Eating out vs. buying groceries
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NoFilter1977 wrote: »How close do you live to a grocery store? I like to buy daily or plan my meals for 3 days and only buy what I needs for that. I've figured out how to eat at home for only about $50 a week from doing this. Just takes a little planning.
I live ~5 miles (8 km) from the store. I guess I could start asking for better ideas for eating at home? I spent $50 just for our breakfast items for the week.
Can I ask what you bought and what it cost? Maybe you live in an area with extremely high prices, but the only ways I can imagine spending that much for a week for breakfast for two would be either serving steak or seafood for breakfast several times, or buying individual frozen or refrigerated pre-made breakfast sandwiches or the like at $3.50 a pop (which would be at the high end of what you would have to pay for such a thing in my area; I generally pay more in the neighborhood of $2 to $2.50 each for such things, because I don't eat them much, so I only buy them when I see some I like on sale, and just have on hand for "emergencies" or when the mood strikes).
I can get a dozen eggs for $3 to $4 (actually more like $2 if I don't buy cage free), a pound of bacon for $5 to $6 (less on sale or if I buy the store brand), $4 for orange juice (I think that's the non-sale price, I don't honestly drink OJ at home that much), a loaf of bread (for toast) for $3 (less on sale), a box of cold cereal or a box of oatmeal for $3.50, some butter for $4, a half gallon of milk for $3.50, and six bananas for $1.50. That's $29.50 at non-sale prices, with the cage-free eggs, and I would think that's more than enough food for a week's worth of breakfasts for two people -- I wouldn't think you'd use up the full loaf of bread or all of the cereal or butter, and probably you would have enough milk to use some of it for other meals (I'm picturing three to four egg, bacon, toast meals and three to four cereal and bananas meals). You might even have extra eggs and bacon, depending on how large a breakfast you like.3 -
Your breakfast budget is shocking. But I'll never push people away from eggs. They are so good at keeping blood sugars steady.
Here's how to make cheap fast food from a pack of minced meat. Add an egg, bread crumbs, pepper and milk. Form most in to meat balls and bake in your oven for about twenty minutes. Turn once midway if you are fussy. If you bought family size and the tray is at capacity, stuff the rest of the mixture in to a loaf pan for meatloaf. Freeze all you won't eat then.
Hubby starts eating these meatballs right off the pan.1 -
$50 per week for breakfast for 2 is $3.50 per person per day. You'd be lucky to buy coffee & toast for that price at a restaurant. $150 per week for all meals is $10 per person per day. Again, don't know where you would eat out for that.1
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I'm only in this for about 3 weeks now but I live alone and have to plan to not over buy. I have the storage space but I prefer to use what I buy. I do eggs, not for the cost but the nutrition, but luckily it covers both nicely (breakfast is 1 whole/2whites scrambled and a slice of high fiber toast). I get apples because they last the week and are easy to eat at work quickly when I find time. Lunch is evolving still, I usually pack a frozen lunch and I add frozen veggies since the meals are very saucy and the veggies soak it up and bulk out the meal.
Dinner - my suggestion is you look into stir fry. You can use less meat (eg buy just the 2 chicken breasts you mentioned, or whatever meat is cheap that week) and stretch it by slicing it thinly. You can change the flavor instantly with the condiments which don't go bad quickly at all. So you can go more thai, or sweet, or spicy, and changing up the extras (rice vs noodle vs quinoa) change it too. I think that would help with the boredom since you can change the taste and texture of the same base ingredients for whatever you want that day. Another thought is a middle ground of eating in and going out. In the 'ethnic' area where I live are indian packets and you just have to heat them up, but I add veggies and meat if I have it and eat it with rice or some naan bread. The packets are inexpensive, have a large variety, most are very flavorful, and good on their own if you are low on time or ingredients, and take up very little room. The brand by me is called Tasty Bite and I really like the Channa Masala adding in broccoli and onion and peas and maybe chicken if I have it. Your girlfriend can eat it with naan and you can go without to lower the carbs. My store has them for about $3.50 each but it's cheaper at the Indian store but that isn't as convenient for me to get to.
Good luck!!!4 -
It will definitely be harder without a decent sized fridge and freezer. Mine are always full with bags of chopped vegetables, bags of chopped cooked meat, containers of dinner/lunch, containers of yogurt/jam/granola parfait, eggs, the current batch of soup, the current batch of rice & beans (& veggies & meat).0
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There is no way you can eat out cheaper than eating at home, nor could you eat as healthily, nor accurately count calories.
Plan your meals around what is on special that week. Buy fruit and vegetables that are in season or buy frozen as they still contain their nutritional goodness. I also do fruit and veg shopping every 2 or 3 days to eliminate waste and have them fresher. If you are low carb and don't need to be for health reasons then up them a bit because a low carb diet is the most expensive as carbs are much cheaper to purchase. Meat is expensive which is why I stick to mainly minced meat, chicken breast, frozen fish and tinned tuna.2 -
Didnt read everything so sorry if its already been said, but perhaps you would enjoy hello fresh or blue apron.
Also I second frozen veggies! And alot of veggies you buy fresh can be frozen too, so don't think the garbage can is the only option.
I tend to keep apples, carrots, and bussel sprouts handy as I find they have a longer shelf life.0 -
NoFilter1977 wrote: »Does anyone know of places you can eat out at that are cheaper than trying to afford all of this healthy food that goes to waste? I try to buy fresh veggies and such, but they end up going bad before I can finish them a lot of the time. I'm just not a salad everyday kinda guy. I have a small fridge, so eating out is a choice I perhaps have to consider. Don't judge me :P
I don't eat out, so can't help on that point. Your query about groceries seems to touch on only veg. Don't you buy or eat anything else? You need to buy everything in smaller quantities so there's no waste. We hardly dump anything in our house. Today's leftovers are tomorrow's meals.0 -
NoFilter1977 wrote: »Heather4448 wrote: »A lot of the larger grocery store chains have salad bars. You could just grab one on the way home.
I have gotten those package salads from Walmart before. I think they are $4 or so. I wish they were bigger, but it probably is a cheaper option than buying stuff to make salads. Plus they are portioned out. Thanks for the idea.. well, you said "salad bar" but you made me think of this. Only salad bar near me is crazy expensive. Making a salad there would be in the $15 range.
Missed this the first time around, and just wanted to say I've tested this with the salad mixes- *definitely* not cheaper, even on sale for $2.50. However, part of the savings is that you get 6 times as much, which it sounds like you don't want. I won't lie- balancing cost with convenience and variety takes some effort in the way of planning & preparation, which not every family is willing to do.2 -
I used to always waste fresh fruits and veggies as well! I suggest buying frozen veggies, that is how I cut down on waste. If you use the fruit in smoothies, buy them frozen. Honestly, I only really keep apples in my apartment because they last a very long time compared to other fruits (like bananas).1
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I don't like eating out. It makes me feel sick. We went out yesterday for our anniversary, spent $33 on both of us & I could have bought more food. Besides that, I buy frozen fruit cuz I use it in my smoothie, Husband buys fresh but only what he can eat in a week. I buy fresh veggies, but again, only for a week. What I cook we usually eat for 3 -4 days, I buy larger packages of ground turkey, boneless,skinless chicken thighs, taco meat, which is usually chuck cut into small strips & portion it out then freeze it. All of these don't take long to cook. I love zucchini, I cut it up raw on my plate & microwave it for 3 min or eat it raw with balsamic vinegar on it.You can do this with almost any vegetable1
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I don't like eating out. It makes me feel sick. We went out yesterday for our anniversary, spent $33 on both of us & I could have bought more food.
My hubby & I can't enjoy a meal out like that (and I'm sure $33 is a drop in the bucket compared to what some people spend), because we know we could be getting so much more or doing other things with our money! If we go out, we'll usually do it for lunch so we at least don't have to pay dinner prices.
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NoFilter1977 wrote: »Does anyone know of places you can eat out at that are cheaper than trying to afford all of this healthy food that goes to waste? I try to buy fresh veggies and such, but they end up going bad before I can finish them a lot of the time. I'm just not a salad everyday kinda guy. I have a small fridge, so eating out is a choice I perhaps have to consider. Don't judge me :P
I'm not judging you, but like others have said, for comparable food eating out is going to be more expensive (around here, a lot more expensive -- I get lazy and buy lunch, salads and stuff, and enjoy them and the convenience, but it's a crazy waste of money).
I think the trick (as well as maybe buying cheaper stuff) is planning better so you don't waste things. What actually taught me how to do that was getting a CSA box (farm subscription -- don't worry, not recommending that and it's too early in the season most places anyway) and then having to cook so as to use that up.
Figure out how you want to eat over the week, at least roughly. Be realistic -- are you going to eat out 3 nights so only need 4 nights of dinner stuff? Are you going to plan on a vegetable medley for breakfast but get up late and need to grab and go? Buy accordingly. If a grab and go person, maybe pre cut some raw veg (if you want veg in the morning) or have bananas and a yogurt on hand or make egg cups in advance.
If you buy a bunch of things, cook to those things. Post here for ideas if you need them. My usual breakfast plan is a 2 egg omelet with vegetables, and I use the vegetables I have available. Usually have cottage cheese on the side, takes no thinking. Similarly, for dinner I plan the meat or other protein ahead usually, and maybe the starchy side if I'm having one, since that can determine how long dinner takes (roasted potatoes, pasta, lentils, beans, rice, whatever) and any longer cooking vegetables (mainly just winter squash, which gets treated like a starch in my mind because it cooks similarly -- well, maybe roasted carrots or parsnips or so too). Then I use the vegetables I have on hand, whatever they are and if something seems like it needs to be used soon I do that.
I rarely make salads at home in the winter and early spring, I will do it a lot in the summer. Now I include greens in my omelets and cook them and eat them on the side with dinner or with lunches I make in advance (another good way to plan and make sure you use the food you bought).
If you are new to cooking at home, maybe start more slowly -- focus on one meal at a time or start by saying you will cook 2 dinners and then expand.
Or of course you don't have to do this, but if money is the concern it's cheaper. Good premade options at the grocery store are the salad bars, the rotisserie chicken, and depending on the store lots of other things. (My WF now apparently has a Snap Kitchen booth, but that's a good way to spend more money, not save it.) Another option could be trying one of those subscription services like Blue Apron 'til you get the hang of it. Again, not cheap but tailored to the amount of food you need.2 -
Buy less and go to the store more often.1
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I buy produce at Aldi. If it's in season it's dirt cheap. Otherwise I only buy what I need for that day or the next.0
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I buy produce at Aldi. If it's in season it's dirt cheap. Otherwise I only buy what I need for that day or the next.
This is my Aldi situation....they rarely have single item produce so I instead have to buy 4 tomatoes when I only want one or a 1lb bag of potatoes when I only need 4. It's super cheap but I waste so much food when I shop there...it's a personal problem I know.0 -
NoFilter1977 wrote: »I hear ya! I went shopping for chicken. If I want to buy 2 breasts it cost $7. It cost $11 for about 6 breasts. I'm trying to wrestle with the idea of paying a lot for a little or a little for a lot..and have waste. We don't want chicken breasts 3 times in however few days chicken lasts in the fridge. I can't stand frozen chicken, so saving it is crossing the line I draw in my own sand. lol
Huh?? You seriously are saying that freezing a chicken breast, and then thawing it to cook, tastes different than one that was not frozen? Man you have some wild sense of taste. I don't know anyone that DOESN'T buy their chicken and freeze it!! I just bought about 8 pounds of chicken breast at Kroger, on sale for 1.67 a pound. WIN!3 -
Plan out your meals a week at at time. With your plan in hand, come up with a grocery list of only things that you need to prepare your planned meals. If some of those ingredients don't last long (mung bean sprouts come to mind), hold off on buying them until the day before/day of the meal in which they're required, then head to the store to pick them up. That way you're only ever buying food (not just product) that you need. You'll save money, time, and fridge space.0
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Shop like the Europeans do - almost everyday they buy what strikes their fancy that day for the main meal. They tend to have smaller fridges and overall smaller homes so storage is at a prmium. But with this method, everything is fresh and they tend not to have leftovers as theyonly buy what they need. Of course, they keep staples on hand.5
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I think your profile says it all: "Time for a change."
Forage daily.0 -
fitmom4lifemfp wrote: »
Huh?? You seriously are saying that freezing a chicken breast, and then thawing it to cook, tastes different than one that was not frozen? Man you have some wild sense of taste. I don't know anyone that DOESN'T buy their chicken and freeze it!! I just bought about 8 pounds of chicken breast at Kroger, on sale for 1.67 a pound. WIN!
I never freeze my chicken. I do think it tastes different and I'm also impatient AF.0 -
I don't freeze chicken either.0
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gamerbabe14 wrote: »fitmom4lifemfp wrote: »
Huh?? You seriously are saying that freezing a chicken breast, and then thawing it to cook, tastes different than one that was not frozen? Man you have some wild sense of taste. I don't know anyone that DOESN'T buy their chicken and freeze it!! I just bought about 8 pounds of chicken breast at Kroger, on sale for 1.67 a pound. WIN!
I never freeze my chicken. I do think it tastes different and I'm also impatient AF.
I'm amazed. I taste absolutely zero difference. Thank GOD. As much chicken as I eat, I would be at the grocery store every week buying chicken!!
Also, I batch cook - take chicken to thaw and then cook a whole week's worth at one time. I portion it out during the week and start over on the weekend. 
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fitmom4lifemfp wrote: »gamerbabe14 wrote: »fitmom4lifemfp wrote: »
Huh?? You seriously are saying that freezing a chicken breast, and then thawing it to cook, tastes different than one that was not frozen? Man you have some wild sense of taste. I don't know anyone that DOESN'T buy their chicken and freeze it!! I just bought about 8 pounds of chicken breast at Kroger, on sale for 1.67 a pound. WIN!
I never freeze my chicken. I do think it tastes different and I'm also impatient AF.
I'm amazed. I taste absolutely zero difference. Thank GOD. As much chicken as I eat, I would be at the grocery store every week buying chicken!! Also, I batch cook - take chicken to thaw and then cook a whole week's worth at one time. I portion it out during the week and start over on the weekend.
I batch cook too. For chicken, I mostly just buy a rotisserie chicken every so often, carve/pull all the meat off and then freeze.0 -
fitmom4lifemfp wrote: »gamerbabe14 wrote: »fitmom4lifemfp wrote: »
Huh?? You seriously are saying that freezing a chicken breast, and then thawing it to cook, tastes different than one that was not frozen? Man you have some wild sense of taste. I don't know anyone that DOESN'T buy their chicken and freeze it!! I just bought about 8 pounds of chicken breast at Kroger, on sale for 1.67 a pound. WIN!
I never freeze my chicken. I do think it tastes different and I'm also impatient AF.
I'm amazed. I taste absolutely zero difference. Thank GOD. As much chicken as I eat, I would be at the grocery store every week buying chicken!! Also, I batch cook - take chicken to thaw and then cook a whole week's worth at one time. I portion it out during the week and start over on the weekend.
I batch cook too. For chicken, I mostly just buy a rotisserie chicken every so often, carve/pull all the meat off and then freeze.
..and I do the same (except chopping/dicing rather than carving and pulling pieces off) for chorizo/linguica/polish sausage, chunk of smoked ham,..0 -
fitmom4lifemfp wrote: »NoFilter1977 wrote: »I hear ya! I went shopping for chicken. If I want to buy 2 breasts it cost $7. It cost $11 for about 6 breasts. I'm trying to wrestle with the idea of paying a lot for a little or a little for a lot..and have waste. We don't want chicken breasts 3 times in however few days chicken lasts in the fridge. I can't stand frozen chicken, so saving it is crossing the line I draw in my own sand. lol
Huh?? You seriously are saying that freezing a chicken breast, and then thawing it to cook, tastes different than one that was not frozen? Man you have some wild sense of taste. I don't know anyone that DOESN'T buy their chicken and freeze it!! I just bought about 8 pounds of chicken breast at Kroger, on sale for 1.67 a pound. WIN!
This is especially true since very, very often the unfrozen chicken in the store was frozen. Same with fish.
I get chicken from a farm, and still buy it frozen -- it's nice to have whatever I might want in my freezer at all times and just defrost when I am ready for it.2 -
The chicken will taste different depending on what kind you get and how your store handled it. Most pre-packaged chicken is injected with flavored water, you'll see the percentage on the label. Also it is usually frozen before it gets to the store and the store thaws it and sells it to you. So when you buy that in your store and then refreeze it, the taste (and texture) reflects it being frozen and thawed and refrozen. Finding chicken that hasn't been injected helps a lot with freezing it again, as does trying to make sure it's not be frozen already once before (much harder, no label to go by and the kids at the grocery store may not know).3
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omgstfualready wrote: »The chicken will taste different depending on what kind you get and how your store handled it. Most pre-packaged chicken is injected with flavored water, you'll see the percentage on the label. Also it is usually frozen before it gets to the store and the store thaws it and sells it to you. So when you buy that in your store and then refreeze it, the taste (and texture) reflects it being frozen and thawed and refrozen. Finding chicken that hasn't been injected helps a lot with freezing it again, as does trying to make sure it's not be frozen already once before (much harder, no label to go by and the kids at the grocery store may not know).
If you think the issue is freezing and unfreezing and freezing again, you could also just buy it frozen.1 -
NoFilter1977 wrote: »How close do you live to a grocery store? I like to buy daily or plan my meals for 3 days and only buy what I needs for that. I've figured out how to eat at home for only about $50 a week from doing this. Just takes a little planning.
I live ~5 miles (8 km) from the store. I guess I could start asking for better ideas for eating at home? I spent $50 just for our breakfast items for the week.
Breakfast - oats, eggs, yogurt (or cottage cheese). Breakfast can be super cheap.
I had oats made with milk for protein, and a sprinkle of frozen berries (yummy when heated). I made 4 portions in the crock-pot this weekend.
Eggs can be made ahead for burritos or English muffin sandwiches.
Cottage cheese is a nice protein source, add fresh veggies & cracked pepper or stir in a fruit cup.0 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »omgstfualready wrote: »The chicken will taste different depending on what kind you get and how your store handled it. Most pre-packaged chicken is injected with flavored water, you'll see the percentage on the label. Also it is usually frozen before it gets to the store and the store thaws it and sells it to you. So when you buy that in your store and then refreeze it, the taste (and texture) reflects it being frozen and thawed and refrozen. Finding chicken that hasn't been injected helps a lot with freezing it again, as does trying to make sure it's not be frozen already once before (much harder, no label to go by and the kids at the grocery store may not know).
If you think the issue is freezing and unfreezing and freezing again, you could also just buy it frozen.
True, the store has breasts already frozen, though for me I actually drive a few times a year to a local smoke house that does all their own butchering and I know what's in the meat and poultry I get, I have the space to store it in the freezer (plus it's a nice road trip for the day). The quality is night and day. I just meant for other folks that didn't understand why it would taste or feel different, it's because it was frozen and thawed twice and because of the injections it makes it lesser quality to a number of people. Not everyone can do what I do but labels will show the % of injected fluids so that should help some.
I think we scared the OP away? :-(0
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