fairfarmhand Posted May 13, 2017 Share Posted May 13, 2017 We have an (what I consider) adequate grocery budget. I typically do my shopping for the week on Saturdays. And I plan. Yet, no matter how I plan, and how much I buy, there's stuff that we just are usually out of on Friday nights and Saturday mornnings. I can buy extra..And it seems that my kids take that as a personal challenge to eat it all by Friday afternoon. It drives me crazy. Usually it's cereal, coffee, juice, and milk that is pretty much sucked down by Friday afternoon. And whether I buy four boxes of boring cereal or six, they're all gone. Of course, if I buy "good" cereal, it's gone the same day I bring it home. And then the whining.... When are you gonna buy food? Why are we always out of *blank*. IS it just my house? Has anyone found a way of not running short before grocery day? (There is plenty of food in the house. But if there's no cereal, ice cream, milk, or juice, there's nothing to eat.) 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tammyw Posted May 13, 2017 Share Posted May 13, 2017 Ha, definitely not just your house!!! I hate hearing "we have nothing to eat" when in actuality, the pantry and freezer are full. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolt. Posted May 13, 2017 Share Posted May 13, 2017 (edited) I tend to shop twice a week for the sake of having fresh produce, milk, bread etc. We go through a lot of produce, so if I buy for the whole week the fridge is crowded and by day 6, things are not as nice. If I had to shop once a week, I think I'd hold back some things (healthy staples, not juice or ice cream) "in reserve" until day 5 -- either out of sight (ie a box of cereal kept on a high shelf, or out of the kitchen) or using a sharpie (ie a jug of milk labeled 'do not open until Thu'). Other foods I would just designate 'first half of the week' foods -- nobody wants to eat day-6 strawberries! In any case, I would be strongly committed to replacing the whining with more pro-family-happiness kinds of communication. If grocery day is predictably Saturday, I'd respond to, "When?" questions with correction. (I don't allow 'extra asking' -- and asking a question with a known answer is automatically 'extra asking'.) As to, "Why are we always out of?" -- "Because the humans who live here like (it) and tend to eat it all up in the first half of the week. It's one of our 'first half of the week' foods." "There's nothing to eat." Would be scripted to, "I'm having trouble figuring out something satisfying for this meal/snack." -- We might start a family brainstorming list to refer each other to for inspiration. (This would be firm scripting, because 'nothing to eat' is both an insult and a lie... I would have extremely low tolerance levels for it.) Edited May 13, 2017 by bolt. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loowit Posted May 13, 2017 Share Posted May 13, 2017 We often run out of milk and have to pick it up during the week, but that is something I plan for. Otherwise we have a menu that we stick to so that I know meals are covered. If they choose to eat through the cereal all in one day that is up to them, but they know I won't buy more until shopping day. Snack foods are up to them to figure out if they want to eat it all at once or spread it out. They can make them last the week or not, but I don't buy more until shopping day. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lang Syne Boardie Posted May 13, 2017 Share Posted May 13, 2017 This would shock anybody but a homeschooling mother of many boys, but I'm shopping literally every day now. It's the best way to keep my budget down, because they eat up to the hilt. I have a grocery store with low prices within a block from my house, so I can do this. (The pantry is also stocked with food that is camouflaged as "ingredients" that nobody will touch in their individual forms, so if something comes up and I don't go to the store, I can still cook.) Someone might say that perhaps my boys are eating too much, if I have to shop every day. But they're in excellent physical condition, not overweight, and are all extremely active (some in multiple sports or physical jobs). They're all at least six feet tall, too. I'm not going to let them be hungry, underfed, or weak, so I do what I have to do. It's not for much longer. Soon, the eldest will move out, and the second eldest will contribute his own grocery money while still living at home. It's OK. If I had a farm, and lived out in the boonies, and preserved my food for the year, I would probably keep a locked pantry and cellar, and move the daily food into the kitchen. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HTRMom Posted May 13, 2017 Share Posted May 13, 2017 Are any of them old enough to do a milk and cereal run for you on Thursday? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted May 13, 2017 Author Share Posted May 13, 2017 This would shock anybody but a homeschooling mother of many boys, but I'm shopping literally every day now. It's the best way to keep my budget down, because they eat up to the hilt. I have a grocery store with low prices within a block from my house, so I can do this. (The pantry is also stocked with food that is camouflaged as "ingredients" that nobody will touch in their individual forms, so if something comes up and I don't go to the store, I can still cook.) Someone might say that perhaps my boys are eating too much, if I have to shop every day. But they're in excellent physical condition, not overweight, and are all extremely active (some in multiple sports or physical jobs). They're all at least six feet tall, too. I'm not going to let them be hungry, underfed, or weak, so I do what I have to do. It's not for much longer. Soon, the eldest will move out, and the second eldest will contribute his own grocery money while still living at home. It's OK. If I had a farm, and lived out in the boonies, and preserved my food for the year, I would probably keep a locked pantry and cellar, and move the daily food into the kitchen. I camouflage my food like that too! 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted May 13, 2017 Share Posted May 13, 2017 Same here. And I even do a store run during the week. And I only have two kids! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted May 13, 2017 Author Share Posted May 13, 2017 Are any of them old enough to do a milk and cereal run for you on Thursday? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk My life will get better any day now when my cow has her calf. We'll have milk running out our ears then! And the kids know how to make cooked puddings, ice creams, and such so they can manage their own "real" food. I hate having to ration milk. When I'm milking, we all get spoiled to an unlimited supply...like 2-3 gallons a day! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Random Posted May 13, 2017 Share Posted May 13, 2017 (The pantry is also stocked with food that is camouflaged as "ingredients" that nobody will touch in their individual forms, so if something comes up and I don't go to the store, I can still cook.) Ha! Yes, to this. And FWIW, the stereotypes about teen growing boys that never stop eating are true. But, yes, we do run out of stuff. I shop once per week too, and there are some things we run out of. I experimented and found that it didn't matter how much I bought, we would run out. So I buy a reasonable amount. I have one son who is super conservative and will act something like the food police in the mornings if we have cold cereal. He will make sure everyone gets a SMALL BOWL and doesn't use too much milk so it will last for the week. He wants me to buy one box/person so he doesn't have to stress about sharing with his greedier siblings. LOL 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeAgain Posted May 13, 2017 Share Posted May 13, 2017 We had that problem. We were also paying $10/gallon for milk and it started adding up quick! :O I sat the cereal eater down and had him measure out what a serving was. It was NOT the 2 cups he was pouring into a bowl! We changed bowl sizes, I told him he was welcome to eat as much as he liked as long as he got 1 serving at a time. Same with the juice. Here are the juice cups. The iced tea glasses are not to be filled with juice. Here is also the rest of the breakfast food: fruit, yogurt, eggs, toast, cheese. Try it. Have cereal, AND some cherries or an orange or a nectarine fresh from the tree outside. He got the hint. His meals got more balanced and he wasn't starving anymore an hour later. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbutton Posted May 13, 2017 Share Posted May 13, 2017 I have been having my almost teen (who has always eaten like he was preparing for a triathlon and has never had an ounce of unnecessary fat) pick things out himself that he is willing to fix as a snack. It's helped a bit. He is currently working through semi-healthy chicken nuggets and not healthy pot pies. We don't eat a lot of junk, so I am okay with it not being super nutritious. It seems to help, but he does eat tremendous amounts of food! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted May 13, 2017 Share Posted May 13, 2017 If I buy those things, the kids do go through them quickly. That's why I don't usually buy them! Except milk and coffee. But I stockpile coffee and replenish milk as needed. Eating requires cooking 90% of the time around here. They still eat a ton, but ingredients are easier to stock and offer more options. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solascriptura Posted May 13, 2017 Share Posted May 13, 2017 My life will get better any day now when my cow has her calf. We'll have milk running out our ears then! And the kids know how to make cooked puddings, ice creams, and such so they can manage their own "real" food. I hate having to ration milk. When I'm milking, we all get spoiled to an unlimited supply...like 2-3 gallons a day! Wow! I cannot imagine my kids wanting that much milk. We go through about 2 gallons a week and I have 4 kids. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted May 13, 2017 Author Share Posted May 13, 2017 Wow! I cannot imagine my kids wanting that much milk. We go through about 2 gallons a week and I have 4 kids. We don't use all that milk. When Dixie's in milk we can use 4-5 a week. The rest go to friends or to the pigs or I curdle it and feed it to chickens. It's also really good for the garden. Lots of microbes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted May 13, 2017 Share Posted May 13, 2017 It's never occurred to me that it would be possible (or desirable) to shop just once a week. There are only three of us home now and I go at least twice during a week. When DS21 was home (or when he's home now) I count on going at least three times. But I'm one of those people who hates to run out of anything, even if it's just a "want" and not an I-need-this-to-fix-dinner ingredient. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted May 13, 2017 Share Posted May 13, 2017 I suspect some people aren't willing to make the effort to turn ingredients into food, that is why stuff like cereal goes first. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted May 13, 2017 Share Posted May 13, 2017 (The pantry is also stocked with food that is camouflaged as "ingredients" that nobody will touch in their individual forms, so if something comes up and I don't go to the store, I can still cook.) I remember being at a friend's house when her dd looked in the pantry and cried, "Mom, there's nothing to eat! There's only ingredients!" :lol: 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted May 13, 2017 Share Posted May 13, 2017 I usually do major grocery shopping trip on Saturday or Sunday. My guys go through almost a gallon a milk a day. They don't drink soda or juice, just milk. At least hubby drinks lots of water now. I limit them to 5 and so sad, too bad if they drink it all up before Friday. I used to refuse to do any extra shopping during the week, but now will on my Friday's work day since the grocery store is on the way home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEmama Posted May 13, 2017 Share Posted May 13, 2017 Wow--I can't imagine going to the store only once or twice a week! It's closer to daily here, and that's with just one teen! I often figure I'm doing it wrong. Lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted May 13, 2017 Share Posted May 13, 2017 Right now I have both college boys and the 17 year old home. I spent $240 on groceries Thursday morning, and was velociraptor pack hunted at the driveway. Barely got to the house alive, and I swear they were eating directly from the bags, packaging and all!!! Both the college boys lost weight this semester. My guys are all things and have no weight to sacrifice so I predict that through the course of this summer, food will not last any reasonable length of time, and dh and I are not careful, cannibalism is possible! :D 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted May 13, 2017 Share Posted May 13, 2017 Uh...yeah. But the milk issue is mainly my fault. I'm better since I've been trying to cut down on sugar intake but uh...I used to drink a LOT of milk. One Gallon might last two days if I wasn't going hog wild. :laugh: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted May 13, 2017 Share Posted May 13, 2017 It's never occurred to me that it would be possible (or desirable) to shop just once a week. There are only three of us home now and I go at least twice during a week. When DS21 was home (or when he's home now) I count on going at least three times. But I'm one of those people who hates to run out of anything, even if it's just a "want" and not an I-need-this-to-fix-dinner ingredient. My grocery store is a 20 minute drive each way, so I try to stick to once a week. Doesn't always happen. (I can pick up milk 2 miles down the road.) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynn Posted May 13, 2017 Share Posted May 13, 2017 Okay a little off topic but I am glad to see I am not the only one shopping more than once a week. Sunday I shop for lunch stuff, I get it earlier and we won't make it til Friday, Monday its dinner and breakfast if needed, Wednesday publix for bogo and ingredients. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeAgain Posted May 13, 2017 Share Posted May 13, 2017 Both the college boys lost weight this semester. My guys are all things and have no weight to sacrifice so I predict that through the course of this summer, food will not last any reasonable length of time, and dh and I are not careful, cannibalism is possible! :D My son's college requires all on campus freshman to get the "everything" dining plan: all meals, all you can eat, and five extra meals each week to use at the fast food places. I am hoping that tides him over until he goes home on breaks! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freesia Posted May 13, 2017 Share Posted May 13, 2017 Same here--but it is Sunday that we are out. Dh shops on Monday. It's crazy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted May 13, 2017 Share Posted May 13, 2017 I shop once a week. I hate shopping. I rarely run out. I think it's because when the boys were younger, we didn't have an open kitchen (breakfast, lunch, 3:00 snack, and dinner). They were allowed 1 cup of juice (if we had it) or milk a day, and the rest of the time they drank water. These two habits have stuck. Most of the time they eat cereal dry by preference, so every now and then we'll run out of milk if they go through a milk on cereal phase. And my cereal bowls are small. They're welcome to get seconds, but no getting a big bowl and pouring half the box in. I keep an extra bag of coffee on hand (as soon as I pull the extra bag out, I put it on the list, because nobody wants me to start the day without coffee). They also know if we run out, they're free to add it to the list, but they'll have to wait until Friday for it to be replenished. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Χά�ων Posted May 14, 2017 Share Posted May 14, 2017 Right now I have both college boys and the 17 year old home. I spent $240 on groceries Thursday morning, and was velociraptor pack hunted at the driveway. Barely got to the house alive, and I swear they were eating directly from the bags, packaging and all!!! About a year ago I started adding a hot pizza to my grocery runs and made the rule that the pizza was off limits until all the groceries are put away just to keep the food from being eaten between the car and the fridge/pantry. Did you know it takes less than 10 minutes to put away $350 worth of food from Costco? Neither did I. It is really amazing. I use that 10 minutes to eat my share of the pizza and enjoy not having to put groceries away. Best $10 ever spent! 18 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lavender's green Posted May 14, 2017 Share Posted May 14, 2017 I buy what I need for the week on Monday or Tuesday, but also plan for DH to do one or two mid-week pickups of what we call "the big four," without which our family cannot operate. The big four are milk, juice, eggs, and...wine. ;) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SproutMamaK Posted May 14, 2017 Share Posted May 14, 2017 I've given up. We have no shopping days or schedules anymore. Our life is just a mess of, "We're out of this, can you pick it up on your way home from work?" almost every day. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SereneHome Posted May 14, 2017 Share Posted May 14, 2017 I would go insane if I had to go shopping more than once a week. I will go to TJ weekly to get milk, bc their organic milk is the cheapest. Otherwise, I try to stretch it as long as I can bc I despise going shopping. Now I am really curious as to what everyone is eating that doesn't last a week. FTR, my kids eat adult portions of pretty much everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausmumof3 Posted May 14, 2017 Share Posted May 14, 2017 We have an (what I consider) adequate grocery budget. I typically do my shopping for the week on Saturdays. And I plan. Yet, no matter how I plan, and how much I buy, there's stuff that we just are usually out of on Friday nights and Saturday mornnings. I can buy extra..And it seems that my kids take that as a personal challenge to eat it all by Friday afternoon. It drives me crazy. Usually it's cereal, coffee, juice, and milk that is pretty much sucked down by Friday afternoon. And whether I buy four boxes of boring cereal or six, they're all gone. Of course, if I buy "good" cereal, it's gone the same day I bring it home. And then the whining.... When are you gonna buy food? Why are we always out of *blank*. IS it just my house? Has anyone found a way of not running short before grocery day? (There is plenty of food in the house. But if there's no cereal, ice cream, milk, or juice, there's nothing to eat.) What works best here is to do a mini shop. You do a once a week major shop then after one of the kids activities. It's a pain but it means we aren't making an extra trip. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausmumof3 Posted May 14, 2017 Share Posted May 14, 2017 (edited) When I was talking to an older person the other day they mentioned how the grocery cart used to deliver daily. And everyone had a corner store that the kids could walk to for milk and stuff. There are lots of things that are easier about now days but I think there are also some that are harder. Even when I was a kid the milkman came everyday. People didn't have big enough fridges or freezers to store a whole week of food. Edited May 14, 2017 by Ausmumof3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted May 14, 2017 Share Posted May 14, 2017 I remember being at a friend's house when her dd looked in the pantry and cried, "Mom, there's nothing to eat! There's only ingredients!" :lol: Ha. Rather like my house growing up. If we'd cooked it, we had to make enough for everyone, then wash all the dishes afterwards. If we waited for a parent to cook, we might not be the one who had to wash up afterwards. It wasn't worth it. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted May 14, 2017 Share Posted May 14, 2017 We have a house cow, so heaps of milk. We do not snack on cereal. There is plenty of fruit and veggies for snacking on. Sometimes ds13 will make some popcorn, or some pancakes.....heaps of ingredient...same as others have said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted May 14, 2017 Share Posted May 14, 2017 (edited) I would go insane if I had to go shopping more than once a week. I will go to TJ weekly to get milk, bc their organic milk is the cheapest. Otherwise, I try to stretch it as long as I can bc I despise going shopping. Now I am really curious as to what everyone is eating that doesn't last a week. FTR, my kids eat adult portions of pretty much everything. Lots of things. The ones that spring to mind first are fruits and veggies and bread. A loaf of bread lasts a few days. I could buy two at a time but by the time we get near the end of the second loaf it may be getting iffy, especially during the summer when the humidity here is approximately 1000 percent (even with the AC on 24/7) and mold can be a problem. I could freeze it but we don't care for bread that's been frozen. But mostly it's all about the fruits and veggies. Friday I bought a pineapple, a large bag of grapes, some strawberries and a small watermelon and cut them all up when I got home. There's maybe a cup left now and that will no doubt get eaten for somebody's breakfast. I don't have the room or desire to try to store enough for a week. And even though I hate grocery shopping I figured out the part I hate the most is having to get a huge haul of stuff all at one time. I find it much less onerous to go four times a week and buy $50 each time than to do one huge $200 trip. Edited May 14, 2017 by Pawz4me 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalsummer Posted May 14, 2017 Share Posted May 14, 2017 I shop a few times per week; I like shopping. We run out of, in order: sweet baked goods (gone within 10 minutes of entering the house - I only buy a serving/person worth), white bread or other breadish products like crackers (lasts 1 day - generally this is things like a box of round crackers, a bag of pretzel buns, etc.), fruit (lasts 2 days if I get a lot - frozen blueberries I buy 7 bags every few days and they are all eaten), prepared meats (don't buy a lot of these, though), blue corn chips & salsa, whole wheat bread and peanut butter. The rest of it is ingredients or fresh vegetables and we don't run out of any of those. We don't drink milk. I don't really have the time or inclination to cook 3 meals a day, so breakfast and lunch are pretty get-your-own situations; thus, I buy a lot of semi-prepared foods - dips, nut butters, cut fruit and vegetables, crackers, bread, corn chips, avocado - and those are eaten pretty fast. I don't mind, though, as it allows me to work from home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalsummer Posted May 14, 2017 Share Posted May 14, 2017 I buy what I need for the week on Monday or Tuesday, but also plan for DH to do one or two mid-week pickups of what we call "the big four," without which our family cannot operate. The big four are milk, juice, eggs, and...wine. ;) We eat not one of those things. Crazy how different it can be! Ours would be bread, frozen blueberries, blue corn chips, and peanut butter (and/or margarine) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth S Posted May 14, 2017 Share Posted May 14, 2017 (edited) We live 20 min from the grocery store as well. I will tell them at supper, "We only have a 1/2 gallon of milk left. Please only drink a small amount until I get to the store tomorrow afternoon." By now, your kids should know your food shopping schedule. I would either put a big bow on the last gallon of milk (or whatever) so they know to conserve. When we run out of milk, I make up a dry milk batch (with a little vanilla, it's palatable). When we run out of OJ, they drink juice. When we run out of cereal, they eat eggs. I guess I'd either make the kids deal with the consequences of my weekly shopping schedule, or have one of them pick up the essential items on Thurs/Friday when they're in town. Edited May 14, 2017 by Beth S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted May 14, 2017 Share Posted May 14, 2017 Yesterday I had to send DH to the store and then I had to send DS to the store and I still have some things I missed. I can go today. I have just been SO TIRED. Yesterday I did next to nothing to recoup. Last weekend I was at the beach with my girlfriends and didn't sleep much. I think I am still catching up. Between working and cooking, I am just exhausted, too exhausted to shop in addition to all the rest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted May 14, 2017 Share Posted May 14, 2017 My son's college requires all on campus freshman to get the "everything" dining plan: all meals, all you can eat, and five extra meals each week to use at the fast food places. I am hoping that tides him over until he goes home on breaks! One son is at a campus that does not have a meal plan but only dining dollars to be used in a "food court". The food is very poor quality, not much variety, and expensive. He got out of the habit of packing lunch and snacks in the morning which is what got him into trouble with his weight. The other had the meal plan, but he could only use it at his storm's assigned cafeteria which is no where near the academic buildings on what is a very large, spread out campus. His schedule this last semester was packed classes from 11 am - 3 pm. And then 5-7pm. He was never near the cafeteria at meal times, and though they were collecting our $2200 for the first semester to feed him, they refused to give him take out or packed lunches and suppers. They also refused to refund our money, or assign him to the faculty cafeteria on the main part of campus. It was a total rip off, and they did not care about his health. We dropped the meal an altogether for the second semester and put money into his bank account so he could grocery shop. He took the bus once per week to get groceries, kept breakfast foods in his room, stuff to lunches, and cooked in the evenings in the dorm kitchen with two other students. His weight stabilized, but he did not gain back what he lost so we will be working very hard on that this summer. And interestingly enough, the meal plan is such a scam that if you walk in off the street and pay cash to purchase a meal, it is cheaper than the meal plan! I am really not happy with this aspect of the college along with what has been really crappy faculty and staff advising, but ds otherwise loves it and wants to return. We are trying to figure out if we are for that or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted May 14, 2017 Author Share Posted May 14, 2017 Ha. Rather like my house growing up. If we'd cooked it, we had to make enough for everyone, then wash all the dishes afterwards. If we waited for a parent to cook, we might not be the one who had to wash up afterwards. It wasn't worth it. :lol: This is the deal. They don't want to cook or clean up so when the easy food is gone it's whining. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted May 14, 2017 Share Posted May 14, 2017 This is the deal. They don't want to cook or clean up so when the easy food is gone it's whining. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk I wouldn't have minded cooking so much except, as an inexperienced cook, it took me twice as long as any recipe said it should. Then I'd have to clean the entire kitchen, not just the mess I'd made. It was too big a job for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommyoffive Posted May 14, 2017 Share Posted May 14, 2017 It used to happen, but now that we shop more at Aldi it doesn't any more. I have so much left over at the end of the week. A stockpile of food and we are spending less at the store too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted May 14, 2017 Share Posted May 14, 2017 I buy what I need for the week on Monday or Tuesday, but also plan for DH to do one or two mid-week pickups of what we call "the big four," without which our family cannot operate. The big four are milk, juice, eggs, and...wine. ;) Haha, our big 4 are close to the same. Swap bread for juice and that's about right. Coffee gets shipped to us, but that would be another. Milk is the one thing I don't let us run out of. Dh and the kids seem to be milk powered (I, however, am intolerant). I do one main trip a week at a big store (TJs or Safeway), then probably 2 stops at the small family owned store down the street for the thing I either missed or we ran out of. Yesterday it was rolls and milk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Serenade Posted May 14, 2017 Share Posted May 14, 2017 We usually have to make one quick grocery stop in between the main sessions. Ugh. I'm beginning to hate grocery shopping. So much food. And yep, it doesn't last long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted May 14, 2017 Share Posted May 14, 2017 This would shock anybody but a homeschooling mother of many boys, but I'm shopping literally every day now. It's the best way to keep my budget down, because they eat up to the hilt. I have a grocery store with low prices within a block from my house, so I can do this. (The pantry is also stocked with food that is camouflaged as "ingredients" that nobody will touch in their individual forms, so if something comes up and I don't go to the store, I can still cook.) Someone might say that perhaps my boys are eating too much, if I have to shop every day. But they're in excellent physical condition, not overweight, and are all extremely active (some in multiple sports or physical jobs). They're all at least six feet tall, too. I'm not going to let them be hungry, underfed, or weak, so I do what I have to do. It's not for much longer. Soon, the eldest will move out, and the second eldest will contribute his own grocery money while still living at home. It's OK. If I had a farm, and lived out in the boonies, and preserved my food for the year, I would probably keep a locked pantry and cellar, and move the daily food into the kitchen. Idk why it's always boys this is blamed on bc let me tell you my three daughters can out eat my boys plenty of times. And all of them are twigs. My 6'2" son buys 28x34 "skinny" jeans and still has his belt on the tightest notch. They are all like that. I have long claimed they eat to capacity. Whatever the capacity I buy or cook too, they will eat it and often exceed it. And they all cook more often than I do these days, so it's not even about not using ingredients bc they do. Ugh. I hate grocery shopping. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted May 14, 2017 Share Posted May 14, 2017 I would go insane if I had to go shopping more than once a week. I will go to TJ weekly to get milk, bc their organic milk is the cheapest. Otherwise, I try to stretch it as long as I can bc I despise going shopping. Now I am really curious as to what everyone is eating that doesn't last a week. Fruit and vegetables. I cannot buy and store enough fresh fruit to last a week. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted May 14, 2017 Share Posted May 14, 2017 I found it interesting that people run out of coffee. Do you make more coffee if there is lots of coffee in the house? I get that certain foods are eaten more of when they're there (chocolate and ice cream , for example), but coffee? Our coffee consumption is completely predictable: four cups in the morning. I could have stockpiles of coffee and that still would not change. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted May 14, 2017 Share Posted May 14, 2017 I don't run out of coffee. I buy in bulk at Costco and one big can lasts 2 months here. Fresh produce, bread, and milk is a twice a week trip. Meat I only buy when I want to stock up on a sale bc it's expensive and this keeps the big freezer stocked. Rice I buy in 25lb bags once a month or two. Everything else? at least weekly, often twice a week. Almost none of it is chocolates and such junk food. For some reason lately I can't keep pasta or cheeses in stock. And flour. We ran out of flour twice last month. I have no idea why and don't remember even using any. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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