Price of food and lack of money...Help needed!

natekorpusik

buy whole chickens and break it down, instead of buying already cut up breasts and thighs. then use the carcass for stock

This is a great idea. We are actually doing that today.

kiesh82

I think that if you stick to shopping the perimeter of the grocery store you will be ok. Farmer's market even better. Stick to whole foods - meat, veggies, fruit (frozen or fresh) and cut back on the boxed/canned/processed stuff which tends to be more expensive.

audram420

I haven't read all the replies so this may have been mentioned, but I find several coupons on the Thick and Chunky soups and things similar with veggies and meat. You can get lower sodium types and pour them over rice to make a pretty good meal...brown rice even better!! Sometimes we will find small whole chickens that are already seasoned on sale and we'll buy those and shred them and use them for sandwiches and different things!!

ering

Oh my! Thank you for all the advice! You guys have really came through for me. I can go the local butcher, but make lots more soups. The really do last longer. I am an extreme couponer and have seen some really good sales. This all does help and will make a difference. I will keep everyone updated on how it goes. thank you again!!

I use coupons too and have found them to be a life saver! Try checking out the clearance places at the store. There is usually one in the meat, dairy, and produce section. You can get meat for 1/2 off and then make sure to freeze it right away. I also will buy produce on clearance and then make sure to use it that day. Like if a bag of salad is marked 1/2 off I'll get it and then we eat it that night with dinner.
You can also freeze eggs when they go on sale cheap. We do this a lot. Just remember to pull them out the night before you plan to eat them.

jbeauchamp1

I struggled with the same question for a long time until I realized I just had to make it work. I am not sure the size of your family but for a household of three I was able to get my grocery budget down to 50-60 a week and that includes toiletries. I strictly shop sales and all meal planning goes around what is on sale. I will however go over budget by 20-30 bucks if a meat goes on a very low price and stock up and put it in the freezer. Meal planning is key for me to be able to stay in the budget and cooking from scratch. We rarely eat anything from a box or frozen. It does require more time on my part but knowing what is in my food is my way of being able to eat healthier. As for fresh fruits and veggies I do the same thing....we eat what is on sale that week. We rarely eat canned or frozen of these items either. I coupon alot as well and often travel to multiple grocery stores that are within a reasonable distance of my home to stay in budget. Eating healthy can be done rather easily on a tight budget just takes planning and dedication. You can do it girl!

SeasideOasis

If you have a freezer, get all the crap out of it and put the good stuff in it.

Look for soup recipes online that are homemade. This will keep you eating healthy and you can freeze them in personalized sized batches.

Do you have a crock pot? Take advantage of getting a pork or beef roast (whichever is on sale...many places do buy one get one free), red skin potatoes, carrots and celery and make a stew (dont forget to use some bouyon cubes).

Tuna fish...Yep, in the can. You can make tuna salads, tuna sandwiches, tuna snacks/treats.

I buy fresh berries (on sale), then take half of them and toss them straight into the freezer. You can make "yogurt" and smoothies out of them.

My boyfriend and I are buying a drop freezer, because we found if we go to our wholesale club, we will spend a bunch in one outing, but we don't need to hardly go to the grocery store for anything but very small things for a month. Plus, I create healthy "microwave" meals.

HUGE money saver!!

rbryntes

I agree...farmers markets tend to be a very cheap alternative to the grocery stores

Really? The farmer's markets here are at least as expensive, if not more so, than Whole Foods. I still go, but I can afford to do so. I don't believe they are necessarily cheaper. I find going to the farm stands on the sides of the road save me money.

MzBug

Something else to consider is a bulk buying group. If a group of 2-6 families get together and buy at the wholesale/warehouse stores (most will let you use coupons too) and then divide the stuff up you can save $$. Occasionally one or two of my friends and I will go to BJ's and get the staples (meat, rice, beans, cereal, etc) and divide it up equally and split the cost. BJ's also sends out coupons a couple times a month, and if you have a manufacturer coupon for the same item you can use BOTH coupons. Since none of us have much storage space this works out rather well.

floshideaway

Check at your local grocery store where the "gotta go"rack is. Most grocery stores and Wallmart have one for meat product. It is where you find the food which has today's date for expiration. This is the only way I buy my meats. We have had incredible meals for pennies. Just last week I bought Alaskan King crab legs for 4.99/lb instead of 19.99 which I cannot afford. Ask the meat manager what time and where to find these items. Usually it is out quite early in the morning but it is well worth it. My local grocery store also has a rack for vegies, Wallmart has a bakery rack also.

AshleyE1122

The farmers markets around here are pretty good and I used to shop from them until my food started to go bad because I would shop for 2 weeks. We have been making menus for 2 weeks and putting it up on the fridge and I do only shop by the sales. I mean I bring the total down by atleast 50%, but sometimes, it is not enough. So, starting this coming week, we are starting to shop weekly now and go to farmers market just for that week. The stews. crockpots, and meatless meals are very interesting to me and I am going to jump on that. We really need to make the change before something bad happens. Thank you guys so much for all the comments. It is unbelievable how much support I can get from here. I really didn't think I would get this much! Thank you again and if there is something not on here that you have another idea on, please let me know. I am open to ANYTHING!! Thank you thank you thank you!!!

bltmgray

bump

iysys

I agree...farmers markets tend to be a very cheap alternative to the grocery stores

this is so interesting. here the farmers market is much much more expensive than the grocery stores.

KnottyNCrotchety

I agree...farmers markets tend to be a very cheap alternative to the grocery stores

this is so interesting. here the farmers market is much much more expensive than the grocery stores.

They tend to be about the same price for either here.

BUT a lot of the farms have U-Pik, where you go and pick your own berries, peaches and apples. This is WAY cheaper than any other way to get that stuff. Blackberries, raspberries, marionberries were all $1.80 per POUND when I picked them myself this summer instead of the $1.80 a pint at the market or store. If you freeze berries spread out on a cookie sheet, then they don't stick together in a clump and are easier to use later on. I also make all of our jam, low-sugar. This is a little expensive to get set up with, as you have to have a canning pot and jars, but you might be able to find those things at the thrift store. Homemade jam is cheaper but I also have control over what goes into it, so it is healthier too. I also grow my own herbs, tomatoes and a few other veggies. If you do not have a yard, look into a community garden plot, a lot of places here give them out free to lower income folks. For the labor (good calorie burn too!) and the cost of seeds you can have a summers worth of fresh veggies. It would be a fun thing to do with your kids also. My kids loved being the one to get to pick the salad for dinner when they were the age of your kids.

Another idea is to make your own spagetti sauce. If you get the big cans of stewed tomatoes when they are on sale and add in your own herbs, some chopped onion and garlic, you can make a huge batch and then freeze it in smaller batches for much less than the Ragu or Prego jars and its much healthier, again because you control what goes into it. I freeze in quart size ziplocs. I "burp" them and then freeze them laying flat. Once they are frozen, then they can stand up on end and take up very little room in the freezer. I thaw them out, add in any leftover meat I want and we have yummy spagetti or pasta for dinner. You can also do this for chili and soup.

Talk to the butcher at your grocery store. Tell them you are on a budget and ask for advice. They will usually be happy to help you and if you get someone that is unhelpful, ask someone else. They can tell you when they mark down the meat (day of the week, time of day,etc) so you can be there when they do it. They can steer you towards the best deal of the day etc. The advice about getting the cheaper cuts and slow cooking it is a great idea, as is cutting up your own chicken.

Lastly, look into baking your own bread. It is WAY cheaper than anything you will find at the store, including the discount store. I bake 6 loaves at a time as it is just as easy as baking 2 and freeze the rest. Then I only have to do it once a month or so. Look at the thrift store of loaf pans as they are cheap and plentiful there. Again, because I control what goes in there, I can make it healthier than what is cheap at the store. The kind of bread I bake with lots of whole grains, etc is $5/loaf at my store. Again, there is a little start up cost, but the supplies will last for a while. Whole wheat bread flour, regular flour, whole oats, cream of wheat and bulk wheat germ ( plus the loaf pans from the thrift store) would get your started. Then every week you can add a different whole grain from the bulk bins. You can also bake your own muffins (cheap breakfast!), scones, etc.

I do use coupons, but mostly for shampoo, toothpaste, and cleaning supplies, although I am always watching for food ones I can use too. When you are at the thrift store getting your loaf pans and maybe canning supplies look in the book section for the Tightwad Gazette books. They are a little out of date now, but can really inspire you in different ways you can cut back on expenses. I read them when I stayed home after my third child and they helped me immensely.

You can totally eat healthy for less money, its just more time and effort on your part. But as a stay at home mom, you have all the time in the world right?