GRRRR...I've got a rant....

ka_42

I'm on a tight budget as well! I'm very interested on any grocery buying tips you have!

jackeh

I am totally there with you!!! as for grocery saving tips i buy 90% of my meat when it goes on clearance because the "best before" date is like tomorrow or the next day.... and i freeze it, and take it out when im using it! generally the meat is 50% off when on clearance. I also check fliers, and cut cupons... I am a single mother with 3 kids and i spend maybe 80-100 dollars a week on groceries (I also run a daycare from my home and have to feed 10 kids snack after school every day)

Oh and I am in canada

rtmama

Wow, it sounds like you could be a great role model for your friends and family, too bad they don't see it!

I think you are doing great!

leavinglasvegas

I haven't been on for a while. The sun has been here, so I've been catching up!

Anyway, this is how I grocery shop.

I plan menus a week, sometimes 2 in advance. I include breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as snacks. I always leave wiggle room. I base my menus on what I already have on hand. I try to add something new to the mix every week. When I make my menu, I write down the things I do not have on hand then try to base another meal off of whatever I need to buy.

I look at the sales papers when making my grocery lists. Chances are, if Meijers has it on sale this week, Krogers will follow suit next week and vice versa. I shop 2-3 times per week. (because I buy alot of fresh fruits and veggies) I plan it according to what I have going on. My daughter has dance for and hour and a half and the studio happens to be across the street from Kroger and just a few blocks from a fruit market. Perfect time and location. I save trips to Whole Foods or Trader Joes for the weekend since they are so far. I don't go every week.
I once spent $110 (:brokenheart: heart attack!) at Whole foods stocking up on everyday foods that I normally buy at Kroger. I took the reciept to Kroger and found that I saved a load of cash by shopping at Whole Foods! So I only buy stuff at Kroger or Miejer if it is on sale, otherwise, its cheaper at Whole Foods. (The regular prices are much higher because they don't sell as quickly at a conventional grocery store)

Clip cupons! (But I NEVER buy something just because I have a cupon. I almost always choose organic over regular. And I still manage to stay within my budget.)

Part of my savings comes from not buying meat. I don't stock up on fake meats either. Those are expensive just like meat and processed. I focus on whole foods. The produce section. I do buy some veggie burgers, veggie nuggets, soy based products, etc. When these are on sale, I buy extra, especially if I have a cupon!!!

I cook in batches. I make large amounts of freezable food. I incorporate leftovers into the menu. I also include a pot luck type day in the menu to use up whatever is left before shopping again. I cook at least twice per week in big batches. I use the leftovers to create new things on other days. (Always adding fresh veggies, that is the extent of my daily cooking.)

I go to Costco once every month or two. Theres not alot of foods that I buy from there besides organic carrots, cases of canned tomatoes, some snacks, occasional organic fruits, salsa, etc.... By having a constant stock of a variety of foods, my weekly grocery list usually consists of less than 15-20 needed items items. (if that)

When I budget, I set aside $50 per week for groceries. Often times that is high. I tend to have money left over and we use it to go out, order pizza. I should also point out that that $50 includes basic home goods like toilet paper, lightbulbs, etc. I don't buy that stuff weekly either. I buy in MEGA bulk for those items. (Kroger 10/10, Costco....) The biggest helper here is keeping a stock of everyday foods. I have a list on the fridge so that when something is running low I can remember to stock up. If I'm down to the last bottle of ketchup, I start looking at the papers to see where its the cheapest. I buy a couple and that'll last me a while for a fraction of the cost. For the most part, weekly shopping consists of fresh foods only.

It helps that I don't buy meat. But if I did, I'd do it the same way I buy everything else. Meat can be bought fresh and then frozen, so its not like you have to buy it every week. It goes back to finding the best prices and buying alot to have on hand. That is the key to what I do. Then all you are doing monthly is replacing what you use, rather than "grocery shopping" every week.

I'm planning to plant my own garden this spring! I bet that'll help me out even more!

Hope that helped someone! Thanks for asking!
Holly:flowerforyou:

lotusfromthemud

Everything I do involves work, determination, and a touch of common sense. I have problems, I indulge in junk, I fall off the wagon, I have lazy days, I even have health problems, and I'm far from perfect. But I refuse to believe that living a healthy life is so costly. If I can manage this type of lifestyle, then I find it very hard to believe that a 2 income family cannot.

Thanks for listening.
Holly

First of all, blessings on you for working on your health and your childrens' ! The garden will amaze you! When I had land, I always marveled at how a teeny handful of seeds could feed me for two-three seasons.

I also feel like throwing a screaming meemie crazy fit whenever anybody tells me they "can't afford" to eat better.

I think a lot of this comes from a mis-placed conception that "eat better" means eating exclusively gold-plated organic food from fancy supermarkets. It doesn't have to. Better can be a bag of carrots instead of a bag of potato chips, a comparable priced swap! Or a bag of brown rice instead of a bag of white rice (pennies of difference.) Or some actual apples instead of fruit roll ups.

I think most of what this is is an excuse for laziness. I made my initial switch to healthy when I wasn't heavy on funds. I learned how to make my own food from better ingredients. I didn't have money, so I invested time. It's all about priorities. Food has to become one. So does activity.

My mother (a textbook sedentary individual who takes many expensive medications for obesity-related illnesses) said to me once "I can't afford to exercise." To which I replied in exasperation "there is a sidewalk in front of your house that your tax dollars already paid for...go walk on it!"

smae1980

wow you're freakin amazing!!! You put a lot of planning into the weeks menu and save so much money!!!

gurlondrums

Totally agree with you there, Holly! I hear it from people at work all the time and they talk smack about my vegetarian friend behind her back because they think her recipes are weird. Oh, and they make fun of my coupon pocket book, it amazes them how many coupons I have. And my MOTHER comes over and makes comments about my food choices and what I'm feeding my son (and she makes sure I know how bad of a mommy I am for doing it). Mind you, my mother weighs 260lbs and eats at Burger King almost every day.

Bah! I hate people. :grumble:

kimber607

GOOOD for u!
We never ever go out to eat....family of 4....very very very little meat, very few processed foods and I am spending $200 a week on groceries
WTF am I doing wrong..I need LESSONS

Kim

HealthyChanges2010

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