Grocery bill is way higher than I'd like

beanerific518

I spend about $140/week for two adults. Lots of fruits, veggies and meat. I supplement fresh fruits and veggies with frozen. I buy frozen chicken instead of fresh - it is about half the price. I plan ahead for the week, shop, prep / cook our meals all on the weekend. This helps us acheive our goal of only going out to eat twice for an entire week. This has helped us trim our budget as a whole considerably and eat a ton healthier.

tndejong

cooking items from scratch can be all good. but it depends how often your do it and if buying the stuff to do so is worth it. if you have to buy a ton of ingredients to make the bread when you can spend a dollar on a loaf? is it worth it? i understand were trying to be healthy. but sometimes you have to come to terms that you spend the money or decide where and what to cut out. just because you may eat regular white bread doesnt mean you can have a fruit or a veggie with that sandwich too.

extraordinary_machine

I know you said that you didn't have a Costco nearby, but is there one you could go to once a month or every two months? My husband and I shop there all the time for the bulk meat, veggies, milk, greek yogurt, etc. and we just load up our chest freezer. Also, if you have a store where you can purchase beans, grains, oatmeal, rice, nuts etc. in bulk, that will save you a ton of money as well. I have to agree with tndejong as well--I'm a good cook, I enjoy cooking, and most often, my attitude is "why should I buy it when I can make it?" However, I'm a full-time teacher, a mom of two, and I'm in grad school, so I've had to learn to be okay with taking some shortcuts and purchase some things that I know I could make from scratch. That goes for the spending a bit less as well.

kmk_natasha

Sprouts tend to be super cheap for produce.

SCsexy1

I thinks that farmers markets for in season produce are a great deal, much cheaper than the grocery stores. Try Aldi or price Rite or another discount store, at least for produce and staples. If you are worried about their quality, give them a try with just a few things and see if you like them before going back to get a full cart. Try looking at coupons and see which of your local stores will double them and if its worth using them. When you do find a deal-stock up! Good luck!

Ral263

I spend $60-80 week on myself, usually always at Trader Joes. I always buy frozen fish instead of fresh (it's usually fresher than frozen anyway) and frozen vegetables that I think taste the same as fresh--like broccoli, frozen spinach for soup or stirfry, roasted asparagus, etc.

I buy eggs as protein a lot too, because they are much cheaper than fish and easy to make. I make a lot of soup too because you can make a big batch for cheap-- get a bag of lentils, some celery and carrots, some frozen spinach and a box of mushrooms, and you have lunch for all week for $10.

I think that soup/stew are a good way to make a lot of food for cheap but are also healthy.

melbatoast917

I spend $200 a week on a family of four. It's worth it - especially when I consider I am adding years to our life and we don't eat out anymore or drink like we used to (and get after-bar munchies).

onyxgirl17

Yea I agree... our grocery bill is about $400 a month for two people as well....

shaynak112

Yeah, we spend less than $200 per month on the two of us, so $400 does seem a bit high. That being said, neither my boyfriend nor I eat a lot. We're both relatively small. We are vegetarian as well. Hmmm what we eat mostly: fruits, veggies, tofu, rice, oats, beans. We buy things like potatoes, spices, sauces, etc. on occasion. Sometimes we buy fake meats (like veggie burgers), but that's maybe once a month?

Buy in bulk. Like rice ... buy a huge bag, it will last for months. Things like that.

bmqbonnie

Thanks for the ideas! I would love to eventually get to the point where I have a garden and chickens and can can my own produce, but for now I live in a townhome.

Closest bulk store is a Sam's Club in Fargo, about 2 hours away and I have no other reason to go to Fargo. Maybe I will try ordering some stuff online, or go in with my boyfriend's parents for some sort of bulk store membership so we can stock up when we visit them in the cities (four hours away).

I've been meaning to try dry beans as opposed to canned and to try other cuts of chicken other than the breast. I go through a lot of chicken breast. I am also going to try going to some of the mom and pop meat stores around here to see if they're cheaper than the regular grocery. They're all over the place around here and I've never gone into one. Farme'rs markets will be an option once it's not 20 below haha. I think there's one in the summer but the midwest doesn't seem to be as crazy about them as the PNW where I'm from

The diary is a good idea for price comparison. It's hard to keep track of what stores tend to price things at what. Generally walmart is cheapest but every once in a while the local grocer has good deals on certain things, and the quality is higher.

Anyway, I'm glad I'm not totally off the mark. I felt like I was spending SO MUCH.

k8blujay2

Coupons and comparison shop... Walmart and Target isn't always the cheapest for things... a lot of times our Safeway store or Kroger or even Albertson's is... If you have a Sprouts or an Aldi's check that out as well.

Hellbent_Heidi

We average $400 a month for two people as well. In the summer, I do try to support local produce stands and buy as much that was as possible. We also have a garden and can or freeze as much as we can from there..

Definitely try using coupons where you can. Sometimes the name brand comes out cheaper than the crummy store brands if you have coupons...(and tastes a lot better).

cwolfman13

Spent about $400 this month on two people last moth. Not sure of exact amount since I went by my debit deductions to Walmart and Target and some of that includes toiletries and stuff, but it's in that ballpark.

That's really not to bad when you break it down. That comes out to $13 - $14 per day...divide that by 2 people, you're talking about feeding yourselves on $6.50 - $7.00 per day. I need a shopping lesson from you.

JustJennie1

$400 for one MONTH of groceries for two people??

Try I spend between $150-$200 every week on groceries for two people depending on what I need to get!!