Busting that grocery budget down to size

**BlessedByGod** · 10-04-2009, 05:24 AM

My husband and I recently decided that it was more important for our daughter (almost two) to have a full time mother. It is all for the better that we make this change now since I plan to home school her in a few years anyway. The problem is adjusting to one income. The only reason why I went to work part-time was because my husbands income needed a supplement and now we are missing the extra 800.00 I was bringing in each month.

My food/toiletries/baby items budget was 300.00 a month but now I just don't see how it can go over 200.00 and that would be pushing it a little bit.

I know many of you have whipped budgets much smaller then mine into shape but I don't have time for trial and error here. Can some of you give me examples of your menu plans? Maybe a weeks example of meals that you prepared or plan to and roughly what that grocery bill came up to?

Also. Has anyone heard of "The grocery game" and if so, what was your impression of it? Personally when I do my grocery shopping I only shop at Winco Foods, Grocery outlets and the Dollar Store. I do not see how clipping coupons and shopping at Safeway and Albertsons could save me money..... But maybe I am not getting the bigger picture! =)

**Grainlady** · 10-04-2009, 08:03 AM

Hubby and I joke that we can have anything we want to eat, as long as it doesn't cost over $50. I have a $50/week grocery budget, so I hope some of these things I've incorporated over the years will help you out.

1. Build a stockpile of essential foods over time. You can rely on it for daily food preparation, while your food dollars are used for a large percent of sales items. I consider my "essentials" as the "Seven Survival Foods" - grains, legumes, sprouting seeds, sweetener (of choice - sugar, honey, etc.), salt, oil, and powdered milk. With those seven items I can make a large range of healthy items. I can make "fake" meat (gluten/seitan) from freshly-milled whole wheat flour. I can use sprouted grains/beans/seeds as a substitute for fresh vegetables.

2. Stack savings by buying foods that are discounted/loss-leaders AND you have a coupon for (hopefully you can get double-coupon), and maybe even a rebate.

3. Purchase INGREDIENTS, not convenience foods, and MAKE your own convenience foods from those ingredients. This means more cooking and baking from scratch.

4. Focus on whole foods, which tend to be less expensive than their highly-processed, highly-advertised counterparts - and more nutritious. Make your own applesauce from apples (from fresh or dehydrated apples, as an example). Whole foods are also nature's original "fast food".

5. I keep my meat budget to $10/week out of that $50/week budget, and try to keep meat to a $2/pound or less amount.

Hit the store early and check the meat counter for discounted meats. Use less meat and incorporate more low-costing meat alternatives to increase your protein to the recommended amount. Stir-fry is a good way to use up small amounts of meat. We have Vegetarian Day on Friday, so meals incorporate alternatives like eggs, cheese, beans, gluten (fake meat).

6. I keep a Price Book with the prices of our basic food items. That way I know if Van Camp Pork n Beans at Walgreen's this week are less expensive than the brand I normally purchase at Aldi.

http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/20...food-spending/

7. Wasted food is your most expensive food. So if you purchase that head of cabbage, make sure you remember to use it in your meal plan for the week.

Find new ways to use inexpensive foods. We topped our sloppy joes yesterday with shredded cabbage. It's good on bbq beef or pork sandwiches, as well. Cabbage is generally much less expensive than lettuce in the winter and is a very nutritious food.

8. A dehydrator is a blessing for using up foods or using food bargains. Discounted fruit at the store make great fruit roll-ups (aka fruit leather). That bargain box of mushrooms are quickly sliced and dehydrated. I dehydrate seemingly "tons" of discount and FREE-for-the-picking apples and use them for making desserts, adding it to homemade granola and baked goods, and as our #1 out-of-hand snack food.... I only have the freezer on my refrigerator, so my space is limited. I dehydrate bargain frozen vegetables and fruit, as well as those fresh from the garden.

**savvy_sniper** · 10-04-2009, 08:14 AM

Listen to GrainLady; she knows what she is talking about. You need to focus on cooking from scratch. Not only will your money and food go farther, but you will eat better/healthier.

I cook mostly from scratch. There are tons of coupons for packaged/processed food. But there aren't a lot for basic ingredients. I buy mostly store brands. In MOST cases they are just as good as the name brands and much cheaper.

You won't be able to cook from scratch 100% at first, but you can phase it in over time. My husband is constantly amazed at the delicious meals I prepare and how little money I spend on them!

There are tons of recipes on this forum. There are lots of sites out there on the World Wide Web. You can also check out books at the library. When you find cookbooks you like, you can purchase them cheaply on sites like Half.com and eBay.

**ravenmaniac** · 10-04-2009, 08:25 AM

When I visit my dad in Oregon I love Winco! He hates it. My dad is "wealthy". He prefers the posh stores. (Don't get excited, my little half sister gets everything because his wife feels she is an only child. Enough of that.) Buying health and beauty aids can be tough. Generics are good quality. And stock up when you do have coupons available. That's what I try to do. Always be aware of how much shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, etc. you are using. I read an article on MSN where most people over condition their hair!

**tigo** · 10-04-2009, 09:11 AM

Toiletries and baby items we buy with coupons when they are loss leaders. There are web sites devoted to breaking down how you can get things for free or nearly so after coupons and register dollars (google Walgreens or CVS free after coupons - there are literally 100s of sites/blogs on this). The web sites help me save time by already knowing what the deals are. The trick is to get there as soon as they open on Sunday or they tend to be wiped out of the items by afternoon. With infants in the house, we signed up on several formula sites and get rebate checks (used like a $5 coupon in the store) that brings the cost down quite a bit.

For groceries, we buy basics - rice, flours, pastas, vegetables, fruits and meats. Since I have 6 kids and 4 grand children at home, most of our meals are casseroles or soups. It is easy to feed a small army that way. For smaller families, the leftovers can be put in the fridge or freezer to use as a quick meal later.

Examples of meals we eat: Tuna casserole, potato soup, spaghetti, cheeseburger macaroni, veggie soup, stir fry, fried rice, sailor spaghetti (pasta tossed with scrambled egg, bacon and parmesan), beans and rice, burritos, minestrone soup, pizza (home made), chicken and rice, chicken and noodles, ham and potato casserole, chicken noodle soup, split pea soup, stew

**old_lady_in_the_shoe** · 10-04-2009, 10:12 AM

I agree, shop with the loss leaders from your local grocery stores. make your menues based on what is cheap and on sale (for most weeks that is)...
Example: if chicken is in the local loss leader for .69lb, then you need to buy chicken for that week (and more if budget allows) and use it for you meats for the week.
You can cook chicken and have it "ready to eat" too.
Cook some, take off bone, shred and use it for tacos, or in a casserole, boil the bones and pick off any left and make soup with that. 2 or 3 chickens should feed a family of 3-4 for a whole week.

I am a coupon user and I do remember when I used to think that i was a good frugal shopper and that coupons could not help me, then I decided to actually check into it deeper. I now save a lot with coupons. I have to admit, that I save the most on health, bath, body and such moreso than foods. That is because we too cook from scratch and use more whole ingredients and there are not to many coupon for those items. YOu can go to threads in here or other forums that help spell out deals to each store to use coupons.

Rebates are your friend too. Check in to rebates and use them as much as you can. I send in for rebates and get back $50-$100 each year, that may not sound like much, but it allows me that extra to stock up on something when it is on sale...which leads to stockpiling...

stockpiling is the way to go, as you increase you groceries at home in stockpilable stuff, then you have more freedom to purchase other items when needed. here is an example...if you find ketchup on sale (and they usually run them on sale a lot during spring and summer bq'ing time) and find a few coupons to match... then purchase it and purchase enough to last you a year while it is free or cheap. Everything rotates on when it is uaully the cheapest and that is when you try to cash in on those items by stockpiling. Fruits and veggies also have a "cheap" season and when pumpkins go on sale right after Halloween, then that is the time to purchase them for next to nothing, cook them down and freeze them, or bake with them (or can it, or dehydrate it depending on what is on sale)

The beginning is the hardest, but as you keep going, you will find that you will "aquire" more things in your stockpile and you will need to buy less.

My "motto" on puchasing is : never buy it when you need it, buy it when it is cheapest. by this I mean, that if i wait to buy new pants (or food item, or health item, or bath item) then when my son grows quickly, and all of a sudden needs pants, it will be the time when there are no sales and I do not have time to bargin shop and I will get stuck paying full overinflated price for the item. So when I find something we will ALWAYS use and will last like shampoo, and I can get if for .25 or .50 a large bottle, then I get it for a year of more and so I will not HAVE to go and get it when i can only find it for $2-3 a bottle. YOu can do this with all your needs grocery, health, automobiles(maintenence), health,.... because a bit of strategy is worth a lot.

Good luck!

**savvy_sniper** · 10-04-2009, 10:22 AM

Check for grocery salvage stores in your areas. You have to know your prices, check expiration dates, and stock up when you find a deal. I recently found several in my area. Hubby and I go every couple of weeks. He thinks it is great to find grocery deals there!

**Grainlady** · 10-04-2009, 10:34 AM

A few more tips:

1. Check those unit prices (I shop with a calculator in my hand). The largest jar of peanut butter may not be the best buy when you figure the price per ounce. A can of tuna never looks expensive until you figure the unit price. Break it down to cost per ounce, then figure it per pound (price per ounce X 16). Some cans of tuna cost as much per pound as steak!!!!

2. Avoid individual portions (juice boxes, pudding cups, fruit cups, chips.....). When you figure how much you are paying for extra packaging and convenience, it will pay for you to make your own individual portions.

How much are you paying per ounce for applesauce in the individual containers compared to a jar of applesauce, or better yet, homemade from free-for-the-picking apples that you dehydrated.

3. Avoid ready-to-serve juice from the refrigerator case. First off, only use 100% juice products because it's all about nutrition - not high-fructose corn syrup and empty calories - and use the concentrated juice from the freezer case and add your own water. Tang may have gone to the moon, but there is NO redeeming nutritional value in it!

4. Take advantage of seasonal bargains.

-This is the time of year when apples are fresh and at their lowest price.

-I purchase most of the nuts we use AFTER the holidays when they are generally greatly discounted.

-Stock-up on discounted pre-holiday baking items.

-Before any summertime holiday, you'll find pork n beans, condiments, and other cook-out items at low prices.

5. I purchase groceries with cash only and have a $50 bill to use for groceries each week that is kept in my Price Book. I never spend the entire amount, and I never "borrow" from next week no matter how good the bargain..... There are ALWAYS bargains. The FIRST and best way to save money on groceries is to set a budget amount and stick to it!

As unspent money accumulates, that's the money I use to purchase large amounts of wheat/beans/seeds, a year's supply of a whey-based milk substitute (Morning Moo's - www.moosmilk.com/), grass-fed beef from a friend (each October).

6. Be on the lookout for FREE food.

Friends and neighbors with gardens will always have too many of something they will gladly give you - especially if you offer to pick it yourself.

Over the years I've made "friends" with strangers just because of the fruit trees they couldn't care less about in their back yards. They are more than happy to have you pick from them. I always offer to give them some of the picked fruit, or something I make with it.

If your income is low enough, take advantage of commodity food the government gives away, WIC, or other programs.

I pick black walnuts from a friends yard this time of the year. I pick sorghum and field corn left in fields after harvest. I mill sorghum into flour (great for using in gluten-free recipes) and mill corn into cornmeal and corn flour. You can also make corn bread with whole corn using Sue Greggs recipe: http://www.suegregg.com/recipes/brea.../cornbread.htm

I've also gotten free wheat from cousins and friends who are farmers. Even without a mill, you can make all kinds of great things with wheat: http://www.suegregg.com/recipes/brea...terwaffles.htm It can be used cooked, I make my own bulgur...

7. Understand what a serving size is, and how many you need for the day - http://www.mypyramid.gov/. Overeating/drinking ANYTHING is expensive. Satisfy thirst with water, not fruit juice or soda.

**Gotonenerveleft** · 10-04-2009, 12:16 PM

I've been working on getting my budget down also. Mostly because I'm getting my stockpile built up again and want to do it on the cheap. I've decided to try to cook more from scratch and buy less packaged products. I made a pantry inventory and then looked at the list to see what can be made at home. Boy...I was so surprised to find recipes for things like ketchup, bbq sauce, evaporated and condensed milk, stuffing mix, etc. All pretty simple recipes too. Just check out some of the recipe sites. I came across a quote somewhere that said " if a food company can make an item, you can too" That was profound to me. So I'm on a quest to cut down what I purchase by making it a home if possible.

My other suggestion would be to get a freezer...helps so much to keep a budget under control.

**Luckybustert** · 10-04-2009, 10:11 PM

Originally Posted by ravenmaniac

When I visit my dad in Oregon I love Winco! He hates it. My dad is "wealthy". He prefers the posh stores. (Don't get excited, my little half sister gets everything because his wife feels she is an only child. Enough of that.)

This reminded me of a friend who whines about shopping at Winco because "that's where the POOR PEOPLE shop!" I told him he was being silly because why on earth would someone want to shop at Safeway or Albertson's and pay a dollar or so more per item for the SAME EXACT THINGS!

I will shop the loss leaders at places like Safeway and Albertson's, but Winco has much better prices overall. Yes, I have to bag my own groceries. No, it's not as fancy as the other stores. No, they don't take credit cards. But the flip side of that is better prices = more money to spend on other things. That's a pretty good trade-off in my book. We also do a lot of shopping at Grocery Outlet. Not sure if there are any other grocery salvage stores in Oregon....if there are, would love to find them!

**dogwalker79** · 10-05-2009, 01:23 AM

Tang may have gone to the moon, but there is NO redeeming nutritional value in it!

Lol, Grainlady!

**pollypurebred39** · 10-05-2009, 02:39 AM

Check here LB

http://www.moneytalksnews.com/2009/0...ry-store-list/

**HisDaisy** · 10-05-2009, 02:57 AM

I shop at Winco for most items, but I do buy loss leaders at Albertsons and Safeway. The key for me is to know what things cost. I am working on a price book. That way I will know what a bargain is.
Winco is great, but sometimes you can find things cheaper at other stores if you watch the sale ads and shop their bargain bins. I buy most of meat out of the bargain bins at Fred Meyers, Albertsons, or Safeway.
I also try to stay out of the store, which takes planning so that you are not running to the store for milk or eggs. I menu plan a month at a time and design meals from what I already have on hand. Then I shop sales to rebuild the stock for next month.
It takes work, but my DH and I basically live off of his salary as a newspaper editor at a weekly paper (code for lost of work for little pay - but he loves it).
Good luck and read through old threads for meal ideas and ways to cut spending in all budget areas.

**shoiji** · 10-05-2009, 03:34 PM

I use the website couponmom. She has certain grocery stores listed by state, then matches the sales flyers to coupons. Everything is all listed so you just clip the coupons you need for that day. Makes it really easy for you to use. See if your store is listed.

Always keep an eye out for manager's specials. Especially in the meat department. I have yet to pay full-price for meat any more. I usually stock up when I see meat on special. Just make sure to wrap and freeze meat as soon as you get it home to avoid having it go bad on you. It may seem like more work but the money you save is worth it.

Build a stockpile. I am in an apartment and have a closet with shelves dedicated for the stockpile. (OK, two closets, lol) I have cheap shelves in the closet. I did spend more money to build the stockpile. However, now I seem to always be able to keep up with the stockpile because I can wait for the really good sales with coupons. And I am still on budget.

There is a wealth of information on this website. It may be a little trial and error to find what works best for you. When stockpiling the best suggestion is to only purchase what you need and will use. There is nothing worse than having to throw something out because you never use it or don't like it. Right now is a good time to start stocking up on things like pumpkin puree, cranberry sauce, canned fruits and vegetables, nuts, dried fruit, etc. You may find your stockpile changes with the seasons.

Since it is fall I tend to go in squirrel mode and get a little crazy with the storing for winter. I think it is because I don't have a car so going to the store is a little more difficult.

Take you time to figure out what will work best for you. During the winter you might want to think about a garden or planters for the spring. I mainly grow herbs right now. But it does save on food.

**Gracefully Frugal** · 10-05-2009, 05:47 PM

This is a great thread. My grocery bill is one of the main areas I'm focusing on. I don't really want to tell you what my monthly bill is! Ok, I'll say it, it's about $400 per month for two people. we were doing a lot of our shopping at the organic store. Having my first vegetable garden this year did help cut down on the bill. I'm going to keep reading these tips.