Groceries Are Killing Me

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  • CountryMom03
    CountryMom03 Posts: 258 Member
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    I agree with others that say buying healthier is more expensive. It might also have to do with demographics, some areas groceries are way more expensive than others. I a friend of mine who lives in FL could not believe what groceries costs here in GA, I layed out a menu plan for that coming week and wrote it all down and out beside it put the costs of what it costs to buy it and she was floored. Buying produce and fresh is alot more expensive here than buying the canned or packaged stuff. The best that I can do is buy in bulk when its on sale...especially meats, etc that you can freeze. We are a family of 5 and ours costs around 900 a month and I do all my cooking from scratch!
  • shel1103
    shel1103 Posts: 189 Member
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    I honestly can't believe that. Eating healthier caused me to SAVE money on groceries. WHAT are you buying? are you making smart decisions? Usually fresh and natural foods are cheaper than the processed junk ones.

    Not me. I am spending WAY more on groceries now that I'm eating healthy. Produce is extremely expensive!! I am going to start hitting the Farmer's Market on Saturdays to get veggies cheaper. Hopefully I can save a bit.
  • crystalrx
    crystalrx Posts: 11 Member
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    Great post!!! Awesome ideas. Especially frozen fruit/veggies. I know canned veggies and fruit have added sugar and salt, but they can be rinsed and can be an alternative. Definitely meal planning makes a big difference too, then you know exactly how much you have to buy, check out the flyers before hand to see if there are things on sale you can incorporate into your meal plan. Try some new websites for meal ideas, Kraft and Cooking Light, for some healthy recipes, some can be budget friendly.
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
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    I honestly can't believe that. Eating healthier caused me to SAVE money on groceries. WHAT are you buying? are you making smart decisions? Usually fresh and natural foods are cheaper than the processed junk ones.

    I don't know where you get your groceries, but fresh produce is WAY more expensive than buying frozen or canned! Our grocery bills are usually around $100 - $150 (for a family of 4) and I'd say at least $50 of that is produce alone.

    The Weight of the Nation taught us that fruits and veggies are NOT in any way subsidized by the US government. Products filled with corn and soy are. Oh, and the grain fed feed lot factory farmed meat of course.
  • robinhardysmall
    robinhardysmall Posts: 246 Member
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    I shop the ads~ whatever might be on sale that week I stock up on. I am a coupon addict and integrate the coupons I can find online and in the paper with my lifestyle as well. Dole fruit cups on sale this week + a coupon = $1.00 for four cups.
    Use online coupons and the ads of your stores around you to find the best bargains- my grocery bill used to be up there with yours until I started couponing and watching the sales.
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
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    I went to Whole Foods last weekend to buy some No Hormone/No Antibiotics beef and chicken. The cheapest beef I could find was $14 a pound, and the chicken was $8 a pound. Obviously, I walked out without any meat.


    Either you pay for it now in quality food costs, or you pay for it later in medical bills.

    If you buy the family packs at Whole Foods they are VERY affordable (enough chicken for 3 meals for around $7). Also, humanely raised local beef has 1/2 the fat of factory farmed.

    Up to you.

    I've spent 35 years being a responsible carnivore. If you shop meat based on price you're going to get grain fed government subsidized Tyson-like product. Eat up!

    Try not to be so judgemental. Ok? It's annoying. I know you are passionate about your thing, but I can buy chicken that will feed me for 2 weeks as opposed to 3 days on the same $7. Sometimes, that matters, a lot. I understand that it's not as healthy. But, don't judge it. It is what it is.

    Cheers.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    I spent $600 on groceries last month. For one person. Admittedly, it's not like I've eaten everything I bought - there's still some salmon in the freezer and pantry staples that will last me a few months. But holy hell. I probably ate $50 worth of Greek Yogurt alone this month.

    Seriously, I can't afford to spend this much on food each month. There must be a less expensive way to eat clean and healthy.

    Advice?

    How is that even possible when you are only eating 1500 cals/day.

    My family grocery bill is about 375/month for 2 adults and one toddler eating an average total of about 4000 cal/day. This works out to about 0.3 cents/calorie. You results end up costing 1.3 cents/calorie, which is more than 4 times the amount we spend.
  • azure7
    azure7 Posts: 136 Member
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    Have you considered joining a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm? For $17 per week I'm able to get the MOST AMAZING organic produce from a local specialty farm. If I bought these veggies/herbs in the store, I'd be spending $40-$50 minimum per week.

    You can find CSAs near you at the following site: http://www.localharvest.org/csa/
  • Polly758
    Polly758 Posts: 623 Member
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    Check around for a Mexican market, I get my veggies at Rio Ranch or La Noria at a rate of about 6 lbs/ dollar.

    Also I don't know how people afford that greek yogurt, maybe it is a magical food but I rather doubt it. I get organic European style yogurt from Trader Joes for about $2 / quart.
  • AlayshaJ
    AlayshaJ Posts: 703 Member
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    EEeeeek/ I spend 700 dollars on groceries for 4 people. I would say shop at Aldi if there is one around and Costco. Saves me lots of money. I have to go to four different places to buy groceries just to save money for more groceries.
  • erikkasusann
    erikkasusann Posts: 104
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    I just thought of something else... go to Farmer's Markets just before they close to buy produce. The selection isn't always as great, but it's fresh & local, & I've often found that folks would rather cut you a great deal at the end of the day than pack it back up :)
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
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    I went to Whole Foods last weekend to buy some No Hormone/No Antibiotics beef and chicken. The cheapest beef I could find was $14 a pound, and the chicken was $8 a pound. Obviously, I walked out without any meat.


    Either you pay for it now in quality food costs, or you pay for it later in medical bills.

    If you buy the family packs at Whole Foods they are VERY affordable (enough chicken for 3 meals for around $7). Also, humanely raised local beef has 1/2 the fat of factory farmed.

    Up to you.

    I've spent 35 years being a responsible carnivore. If you shop meat based on price you're going to get grain fed government subsidized Tyson-like product. Eat up!

    Try not to be so judgemental. Ok? It's annoying. I know you are passionate about your thing, but I can buy chicken that will feed me for 2 weeks as opposed to 3 days on the same $7. Sometimes, that matters, a lot. I understand that it's not as healthy. But, don't judge it. It is what it is.

    Cheers.

    Thanks for your feedback but I'm not judgmental.

    To each their own, but I don't believe in feeding my family factory farmed meat.

    When you have a family member fighting cancer it makes you re-think what you are buying.
  • AmadaLynn
    AmadaLynn Posts: 116
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    You are shopping at the wrong grocery chain. I spend only about $550 a month for a family of 4. I shop at Kroger's.
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
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    EEeeeek/ I spend 700 dollars on groceries for 4 people. I would say shop at Aldi if there is one around and Costco. Saves me lots of money. I have to go to four different places to buy groceries just to save money for more groceries.

    For folks on a budget the Aldi stores (produce) can have some really great buys. I like how they force you to bring your own bags. I wish there was more Aldi's near me. There's one around 35 minutes away.
  • PeachyPlum
    PeachyPlum Posts: 1,243 Member
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    You are shopping at the wrong grocery chain. I spend only about $550 a month for a family of 4. I shop at Kroger's.

    How is their selection of organic meat and produce? I haven't been to a Kroger in a while.
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
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    You are shopping at the wrong grocery chain. I spend only about $550 a month for a family of 4. I shop at Kroger's.

    My choices are:
    Stop & Shop
    Whole Foods
    Trader Joe's
    BJs

    ...and near to work but not home: Wegman's.

    I say go for the stuff on sale and freeze the extra.
  • acragle
    acragle Posts: 26 Member
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    I buy most of my protein and healthy fats in bulk from Costco: 10lb bag of chicken breast, lean turkey patties (35g p!), morning star sausage, lean swiss cheese, 6lb protein powder, black olives, natural peanut butter, raw almonds, turkey breast sandwich meat or lean ham, chicken sausage, canned chicken, tuna and turkey, frozen fruit for smoothies and fish oil caps/vitamins. I probably do not spend more than $200/month except when I have to get more powder.

    Kroger is great for all the carbs and some protein: baby spinach a couple of times a week, fat free cottage cheese, carbmaster yogurt, microwavable yams, etc ...
  • qofdisks
    qofdisks Posts: 31 Member
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    Buy produce in season in bulk and freeze it in one meal portion freezer bags. Suck the air out of the bags with a straw. Freeze the bags flat and consolidate them into a gallon freezer bag. produce may take some home processing such as blanching, steaming, fire roasting etc.
    I buy meat in bulk and break it up in one meal portions but, don't suck the air out. Just squeeze out the air with your hands as much as possible. Have a sink full of hot sudsy water with a squirt of bleach and a clean tea towel handy for this job. Wipe down every surface that the meat and you touch including the outside of the bags. Wash you hands alot and toss that tea towel in the dirty clothes (whites) immediately upon finishing the job.
    I keep an old bottle dish soap bottle with diluted bleach water on the sink to keep my dish sponges and rags fresh each day.
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
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    Oh and it's $25/year to run an extra freezer in the basement.

    So, buy things on sale or split a CSA or meat/fish share to support your local economy.

    Freeze the extra. (or can if you're ambitious).

    You can split a CSA or meat share with a friend and you'll still have more than you can eat in a week to get you through the off-season.
  • MindyG150
    MindyG150 Posts: 1,296 Member
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    Stay away from single serve items SOOOO NOT WORTH IT!

    Make a list, stick with it (use the sale ads)

    Cook once, eat twice. Almost all of my lunches are left over dinners from the day before.

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