Grocery shopping!

AmberElaine84

So, I'm looking for advice and tips! I'm wondering if you guys are willing to share your grocery shopping budget, staples, and any tips you have for staying in budget!! We have five people in our family, and I am trying to stick to a budget of $120 a week. I shop at Kroger, and it seems lately that it has been harder and harder to stay within budget, between diapers, wipes, household cleaners on TOP of enough food to make meals and give the kids HEALTHY snacks. My staples every week are: milk, bread, eggs, cheese, yogurt, cereal, apples, bananas, grapes, and peanut butter. They top my list every week!! Is it me, or do stores seem to be slowly upping their prices?! I tried shopping at Aldis for awhile, but was getting bored with the selection and somewhat bland taste. I also realized that when I actually used my Kroger card and coupons in the mail or online, I was paying the same or LESS than what I was paying at Aldis!

Input, please!!

lilRicki

shop the perimeter!!! everything you need is on the outside of the grocery store....make sure you buy your fish on sale and stock up on chicken...canned beans are awesome, just watch the sodium when you're buying them...eggs are cheap, and i usually buy 2 dozen, boil a dozen and then use the other dozen for breakfast (they are microwaveable did you know that? i sure didn't). i buy bagels in bulk and then individually wrap them...also i buy fresh veggies, cut them all up at once and put them in snack bags...that way we can just grab and go, or if i'm making a stir fry or something i'll grab a couple of the baggies...they get eaten way faster than if there's a huge head of cauliflower in the fridge...

kpopa

YIKES! Kudos to you for $120/week with a large(r) family!!! Congrats to that one!!!! :drinker:

Those are my staples as well. I find that when I'm on a budget, or need to save a bit extra, I'll alter my decisions a bit. i.e. buy a dozen store brand eggs instead of Egglands Best OR go with bulk yogurt instead of individual cups. It's a bit of extra work but it's worth it when trying to save.

I also tend to eat more processed food. It's amazing that they're low in calories and you really only need to worry/watch your sodium intake. Once or twice a week isn't horrible *(well, i don't think so anyways!)

I also tend to buy in bulk. I shop at Costco (or Sam's) and stock up on my staples (like p.b. and cereal) then hit the store every week for my fresh fruits and veggies.

Good Luck!

Meag83

check out Hip2save.com she give you a lot of tips to save money on shopping! Good luck.

When buying in bulk really check out the per unit prices- the convinence isn't always (usually) saving you any money!

kpopa

oh, and COUPONS COUPONS COUPONS!!!!

ChubbieTubbie

I feed a family of seven on $125 per week. I buy bread, eggs, chicken, crackers, apples, bananas, carrots, cucumbers, lettuce, milk and yogurt every week, and I put things together in different ways. This week we're having pulled chicken in barbeque sauce for dinner, the rest of the family will have it in sandwich form but I'm skipping the bread. Tomorrow we're probably going to have bacon and eggs, they'll probably have biscuits to go with it, I may have toast. Wednesday we're going to do baked chicken and rice. Thursday we're doing quesadillas with pepperoni or chicken in them. Friday we are going to have tacos. For lunch I usually boil several chicken breasts and shred them and then make salads or sandwiches with them--or sometimes just eat it cold. The kids eat pb&j at school, hubby makes sandwiches. We drink a lot of milk and water at home. For snacks my kids eat Wheat Thins or Goldfish, fruit or string cheese. Sometimes I'll take deli meat and cheese and do meat roll-ups, my boys really enjoy that.

Sherry44

Don't limit yourself to one grocery store. When you get the sale ads in the mail, go thru each one and mark down all sale items that you use. You'll have to make 2 or 3 different stops, but you'll save more! With a large family you might consider a membership to Sam's Club or Costco. They sell Peanut Butter in large quantities for about $6 bucks - Keep in mind, not everything is cheaper in bulk so do your homework.

mlh612

oh, and COUPONS COUPONS COUPONS!!!!

Yes and keep an eye out for double coupons..sometimes they even have triple coupons!! I always stock up then!!

bosoxfan19

try looking for a "scratch & dent" grocery store in/near where you live. When suppliers drop a palet of food items, or cans/boxes get dented the grocery isn't supposed to sell them as new. These little outlet stores will buy them up @pretty close to cost & sell the items cheap, cheap, cheap!! Example: box of cereal that costs $3.50 @Kroger was purchased for $1.50 @outlet grocery. These are popping up everywhere. Also, I went to WalMart last week w/a coupon for "save 50-cents off 2 Healthy Choice Frozen Steamer meals & the check out girl gave me the coupon off EVERY ONE OF THEM I purchased. Print out multiple coupons for the same item & see if they'll give you the deal on all of them...it never hurts to try. Hope these ideas helped....good luck!!

Bubs05

I have found that unfortunately, it is more expensive to eat healthy.
With the colder weather coming, soups are cost effective and (most) freeze well. Plus, they usually don't require a lot of attention. Cut up what you need, throw it in a pot and let it cook.
When there are sales on your proteins, buy extra and freeze. You may go a little over budget that week, but hopefully that will give you a few extra $$s the next.
Search the internet for coupons, it may seem like a pain, but they can knock A LOT of money off your grocery bill. The key is not to buy something "just because you have a coupon"...yes you saved some money on it but you normally wouldn't have bought it in the first place
With 5 people to feed it's much easier to buy in bulk, check out any warehouse stores in your area for the high ticket items (diapers, wipes, toiletries, paper products) as they eat up your budget fast!
Good luck, hope this helps (at least a little).

xDeannaGarciax

I have 7 in my family and we do 300 every 2wks. I like to shop at my local WinCo, Great foods at a great price, similar to a Sam's club as far as how you can buy the food. . . in bulk or not. Their prices are amazing although bagging your own grocieries is kind of a pain while trying to juggle a 2yr old and 300 dollars worth of food. But worth savings. I'm assuming you don't have any WinCo's near you because I recognize your grocer name as being one that we shop at when visiting back East.

*Shopping lists- I plan all of my meals out ahead of time, from breakfast to lunch to dinner.
*Making almost everything from scratch/homemade from my spaghetti sauce, bbq sauce, to chili and pizza, which also makes it easier to control what sort of things you will be eating.
*I don't buy frozen or premade dinners, except for chicken nuggets and sometimes corndogs just to have incase one of my 5 kids want some.
*I count out all the snacks I'll need for the next 2wks ahead of time.
* My main staples would be egg's milk, bread, lunch meat, meats and veggies mostly ground turkey, buffalo and chicken, there are so many things you can do with them.

**Editied because my 2 yr old was throwing a fit banging on the keyboard, which, in-turn made me look like I type like a 2yr old, mis-spelling drives me crazy:laugh:

watkinsc

$120.. wow that's tough. Well done to stick with it!.. I use Costco, and WalMart for bulk dry dry pasta, pasta sauce, cereal, peanut butter, store brand OTC meds, and stuff like laundry detergent, paper towels, toliet paper etc. and only go once a month. For a large family, their fresh fruit and vegatables are a great deal, and are of good quality. About 1/2 price of regular grocery. I also use Walmart for dry goods as well. Meat is different, I'm really picky with this, only no-hormone, vegetable fed, organic etc. We don't eat alot of meat, so that doesn't make too much of a difference. Also I am fortunate enough to live in the Pacific NW, so when salmon are running, I buy that fresh, same with halibut, etc. The prices are low and the fish is fresh. Generic/store brand frozen peas, corn, beans are cheap and frequently on sale, also their nutritional value is remains high, unlike canned veggies. The biggest thing though, is to make a list and STICK TO IT! It helps if I go to the store alone, kids and even significant others tend to up the impulse buy risk significantly! I agree, prices for fresh food has gone up considerably over the last few years. I saw a bag of sugar snap peas at the grocery store last week that they wanted $9.99 for! wow!

lculian

I have 7 in my family and we do 300 every 2wks. I like to shop at my local WinCo, Great foods at a grwat price, similar to a Sam's club as far as how you can buy the food. . . in bulk or not. Theirprices are amazing although bagginbg your own groci=eries is kind of a bummer with a 2yr old and 300 dollars worth of food.

*Shopping lists- I plan all of my meals out ahead of time, from breakfast to lunch to dinner.
*Making almost everything from scratch/homemade from my spaghetti sauce, bbq sauce, to chili and pizza, which also makes it easier to control what sort of things you will be eating.
*I don't buy frozen or premade dinners, except for chicken nuggets and sometimes corndogs just to have incase one of my 5 kids want some.
*I count out all the snacks I'll need for the next 2wks ahead of time.
* My main staples would be egg's milk, bread, lunch meat, meats and veggies mostly ground turkey, buffalo and chicken, there are so many things you can do with them.

I use ground meats a lot too. 1 lb can make several meals from Meat spaghetti sauce to tacos, salad toppings, homemade sloppy joes and home made pizza. I Can easily get 3 meals out of one pound, your family is a little larger than mine, so you might only get two meals out of one pound. I also buy mostly ground turkey and ground chicke. My kids favorite meals are chicken parmigan meatball subs and football turkey turnover. Using ground meat helps me add in some veggies without my picky eatters getting wise:)

xDeannaGarciax

I have 7 in my family and we do 300 every 2wks. I like to shop at my local WinCo, Great foods at a grwat price, similar to a Sam's club as far as how you can buy the food. . . in bulk or not. Theirprices are amazing although bagginbg your own groci=eries is kind of a bummer with a 2yr old and 300 dollars worth of food.

*Shopping lists- I plan all of my meals out ahead of time, from breakfast to lunch to dinner.
*Making almost everything from scratch/homemade from my spaghetti sauce, bbq sauce, to chili and pizza, which also makes it easier to control what sort of things you will be eating.
*I don't buy frozen or premade dinners, except for chicken nuggets and sometimes corndogs just to have incase one of my 5 kids want some.
*I count out all the snacks I'll need for the next 2wks ahead of time.
* My main staples would be egg's milk, bread, lunch meat, meats and veggies mostly ground turkey, buffalo and chicken, there are so many things you can do with them.

I use ground meats a lot too. 1 lb can make several meals from Meat spaghetti sauce to tacos, salad toppings, homemade sloppy joes and home made pizza. I Can easily get 3 meals out of one pound, your family is a little larger than mine, so you might only get two meals out of one pound. I also buy mostly ground turkey and ground chicke. My kids favorite meals are chicken parmigan meatball subs and football turkey turnover. Using ground meat helps me add in some veggies without my picky eatters getting wise:)

Yeah, I usually get 1 meal out of a pound, lol 4 of my 5 kids are boys and their appetites are getting a little bit bigger lately. How funny I do the turkey meatball subs and the turkey chili turnovers too. Are yours also with chili? I got the recipe from Rachel Ray not to long ago for the turnovers, I love her!! My kids love the subs, that one I just started doing on my own, I love them too just in a bowl not on bread. Sooooooooo yummy!

AmberElaine84

I also use a lot of those ground turkey recipes! Does anyone know of any good websites that have good coupons?? As far as the shopping at different stores, I wish I could!! My husband works a second shift job which normally leaves me with all three kids in the evening, so it's difficult to drag them to different stores, especially since two of them are still dependent on me to unbuckle, buckle, etc. I also wish I lived near a Sams or a Costco, I've heard great things about them! Thank you guys for the tips, keep 'em coming!!

jdsouthernbelle

One thing I do is go to the local Farmer's Market when it is in Season and stock up on Peas and Beans then freeze bags & bags of them for the winter time. Like right now I have about 10 bags of Black-eyed Peas & Lady Peas from the Farmers Market that I got for about $10.

The Farmer's Market can be a good place to get other things in season like cucumbers, tomatoes, new potatos, etc.


Other than that...I shop at Sam's for bulk items like toilet paper, laundry detergent, cokes, etc. and Wal-Mart for the rest.

toots99

So, I'm looking for advice and tips! I'm wondering if you guys are willing to share your grocery shopping budget, staples, and any tips you have for staying in budget!! We have five people in our family, and I am trying to stick to a budget of $120 a week. I shop at Kroger, and it seems lately that it has been harder and harder to stay within budget, between diapers, wipes, household cleaners on TOP of enough food to make meals and give the kids HEALTHY snacks. My staples every week are: milk, bread, eggs, cheese, yogurt, cereal, apples, bananas, grapes, and peanut butter. They top my list every week!! Is it me, or do stores seem to be slowly upping their prices?! I tried shopping at Aldis for awhile, but was getting bored with the selection and somewhat bland taste. I also realized that when I actually used my Kroger card and coupons in the mail or online, I was paying the same or LESS than what I was paying at Aldis!

Input, please!!

I shop at Kroger all the time. I tend to go after work at night, when they're doing markdowns. I've noticed that their perishable items (i.e. - healthier items!) that have the sell by date within the next day or so are REALLY reduced! Some people might be put off by the sell by date, but most of the time it's still good for a few days. Sometimes I get a 16 oz container of organic spinach for .99, when normally it'slike $5! Greek yogurt is sometimes .30, when normally it's over $1! And milk is almost always marked down...I got a gallon of organic skim milk for about $1, which usually cost $4.99.

Also, I've noticed that a lot of their items are not priced correctly. If you notice you were charged more than the price label says, you get your money back for that item. Today, I got free strawberries. :drinker:

Blossom01

Save time and money by signing up for your city’s weekly adds on line and then when something on your list is on sale get enough of them and freeze them in freezer bags. I but chicken in 10 lbs bags and sort it out when I get home by dividing how many pieces I am going to cook at a time in smaller bags. I do not buy everything in huge amounts but I do on the things I use most and are on sale. If you buy eggs you may find different ways to prepare them as well as for potatoes.

You also have many good ideas from the rest of mfp members. I hope you can find what works for you. :flowerforyou:

EmilyStrick

check out prices at different grocery stores. believe it or not, trader joe's and whole foods are sometimes cheaper than kroger with their store brand products...and better (bread and peanut butter come to mind). we have a family of only 3, but spend about $60/week and eat VERY well and VERY healthy.

welcominganewself

I shop for a family of four and also try to stick to around $125 a week. I buy whatever fruit veggies and meat are on sale for the week and plan my menu around that. Also, I often buy meat in larger packages and split it up and freeze the extra when I get home. Frozen vegetables are always a ggod choice, nearly the same nutrtional value as fresh for a MUCH lower cost. Incorporating beans or lentils as your proteing one or two nights a week also helps keep the budget down. My husband and I always take leftovers for lunch too.