danni

[betharoo0]

I want to know how you feed your family of 7 on 200.00? Does this include T.P., cleaning supplies, etc.... I need new ways to save.

[MOMMYDEAREST]

we are a family of 6 currently. but i do foster care so there are times we are a family of 8-9. i can feed 8-9 people on a very good budget of $360.00 a month. but that isn't very close to $200.00!!! i would love to know how danni does it!!!

[banana]

Jeez I would love to know also!

[Michelle]

It largely depends on where you live. Don't get too caught up in comparing how much you spend vs. someone else. The cost of living just varies too much from place to place. Just my two

[danni]

It does depend alot on what prices are like where you live. We lived in another town 45 min away from where we are now and spent almost $400/mth there. We live in a larger town now and that gives us more choices.
The $200/mth includes everything - toiletries, pet food, paper products, cleaning supplies.
I spent $200 last month and am going for $200 this month too, but some months we spend more to stock up.

Some of the things we do are:
-only cook from scratch, I only use a mix if it is given to me
-eat in season foods
-eat vegetarian meals, meat is expensive, we get alot of protein from beans
-go to more than one store, I go to a discount bakery for our bread, we get whole grain bread for $0.79/loaf at the grocery they are $3/loaf(I take our wagon and walk to get groceries and still go to 3 or more stores)
-buy store brands, I think the only brand name product we buy is whiskas cat food, our 15yr old cat gets sick if we switch brands
-only buy on sale- milk is pretty much the only thing I pay full price for
-buy whole milk and water down half and half
-stock up when there is a good sale
-I don't buy tomato sauce, I use tomato paste at 1/3 of the cost and mix it with water
-all leftovers go into single size plastic containers and then into the freezer for lunches, when we have too many we have a leftover night for dinner, everyone gets to pick what they eat and I get a break from cooking
-buy in bulk, but check the prices, I get alot of stuff in bulk but the noname raisins and popcorn are cheaper than the bulk section so I get them prepackaged
- compare sizes and prices, take a calculator if you aren't good with numbers(when I taught my 15 yr old son to shop he carried a calculator)
-I can remember the best price of every product I buy so I know when it's a good deal, but I made a price book for my mom so she knows when there is a good sale - not all sales are good deals
- we use vinegar, baking soda, water, and elbow grease for cleaning it is way cheaper than store bought cleaners and better for us and the enviroment
-I water down our liquid fabric softener half and half it still softens and makes the clothes smell good
-we only use about 2-3 tbsp of laundry detergent instead of the big scoop they give you and it still gets the clothes clean
-I water down all our shampoos and conditioners they still work great
-we only have juice on movie night 2x/mth the rest of the time we drink milk and water

That's all I can think of right now, if I think of more I'll post them.

[Darlene]

Great post Danni!

[3-boys-4-me]

Great tips Danni! Thanks for sharing.

[betharoo0]

Wow! Thanks that was lengthy! I really appreciate the time you took to put that together. I do some of the stuff you listed, but I see alot of room for improvement!
What kind of laundry soap do you use?
Can you post some of your meatless recipes in the recipe section when you have time?

[Daisygirl]

That is some great information Danni! I am definitely going to use some of it at our house. Thank you!

[helga42]

[B]Great Post Danni! Very informative. I do pretty much the things you mentioned, but I am interested in the stores you shop. Noticed that you are also from Alberta, we're down here in Medicine Hat. Can you give me any info. Thanks in advance Jacquie[/B]

[danni]

betharoo0 - I usually use Sunlight or Tide, but whatever is the cheapest. I will get some recipes together and post them for you.

helga42 - I live in the Hat too! As for which stores I shop at - ALL OF THEM!

[ubumartin]

WOW! I have a long way to go to get those kind of savings. Thank you for posting all of your tips. I will try to use a few and see how it goes. I am not a great cook but things like the shampoo/conditioner and laundry and fabric softener are things I can do. With four girls the amount of shampoo and conditioner I go through is crazy. Also the detergent that will be a great help. I havent tried the milk but I think it is worth trying. We all drink milk so I think that would be something to try and see if anyone notices. Thanks again.

Nancy