I Want to Learn From the Best - help me become a frugal shopeer

**Daisysmom** · 10-09-2007, 05:15 PM

Hi All,

I have lurked a long time and finally decided to join when I saw Denny's thread about grocery shopping. I took a stab at reviewing my finances and noticed I was spending for a family of 4 about $800.00 per month on food including eating out. Kind of crazy I think especially when my kids are small (2 and 4). I have read the threads and got a lot of good ideas but here are some of my questions:

1. I don't get a lot of coupons for fresh foods and the coupons I do get are not for things I would normally buy. I do shop loss leaders at my grocer and try not to buy anything that is not on sale. How to you get food items so cheap? Am I missing something? Our stores don't do double coupons - I live in MA which has a high cost of living.

2. Should I start out planning meals? I was thinking I would do it for a week. I am usually good about taking things out of the freezer to make for dinner and the kids both get packed lunches for daycare. Both DH and I are trying to bring our lunches to work. I work 5 days out of the home so I don't do a lot of scratch cooking. If you work out of the home or at home, how do you fit it in to your schedule to cook from scratch - I also have young kids who I'd rather spend time with when I am not at work.

3. I bought a breadmaker for $5.00 at the goodwill. I like whole grain breads, can anybody direct me to some good books for baking bread?

4. I have an extra refrigerator. I was thinking about replacing it for a full freezer? I would buy off of Craigslist but wondered, do you like the upright or the chest freezer. Part of me thinks I would do well with an upright so things wouldn't disappear.

I am amazed at what so many of you have accomplished. I am having baby #3 and really need to start cutting corners to make our budget stretch. Any advice or answers to my questions would be helpful. Thanks so much!

**Nada.Leona** · 10-09-2007, 05:22 PM

$800/month for four people does sound outrageous to me, even if you're eating out. My

and I try to keep it within $80 to $100 for the two of us for the month, and we probably don't spend more than $50 eating out.

It sounds like you're purchasing a lot of convenience foods. Does your grocery list usually contain canned soups, packaged snacks, bottled sauces and condiments, or pre-cooked meats? Are you a stickler for name brands? Do you do any kind of gardening or stockpiling?

**Its_Donna** · 10-09-2007, 05:32 PM

from Florida and Welcome!

My grocery budget per month is $400.00 and thats all grocery and household items..i.e., pets, cleaning, laundry, food, paper, etc. There are 3 humans, 1 cat, 2 dogs and 2 iguanas in our household.

Here are my answers to your ??'s:

#1. I only use coupons when a). its an item I use and b) using a coupon makes it cheaper than the store brand or other brand equal. I am not brand loyal...only on a very few select items. I go to the flea market for fresh fruit and veggies. I base my meals around loss leaders and weekly meat specials.

#2. I only shop once every two weeks so I write out weekly menus and plan my shopping trips based on what I need in my pantry for the meals. I also have other things around like cereal, breakfast bars, popcorn, etc. for snacks. I make sure I also spend at least a little of my budget on pantry stock-up items...say 10.00 extra a shopping trip...I usually stock up on canned goods and filler items. I cook 98% from scratch..desserts included...I always have baking ingredients around. I work a 40 hr a week job. I don't use any convience foods or prepared meals....It's just something I do....I plan lots of easy peasy quicky meals for the week and more elaborate meals on the weekends. I also do prep work and baking on the weekends for the upcoming week. I LUV my Crockpot.....I have 3 of them.

#3 My suggestion to save some money is utilize your local library

#4 I prefer and have an upright freezer.

It's all about what you set your mind too...I am tired when I come home but I have done lots of prep during the weekends....I don't have any little ones at home anymore...but you can come up with a schedule you can handle.

I hope this helps.

**gentledenny** · 10-09-2007, 05:42 PM

I am glad one of my post brought you out of the closet. I dont have any answers for you except , I also prefer a upright freezer, only cause i dont have the space for the more efficient chest freezer. I can loose plenty of food in my upright. My biggest problem i have now towards coming to be better frugal shopper is planning. i dont make a weekly menu and stick to it. that is my biggest hurdle that i know i need to accomplish. Plus i am just learning how to cook without the salty convience foods.

**HisDaisy** · 10-09-2007, 05:52 PM

When I worked outside of the home (I work from home now due a recent move), I found menu planning to be the most valuable tool I had. I hated trying to figure out what I wanted to cook for dinner, only to find out that I did not have all the ingredients and needed to run to the store or rethink my plan. I after many failed attempts without a plan, I decided to sit down and plan out my meals for 2 weeks (I plan a month in advance now). This not only saved me time, but money. When I got home from work, I knew what I was going to cook and that I had all the ingredients for it. It also allowed me to use the crockpot more, since I could plan for it. Also my husband was able to get involved. He worked from home at the time, so I could call him and ask him to start the water boiling for pasta, or turn on the oven to the listed temperature, or even start the prep work for dinner.

I would highly recommend meal planning, it will save you time and money.

**ilovechocolate** · 10-09-2007, 06:23 PM

Plan your meals at least a week in advance. Look at the grocery store ads/circulars each week. Shop with a list, and never never never shop when you're hungry (ask me how I know this....). Buy a freezer. Mine is a chest freezer and it is wonderful----I can take advantage of lots of sales and it's a real feeling of security knowing you have enough food for your family.

**baxjul** · 10-09-2007, 06:33 PM

Do you have a crockpot? That is one easy way to prepare fresh food without having to spend alot of time. When I worked out of the home (and still use it) I used it alot. My stores don't double coupons either, I just shop the sales, and try to combine them with the coupons.

Also, I would try meal planning for one week at a time, just to get used to it. You can chop veggies and do alot of the prep work on the weekend.

**guest002** · 10-09-2007, 06:38 PM

No advice really, just wanted to welcome you to FV!

**inneedofhope** · 10-09-2007, 08:05 PM

I'm a single mom of 1, working full time. When my sone was little I had some good ticks to keep him busy while I got dinner started. it might not be as simple with 2 competing for the attention, but here are some of my tricks:

Let them help: get stuff out of the fridge, "toss" the salad, stir, pour ingredients, pass out spoons or napkins. Little jobs can keep them happy, and you'll feel like you're spending quality time with them. To me it was worth the mess.

set out an interesting activity near you, but far enough from the stove for safety. Some of my son's favorites were play dough, floor puzzles, crayons and paper, anything they like will keep them interested. My son also liked to play in the sink ("washing" toys or plastic dishes).

Video time! A half hour children's video can give you enough time to throw together a meal.

I would highly recommend spending some time meal planning so you have a nice list of quick, healthy meals with ingredients on hand. I never stuck with assigning specific meals to specific days, but having a list of meals to choose from works for me.
Another good way to cut the bill is to cut out the snack foods and juicies for the kids. They really should snack on fruits, cheeses, whole grain crackers, and drink water or milk. Doing this alone will save alot and they will eat better at meal time.
Check out the once a month cooking threads, too. That can save some time in the evenings as well.

**jlaporte** · 10-09-2007, 08:15 PM

i have 5 in my family. on a good month my food budget is 200.00.i can make due with 100.00 if i have to.i am a sahm so all our lives very.make a list of what you buy. use q's only if you but that item.when you shop have a list and the sales flier with you. so when the price is wrong you will mostlikely get it free!i have a chest freezer. every month i rotate my food.other than that i love it,it will save you money because when a good sale comes you can stock up. dont be afraid to shop at cvs and other drug stores because with the right week and coupons you will get tons for free!!!and make money. I WILL TAKE TIME!!!!!!HAVE PATIENCE. YOU WILL BE FRUGAL IN NO TIME!! welcome & good luck.

**cdmom** · 10-09-2007, 08:48 PM

I 2nd the crockpot suggestion. You can throw in a roast or a chicken on your way out the door and cook it on low while you're at work. Sometimes I even put meat in frozen.

Also, when cooking a meal simply double the recipe and freeze half for a future meal. This not only saves time, but will come in handy on a busy night when you'd be tempted to stop at a fast food restaurant.

**mea772** · 10-09-2007, 09:40 PM

Welcome!

I am learning to be frugal myself and these members here have been so supportive and they have so much wonderful advice!

The crockpot definately is a great tool!

I have an extra fridge/freezer in my garage but I don't like the way it keeps things frozen (seems to freezer burn things too quickly)...I keep thinking about getting another one myself!

I have done the menu planning before and it really worked...I need to try to do that again.

I also have done the cooking enough for two meals before and freeze the 2nd meal...that is a great idea!

**Daisysmom** · 10-10-2007, 10:31 AM

Thanks for all the responses. Yes, I do agree that $800 is outrageous for 4 people. I think a lot of times I will plan on making something and then not have all the ingredients on hand, run to the store and there's a quick $20 or $30. I do use the crockpot but should utilize it more than once a month.

I'm going to try and plan my menu for the week. I also am going to try and make some meals ahead of time during the weekend.

The kids eat pretty healthy - but I do use a lot of convenience foods such as as applesauce and frozen pancakes/waffles. I should try and make them during the weekend as well and have them help.

Thanks again, I appreciate all your suggestions.

**redhead68** · 10-10-2007, 12:17 PM

I prepare food for the week on Sunday afternoons. Usually, I make pancakes, muffins, and/or banana bread that we can pop in the toaster oven for breakfast. For lunches, I make a big pot of chili or some kind of soup (i.e., tomato, chicken noodle, carrot, butternut squash, tortilla, or bean). Also, I bake a loaf of bread and cookies, and I often make turkey meatballs for spaghetti night. Sometimes I also make up a batch of pizza dough.

My family loves Mexican food, so I buy a big bag of corn tortillas, using half of them to make HM baked tortilla chips. I shred a block of cheese and put it in a container in the fridge for turkey tacos or quick quesadillas (much cheaper than the bagged shredded cheese and it takes no time at all). We usually have a "Make Your Own Burrito" Night, consisting of rice, canned black beans, cheese, & salsa served with some sort of fruit for dessert.

In the winter, I buy a whole chicken to roast on the weekend when I have time. After we've eaten a traditional chicken & vegetable dinner, I pull off the rest of the meat and pop it in the fridge for chicken enchiladas.Then, I throw the carcass in a big pot to simmer for a couple of hours. I strain out the carcass, salvaging any other good bits of meat, skim the fat, and use the remaining broth for making soup.

We generally do not drink anything but water or milk, but sometimes I make iced tea, smoothies, or hot chocolate, which is also easy to make from scratch using baking supplies I almost always have in the pantry.

It does take awhile to do the prep work on the weekends, but during the week, I can usually have dinner on the table in less than 25 minutes for about $100/week.

The key for me has been going through old menus and looking for prepared foods that I can easily make from scratch. My latest finds were ranch dressing, taco seasoning, mayonnaise, tomato soup, raspberry simple syrup for mixing with iced tea, BBQ sauce, tortilla chips, and taco shells.

You'll find a lot support here at Frugal Living. Some members use coupons to great effect rather than cooking from scratch, and I'm sure will give you lots of tips if you choose to go that route to lower your grocery bill. For ideas to shop REALLY frugally, look for Tracy's posts. I understand her chicken adobo recipe is wonderful.

**Cricketlegs** · 10-10-2007, 02:12 PM

My family of 3 get by on $200 right now--I have things that need doing so I have to watch the food bill.

I tend to cook the same 15 things so I make a meal plan and list for the entire month.

Good luck.