Help!

[New-mom-to-be]

We are expecting, so we are moving to a new home. This is going to double our mortgage!

Is it possible to cut my grocery bill in half? We spend about 900 a month on the two of us by buying groceries and eating out. I know we have to save money on many things, but I am freaking out.

We make a very good living, but also have a car payment!

Help on how to get a grocery bill to about 400-500 a month for my husband, myself, and, once the kid is here, the kid.

I guess no more pop-tarts and soda, even if they are cheap from Sam's?

[suki]

Wow... $900 a month for 2 people is crazy!

I'd guess a lot of convenience food and eating out. Try cooking more from scratch and simply cooking more period.

I have a family of 4... two teenage girls who were swimmers (read needing lots of carbs and snacks) and at the height of my grocery bill it was about $500/month, maybe $600 if I splurged.

You have a lot of room to cut. Set a realistic budget and work to live within it!

[Lambie]

Wow....I know you can do better than $900.00 per month...however, I'd start with some changes ....eat out less, decide on what you can cut back on per week...do you like to cook??? Find some simple recipes and start playing around with a menu/grocery list. Do you watch the sale ads as they come out and buy stuff on sale to eat that week?? Don't freak out, just make yourself believe your having fun and being creative in the kitchen!!!Before long, you'll see the savings and be able to apply it to whatever or save it!!! Make small changes at first and you'll come out ahead!!!! Have fun with it, Katy P.S. Start reading all you can on this site....a great book is Jonni McCoy's book Miserly Moms...it is an AWESOME book!!!!

[suki]

New- mom...

If $400 - $500 is the budget you can live with. I'd start with figuring out how much baby formula costs per month. Then, I'd start living within the amount for you and hubby now. Say it's $200 per month... start allowing yourself only that now. That way, you get used to it... and you can save the difference for an emergency or for the nursery!

The easiest way to trim your budget is to cook for yourself.

I meant to say earlier that my current budget for food for the 3 of us (oldest is in college) is about $300 per month and the youngest is still on the swim team. We usually stay pretty close to budget without much trouble. But, it's really not an option... that's how much I can spend according to my budget, so I have to make it work. Make that YOUR mindset and it will be easier.

[FrugalMomof3]

$900 a month for 2 people is ALOT! We are a family of 4 and we spend less than $75 a month.... my thing is I learn to be creative with foods.

~ Spaghetti doesnt have to be boring, add some spice to it
~ Mac and cheese is your friend, add ground beef or sausage to it
~ Chicken legs/thighs are great and are cheap, buy the family packs and stock up your freezer
~ Soup and Sandwiches arent bad either

You say you eat out alot, why not learn to make those meals at home and it will save you money and you'll even have leftovers!

Try shopping at outlet stores or Aldi's, Price Price or discount food stores, I dont shop at Sam's club or BJ's Wholesale and I spend alot less and for a family of 4.

[peanut]

You should certainly be able to cut that bill in half at least. When are you due? You will want to have some meals in the freezer for after the baby comes. I suggest you buy a small chest freezer to store a month's worth of meals in. And I suggest you cook all those meals from scratch by double and triple batching meals you like.

Cut back on your eating out for sure. You must be doing a lot of it. We feed 3 adults mostly organic fare for $400/mth.

Get rid of processed foods. They are not good for you, your hubby or your baby. Again, cooking from scratch is the answer.

Replace soda with water. Some people have recommended a combination of soda water and fruit juice. It gives a pop zing but is healthier. Actually, my nutritionist insists on 8 c. of water per day to stay healthy. And, no, fruit juice, pop, tea, coffee, etc. are not counted in that 8 cups.

Switch to whole wheat products instead of white grains. Again a health issue. These may be more expensive in the store, but they are more filling and they can be made a lot cheaper at home.

Change when you eat out. If it's for supper (the most expensive meal at a restaurant), try going for breakfast, lunch, or cheaper yet, just for afternoon tea/coffee. Trade in Air Miles or points, etc. for restaurant gift certificates.

There are a lot of ways to slash your grocery budget. If you explore this forum further you will find other threads on this subject. Best of luck!

Jean

[coup]

Let me start with CONGRATULATIONS! And best wishes for a healthy, uneventful 9 months!

The ladies above have offered some really sound advice. My 2 cents: challenge yourself to eat out less. We used to eat out 2-4 suppers a week before kids (and frugal village!) Now my husband and I have 2-3 date night suppers per month. That works for us.

Best wishes! And you can do better than $900 per month! It just takes planning!

[Holly]

$900.00 a month for food and eating out for 12 months is...............
$10,800.00 a year just for food.
For 2 people I have 2 adults and 2 teenagers and we never spend $350.00
a month any more and I'm trying to cut that in half.
Shop with coupons and sales.
Plan a Menu around your sales.
Cook from scratch and limit eating out to 1 or 2 times a month (not expensive
restaurants).
You can do this
Congrats on the baby
Good Luck

[cissylu]

con grat`s and you can do it.
you`ve been given plenty of good tip`s.

[dianne9106]

The grocery store is a scary place Make a list, start couponing, start cooking from scratch or at least more meals at home, and eat out less or at least cheaper when you do. No one expects you to change everything in one week but the little short cuts and tips on the wesbite will help.
-If I don't go to the grocery store without a list - I am done for!
-The $1.50 you spend on the Sunday paper (with coupons) will save you even more. Join a trading board - make couponging a hobby.
-Cook ahead once a week and freeze, that way no worries about what to fix during the week. If that doesn't work - set up a menu system and make it fun and tasty.
-Set aside an eating out budget for the month - do not exceed it and make it low. If you avoid eating out, after awhile the overly processed food will start to taste bad thus making your homecooking more inviting.
-Congratulations on your pregnancy and impending new arrival!
Welcome to Frugal Village!
Dianne

[Marie78]

I would look for sales and stock up. I am really enjoying bargain hunting. I am not name brand loyal though and I can just as easily be happy with a generic item or any name brand item for most things that I buy.

We have stopped eating out as much. Maybe 4x a month we splurge on a pizza out or subs from the store ($60 total for eating out each month). We eat out at a nice restaurant once in awhile if we have a gift card or it's our anniversary . The rest of the meals we make here at home. A few times a month when we visit our families we eat at their house and that saves us a little money too (and we didn't have to cook, just help with clean up).

I have enjoyed trying new recipes at home, I have one in the crockpt now called sour cream and bacon chicken the smell is so good and I can't wait until it's done. It will make enough for the two of us to have for dinner tonight and tomorrow for lunches.

That's another thing we bring our lunches everyday to work. We either bring leftovers from the dinner the night before or we bring a sandwich. I have been at my new job for the last 10 months and I have not bought my lunch out even once. On Valentine's Day my fiance took me out for lunch instead of dinner so we could spend some time together in the middle of the day.

You can do it, even if you change only a few things you should be able to bring your grocery bill down from $900 a month for the two of you and the new baby when they arrive. Good Luck, lots of great ideas on this forum, just look around and ask questions if you have any.

[schellie69]

[QUOTE=Marie78;861135]
I have enjoyed trying new recipes at home, I have one in the crockpt now called sour cream and bacon chicken the smell is so good and I can't wait until it's done. It will make enough for the two of us to have for dinner tonight and tomorrow for lunches.

I would love the reciepe for the sour cream bacon chicken, if you would not mind sharing,
Now my 2 cents on the grocery budget i spend between $600-$800 a month for 7 to 8 people that includes food, cleaning laundry and pet supplies, I feel off the frugal wagon for a while due to health issues (bought a lot of convince food), but I now have gone back on the frugal wagon, here is what i found that works for me and my family, make a menu by what is on sale and what you have in the pantry and frezzer make a list clip coupons which are matched to sale items, I also look for manager specials and if it something i buy anyway i will pick up one or two what ever my budget will allow I usally allow for between $25-$50 of my budget for these kind of deals I try and spend no more then $200 a week for all my supplies including food pet supplies and household items, My best advice would be to start cutting out eating out as much a possiable even if it is only 1 to 2 times a month at first take baby steps if you try and do to much you will get stressed and quit just try a few things at first which every seem easier and managable to you planning meals and making a list is a good place to start, If you have a faviorite item at a resturant trying learing how to make it at home we did this for our faviorite item at an italian resturant and now we like out virsion better. i would recommending checking out twight wad gazzet and not just beans these two books have great ideas and reciepes in them. I am trying to cook from scratch more am make my own started or master mixes to have on hand to help when i am not feeling well, I hope you find the tips that work for you, just remember that there is alot of good advice and ideas on the site explore and read the post they will help alot, good luck on your frugal journey if you need any thing please ask all the people on this site are very nice and helpful and they do try and help each other, one other thing think aobut growing a small garden that is one thing i am also going to try this summer to grow some veggies and learn to can, hope these idea help congrat on the baby and remember that we all are sometimes unfrugal just get up and try again. good luck with your journey to the frugal side (lol),.

[qtkitty]

My recommendation is to look at how your eating now.

How often are you eating out and when?

What kind of meals are you eating when your out?

What do you eat when your at home?

What is important for you to get when shopping (AKA are there certain types of food it just isn't okay to get store brand when you buy... like for me steak sauce isn't steak sauce unless its A1.. are organic veggies and fruits important to you, ect)?

What kind of stores do you have in your area?

Do you cook at home? How much time do you have to prepare meals each day of the week ( 15 min, 30 min, all day)?

Do you like to cook, bake, ect ( this is important !! )?

Do you have a chest freezer?

Okay copy all of the above questions and answer them ... then keep reading i will explain my weirdness.

How often are you eating out and when?
If your eating out regularly for lunch during work you could try bringing in a microwavable dinner ( if you have a microwave avalible to you) or a plate of food that you had previously made and frozen or packing a traditional sandwich lunch.

If it is together out to dinner... try making going out a special event.. once a week for now then perhaps making it less often in the future.

What kind of meals are you eating when your out?
This is an interesting part of eating out choosing a place to eat.

If your eating constantly at fast food joints every night of the week then you should really watch a movie called Super Size Me ( http://imdb.com/title/tt0390521/ ). It really shows a lot of interesting information on why eating Tons of fast food is bad for you in a halarious way.

If your eating at fine resturants ( aka Expensive resturants ). Most often in larger towns there are cheaper alternatives little dives that have WONDERFUL inventive meals with awsome customer service that could take the place of the expensive resturant in your choices.

If you are eating at little ma and pa joints already and love the food ... look at the food what kind of meals are they making you really enjoy. Is it Shrimp Scampi over Fettichini, Biscuits and Sausage Gravy(I know a TON of people who just feel they CAN'T make gravy .. its not true .. it takes some practice yes but making gravy is fairly simple) or something you think you could never pull off.

Ethnic foods... chinese , japanese, indian, mexican, ect... food of a different culture then your own always seem very daunting to make at home, however, most often they are easier then you would think to make knock offs that would satisfy your hungar for those types of food through the week with out having to go out (then once you know you can make it at home then it gets made more often and with YUMMY results !!)

What do you eat when your at home?

If your eating all convienance foods aka pre made foods, box meals, toss a bag in frying pan and your done, microwaveable meals ect... could you make them from scratch ... some pre boxed meals really do help out in the kitchen i will firmly state that ( and i believe it whole heartedly ) However, when your cooking from scratch you are controlling what is going into your food... the salt, the sugar, the preservatives, the dyes, ect.

What is important for you to get when shopping (AKA are there certain types of food it just isn't okay to get store brand when you buy... like for me steak sauce isn't steak sauce unless its A1.. are organic veggies and fruits important to you, ect)?

This is something each of us has to decide for ourselves... what we are firm on... i mean some of us like off brand peaches .. others say that they taste funny... also its one of those things where you may need to try some off brand types of food to see if you like them if you haven't ever tried them.

If it is important to you to buy organic veggies.. you may want to check out http://www.localharvest.org/ to find some local Farmers who have plans where you will get farm fresh veggies and maybe fruits for a season for a certain price even organic.

For all of the name brand items you prefer and are important for you .. go through the sunday papers of either a city/town your in or one near by for coupons. Also check out the stores circulars that come out tuesday-wensday for the week in your area often times you can find name brand items on sale the same time coupons come out.

Do you cook at home?

If you already cook at home some of the time then you may have a small to large pool of recipes already put together to help you on your way to changing your way of eating so you will feel satisfied and not need to eat out as often. Plus safe lots of money and make healthy food for your family.

If you do not already cook at home you may want to slowly start trying recipes... go to http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/ck_c..._16096,00.html they have tons of information to help you start cooking with ease... and also explain terms or definitions you may not understand. I learned how to cut up whole chickens off food network online .. so *G* it really is something good to have if your just starting or have been cooking for a long time.

How much time do you have to prepare meals each day of the week ( 15 min, 30 min, all day)?

Time limits... There always are those today aren't there.. yet some days there is more time then others... if you look at your schedual and find that on Mondays and Thursdays you have a large chunk of time to do what ever you want. Then use some of that time to make large amounts of food that you can store in your freezer for either lunches or dinners ( there are many people here who do this.. where they cook a few days for a whole month. )

If you have only 15 minutes on lets say Friday .. yet on Thursday you had an hour... maybe you could grill up some skinless boneless chicken breasts on thursday 2 plain 2 marinaded in some italian dressing or a little vinagrette. The flavored chicken breasts eat with sides of your choice. Then Friday open a bottle of spegetti sauce ( kick it up a little with some garlic and extra spice or leave it the way it is if you like. ) and boil up some angel hair noodles.( reheat the chicken breast and cut into peices) Place the angel hair on the plate then the chicken and some sauce then top with some parmesan cheese for chicken parmesan.

Do you like to cook, bake, ect ( this is important !! )?

If you really do not like to cook i sugest using the monthly cooking technique as well as getting a few gadgets if you don't already have them to make cooking at home easier and faster for you a crock pot and george forman type grills.

If you do WHOOHOO your gonna have lots of fun !!

Do you have a chest freezer?
If you don't you may want to invest in one ... this way if you decide to do monthly meals you have a place to store them. Also if you find awsome deals on meat you can store them away packaged into portions.

[mombottoo]

We are expecting, so we are moving to a new home. This is going to double our mortgage!

Is it possible to cut my grocery bill in half? We spend about 900 a month on the two of us by buying groceries and eating out. I know we have to save money on many things, but I am freaking out.

We make a very good living, but also have a car payment!

Help on how to get a grocery bill to about 400-500 a month for my husband, myself, and, once the kid is here, the kid.

I guess no more pop-tarts and soda, even if they are cheap from Sam's?

Congratulations on the upcoming addition to your family and on your new home!!!

Yes, it is possible to cut your grocery bill...probably by more than half. But, it depends on what you are willing to do to get there. There are a lot of good suggestions in the thread already that will help you on your way. Have you checked into whether or not you qualify for WIC? There income limits are quite high and not only will it cover formula once the baby gets here, the program would provide a variety of foods for you while you are pregnant. I know some people don't like using gov't programs but if you are not adverse to WIC then you might want to check into it.

[SSGWilkesWife]

"We are a family of 4 and we spend less than $75 a month.... "

Wow! That is so hard to believe with the cost of groceries now. I have a family of 5 and we spend up to 350 a month. Milk is 5 bucks a gallon now. I must be doing something wrong.