SnowWhite Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 Please share! I think I use too many convenience foods, but I have a hard time getting my kids to eat, so this is one tool I use to that end. I do try to buy my meat on sale- Lean ground beef Chicken, either leg quarters or boneless skinless breast steak (once a week) roast beef (couple times a month) hot dogs chicken nuggets grapes bananas lettuce baby carrots potatoes bread, buns, rolls applesauce cereal (a couple of boxes per week) granola bars pop tarts fruit snacks juice boxes apple juice orange juice tortillas taco shells refried beans salsa chips (a couple of bags per week) rice mac and cheese pasta pasta sauce canned veggies (maybe 8 cans per week) yogurt/pudding milk eggs butter creamer coffee frozen pizza shredded cheese (here is one way I could maybe save big, shred my own cheese) frozen veggies (6-8 bags per week) ice cream toilet paper laundry/dishwasher detergent Kleenex One thing I think I can do is switch back away from organic milk. Kroger now has their milk labelled rbst free, and rbst was my biggest concern with regular milk. This would cut our milk budget in half (We drink 1.5 gal per week or more). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Governess Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 Our list is similar, but without some of the convenience items you use. We get one carton of OJ a week, and only occasionally get other juice. Chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, poptarts, and fruit snacks would never make it past dh. :lol: I usually buy one snack item per grocery run: a bag of chips, or some pretzels, or something similar. This is the kid's "snack" item for the week. Otherwise they get to eat fresh fruit or cheese for snack. We eat a LOT of fruit - for snacks, with lunch, and in our salads. Here's my latest weekly grocery list: Tortillas Red wine - 1 bottle Loaf of sandwich bread Granola Black beans - 1 can Pinto beans - 1 can Salsa - fresh Sour cream - 8 oz Parmesan cheese - fresh grated Cheddar cheese - shredded One gallon milk - organic String cheese Organic yogurt (8) Goat cheese Bacon Frozen Corn Shallots Butternut squash - fresh, cubed Green onions Oranges - small bag Pears - 4 count Fresh pineapple - 1 lb Onions - bag Lettuce - 3 pack romaine hearts Broccoli Tangerines - small box Bananas - 5 count Apples - 5 count Baby Spinach - 1 bag Brown Rice Spaghetti Sauce - 1 jar Whole wheat pasta (3 bags) Arborio rice Orange Juice - half gallon Italian Sausage (1 lb) Ground turkey (1 lb) Raisins - 1 bag Fresh sage leaves Cornbread mix Yams I spent $130. :001_smile: I think I also used some frozen chicken breasts we had in the freezer, and some tomatoes we canned last summer. Oh, and we already had eggs. So probably my weekly total would be closer to $140. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 Ours looks something like: Lean ground beef Chicken, leg quarters and boneless skinless breast Smoked mackerel Bacon Sausages fish sticks grapes bananas carrots (cheaper than the baby ones - you can cut into batons) celery leeks turnips green beans sugar snap peas broccoli cauliflower zucchini egg plant onions garlic potatoes bread cereal (a couple of boxes per week) orange juice white and brown rice whole grain couscous dried garbanzo beans, kidney beans, lentils, grains/pulses for soup (pearl barley, split peas, lentils, etc) brown and white pasta canned tomatoes yogurt/pudding milk eggs butter coffee block cheese frozen veggies (1-2 bags per week) toilet paper laundry/dishwasher detergent Kleenex I use the bacon/sausage as a bit of flavour to go with some of the pulse recipes. I'm working towards every other night being either vegetarian or with only a tiny meat component. I do buy fresh veg - I'm sure frozen would be cheaper, and the nutrition is just as good. We mostly drink water - the boys get a glass of orange juice at breakfast. Best wishes Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KS_ Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 My list varies widely depending on what's on sale that week. I tend to buy to restock what we're running low on in the pantry/freezer, or stock up on something that's on sale that we regularly eat, rather than buying ingredients for whatever I might be cooking that week. I do add in fresh fruits or vegetables that I need, but for the other things, I really go by what's on sale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alana in Canada Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 We have recently decided to cut back on what we spend on food, too. It's a gradual process, but the first thing I did was present the food to the kids and tell them they were free to eat or not. I took the preassure right off and made it a matter of indifference to me whether or not they chose to go hungry. I also told them I really didn't care if they liked it or not, so there was no point telling me! (PS: I always tried to have something on the table they liked: bread and butter or carrot sticks, at least!) The biggest money waster in your budget is meat. We switched to at least one vegetarian supper per week--and another meal was to have a "little bit"--like 1/4 lb ground beef in beef and tomato sauce--or 1 cup leftover roast chicken for chicken soup. Is powdered milk cheaper than pre-mixed where you are? Mix it 1/2 and 1/2 with your regular milk. a few ideas to get you started. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenNC Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 (edited) Shredding your own cheese may or may not save you much. It depends on the price per pound. I was just able to get preshredded cheese last week at $2.68 per pound (a buy one get one free deal on storebrand 8oz bags), so I bought a ton and froze it. It is hard to find chunks of cheese for less than $4 a lb even on sale here on a regular basis. Things we have cut out buying from your list: poptarts fruit snacks these are convenience foods that don't add much in the way of nutrition, so is it worth buying them to get your kids to eat them? Occasional treats: ice cream (once in a while if there's a buy one get one we may get some) chips---we only buy tortilla chips and use them as the basis for nachos or with hummus. Other ideas: if you buy individual yogurts consider getting plain or vanilla yogurt in a large container and mixing with honey or jelly (we do this on a per serving basis). We usually get whole milk yogurt as it isn't as tart. if you are buying individual pudding cups, consider getting the boxes of pudding and spooning it into individual small bowls or just in a large bowl and dole it out granola is not hard to make at home and, though I haven't tried making bars, you could probably press it into a pan then cut into bars---or bake some cookies/muffins instead cut back on juice if you serve it often, subbing water. I usually cut juice by a third or half with water anyway as I find it too sweet. Drop the juice boxes and go for just drinking it from a cup or reusable bottle (I know you can buy a reusable juice box type container if you want for portability) cereal---look at the kind you buy and see if you can get it more cheaply by using store brand (some store brands are better than others), cutting sweetened cereals with a similar less sweet one (I buy plain bran flakes and add our own raisins, for instance). Some can be gotten in bags more cheaply than boxes. do you need tortillas *and* taco shells or would switching to soft tacos work as well? Would that be a savings? I don't know---I dislike taco shells as they always crumble and make a mess when I try to use them:). An obvious one is to look for the best stores to shop in your area. I regularly get bread, rolls, etc from a bread outlet and freeze it to keep it from going stale (though we are experimenting with baking our own as well as making our own pizza). If there's an Aldi's in your area, they have great prices on things like refried beans, canned vegetables and fruit, canned tomatoes/sauce/paste, butter, cereal, some produce (onions, potatoes, carrots, but I don't like their more perishable produce), etc. http://www.couponmom.org is a free site (though you have to register) that will give you the sales for some stores in your area matched to coupons. I know they include Kroger. Edited February 3, 2009 by KarenNC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 A few ideas... Skip the pop tarts and granola bars - make homemade muffins instead or let them eat taost with peanut butter. Switch to water rather than juice. Make pudding at home. Buy a large tub of vanilla yogurt and add a bit of jam. Buy regular carrots and cut them into sticks. Cereal is cheap, but it uses a lot of milk, which is not. We quit cereal and dc get one glass of milk per day (I'd et your 4 yo have two glasses.) When we have to buy ground beef (we usually get a side of beef,) we buy cheaper ground beef and then rinse the fat off after cooking. Make popcorn instead of buying chips. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheBrink Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 ground chuck chuck roast boneless, skinless chicken breasts frozen shrimp frozen broccoli frozen green beans frozen out of season fruit fresh salad greens tomatoes green onions mushrooms potatoes baby carrots green peppers zucchini bananas oranges apples grapes cereal milk mozzerella cheddar parmesean whole wheat pasta jarred spaghetti sauce jarred pizza sauce turkey pepperoni turkey bacon eggs whole wheat bagels whole wheat english muffins whole wheat tortillas pretzels tortilla chips fresh salsa pancake mix (one of the few convenience foods) large biscuit dough in cans (second of the few convenience foods) canned fruits trail mix canned navy, white, kidney, garbanzo, chili beans I think that's about what I keep. I can't do many snack foods or convenience foods; that's what everyone will gravitate towards for meals and it's not healthy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalicoKat Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 www.hillbillyhousewife.com has a couple of frugal weekly menus/shopping lists that are nice. I haven't been able to match her $70 shopping list--things are just a bit more expensive than when she originally made that up. HOWEVER I absolutely love that using up the leftovers is built into the menu plan. Leftover rice from dinner is used for Hot Rice Cereal in the a.m. Leftover meatloaf is made into meat loaf sandwiches. You get the picture. Using up leftovers is a biggy here for savings. If I make sure that we DO eat them then I typically cook 2 fewer meals a week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Closeacademy Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 I stock up on loss leaders using coupons. I've been able to buy most items as loss leaders and stock up on them. Things that I do not find as loss leader or are hard to stock up on: canned beans trash bags laundry detergent milk bread eggs fresh fruit fresh veggies I keep every coupon and compare sales ads to my coupons to find out what the loss leaders are. I buy multiple newspapers and stock up on free and almost free items. Hope this helps.:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenNC Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 I stock up on loss leaders using coupons. I've been able to buy most items as loss leaders and stock up on them. Things that I do not find as loss leader or are hard to stock up on: canned beans trash bags laundry detergent milk bread eggs fresh fruit fresh veggies I keep every coupon and compare sales ads to my coupons to find out what the loss leaders are. I buy multiple newspapers and stock up on free and almost free items. Hope this helps.:001_smile: I do the loss leader strategy as well. I don't find too many free or almost free things that we regularly use, but I can frequently save at least a third and frequently half of the regular cost of the items at the regular grocery store. I have started a price list for our local Aldis and Trader Joes so that I can tell if a sale (with coupon) is going to be better than the regular price on things I usually buy at Aldis or Trader Joes. I agree---eggs, fresh fruit and veg and detergent are the hardest, in part because we have an HE washer and only use HE detergents with no added dyes or fragrance due to sensitivities. Those don't usually go on sale as often or as deeply discounted. I'm trying switching to dry beans rather than canned beans---we'll see how that goes. I have a bunch of black beans in the crockpot now with a ham bone from a ham I got on a big markdown last night. I baked the ham and cut it off the bone to freeze for later. As I mentioned earlier, I can find really good prices on bread, buns, rolls, etc at our local bread outlet. It might be worth checking the yellow pages to see if one is near you (or close enough to make it reasonable to make a run periodically to get enough to freeze for a while). Occasionally I have scored a big sale on milk if the grocery store has it marked down because it is close to the expiration date. When that happens, I will buy several gallons, open them pouring some out of each into a pitcher (usually I pour out to the "shoulder" of the milk jug to allow for expansion), recap the gallons and stick them in the freezer. We use up the milk in the pitcher, then start pulling the frozen gallons one at a time out to thaw in the fridge. It will take a couple of days for enough to thaw to use some and you will have a core of ice for longer than that, but it keeps really well. We buy 2% organic and haven't had problems doing this. I bought 12 gallons once (we have a large chest freezer) <G>. I also look for deli meat and other meats that have been really marked down because they are close to expiration and freeze them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnowWhite Posted February 3, 2009 Author Share Posted February 3, 2009 OK, this is what I want to try, because I know these are things I have done before and they will work for our family: Use coupons. Make pizza homemade instead of frozen. Stop buying flavored coffee creamer, as dh uses the powder now and I am just as happy with skim milk, which is healthier. Make pudding from a mix instead of cups. Buy only large containers of juice, check about juicebox type containers for safe transportable drinks. Start cutting 4yo ds's juice with water again (continue to cut mine). Check Aldis for tortillas, taco shells, bread, etc... but I'm trying to avoid HFCS in our bread so that might not work for us. Do you all find that Aldi's puts a reasonable amount in their canned veggies? I have found quite a few store brands load up on the water, making the value much less per can. Eliminate fruit snacks and pop tarts. Eat oatmeal or malt o meal instead of cereal myself, cut back on the varieties of cereal I buy. (smaller number of choices= more likely to eat oatmeal for dh and me) Instead of chicken nuggets and hot dogs, make more suppers that make for good leftovers for kid lunches, such as fried rice and spaghetti. Make some "soup suppers", like Navy Bean Soup, Split Pea Soup, etc. These freeze well and will cut down on convenience foods AND meats. I'll try to keep track and see how much better next month is if I follow these guidelines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 My list varies widely depending on what's on sale that week. I tend to buy to restock what we're running low on in the pantry/freezer, or stock up on something that's on sale that we regularly eat, rather than buying ingredients for whatever I might be cooking that week. I do add in fresh fruits or vegetables that I need, but for the other things, I really go by what's on sale. :iagree:This is what we've been doing also. My staples per week are: Milk (2 gal.) Apples Bananas Other than that, we get what's on sale. I'm slowly compiling a list of things and what I'm willing to pay for them. i.e. I don't pay more than $1 for a box of cereal (Kelloggs, General Mills) or gallon of juice (Ocean Spray). I always am getting free toilet paper and toiletries. If you really want to cut your budget and commit to learning to shop smart, you'll be amazed at how much you can save. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 Check Aldis for tortillas, taco shells, bread, etc... but I'm trying to avoid HFCS in our bread so that might not work for us. Do you all find that Aldi's puts a reasonable amount in their canned veggies? I have found quite a few store brands load up on the water, making the value much less per can. With regards to the bread, inspect groceries near you -- I have found one local grocery store near me, which has good, reasonably cheap (to me, $1.29/loaf) bread, without preservatives/hfcs. The only drawback is that I have to make sure to refrigerate/freeze it, otherwise it will mold quickly! I visit this grocery store specifically to buy bread/meat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prairie~Phlox Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 Please share! I think I use too many convenience foods, but I have a hard time getting my kids to eat, so this is one tool I use to that end. I do try to buy my meat on sale- Lean ground beef Chicken, either leg quarters or boneless skinless breast steak (once a week) roast beef (couple times a month) hot dogs chicken nuggets grapes bananas lettuce baby carrots potatoes bread, buns, rolls I get these at a breadstore and make my own rolls applesauce We can this in the fall cereal (a couple of boxes per week) granola bars pop tarts fruit snacks We don't do these* juice boxes * apple juice * orange juice I only buy Dole Pineapple orange juice, I've found it's cheaper and we like it better tortillas taco shells refried beans I make these from dried beans, allrecipes.com has an awesome recipe. salsa We can this ourselves in the summer chips (a couple of bags per week) I only buy these for dh's lunch. rice mac and cheese pasta Find with coupons and sales. pasta sauce canned veggies (maybe 8 cans per week) I only use frozen veggies, we garden and freeze what we can and I also get free frozen veggies using coupons! yogurt/pudding I make my own yogurt, kids don't really eat a lot of puddings. milk eggs butter creamer coffee frozen pizza We make homemade about once a month. Buy pepperoni in bulk and freeze it. shredded cheese (here is one way I could maybe save big, shred my own cheese) I buy a 5 lb bag and freeze in in individual bags. frozen veggies (6-8 bags per week) ice cream treat only buy about once per month. toilet paper I've been getting this free at Kroger with coupons (.99 package of Cottenelle with the .50 coupon that they put out) laundry/dishwas her detergent Only buy on sale with coupons and stock up. Kleenex Stock up on sales. One thing I think I can do is switch back away from organic milk. Kroger now has their milk labelled rbst free, and rbst was my biggest concern with regular milk. This would cut our milk budget in half (We drink 1.5 gal per week or more). I coupon seriously and never pay more than $1.00 for a box of cereal, today I just got three boxes of Multigrain Cheerios for $.50 for all three boxes. (.50 coupon double, 2 or those, $1.00 coupon & then two cellfire.com coupons for .75 each. I only buy cereal when I can get it cheap, but stock up on it. I probably have 15 I occasionally buy poptarts and granola bars, but only on sale and with coupons, they have to be less than $1.00 a box for me to buy them. I've tried to make notes next to items that I would buy and how. We spend about $350 a month on food, mainly because I have a stockpile and coupon, watching the sales. I buy beef from my parents about once a year for a 1/4. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinkerbell11599 Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 We buy food online, in bulk at BJ's, and at the local grocery stores. We shop at two local grocery stores as one has different loss leaders than the other one so we find stuff there for up to a $1 cheaper than the other store. We also take advantage of what is on sale for that particular week and stock up on those items. We eat alot of natural/organic foods which can been expensive. You can definitely save on shredding your own cheese. Also I found that making my own bread (in a bread machine) is way cheaper and healthier for us than buying it in a store where the natural loaf would cost us $4. My youngest daughter has an allergy to milk so she is on a specialized diet as well as myself. Where we live we found that turkey breast is cheaper than chicken breast. You can make your own chicken nuggets/fingers for the family. Bring a notebook and pen and log the price of the store(s) that you go to. Online I found that I could get the cheapest prices on toiletries since we need to use ones without chemicals due to my sensitivities and my oldest daughter's. I found places that ship for $5 no matter what size order you have or what weight it is. Is there anyway (realizing that people like myself in the northeast still have snow on the ground) that you can grow your own veggies/fruits or join a CSA farm (see http://www.localharvest.org )?? Good luck. JenC from Upstate NY Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenNC Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 Buy only large containers of juice, check about juicebox type containers for safe transportable drinks. I think ours came from the housewares dept at Target or Walmart a while back. Here's what it looked like http://www.rubbermaid.com/rubbermaid/product/product.jhtml?prodId=HPProd210003 Check Aldis for tortillas, taco shells, bread, etc... but I'm trying to avoid HFCS in our bread so that might not work for us. Do you all find that Aldi's puts a reasonable amount in their canned veggies? I have found quite a few store brands load up on the water, making the value much less per can. I have been quite pleased with their canned beans, tomatoes and tomato paste (haven't bought other types of canned veggies). Their fat free refried beans are excellent and the Mexican chili beans don't have any sweetener, though the regular canned kidney beans do have some sort of sweetener (haven't found any that are not organic that don't yet) . I don't know that you will have much trouble with HFCS in tortillas and taco shells. I've had the best luck with finding bread without HFCS at the Flowers bread outlet here. We've started making our own bread more often and trying to get beyond our bread machine. I don't like leaving it when I go out, it takes a long time to make one loaf and it is hard to slice as thin as I like (and there's the hole at the bottom from the paddle). One method I found works well is the Grant loaf, developed in the 40s (here's the recipe posted at my husband's blog http://executivepagan.wordpress.com/2009/01/12/kitchen-druidry-grant-loaves/). I'm also experimenting right now with this recipe (it is indeed in the long article, but in a rather jumbled manner--so far the one loaf we've tried has been fine, we did the dough a couple of days ago) http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/Artisan-Bread-In-Five-Minutes-A-Day.aspx?page=3. They are both no-knead breads. I like that they make more than one loaf at a time (we put the extra Grant loaves in the freezer) and are very basic and no fat. Since we stumbled across the Grant loaf recipe, I have been looking at WWII era recipes, especially those involved in rationing, to see how folks cooked with less of some of the things that are more expensive now. One really good dessert that came out of that era is the wacky cake---no egg or butter, yet very chocolatey and moist---http://culinarytypes.blogspot.com/2008/05/making-do-with-wacky-cake-circa-1944.html. It turns out fine made with white whole wheat or whole wheat flour as well, btw, and, if doubled, fills a 9x13 pan and is popular at potlucks:). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy loves Bud Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 From your list: Lean ground beef (I usually get buffalo, but same idea) Chicken, either leg quarters or boneless skinless breast steak (once a week) roast beef (couple times a month) hot dogs - never buy chicken nuggets - never buy, but do make my own & freeze grapes bananas lettuce baby carrots potatoes bread, buns, rolls - make my own applesauce cereal (a couple of boxes per week) - one box for two weeks, otherwise I make brkfst granola bars don't buy pop tarts don't buy fruit snacks don't buy juice boxesdon't buy, except for a party or something apple juicedon't buy orange juicedon't buy tortillas taco shells refried beans salsa chips (a couple of bags per week)occasional treat, I use the salsa in cooking more than for dip rice mac and cheeseI make homemade pasta pasta sauce canned veggies (maybe 8 cans per week)I only buy frozen or fresh yogurt/puddingNo pudding, large containers of yogurt milk eggs butter creamer coffee frozen pizzaI make my own shredded cheese (here is one way I could maybe save big, shred my own cheese) frozen veggies (6-8 bags per week) ice cream toilet paper laundry/dishwasher detergent Kleenex I usually try to make enough dinner for leftovers for lunch. I don't buy many snack foods, but do let the kids pick one snack food each week. Usually it's CheezIts. Otherwise they snack on a piece of fruit, and I keep a bowl they are free to choose from. We drink water - not sodas or juice. I even quit Diet Coke which is huge for me. I do buy sausage and bacon for breakfast, and I cook breakfast more days than not. Cold cereal is for when I'm in a hurry. You could drop quite a bit and save and still be just fine. The kids will eat when they're hungry. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iquilt Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 Our biggest money saver has been to have theme nights for menu planning. Every Friday is make our own pizza night where we make 2 pizzas using from scratch dough, canned sauce, shredded cheese and any leftovers that might go well on pizza like cooked sausage, ham or veggies. Sunday night is usually treat night where dh grills steaks. We always have leftovers for lunches and only make new lunches 1-3 times per week. Homemade granola is a huge money saver and you can make it to match your family; we don't like nuts but love fruit so our granola has raisins and dates and apricots. We also bake muffins at least once a week for breakfast, usually the night before. The crock pot can make it very easy to cook from scratch more often, make more and freeze extra, and still be out for afternoon activities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheBrink Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 Do you all find that Aldi's puts a reasonable amount in their canned veggies? I have found quite a few store brands load up on the water, making the value much less per can. Aldi's canned goods are not just generics, the way the grocery store generics are. I've found that grocery store generics are the brand name "wannabes", meaning, maybe there are a lot of ends in the green beans, or the peaches aren't cut uniformly. Not so with Aldi canned goods. These are actually brand named products with the Aldi label. Companies like Kraft, Dole, Chef Boyardee, and others contract with Aldi to sell their goods cheaper, as long as they're sold under the Aldi label. SO, the mark-up on canned goods at regular grocery stores is high! I've used Aldi green beans, corn, mixed veggies, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and paste, peaches, pears, fruit cocktail, apricots, mandarin oranges as well as their canned beans and have never been disappointed in the quality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 What's Aldi's? Is that on the east coast? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheBrink Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 What's Aldi's? Is that on the east coast? http://www.aldi.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 My list changes weekly. I use the lists from the book "Saving Dinner" which I highly recommend. Great book. I'll just edit your list to look more like mine. :) Please share! I think I use too many convenience foods, but I have a hard time getting my kids to eat, so this is one tool I use to that end. I do try to buy my meat on sale-I buy all meat in bulk from a local rancher and a meat co-op. Lean ground beef Chicken, either leg quarters or boneless skinless breast steak (once a week) roast beef (couple times a month) hot dogs--do not buy chicken nuggets--I'll buy this like once every 6 months grapes bananas lettuce baby carrots potatoes bread, buns, rolls applesauce cereal (a couple of boxes per week) granola bars pop tarts--I buy the natural/organic ones from Amazon every 6 months or so fruit snacks---don't buy juice boxes---don't buy apple juice--I buy one maybe once a month or so orange juice tortillas taco shells refried beans salsa chips (a couple of bags per week)--don't buy every week rice mac and cheese--buy in bulk from Amazon (Annie's) pasta pasta sauce canned veggies (maybe 8 cans per week)---don't buy yogurt/pudding--don't buy pudding milk eggs butter creamer coffee frozen pizza--don't buy shredded cheese (here is one way I could maybe save big, shred my own cheese) frozen veggies (6-8 bags per week) ice cream--rarely buy toilet paper laundry/dishwasher detergent Kleenex--we use hankies and wash them One thing I think I can do is switch back away from organic milk. Kroger now has their milk labelled rbst free, and rbst was my biggest concern with regular milk. This would cut our milk budget in half (We drink 1.5 gal per week or more). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnowWhite Posted February 3, 2009 Author Share Posted February 3, 2009 You all have inspired me to make our own bread! I bet my kids would eat that instead of the processed junk. Kneadless loaves? Who knew? Thank you so much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marylou Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 Have you checked out www.savingdinner.com ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BryRon Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 Mac & cheese Cottage Cheese mandarin oranges grapes apples chips (Pringles) Kool-Aid (yes, I do water it down quite a bit) milk eggs coffee creamer veggies: corn, peas, limas, green beans (frozen for now; we will have a garden this summer and I'll can) potatoes cereal granola bars poptarts frozen waffles tortilla shells grated cheese we have a deep freezer, so we buy extra each week: Hamburger (usually 2# a week) Chicken breasts Pork Chops Roast (once a month or so) Steak (once a month) I am sure I'm missing some. But, that's pretty close to the regular trip to Walmart! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PineFarmMom Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 I have adjusted things this year and am doing better than I was. My big thing is that we just have a set menu for breakfast/lunch that we typically do. Breakfast: Monday is cereal; Tuesday is homemade toast, eggs & fruit; Wednesday is homemade granola, yogurt and fruit; Thursday is oatmeal; Friday is pancakes or french toast. My new brainstorm is that we are going to have one day per week of inexpensive food. I'm thinking we'll do the oatmeal/fruit breakfast ramen noodles or pbjs & veggies for lunch & popcorn for snack. We eat pretty healthy for most meals, so I'm thinking a day with ramen noodles won't kill us. ;) I may even up that to two lunches per week. Our lunches: Monday is Grilled cheese & tomaoto soup; Tuesday is homemade pizza (we found an awesome recipe in sotw4), Wednesday is standard sandwiches; Thursday is either veggie burgers or Tyson chicken patties; and Friday is quesadillas or tuna Our typical list would look something like this: Turkey bacon block cheddar cheese butter big thing of yogurt 1 bag pizza cheese 4 gallons of milk 18-count eggs (we are going to get laying hens soon) 2 loaves of bread tortillas oatmeal 2 boxes of cereal (make sure I have ingredients for homemade bread) veggie burgers buns popcorn fruit cups if they are lucky frozen blueberries apples oranges bananas tomatoes lettuce carrots celery fresh spinach Now, that's not including the staples like sugar, coffee, flour, etc. It also is not including the planned meals for supper. I am wanting to alter what we do right now because I am so ashamed that we do waste food often. I hate it, but I keep doing it. :( I want to find a way to pull our leftovers into lunch or have a leftover night or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 I forgot to add that I make my own detergent. I have a frontloader HE and the detergent works great. It's so simple it's crazy. I buy a box of Borax, Washing Soda, and a bucket of OxyClean Free. In an empty gallon size Folgers container I mix equal parts of the three. I use one scoop (about 1-2 T) for a full load. For my diapers I use more. For fabric softner I use vinegar and on occasion Ecosoft. Not buying detergent is a big saver. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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