious veggie gardeners, hunters, and fishers. A girlfriend from church is teaching me how to turn Bambi into dinner.

[ocelotmom]

This reminded me of a friend (acquaintance)  I have.  She loves to brag a low their grocery budget is.  I mean, brags about it!  This person is very manipulative and loves to gain peoples sympathy.  But, what she doesn't tell people is she gets meat from her parents, (they farm) and they go out to eat at least once a day.  She has actually told me they eat McDonald's at least once a day, and I know she eats lunch out quite a bit.  I don't know if her kids eat lunch at school or take their lunches.  I don't include eating out in our grocery budget, that is in our discretionary spending budget. When I think grocery budget I think people food only, not pet foot or paper products and toiletries.  

 

IMO, if you're eating out often enough that it makes a significant dent in your grocery budget, you have to count at least some of the cost in your food budget. At the very least, figure out the average cost for a homecooked meal and include that amount in the food budget, then put the rest of the cost in the entertainment budget.

[ElizabethB]

I'm not denigrating her or discounting the tremendous amount of work and creativity she exerts toward feeding her family cheaply and well. I'm just saying that even she can't get this low grocery bill without growing so much of their food herself, and spending enormous amounts of time preserving and preparing. (The time factor is another reason people can't emulate her lifestyle -- once her dc are high school aged, if she is still homeschooling, I doubt she'll have this much time for gardening and canning, herself.)

.

My dad was a school teacher. Before he got a summer job, we had a goat to eat down the blackberries, then we ate the goat. With blackberries cleared, we had space for a large garden, I am talking large people, like he borrowed a tiller every year. Then, we had a garden and raised rabbits for meat.

 

As soon as he got a summer job, bye bye bunnies and bye bye garden. No one liked weeding. The bunnies were fine but still easier to have a summer job than all that.

 

We had several apple trees on our property as well, and for several years after the summer job we canned stuff from apples and made apple cider with a press. It was fun the first few years but got to be a pain, that eventually stopped, too. Then, the apples were just snacks.

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

SNAP (Food stamps) gives a family of four around $650, this may vary some by state.

[foxbridgeacademy]

IMO Aldi's have gotten much better over the years.  Here's what I buy:

 

Veggies- first I check the Aldi price against the price on my list which comes from the regular grocery store circular. If it's cheaper and looks fresh enough I get it.=quality is sometimes lower then the Meijer but better then my local JayC (which seriously sucks)

I buy all my cheese there, $2.79 for 12ozs. of shredded anything.  Also we get really good aged white cheddar for less then $3 for 8 ozs.= quality is comparable

If it's on sale I buy the chicken or ground beef=quality is same as Kroger.  When it comes to pork/beef steaks and roasts they are not cheaper 9 out 10 times (one of the grocery stores nearby will be having a sale).

Milk is always cheaper but they only carry 2% or Whole.=same quality

Eggs are cheaper but they only carry caged white shell

Sour cream can often be found cheaper at Groc. store on sale but the $ difference is minimal

Canned stuff- the only canned veggies I eat are Tomatoes and they are cheap and of good quality.

We buy all our canned beans at Aldi, usually around $.60 per can or less.

Besides what's listed above we also buy their:Tortillas, taco shells, bread, bacon, cream, yogurt, french fries, fish (really great prices on frozen fish).

What I won't buy there: cereal, snack food, paper products, coffee, condiments.

[Guest]

I agree. Shop sales. Make a plan and stick to it. That'll save money right there. I do that. Although I admit I don't try all that hard because I don't have to and I don't want to. I like food...good food. It's a hobby for me to try new recipes. That sort of thing.

 

I am just sick of people being dishonest about what they spend. I simply do not believe all of them and I don't believe some are counting everything that constitutes the cost of their food (like the example of the woman with the family farm). If I can grow most of my own vegetables it's not that they are in the end free. They might cost less if I can grow enough of them and it all works out, but there are still costs even down to packaging the food for storage. Packaging is part of the cost of food. So is storage. If I need three big freezers to hold all my produce or 100 cans and a large pantry that's a cost that is part of the cost of food. A lot of people don't buy massive quantities of food at a lower unit price because they cannot store it. But lets say they can and do? They are paying for the electricity to store their food! How is that not a factor?

You made such a good point! We buy bulk from a grain co op, and that is an immense up front cost to stock up even though the price per serving is lower. We are looking at a side of beef and have to consider the cost of another freezer in that. So the prices per pound is $4.50 or so, dressed weight, but that doesn't include a $300 chest freezer to store it. Or, heck the fact that coming up with $800 for meat in one hit is HARD. We work hard to keep our groceries affordable, but the fact is we have a hard time staying under $1000 per month. Now that includes everything - food isn't the entirety, but I see some of these meal plans and calculate it for my area, and they DOUBLE in price or assume certain things about lifestyle (canner, extra freezers, easily available inexpensive produce, no food intolerances) that just don't work for us.

 

We keep a meal plan, that is the biggest help. But I've gotten to the point that one of my major life goals is to switch to high quality, low pesticide food and not have to worry about every penny. I'll know we have succeeded with debt and income when we get there.

[Audrey]

I don't like this thread anymore.

 

I never like any of these threads.  The OP asked if the article was click bait or for real, and I think it's largely click bait.  Some people might be able to manage very tiny grocery budgets for their families, but the only thing those articles usually accomplish is to shame women and families and to make yet another aspect of parenting into a "competition."  

 

These types of threads generally devolve into some people saying it's unrealistic because (fill in the blank with anything ranging from local food prices to unique food needs/challenges) and others repeatedly insisting anyone could do it as long as (fill in the blank with some shame tactic ranging from 'not trying hard enough' to 'too lazy').

[fairfarmhand]

Oh and while we;re talking about it, Since WHEN did peanut butter get so expensive ?  I remember it being "poor man's protein." back when I was a kid. Now it's so much more expensive! And why?

[rocassie]

We have a family of 5 and my sister lives with us (although she buys much of her own food.)  Three of that five are under 10 so that makes a big difference.  Our food budget over the course of a year is about $100-150 per person a month.  I buy some things like meat and grains in bulk so those months we spend a whole lot, but then the other months are leaner.  Also, I try to have a garden or U-pick and do some canning.  Our food costs in this area are not to bad.  Produce is actually cheaper than in some other areas of my state because there are a lot of choices.  One just needs to shop around. I do one large grocery shopping per month (about $200), and only spend $25-50 a week after that on fresh produce, eggs, and milk.  I do not buy a lot of prepared or packaged food.  As the kids get older, I'm sure that will change quite a bit.

[Lang Syne Boardie]

I never like any of these threads.  The OP asked if the article was click bait or for real, and I think it's largely click bait.  Some people might be able to manage very tiny grocery budgets for their families, but the only thing those articles usually accomplish is to shame women and families and to make yet another aspect of parenting into a "competition."  

 

These types of threads generally devolve into some people saying it's unrealistic because (fill in the blank with anything ranging from local food prices to unique food needs/challenges) and others repeatedly insisting anyone could do it as long as (fill in the blank with some shame tactic ranging from 'not trying hard enough' to 'too lazy').

 

My honest opinion is that we need to be careful giving weight to some of these frugal claims, because upon closer examination we sometimes find that people are basically going hungry and then bragging about it. Or if the Mom who controls all the food isn't hungry, herself, it's because she's a small woman with fairly low caloric requirements but she's holding her hardworking DH and three athletic teen boys to the same menu. Maybe they're making it up through the help of generous friends or church dinners or something, but they might just be hungry. A lot.

 

This is a little cans-of-wormsy, but recently I followed a rabbit trail of a thought on the freejinger boards, about quiverfull families and hunger. One noted QF blogger (who has since become slightly less famous after a series of unfortunate events in her family) used to teach "frugal cooking" for very large families -- but when somebody broke down the actual recipes, she was talking about something like

 

two chicken breasts

a stalk of celery

a few mushrooms

half an onion

a bit of butter

and some rice - which she cooked but then decided she'd better hold some back for another meal -

 

for a dozen or so kids plus two adults.

 

I went surfing through frugal cookery blogs of homeschoolers with large families, and found many more such inadequate meals. It was really eye-opening and sobering.

 

I don't want the takeaway for hs'ing moms to be "You, too, can cut your food budget by 95% so you can afford to homeschool." I want the takeaway to be "You have to provide for your children, and if that means choosing between feeding them and homeschooling them, you have to understand that homeschooling is the luxury option."

 

Amy Dacyczyn of "The Tightwad Gazette" (early to mid 1990s) worried about going too frugal on food. She studied the USDA's food plans, books on nutrition, etc. to make sure her tightwad ways didn't leave her kids shortchanged nutritionally. We could debate on some of her decisions, such as powdered milk which isn't more nutritious and is no longer even cheaper, as it was in her day, but the point is that she did her research. She found that she could provide the same macronutrient and caloric amounts for far cheaper than the USDA's "thrifty plan" so she went ahead with confidence.

 

I think we should do the same in our generation. We should be aware that children need adequate fat, protein, complex carbohydrates, and high nutrient fruits and vegetables to grow and learn. Teen boys who are over six feet tall and extremely active in sports and work probably need double or even triple the calories that Mom needs, so she can't go by her own appetite as a guide. Children have growth spurts during which they temporarily need a lot more food, so rigidity about amounts and dollar figures isn't always best for their health...there are things we need to know.

 

Let's encourage each other to feed our families well, not just to "eat cheap." We can whittle down the waste, make better choices, tighten our own belts as needed, get help (as mentioned upthread, food stamps get you more than these $200 or $400/mo plans), but let the first rule be to feed the children well.

[Slache]

I never like any of these threads.  The OP asked if the article was click bait or for real, and I think it's largely click bait.  Some people might be able to manage very tiny grocery budgets for their families, but the only thing those articles usually accomplish is to shame women and families and to make yet another aspect of parenting into a "competition."  

 

These types of threads generally devolve into some people saying it's unrealistic because (fill in the blank with anything ranging from local food prices to unique food needs/challenges) and others repeatedly insisting anyone could do it as long as (fill in the blank with some shame tactic ranging from 'not trying hard enough' to 'too lazy').

 

Competition among mothers is such a sad thing. I would hate for something as simple as eating to add fuel to the fire. It seem that I can't go anywhere where my son interacts with others without someone commenting on something he does well or not so well compared to their son of similar age. I wish our kids (and our kitchens) could just be.

[knoxinsox]

I would totally go back to shopping at Aldi if we had one here. At my previous job, my boss called it "babysitter food."  I really didn't care, and most everything tasted great. I did the bulk of our shopping there, with a stop at Sam's Club for a few items. We were at $300 a month at the most, 2 years ago before we moved to TX--we were super cheap and made everything from scratch because we had to.  I think at the worse of times, we spent around $100, and that was for milk and only essentials.

 

Now we are at $500--groceries have gone up, the kids are older and eat more and I have more money and less time.  We eat lots of fresh veggies, and fruit and I try to either get it from Bountiful Baskets or I buy whats on sale.  I plan menus around the sale items and stockpile a little when something is a good price. Sam's Club is my closest grocery store and I buy bulk items like flour, sugar, lunchmeat and cheese. Buying processed convenience food is the main thing that moves the budget up. 

 

If I go back to making everything from scratch, including breads, condiments, etc then I could get it back down to $400. 

 

[Guest]

Tibbie - that's actually a thing?! I've never heard of a problem with hunger and large families, but I don't spend much time in that section of the web, either. Scary and awful :(

 

I've always viewed my job to feed us well and thoroughly first, and worry about economy second. Food quality is the last area of our lives I cut. Now, that might mean no going out or choosing cheaper cuts of meat, but on actual quantity and nutrition? No dice. We wear holes through our clothes, driven ancient cars, have no cable, and budget every purchase over about $10, but I'm not giving up our crockpot roasts, hearty stews, and egg/fruit/cottage cheese/hot cereal breakfast routine for anything. Even then, my kids still often claim they want just *one* more egg or apple :D

[Lang Syne Boardie]

edited to remove details -- I just realized I posted a very specific story that might be identifiable by the parties involved -- but yes, it's a thing. I've seen it for myself IRL. Combination of poverty and ignorance, as down through time.

 

[fairfarmhand]

My honest opinion is that we need to be careful giving weight to some of these frugal claims, because upon closer examination we sometimes find that people are basically going hungry and then bragging about it. Or if the Mom who controls all the food isn't hungry, herself, it's because she's a small woman with fairly low caloric requirements but she's holding her hardworking DH and three athletic teen boys to the same menu. Maybe they're making it up through the help of generous friends or church dinners or something, but they might just be hungry. A lot.

 

This is a little cans-of-wormsy, but recently I followed a rabbit trail of a thought on the freejinger boards, about quiverfull families and hunger. One noted QF blogger (who has since become slightly less famous after a series of unfortunate events in her family) used to teach "frugal cooking" for very large families -- but when somebody broke down the actual recipes, she was talking about something like

 

two chicken breasts

a stalk of celery

a few mushrooms

half an onion

a bit of butter

and some rice - which she cooked but then decided she'd better hold some back for another meal -

 

for a dozen or so kids plus two adults.

 

I went surfing through frugal cookery blogs of homeschoolers with large families, and found many more such inadequate meals. It was really eye-opening and sobering.

 

I don't want the takeaway for hs'ing moms to be "You, too, can cut your food budget by 95% so you can afford to homeschool." I want the takeaway to be "You have to provide for your children, and if that means choosing between feeding them and homeschooling them, you have to understand that homeschooling is the luxury option."

 

Amy Dacyczyn of "The Tightwad Gazette" (early to mid 1990s) worried about going too frugal on food. She studied the USDA's food plans, books on nutrition, etc. to make sure her tightwad ways didn't leave her kids shortchanged nutritionally. We could debate on some of her decisions, such as powdered milk which isn't more nutritious and is no longer even cheaper, as it was in her day, but the point is that she did her research. She found that she could provide the same macronutrient and caloric amounts for far cheaper than the USDA's "thrifty plan" so she went ahead with confidence.

 

I think we should do the same in our generation. We should be aware that children need adequate fat, protein, complex carbohydrates, and high nutrient fruits and vegetables to grow and learn. Teen boys who are over six feet tall and extremely active in sports and work probably need double or even triple the calories that Mom needs, so she can't go by her own appetite as a guide. Children have growth spurts during which they temporarily need a lot more food, so rigidity about amounts and dollar figures isn't always best for their health...there are things we need to know.

 

Let's encourage each other to feed our families well, not just to "eat cheap." We can whittle down the waste, make better choices, tighten our own belts as needed, get help (as mentioned upthread, food stamps get you more than these $200 or $400/mo plans), but let the first rule be to feed the children well.

 

Yeah, If the budget's not working to keep us all satisfied (meaning not hungry..we can go without junk but essential foods..no way) then it's time to cut back someplace else and bump the grocery budget. Occaisionally, we will have a tight month, when honestly, it isn't easy. There's exactly enough food to eat 3 good meals per day but little else. However, those are months when I don't buy coffee, orange juice for my husband, and a few little frills for me and him before I just stopp buying good food for the kids. My dh would be the first to revolt if there wasn't enough food purchases for everyone to be satisfied. He is a busy guy with a good, healthy appetite. He wants us to be careful and frugal but he won't stand for us or our kids to be legitimately hungry.

 

[Tanaqui]

 

SNAP (Food stamps) gives a family of four around $650, this may vary some by state.

 

It varies quite a bit!

 

As you can see from the chart, food stamps in Hawaii give over $850 for a family of four, whereas food stamps in New Hampshire give just over $450 for the same number of people. (I'm extrapolating from individual expenditure.)

 

Of course, Alaska, Hawaii, the Virgin Islands, and Guam do tend to skew the numbers, and it's not hard to work out why.

 

[SamanthaCarter]

I agree that this can quickly spiral into comparison and competition. And those blogs use really unrealistic assumptions about what people can do (buy a side of beef, grow food, make EVERYTHING from scratch, etc.). But if somebody is truly looking for ideas for their own households, I do think some of those SNAP menus are good. I remember one on 100 days of real food years back that had a lot of variety and was priced out as if you shopped for the amount needed at the local grocery store. No sides of beef, no membership stores. And a good bit of variety and fresh food. She was starting with a doable budget though low for her, I think.

 

Say what you want about him, but Dave Ramsey says that the grocery budget is never the cause of somebody going bankrupt. 

 

[Arcadia]

but if you have family members who are extremely active with working out (eg. my dd dances 3 hours a week), etc., do you think that's going to up the food costs?

 

Yes and no.  My friends who are ballet dancers (aiming for prima ballerina) since they were kids didn't eat much.  My friends who are bodybuilding and competitive canoeing did ate more eggs and proteins than their age group. My cousins up their carbohydrate intake like an extra bowl of rice per meal when they help out in manual tasks like moving goods in their family businesses so the food cost isn't as badly affected.  If they have up their protein intake, the impact on food costs would be much higher.

 

My family has tend towards eating more with growth spurts than eating more because of being extremely active. 

[3in9th]

Food for thought. Sorry, couldn't resist. :laugh:

 

We're going to grow some food this year. We're mostly pescatarians, but fish can be expensive. Our plant and nut-based milks are expensive. It's not unusual to spend $18-24 a week on those. We love our cereal, though, but if I can substitute that for baked goods (only dh is gluten-sensitive) that may be a solution.

 

One advantage that we have is we pay no sales tax on food. Fairfarmhand, we lived in TN and it was cheaper for me to drive to KY to buy food because of the difference in sales tax. Yikes!

 

ETA: I have another question/issue. Dh and I went to rich suburban Boston last year and the apples at Trader Joe's were significantly cheaper than they were where we normally live. Thing was, the apples were grown in our state. So the transportation cost up to Boston would have been significantly more. I'm really puzzled why apples are so expensive in our state when we are in a major apple-growing region. Could MA be subsidizing its produce?

[Slache]

I agree that this can quickly spiral into comparison and competition. And those blogs use really unrealistic assumptions about what people can do (buy a side of beef, grow food, make EVERYTHING from scratch, etc.). But if somebody is truly looking for ideas for their own households, I do think some of those SNAP menus are good. I remember one on 100 days of real food years back that had a lot of variety and was priced out as if you shopped for the amount needed at the local grocery store. No sides of beef, no membership stores. And a good bit of variety and fresh food. She was starting with a doable budget though low for her, I think.

 

Say what you want about him, but Dave Ramsey says that the grocery budget is never the cause of somebody going bankrupt. 

 

But some of us are not willing to live on beans and rice, though we do eat a lot of that in our household. Because my babies are growing it's important to me to always have lots of fruits and veggies on hand, and we stick to hormone free meat. That's all very expensive.

 

 

I am a Dave fan, ;) We're half way through our debt snowball.

[SamanthaCarter]

But some of us are not willing to live on beans and rice, though we do eat a lot of that in our household. Because my babies are growing it's important to me to always have lots of fruits and veggies on hand, and we stick to hormone free meat. That's all very expensive.

 

 

I am a Dave fan, ;) We're half way through our debt snowball.

 

I think you misunderstand. His point was, when I heard him, that groceries shouldn't be the focus when pushing back on your expenses. There are bigger things to tackle. (i.e. don't hyper-focus on pushing back on groceries.)

[marbel]

I agree that this can quickly spiral into comparison and competition.

 

<snip>

 

 

And I agree with this too. 

 

Everyone has different prices.  Everyone has different constraints to deal with, whether it be food allergies or intolerances for just plain dislikes.  Everyone has different accessibility.  People have different requirements regarding organics. 

 

Most if not all of us are doing the best we can with what we've got.  It doesn't help anyone when it turns into competition.  (I don't meant to say there is competition here now. I've seen it before on these boards though, and blogs such as those mentioned do nothing to help and much to harm.)  

[Slache]

I think you misunderstand. His point was, when I heard him, that groceries shouldn't be the focus when pushing back on your expenses. There are bigger things to tackle. (i.e. don't hyper-focus on pushing back on groceries.)

I've read The Total Money Makeover twice (admittedly it's been a while) and he seemed to really push the whole eat like garbage, live like garbage and everything will be Disney in 2 years. We ate like garbage and lived like garbage for 3 years and got nowhere. Everything changed when John was born because we couldn't put him through that. We now place a higher priority on food quality and family outings than the book seemed to approve of, but we're a better family because of it.

 

I've never listened to him though. I'm not an *auditory* learner, unfortunately.

[3in9th]

I think you misunderstand. His point was, when I heard him, that groceries shouldn't be the focus when pushing back on your expenses. There are bigger things to tackle. (i.e. don't hyper-focus on pushing back on groceries.)

 

I wonder about this. I've been typing in all our expenses since last year and I don't see any wiggle room in any other areas. Our bills are set. We don't have cable. We don't have a car payment. We don't buy clothes new (save socks and undies). We go out to eat about two times a month. I wonder what he would have us cut.

 

[gingersmom]

The sandwich meat was prepackaged, 9 ounces per package.

 

I pay $10.99/pound for Boars Head brand sliced at the deli. :(

[SparklyUnicorn]

I wonder about this. I've been typing in all our expenses since last year and I don't see any wiggle room in any other areas. Our bills are set. We don't have cable. We don't have a car payment. We don't buy clothes new (save socks and undies). We go out to eat about two times a month. I wonder what he would have us cut.

 

 

I hear you.  We don't even really have cell phones.  We have a cheapo prepaid that sits in a drawer.  So I can't even cut the phone bill.  I'm not currently looking to cut, but just saying when I read some of the advice it doesn't seem much like advice to me.  Stuff like don't buy your morning coffee from Starbucks and bring your lunch from home.  We've always done that. Even pre kids with money to burn we did that. 

 

One area I technically save money is I regularly review what I'm paying for stuff like the various insurances.  I sometimes just call around to get quotes to see if I could save some money.  I sometimes have found I can.  But if I can't I can't.  I can't make the insurance company charge me less.  LOL  Stuff often costs what it costs.

 

I guess the only other option is to find a way to earn money, but obviously that is also limited for a lot of people.  I could do that, but I'd never see my husband nor get any sleep.  That's a pretty crappy trade off and one I wouldn't take unless it were necessary.

[SparklyUnicorn]

I pay $10.99/pound for Boars Head brand sliced at the deli. :(

 

You get what you pay for.  The $10.99 stuff is often of a much higher quality.  I buy the less expensive stuff, but sometimes I splurge.  I taste a definite difference.

 

You could roast your own meat and slice it yourself if you really are looking to save some money in that department. 

[SamanthaCarter]

I wonder about this. I've been typing in all our expenses since last year and I don't see any wiggle room in any other areas. Our bills are set. We don't have cable. We don't have a car payment. We don't buy clothes new (save socks and undies). We go out to eat about two times a month. I wonder what he would have us cut.

 

 

Yeah, his advice doesn't hold a ton of value for us either. But that comment about groceries did stick with me. I believe he was talking to some gung-ho couponer that really needed to evaluate some other areas of spending. 

 

Don't want to derail...

[LLMom]

I spend $600 for 7, including household stuff but live in a low col and don't buy organic.

[3in9th]

Yeah, I wonder about couponing, too. Too often it's stuff we don't buy or that is still cheaper in the no-name brand than the name brand with the coupon. I don't think any stores in my area double coupons either.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Well plus you have to buy at least one newspaper.  I have figured out a few free coupon avenues, but I no longer get the paper and don't want to buy it for the coupons.  There are weeks I don't find a single coupon I want.

 

 

[Guest]

You get what you pay for. The $10.99 stuff is often of a much higher quality. I buy the less expensive stuff, but sometimes I splurge. I taste a definite difference.

 

You could roast your own meat and slice it yourself if you really are looking to save some money in that department.

That is exactly what we do, because the processed meats are high in salt and sugar and very expensive for what you get. I buy hams and turkeys on sale during certain times of the year and stash them in our one freezer. Then I roast them and divide the meat into a few freezer bags, re freeze it, and defrost as needed for lunchmeat. It comes out closet to $1.50-2.25 per pound which we can manage much more easily.