Keeping the grocery bill down????!
Answers: my husband and i spend about $400 a month ($100 a week or more) on groceries!! i just think this is outrageous!! do you guys know a healthy meal plan for the week that would keep the bill down to at least $50-$80?? we also have a baby on the way and diapers and formula is going to be hard with a $400 grocery bill! i just need some ideas, no links to other websites please. thanks in advance!!!!!!!!!!!!
I fill up my whole house with food on less than $100. a month. My suggestions to you is to use coupons (every Sunday's paper), go through ALL of the grocery store ads making a list as you go for the items you need, how much they are, and where they are that price. I tend to go to both of the grocery stores in my area because one store will have something on sale that the other store doesn't and they are only about 5-10 minutes apart so I'm not wasting gas. Also, I suggest going to CostCo or Sams Club for all of your meat selections once every 2 months or so. You'll spend less that way because you're buying in bulk and with their package sizes it lasts a long time. Plus, the cuts are normally better. I get center cut, boneless pork chops at CostCo for about $13.00 for 10 thick, tasty chops.
I usually have enough food each month not only for me and my husband, but for the monthly BBQ my neighbors and I have and for the few days a week I have my friend's kid up at my house...and believe me, we don't eat like birds. lol
Hope this helps, believe me...I know what's it's like. I lived in HI for 3 years where it was actually cheaper to eat fast food every night than it was to buy groceries for your home. That's how I learned to shop this way to save money.
We were doing the same thing and found that we were wasting a lot of fresh foods.
The way we manage now is I prepare a menu for each day of the week and only but those items. Saved us a ton of cash.
oh just wait~!!!i have 3 at home and last week i asked the same question i had people saying we only spend 100 to 150 week on graceries im like what are you eating beans everyday?
I have 3 kids and seriously...i bought a gallon of milk yesterday...and it was 5.15 and bread (plain white bread 2.19?)its ridiculous!!
i do buy roast at winn dixie on the two for one meat sale those last ...roast /barbq/ use some of the left over meat before barbq for veggie soup..
You just have to think big!!because then you can make it go further.
I also have picky eaters and one kid only eats mainly fruits...with blueberries in wee little containers at 4 bucks ...you really have to watch sale ads...and just when you find it on sale stock up.Toritallas are wonderful to..you can make breakfast wraps/sandwich wraps/tacos or burritos.
The key is for one thing thats verstile.
We do a weekly menu in my house too, also if you have a big freezer buy meat in bulk, pasta and rice are good cheep fillers. Buying anything in bulk helps enormously with cost. If you look and see what's on offer at your local supermarket that can save cash. If you have a reasonable garden, growing vegetables can help, and it will be healthier for your new arrival when they start on solid food, also it gives you something to talk and learn about besides the baby so you don't end up a single focused couple, it's strange how good it feels to finally pull your own potatoes up from the soil.
Check out a local food pantry...they give out food to low income folks.
Actually it's not so much the meal plans that cost you, it's your food shopping habits.
In order to save money, I try to buy mostly items that are on sale. Every grocery store has sales on certain items at certain times. Go to each of them in your local area when items you need are on sale. The first time you should buy 2x or 3x times as much as you would at a normal price, then freeze or store what you won't use right away. By only buying on sale items, this saves a good amount of money. Also, take the time to go through your local newspapers and magazines for flyers...
When you buy meat, try buying it with skin & fat still attached (you pay more when someone else partially preps it for you!) and prep it yourself. If its hamburger, take half and make your own patties for hamburgers and freeze them. Put the rest in 1/2 lb lumps and put those into freezer bags in the freezer for later use. Buy fresh vegetables/fruit when they are in season and store some hardier types in a root cellar or freezer for the off seasons.
Find people who have backyard gardens and trade them for anything excess you have. Eggs & milk can't be frozen and re-thawed well so find who has it cheapest and buy there about every 2 weeks. Keeping basic ingredients handy (like cut up tomatoes, diced green pepper, chopped onion, grated cheese) cuts down on meal prep time and makes for healthier eating!
My husband and I spend about the same until recently. Here are some of the steps we have taken to help lower costs:
1) Use coupons (check company websites, mailers and newspapers)
2) Plan meals around items grocery store has on sale
3) Get fruits and vegetables from local farmers market
4) Only buy what you need
5) Try a discount store like Aldi's or purchase generic brands