Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
No matter how hard I try, I can't avoid spending around $250 each week. Some weeks, if I troll the pantry and freezer, I can keep the weekly bill to about $200. Other times, it's been as high as $290.
That said, we do buy a LOT of fresh fruit and veggies. This weekly tab also includes toiletries, paper goods, charcoal, medicine, greeting cards, and anything else I might need at the store for that particular week (I try to get as much as I can in one trip so I don't have to make more trips to Target, where I'll spend even MORE money).
We shop at Stop N' Shop. I cut coupons (though I've been finding they're not making enough of a difference to justify all the time I spend going through them every week) and will stock up on items we regularly buy when they're on sale.
We also do a Costco shopping every month or two, where we spend between $150-$200 (again, food, toiletries, paper goods, coffee, etc.).
Is this out of line for what people spend? And I'm talking about eating like a regular person—not filet mignon and caviar every night, but not rice and beans and Spagetti O's, either. Just eating pretty healthy with a good variety of food for a growing family.
I 2nd...we've found Stop and shop to be ridiculously expensive. They do have a decent sales flyer each week..but beyond the 10 door buster items its not worth it.
I have heard that Compare Foods is decently priced...but have never been in one.
for produce, if there is a Giuntas Meat Farms near you, check them out. the produce is amazingly cheap.
I find King Kullen to be the most expensive. Stop and Shop does not have the sales that it used to. I tend to shop the sales even if I have to go to more than one store. Living in Commack I am lucky that I have all the store very local, right on Jericho. As far as fruit and veg's I tend to go to Best Yet. They even have good meat sales at time. I am not going to pay $1.99 a pound for zucchini when I can get it there for 69cents a pound. I will go to Meat Farms sometimes too. I am not the biggest fan of there lettuce because it has a lot of dirt on it. Price-wise for the major chains I find Shop-rite the cheapest. Can't wait for the new Super Shop-Rite in Commack.
Family of me and myself. I shop at Fairway in Plainview. I spend about $40-$60 a week on groceries.
I buy pretty much the same thing every week. The most expensive items on my shopping list are seafood, steak, and pistachios LOL. I can save about $7 if I get peanuts instead.
No matter how hard I try, I can't avoid spending around $250 each week. Some weeks, if I troll the pantry and freezer, I can keep the weekly bill to about $200. Other times, it's been as high as $290.
I hve a family of 7 and we spend $300 - $350. Most foodstuffs (fruit, vegetables, cheese, meat, fish) are purchased at Whole Foods and for paper goods and the rest at Waldbaums.
You can save a lot of money but it might require a lot of work on your part.
(1) Know what you use, know what you pay for it, (literally keep a list of prices) so then you will know how good of a sale there is for that item. Stores cycle the sales. You will want to get a freezer to put in your garage or basement and when something that you use goes on sale, buy a ton of it. For example, I buy the block fat free mozzarella cheese when it is on sale for $4 or even less, when it's not on sale, it will run $6 or more depending on the store. I have gotten it as low as $2.50 on sale. If you are making lasagna and use a block and a half, you will save money. Stock up the same way with dry goods. I bought lasagna noodles for a dollar and bought ten boxes. When the pasta that we use goes on sale for a dollar, I will likewise buy a ton and put it somewhere.
(2) There are certain times of the year when certain items go on sale. When it's Thanksgiving time, I will get at least twenty cans of chicken stock because this is something I use all year and it's more than half off at this time. Same thing with the turkeys, I buy a few and freeze them. When meat goes on sale, buy a bunch and freeze it.
(3) You will save a lot of money on paper goods, cereal, all kinds of things, by getting them at Walmart or Target. You can actually get a lot of grocery products at Target now since they have a grocery section. You will sometimes save as much as half on the item just on their everyday prices.
(4) Costco might not always be the best deal but it is cheap for things like milk.
(5) Produce is really expensive in the supermarket unless it's on sale. You might want to go to a produce store like John's Farms in Plainview. I don't know how they sell produce for the prices that they do.
(6) You might have to go to a few supermarkets this week to take advantage of each store's loss items. You also want to have a list so you avoid impulse purchases.
(7) I don't buy processed food like frozen dinners or hot pockets or any of that stuff since it's junk. You are also paying for the convenience of someone making food for you.
For the two of us, I spend maybe $50 per week, and I have a ton of stuff in the freezer. If we were locked inside the house, we could probably live for five months with all of the stuff that I have frozen. Keep in mind, my husband and I are not overweight at all. We stay active. We don't eat junk. If my husband wants junk, he wants me to bake and I will make cookies, cake, etc once a week. You can actually save a lot and have something much better by making it yourself.
Actually, you WANT to go to Target and get as much as you can there. You will probably save 10-20% off the same exact items than at StopNShop. Also, do you try "offbrand" items? The "Market Pantry" items like bread, cereal, cookies etc... are actually quite good and much less expensive then the brand name stuff.
Try going to a local fruit and vegetable stand if there is one in your neighborhood
We do a lot of our grocery shopping at Target and Walmart. You can't even compare the prices. And as bruce noted, their own brands are often as good or better than the national brand. We are actually disappointed if they are out of Market Pantry pickles because we like them the best. I've also used their oatmeal, frozen pizza, etc etc.
The grocery stores on Long Island have gotten ridiculously expensive. I used to shop exclusively at King Kullen and now I hardly ever go there at all. They've gotten so expensive and they never have good specials anymore.
We supplement the Target/Walmart shopping with Costco.
Target in Westbury is re-doing their grocery section - they will have meat and produce starting next month ( I think July 23 is the date they are giving).
Good luck. The older my kids get the more we spend. I dread the day we have teenagers.
Yikes! Those prices make me glad I don't have a family and that I am under 100lbs. I don't eat much, therefore I don't buy much groceries. Well, that's a plus about never getting married!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
