What do you make at home to SAVE MONEY?
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Omg...$700 on yourself in groceries??? OMW! I have a family of 6...in it I have 5 adults and a 5 yr old...we pay around $500-600 a month in groceries...
make small batches for yourself and freeze below..I make tons and freeze for those days I don't feel like cooking or thinking..haha!
Casseroles,
Spaghetti
meatballs(for subs or spaghetti)
ziploc bag with marinade for individual pieces of meat
Stews
mini pot pies
Corn dog muffins
chili
Soups
burritos
quesadillas
tons of stuff you can pre make and freeze ahead for anytime to nuke...0 -
Ok prepare to correct ,me but I am from the UK and I have just calculated what $700 is in GBP and that is a HUGE amount of money for one person
$700 is approx GBP £437 - is food excceptionally expensive in the US?
MY OH and I spend around £300 a month on a big month (where we need to replace laungry products etc) in the UK and I believe from speaking to others here that even that is a rather a lot, we eat free range or organic meat and fresh food and that includes everything, including cleaning products/branded toiletries etc we eat very well.
Can I ask what do you spend it on?0 -
I tried to look at your food diary to see what your meals "look" like but it was locked. Anyway maybe you need to meal plan for a week at a time.
If you want to spend 500$ a month take 125$ and figure out what you want to eat that week and buy only the groceries needed for the recipies and only the amount of protein powder, fruits/veggies needed for the week etc
Maybe try a different grocery store? I know in my city some stores charge double the price for everything. So I've found 2 that are lower cost and that helps too.
Buy in bulk when things are on sale and freeze when you can (bread) or make big batches of meals in crock pot and freeze for quick "frozen dinners" shop at local farmers markets or look in the discount bins for things that are close to expiry that you can use before they go bad (can save 50% + on things this way) with protein powder buy bigger tubs since it works out cheaper that way, go to GNC when they have the buy one get one 1/2 price deal (I do this for my Vega)
Use frozen veggies and fruits if need be to cut cost and these work well for soups and such or smoothies/desserts and much less work than fresh.
Yeah, I don't have a car so I am at the mercy of the local grocery store but this is changing soon! ::happy dance:: I have a friend who offered to do a standing shopping date and then i can go to costco which will likely reduce my food costs by ~$200 at least.0 -
I try not to imagine how much we spend. Here's the essentials.
3 adults here
coffee 1.5lbs week
creamer 3 containers
milk
almond milk
tortillas
cheese sliced
cheese grated
sprouts
salsa
2 bunches broccoli
1 cauliflower
3lb onions
5 yellow and red bell peppers (we eat those in meals and snacks)
pistachios
crackers
kiwis
grapes
cherries
bananas
apples
5lbs spinach
3 avocados
box quinoa
box cous cous
4lbs chicken breast
2lbs lean ground turkey
steak
fish
eggs
greek yogurt
marinades for meat
a few frozen meals for backups0 -
In OP's defense, when I lived in Manhattan, my grocery bill was easily 30% higher. Not as much choice of grocers and no room in the apartments to store bulk purchases. Just moving to the burbs made a tremendous difference.0
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I make my own pretty much everything. I make yogurt, jams, jellies, salsas (fruit and tomato), chutneys, hot sauce, pickles (egg, mushroom, cucumber, etc.), breads of all kinds, soap, soups, pizza, pasta and pizza sauces, pie fillings, and I grow most of my own produce. What produce I don't grow and can and freeze, I buy in bulk "bumps and bruises" boxes from the local grocery much, much cheaper. It's a bit more work, but I make these things in large batches. I made enough spaghetti sauce to last a year a week ago, and enough salsa for a year a couple of days ago.
People have forgotten how to make their own foods and believe that making things like jam or bread is incredibly time-consuming or difficult. It really isn't, but you do have to do the research to find out how. I get a lot of my recipes by google. If I've bought 50 pounds of mangos, I just google mango recipes and I make mango chutney, mango salsa, and mango jam. Not only do I have my own goodies, but Christmas gifts are taken care of as well.
None of this is really hard at all. Just takes a little time.0 -
In OP's defense, when I lived in Manhattan, my grocery bill was easily 30% higher. Not as much choice of grocers and no room in the apartments to store bulk purchases. Just moving to the burbs made a tremendous difference.
Exactly--when I'm in CA i can EASILY cut my grocery bill LITERALLY in half! with some effort I can get buy on 400-500 here. I'm going to try to challenge myself to eat as cheaply as possible!0 -
Well, I am not going to post what my husband and I spend on groceries, and we only eat about 14-16 of our 21 meals at home. (Of course, what I spend at the grocery store and costco is also items that last longer than a month and all household cleaners).
I have started really watching what I can buy in larger containers for the week and subdivide.. like greek yogurt and fat free cream cheese.
I am working on reducing the cost of eating healthy by getting smarter about such things and planning more. I really like this thread.0 -
I really like this thread too. We spend a lot of our budget on produce. We have to be gluten free and dairy free in this house so we eat very little pre-made grain products. If I buy it, it's at least 3x the cost. I'm carving out more and more time for baking for school lunches. After reading this I feel inspired to learn how to can!0
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Okay, my $700 food bill per month (no eating out and just me) is pretty ridiculous. I'm looking for ways to make it cheaper...also to get others thinking about ways to save money!
So, what do you make at home instead of buying premade?
Some ideas:
-homemade tabbouleh ($5 for 4-5 cups vs. $3.50 for 6oz...that's a huge savings)
-homemade hummus ($2-3 for 1.5 cups vs. $3-4 for 6oz)
Brown rice; Almond butter on whole grain bread; Oatmeal; Hummus; Smoothies made with "Gold Standard protein whey" plus a banana and some frozen fruit (Strawberries, blueberries, peach, etc); Salad; Tofu; apples All healthy and inexpensive. I especially like the almond butter on whole grain bread for lunch. I have it almost every day.0 -
The main thing I ALWAYS make if yogurt. Plus it tastes WAY better than store bought. I have made my own coffee creamer before but I don't use it often so I just buy one every few months just to treat myself. If you ever use cappuccino or latte drink mixes, make your own (I use a mix in the morning when I don't have time to make a pot of coffee). I usually buy bread on sale and freeze it but you can easily make it (I'm in the process of someday making loaves and freezing them and hopefully never buying bread again).
I don't know what else. All I can say is that's CRAZY how much you spend! lol That's more than rent for the HOUSE I'm living in! lol Granted rent is pretty low for this place...and it's small...but still! lol That's like half of my monthly paycheck and I'm getting well over minimum wage for here. lol It's crazy how prices vary in different areas...
The best way to save money on food is buy on sale and buy in bulk. And have a budget. If I don't keep in mind a monthly budget I can go crazy buying a lot of food every month.
And the best way to save money on making stuff is to look at the things you eat the most and see if you can make it and try to replace as much as you can of store bought with homemade. Pretty much everything you can make at home (that's how it used to be done anyway!)0 -
I NEVER eat out. I eat almost NO processed or pre-packaged food. I do NOT buy drinks. I drink tap water. I am moderately active. I get everything I need and it costs me $40 dollars. Yes $40 dollars, a week. I have been doing this for five or so years now. It's not hard, I get all the food groups, and plenty of fruits and vegetables.
That is JUST food, nothing else the grocery store sells.0 -
The main thing I ALWAYS make if yogurt. Plus it tastes WAY better than store bought. I have made my own coffee creamer before but I don't use it often so I just buy one every few months just to treat myself. If you ever use cappuccino or latte drink mixes, make your own (I use a mix in the morning when I don't have time to make a pot of coffee). I usually buy bread on sale and freeze it but you can easily make it (I'm in the process of someday making loaves and freezing them and hopefully never buying bread again).
I don't know what else. All I can say is that's CRAZY how much you spend! lol That's more than rent for the HOUSE I'm living in! lol Granted rent is pretty low for this place...and it's small...but still! lol That's like half of my monthly paycheck and I'm getting well over minimum wage for here. lol It's crazy how prices vary in different areas...
The best way to save money on food is buy on sale and buy in bulk. And have a budget. If I don't keep in mind a monthly budget I can go crazy buying a lot of food every month.
And the best way to save money on making stuff is to look at the things you eat the most and see if you can make it and try to replace as much as you can of store bought with homemade. Pretty much everything you can make at home (that's how it used to be done anyway!)
Thanks for such a thorough reply. I'm going to start making everything--pasta sauce, dressings, dips, hummus, snacks, etc. I want to get my food budget under $500 and I know I can if I REALLY try.0 -
Seconding the yogurt - the Internet will have you believe it's "easy" in the "Martha-Stewart-does-it-in-800-easy-steps-with-only-a-$500-investment-in-equipment!" sort of way, but don't believe the Internet - it's really easy in the "lazy-slob-with-job-and-kids-and-no-free-time-or-money" sort of way. I make 1/2 gallon of Greek style for $6, and that's using super fancy Organic Grass Fed happycow milk, and all I use is my microwave (heat milk), my oven (keep culturing milk at a steady 110), a candy thermometer (is that milk too hot?), and a couple of glass mason jars with plastic lids (to keep the yogurt in). Oh, and you have to buy one yogurt to start you out - pretty much any commercial yogurt will work as long as it has live active cultures, although I found that using Brown Cow makes a really sour yogurt, so I don't recommend it.0
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I have found Costco and/or BJs big money savers
I can get a 24 oz jar of almond butter for $5.50 there and a 2 pack of natural PB for $8. Way cheaper. I also get my cottage cheese and yogurt there as well as organic meat and veg. I make back my membership cost easily. I also compare unit weights (per lb/ per gal etc) and have a list in my phone so I know where the cheapest source is
Wegmans is consistently cheaper on some stuff while a sale at the local grocery store may allow me to stock up. I do look at sale flyers too....once you have access to a car it will make all the difference!0 -
Homemade larabar recipies
. For the cost of the store bough ones ($2.50 each), the cost of the ingredients to make them makes me enough for a week or two.
do you have a good place for a recipe?0 -
Just went to the store today and here's the problem...since i have no car, the stores I have access to are REALLY expensive--as an example: 3 pounds of FARMED fish (which I try to avoid) were 20 bucks. That's absurd. I pay 2x as much for spinach here than I would in CA (literally), I spent $5 on cinnamon, $3 on 1 container of tofu (I can get a larger one in ca for half the price). It's not ME it's just the circumstances I guess. I would not spend this much if I were in CA. Truth be told I'm rather cheap and go for the generic brands of many things and I shop sales but it doesn't help that much.0
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Sounds like the issue is more what you have to choose from, instead of that you're over-buying. If your only choices are high in cost due to shopping options available it is a different situation altogether. One thing I try to do is shop the sales. I don't know if it's an option for you but I look up the ads for my local stores online then base my weekly list and menu on what is on sale. It's easier if you can get the ads ahead of time. Of course not everything I buy is on sale, but I do the best I can. I've saved over $50/week this way. And if you have a freezer try to stock up on items that are on sale (which can be frozen). This is hard for me as i live in an apt and hhave a tiny freezer! I have two kids - so I shop for 3 of us - now they eat breakfast & lunch at school right now, but typically I spend between $100-130/week on groceries. Spices are important - they add variety too - you can make chicken a billion different ways depending on what you put on it (or fish, etc). One thing that helps me too is that I don't buy much dairy (I'm allergic) - just skim milk & LF yogurt for the kids. My shopping carts are predominately produce and meats/fish. Hope that helps some!0
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Sounds like the issue is more what you have to choose from, instead of that you're over-buying. If your only choices are high in cost due to shopping options available it is a different situation altogether. One thing I try to do is shop the sales. I don't know if it's an option for you but I look up the ads for my local stores online then base my weekly list and menu on what is on sale. It's easier if you can get the ads ahead of time. Of course not everything I buy is on sale, but I do the best I can. I've saved over $50/week this way. And if you have a freezer try to stock up on items that are on sale (which can be frozen). This is hard for me as i live in an apt and hhave a tiny freezer! I have two kids - so I shop for 3 of us - now they eat breakfast & lunch at school right now, but typically I spend between $100-130/week on groceries. Spices are important - they add variety too - you can make chicken a billion different ways depending on what you put on it (or fish, etc). One thing that helps me too is that I don't buy much dairy (I'm allergic) - just skim milk & LF yogurt for the kids. My shopping carts are predominately produce and meats/fish. Hope that helps some!
I'll try to do more of this. Usually I have some thoughts in mind and just try to find the cheapest foods that I can. I eat a lot of dairy and that gets expensive. I will create a plan--I'll track my weekly spending and if I'm over but NEED food then I'll restrict myself to eggs for protein (cheapest thing available) and frozen or canned veggies until I'm back on track.0 -
Guess im pretty lucky, most years I have a good crop of vegetables from my own garden (very poor crop this year) various game, surplus roosters on occasion for the pot, eggs from my own hens and gonna buy an in kid nanny goat about october time to provide some milk and butter for the house next year (hopeing to find a old butter churn somewhere)
Hubby bakes bread on occasion, I make most of my own sauces when I have time and I also make a lot of soups/stews and also roast lamb/ham shanks for dinners and sandwiches although I have very little in freezer this year, I sometimes rear 2pigs one is for the freezer and the other is usually sold.0 -
I make hummus, greek yogurt and pizza. It saves money and tastes better than store bought.0
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We use online coupon sites and sales in the store circular. That's made a huge difference in our shopping budget. 0
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To be honest I make everything from home - 100% made-from-scratch. I purchase fresh foods in bulk all the time to ensure even better savings so both freezers (regular and chest) get used very well.
The cheapeast thing I make is homemade marinara - I make about three gallons at a time and freeze them into quart-sized freezable containers. Each quart is enough to make four portions and the math is approximately .22 cents per serving
.22 per serving (4)
.88 per quart
3.52 per gallon
$10.56 for three gallons of homemade marinara (the cost to purchase food supplies to make marinara)
- give or take by about $1.000 -
Only buy meats when they're at their rock bottom prices. Case in point, last week, nice chicken sale, so my freezer is full of it and it'll last us about a month or so. Also for the veggies and all, hit up your local farmers. I found a nice farmer's market near me and I pick up good veggies and fruits cheap and on sale. Most of them freeze very well. My kids love going with me because I let them help pick stuff out, they get to see the lobsters being naughty and they get to munch on good fruits on the way home.
We also coupon. Not so good for the fresh stuff, but everything else we need, we get at really good prices. I also make my own fabric softener which becomes less than $1 for 60+ loads. We also use vinegar and baking soda as cleaners instead of buying more expensive chemicals. (Those stupid chemicals didn't stand a chance against my vinegar concoction when the bathroom sink got horribly clogged. Shocked my husband.) My husband used to think I was crazy with my couponing until his friends needed help and I was able to make up HBA care packages for less than $2 each.0 -
Shocked my husband My husband used to think I was crazy with my couponing until his friends needed help and I was able to make up HBA care packages for less than $2 each.
If Men only could understand women's mad thinking, they would be so much more better off! LOL!!!
My husband went grocery shopping with me on the month that I need to restock all of our meats. I would stop at one of our favorite grocery stores that does bulk meats (cryovac), I would grab a picture with my phone of the prices.
I would go across the street *(literally), to my Sam's Club and ask them to look at my phone - will print the photos out. I ask them "Your competitor has these prices on these meats right now - what can you do for me?".... Let the savings begin!
My husband looked like he was turning pale as a ghost in THE SHOCK ALONE on the savings.
50# case of boneless chicken breast: $1.45/lb!!!!! Beef Eye Round, whole was about a 30# case: $1.99/lb!!!!! Pork Butt - 2 butt pack: $2.78/lb!!!!! Fresh 80/20 Ground Beef, 40# case: $1.99/lb!!!!!
YEAH BABY!!!!!!!! Mad woman working on price-competing at work!!!!!!0 -
I can't think of anything that I buy pre made and don't make at home!!!
Edit... I buy chilli sauce and miso paste pre made 0 -
Men just don't get it. Just banning my hubby from the market saved us almost 50%.
And nice deals, btw.0 -
Home made pesto (no cheese)- just whip up some basil, garlic and pine nuts in a blender. Cheap, cheerful and low cal, you need less than a spoon to flavour your pasta/gnocchi
I love freshly made pesto, but I don't think it's cheaper than the commercial variety.0 -
If Men only could understand women's mad thinking, they would be so much more better off! LOL!!!
Not all women think alike, nor do all men. Some people, including women, would rather spend the time spent on tracking coupons on something else, or they don't want to be induced to buy things they don't need. And some men collect coupons too.0 -
i eat homemade foods probably 90% of the time. i am a wise shopper too. i buy boneless skinless chicken breast for 1.49lb but i have to buy a 40lb box to do it. i used to share the box with friends and we all chipped in but i use it all myself now. i also grew my own veggies this year. its rewarding to have your own garden and keeps you busy taking care of it too.. i make my own meals basically .. when frozen fruits are on sale i buy them when they are not in season . i always prefer fresh but dont want to pay for fresh fruit that is ridiculously overpriced.0
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