Food on a budget...

vanessa915

Thanks for the info on Angel Food Ministries! I never heard of it before, and now I'm really intrigued. I checked out the menu for August and I think I'm going to give it a try. There are a couple things I won't likely eat (like the fish sticks), but I can either give those things to friends or donate them somewhere. But most of the items seemed like things I'll use. And being a singleton, it'll last me quite a while and really help lessen my food expenditure.

Vanessa

gemiwing

Something we always try to keep on hand is spices. Buy them when you have the money so you can get a big container. It's sooooo helpful to add spices to things when you run out of onions, garlic, peppers and the like.

Things we always have are soy milk, potatoes, carrots, peanut butter and Ezekiel bread.

Tissennae

Your welcome Vanessa! I hope you enjoy it.

kblu0816

Along with the angel food ministries...you could try schwans. I've noticed they've added alot of healthier items to their online database. By ordering and having it delivered to your home you also get the benefit of saving gas and not having to deal with going to the store. I always seem to spend more when I'm walking around there.

hasiangirl

We eat on about $500 a month as well, and we are a family of six with two teenaged girls, a preschooler and a toddler. I always hit the farmer's market on Saturday. Knowing what is in season helps me know what to expect to buy. On Sunday, I go through the ads, clip coupons and plan. We do a lot of beans and make a lot from scratch. I don't buy juice. Even my two little ones drink decaf green tea flavored with mint or berries. I make green sun tea and transfer it to pitchers with ice and fruit or mint. I shop at Aldi and Meijer, never Wal Mart. I always, always, always spend more at WM, and I don't think their quality matches other stores in my area. I have an Aunt Millie's bread outlet store where I buy organic bread that contains no HFCS for $1.39 per loaf. They are the large Indian Grain or Flax Seed loaves, so one piece is enough for a PB sandwhich for my little ones.

I honestly think the biggest saver is planning out not only meals but also snacks. I keep a divided, plastic party style veggie tray in the fridge stocked with fruits and veggies at all times. That is always at least one snack per day. I'll put "tray" right on the menu, and that's what we eat. I also make homemade hummus and pita. Homemade pita, english muffins, and crackers are easier than most people think to make. I make mini pizzas out of outlet bought english muffins ($.69) and freeze them for those times when for whatever reason, we need something quick. Sometimes the tray gets wiped out sooner than I expected, or we get home too late to make dinner.

It's not just planning, but sticking to the plan for me, I find that when we aren't strict about the menu, it costs us money.

Do you find that one of your biggest expenses is milk? We go through about a gallon a day! At three bucks a pop, it sure adds up. I've actually started buying my milk at the gas station, because it's about 50 cents cheaper, and they have a milk club punch card that when you buy 12 gallons and the card is full, you get your next gallon free. If only I could get DH to remember that stupid card :grumble:

a galloon a day?!!?!?!...:noway: i dont get it...we have a gallon of milk and it will last us until the sell by date...my friend has 4 boys ....one day her two youngest sons came over 1 an 2......well they were here 3 hours and drank 3/4's of a gallon of milk...i was baffled...if thats how much milke they can drink in 3 hours i wonder if she goes through 2 gals of milk a day lol...i cant even imagine getting that much milk a month...milk is expensive now...for a gal of milk in maine its 4 dollars a pop if not more :noway:

yessie75

We live in the country and the nearest supermarket is 20 minutes away. So, I really plan my shopping trips and stay within my budget. We spend about $50 a week on groceries. My husband is a major beef and potatoes guy (from Iowa), so once a year we order a quarter cow and 1/2 a pig, and a dozen chicken from a meat locker. We spend about $400 on one shot, but it last all year! I noticed meats are so expensive at the supermarket. They can make anything you want out of your meat: swiss steak, sirloin, sausages , prokchops, etc. The chicken are roasters, but you can chop them and cook however you want. For our New Year's Eve party, everyone left with a pack of pork sausage as a party favor :glasses: LOL
We also belong to the local Costco, and I get everything I can from there. It's good to know you have the things you need to plan a meal. We have a fruit cellar in the basement, so there's tons of space.

During the school year, I plan a weekly menu and post it on our board in the kitchen. The kids know what's for dinner everyday and don't bug me about it. It also helps me cook dinner quickly since I'm focused and have everything on hand. I actually went as far as to make a binder divided by 7 weeks worth of menus and I just rotate.

pettmybunny

We eat on about $500 a month as well, and we are a family of six with two teenaged girls, a preschooler and a toddler. I always hit the farmer's market on Saturday. Knowing what is in season helps me know what to expect to buy. On Sunday, I go through the ads, clip coupons and plan. We do a lot of beans and make a lot from scratch. I don't buy juice. Even my two little ones drink decaf green tea flavored with mint or berries. I make green sun tea and transfer it to pitchers with ice and fruit or mint. I shop at Aldi and Meijer, never Wal Mart. I always, always, always spend more at WM, and I don't think their quality matches other stores in my area. I have an Aunt Millie's bread outlet store where I buy organic bread that contains no HFCS for $1.39 per loaf. They are the large Indian Grain or Flax Seed loaves, so one piece is enough for a PB sandwhich for my little ones.

I honestly think the biggest saver is planning out not only meals but also snacks. I keep a divided, plastic party style veggie tray in the fridge stocked with fruits and veggies at all times. That is always at least one snack per day. I'll put "tray" right on the menu, and that's what we eat. I also make homemade hummus and pita. Homemade pita, english muffins, and crackers are easier than most people think to make. I make mini pizzas out of outlet bought english muffins ($.69) and freeze them for those times when for whatever reason, we need something quick. Sometimes the tray gets wiped out sooner than I expected, or we get home too late to make dinner.

It's not just planning, but sticking to the plan for me, I find that when we aren't strict about the menu, it costs us money.

Do you find that one of your biggest expenses is milk? We go through about a gallon a day! At three bucks a pop, it sure adds up. I've actually started buying my milk at the gas station, because it's about 50 cents cheaper, and they have a milk club punch card that when you buy 12 gallons and the card is full, you get your next gallon free. If only I could get DH to remember that stupid card :grumble:

a galloon a day?!!?!?!...:noway: i dont get it...we have a gallon of milk and it will last us until the sell by date...my friend has 4 boys ....one day her two youngest sons came over 1 an 2......well they were here 3 hours and drank 3/4's of a gallon of milk...i was baffled...if thats how much milke they can drink in 3 hours i wonder if she goes through 2 gals of milk a day lol...i cant even imagine getting that much milk a month...milk is expensive now...for a gal of milk in maine its 4 dollars a pop if not more :noway:

2 or 3 of the kids have cereal with milk in the morning. DH eats cereal every day... I have cereal a couple of times a week. Then 5 or 6 two cup glasses at dinner (sometimes I only have a one cup glass depending on my cals for the day). During the summer, a lot of times the kids drink milk at lunch too. We never have soda in the house, except for holidays or birthdays, special occasions. We do have juice, but for some reason, the kids don't drink it unless it's in juice boxes. I refuse to buy juice boxes unless they are taking them to school or somewhere. I don't know why they can't just pour out of a bottle:grumble: They do drink quite a bit of water though... They come in, get a cup, then leave it on the counter... At the end of the day, there's a plethura of them laying around, because they can't remember who's was who's so they get a clean one every time.