Picky DH = Insane Food Expenses -- Need Advice!

**MrsHutto** · 09-21-2011, 02:18 PM

DH and I just built our first home and I am making every attempt at becoming more frugal, in order to eliminate debt and increase our savings. We blow an incredible amount of money on food every month, and I really want to bring that budget down tremendously. For the two of us, including dog food and household items/toiletries, I spend upwards of $500/month!

DH is incredibly picky, so it's difficult to prepare budget-friendly meals. For breakfast, he will only eat cold cereal (which has to be brand-named "Honey Nut Cheerios") and red seedless grapes. He has to have snacks for the day at work, which consists of Lance sandwich crackers, or Borden string cheese, or grapes, or peanuts. Other fruits, like bananas, apples and/or oranges are out of the question. He doesn't want 'em. For lunch, he will VERY rarely settle for a sandwich. He will take leftovers, though. For dinner, he will eat chicken (boneless ONLY) or ground turkey, lima beans or green beans, macaroni and cheese, roasted potatoes, brown rice and breads. That's about it - NO casseroles, NO soups, not much pasta, NO dried beans, NO veggies, NO fried foods.

A sample dinner menu looks a little like this:

Monday: Grilled chicken breast, Green Beans, Roasted Potatoes
Tuesady: Turkey Meatloaf, Lima Beans, Mac & Cheese, Rolls
Wednesday: Baked Turkey Spaghetti, Toast
Thursday: Chicken Subs, Chips
Friday: Turkey Burgers, Baked Beans, Chips OR Salad (if he is craving a salad)
Saturday: Oven-fried Chicken Strips, Green Beans, Brown Rice
Sunday: Game Food (chicken wings, pizza, or something similar [but costly])

Does anyone else prepare for a picky eater? What are some meals that would be less expensive, and still suit his pickiness? Thanks, in advance, for all your help!

**staceyy** · 09-21-2011, 02:54 PM

It sounds like you would do well to use coupons on the processed foods like the Honey Nut Cherrios, crackers and cheese and buy in bulk everything else when it goes on sale.

**Ramona** · 09-21-2011, 02:56 PM

You have my sympathy with your picky eater, I have one, too

.

I'd suggest stocking up on chicken on sale, coupons for the Honey Nut Cheerios and stocking up when it's on sale.

Would he go for homemade buffalo wings and pizza?

There is something to be said for picky eaters, it alleviates some of the stress about what's for dinner

.

**MrsHutto** · 09-21-2011, 03:08 PM

Originally Posted by Ramona

Would he go for homemade buffalo wings and pizza?

There is something to be said for picky eaters, it alleviates some of the stress about what's for dinner .

I do make the game food, myself.

You're absolutely right, Ramona. My menu basically stays the same...the days just alternate. LOL!

**brennasmom** · 09-21-2011, 03:17 PM

You can find pretty good deal on the Cheerios by matching sales + coupons and stocking up

I stock up on ground turkey when I find it BOGOF

**mystypooh** · 09-21-2011, 03:21 PM

Oh I know exactly what you mean! MY DH is just like that plus I have a boy and a girl who are autistic and they're as bad as their daddy - who is also autistic....they're extremely picky! It makes it so DIFFICULT to plan or buy food for meals. I end up spending so much money. I coupon and try to have a game plan but it never works! I'm spending up to 600-700 and up a month for food. There are five of us and I shudder every time I have to go to the store and I shudder every time I walk out :-(

**shp1055** · 09-21-2011, 03:39 PM

Do you have or know someone with a Sam's card: if so, check out the Lance crackers & planters peanuts below

Lance ToastChee Sandwich Crackers - 40ct
Cheese Crackers with Peanut Butter Filling
Item #: 142024 $5.68Club Pick up in the Club (#8181)
(this works out to be .142 per pkg.

Planters Peanuts, 48 - 1 oz. bags $8.12 (comes to 17 cents ea)

You could probably find the Borden's string cheese there in bulk also.

**MrsHutto** · 09-21-2011, 03:42 PM

I have a Sam's card! I cannot believe I haven't thought of buying those items, there. Thanks!

**shp1055** · 09-21-2011, 04:15 PM

Also: stockpile the chicken breasts and canned green beans when they go on sale. And I'm a bit devious; I'd buy a box of store brand honey nut cheerios and mix them half and half with the name brand and put them back in the original box and see what happens. he probably won't be able to tell the difference.

Compare prices of what you now pay for brown rice now to what Sam's price is. The meat and fruit are usually a lot higher at Sam's though. Do you make your own bread? It really is a lot cheaper to make it yourself.

If you make your mac & cheese from scratch, buy block cheese when on sale and freeze it. If you use the box, price at Sam's.

**MissSeetonFan** · 09-21-2011, 04:28 PM

I know it could add to the costs of food a little at the beginning but if it works it could eventually cut down on things. Maybe start making a few other side dishes that are actually small versions of main dishes, one at a time. Add them to the meal. If he won't eat them, save them and you can use the leftovers. If he tries them, and likes them, you have just increased his range of things he likes.

Is he so picky that he can pick up on taste differences when you add just one extra ingredient off the list of ones he doesn't like? Maybe find ways to incorporate one extra vegetable that can be disguised into a main dish or side dish.

Or maybe try some reverse psychology on him. Make something that looks and smells really nice, be it a dessert, a bread or a meal and tell him that it is only for you or for a friend in need (even set it up with a friend to make it real). If he sneaks some of it more than once, put it on the table for your meals. Or invite friends over and make a meal that is really appealing to everybody including things he generally doesn't eat. He may get suckered in to eating some of the extra stuff he doesn't normally eat.

See if he would be willing to try alternate versions of the same foods he really likes.

Good luck with it all. I haven't had to deal with it myself so I have no idea if any of these ideas will work or if you've tried them already.

**MrsHutto** · 09-21-2011, 04:45 PM

Originally Posted by shp1055

And I'm a bit devious; I'd buy a box of store brand honey nut cheerios and mix them half and half with the name brand and put them back in the original box and see what happens. he probably won't be able to tell the difference.

LOL! I've actually been going back and forth with that idea, but you've just made it an easier decision for me.

**MrsHutto** · 09-21-2011, 04:54 PM

Originally Posted by MissSeetonFan

Is he so picky that he can pick up on taste differences when you add just one extra ingredient off the list of ones he doesn't like? Maybe find ways to incorporate one extra vegetable that can be disguised into a main dish or side dish.

That may work. I fix the plates and usually serve him in his recliner while he's engrossed in some dumb show. As a result, I doubt he even tastes half of what goes past his lips.

I've tried to get him to eat dry beans and soups, to NO avail. It's too bad, too, because I grew up on "poor food" and I miss it! He claims the texture and consistency of beans is undesirable to him, and that soups don't "fill him up". A good hearty soup would work, but oh yeah...he doesn't like veggies. It gets harder each week, as he asks what's for dinner, and often replies "Oh, I'm not really feeling that". It's no wonder he's never 'feeling' anything, as I'm sure he's tired of the same stuff! I'm half tempted to just start cooking what I want, and if it's something he's not 'feeling', well, he can make himself a turkey sandwich.

**moasmom** · 09-21-2011, 04:57 PM

I think it's time to have a talk together about your goals and what you can both do to work towards them. Paying off debt and saving money usually involves compromises of some kind.

Since it doesn't appear that his pickiness is because of health issues/allergies, then you might suggest he pick some things that can be given up to benefit your mutual goals.

When cutting food costs, the biggest changes usually come from cooking more from scratch and shopping around for bargains. Needing to purchase large amounts of processed food of specific brands directly inhibits both of those giant cost saving tactics.

Good luck, this sounds really tough for your budget.

Kara

**LBKB** · 09-21-2011, 06:21 PM

The cheapest place we have found cheerios is sam's club also.

**greekislandgirl** · 09-21-2011, 06:25 PM

I really feel for you - I'm trying to stretch a food budget way beyond where it wants to be stretched. I absolutely agree with mixing the generic honey nut cereal with the cheerios - do it the way people learn to get off caffeinated coffee. The first day, do 90% cheerios, 10% generic. Slowly over time get to where you're using 100% generic. Save the Cheerios box, or put the cereal in a nice glass canister (if he asks, which he won't, tell him it keeps it more fresh). [Or, you know, be honest about it... I don't want to be accused of recommending lying to one's spouse!!]

As for the red grapes, those are not in season year-round. You're probably getting a good price when they're in season in Chile and when they're in season in the US. The rest of the year, you're probably overpaying. If you can find a different fruit that he will eat, it could save you a lot of money. I am very unpicky but even so, the idea of eating apples, oranges, and bananas depresses the heck out of me. Those are the most uninspiring fruits ever. When they're in season, you can try kiwis, strawberries, other sorts of berries, watermelon, etc. My husband hates citrus fruits because the texture bothers him but he loves the juice - can you replace the grapes with fresh-squeezed orange juice when oranges are in season and very cheap?

As for his poultry obsession, luckily chicken is pretty cheap in the US (I live in Europe where it's about 4 times the price!), but you can take advantage of the things he will eat by using a higher quantity of the cheaper ones in new ways - he likes roasted potatoes? How about trying a roasted potato soup? (It is impossible to claim that this is not filling. It's about as light as cement.) He likes baked beans? How about vegetarian chili? He likes brown rice? How about rizotto with some in-season veggies, like mushrooms (okay, okay, he probably hates mushrooms), pumpkin, etc. He likes green beans? How about an Asian stir-fry with green beans, peppers, and a few other vegetables (and a smaller amount of chicken) over brown rice?

You say that homemade pizza is costly... I don't think that should be the case. If you buy generic flour (which you honestly don't need that much of to make dough) and use plain tomato sauce (the kind that comes in the box, not the jar), you honestly don't need that much stuff to put on it. It only takes about 1/4 of a pepper, 1/2 of an onion, 5 olives, 4 mushrooms, and a few basil leaves to make a veggie pizza - and you can buy mozzarella usually pretty cheap at places like Sam's, especially the pre-shredded stuff. As long as you have a basic kitchen's worth of herbs and spices, there's no point in buying pre-made pizza or pasta sauce in a jar.

You didn't mention beverages - is your DH picky about drinks too?