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We live in a rural area where there are two large supermarkets to choose from: Hannaford and Price Chopper. There's a Costco, but it's over an hour's drive from our home.
We spend between $125 to $150 a week for two adults, two kids and two dogs. This includes all of our cleaning supplies and toiletries. We eat a mostly natural food, vegetarian diet so I'm not able to use coupons much except for our cleaning supplies and toiletries.
In the summer we save a bit by planting a large garden. All in all, I don't think that we overspend when you consider that we eat a healthy diet, which helps to prevent health problems that would increase our medical costs.
Well some forums don't permit links. I do it on many sites to avoid having the link deleted. It is a way to ensure the person has the correct information. But I suppose having xyz.com turn into **** would be better information.
Well some forums don't permit links. I do it on many sites to avoid having the link deleted. It is a way to ensure the person has the correct information. But I suppose having xyz.com turn into **** would be better information.
I've never seen a coupon for razors (Mach 3) but see a lot of coupons for disposables. I'd love to get some razor coupons...those things are way too expensive!
I have a milk crate full of razors, not many of the disposable kinds. Gillette Venus and Venus Divine, Intuition, Schick Quattro (for men AND women) and Midnight, Fusion with batteries and lots of refills too. 4 blades, 5 blades, next the razors will give you a facial to boot.
I have paid sales tax only. It's not just that there are coupons for these things, but there are sales that match up to make them free.
I spend about $800 mo for 2 adults and a 10,7,6, and 2 yo.
When I was spending more time with coupons and sales and stockpiling, it was about $550/mo.
I don't buy all scratch foods but I don't buy many, if any, prepared full meals (like tv dinners, frozen pizzas,etc....) I do buy frozen veggies, bagged cut lettuce and salad mixes, dry cereals, instant oatmeal, sandwich bread, deli meat, sliced cheese, baked chips, and other prepared foods like that.
My sis tells me our grocery prices are about the same as in central PA, for reference.
I've been really trying to watch what I spend the past year and I have been keeping spreadsheets of the things I regularly buy and the costs at different stores. I have a super Target and a super Walmart very close to me and I have a BJs membership, I try to get there 1-2 times a month. I think it is $80/year for the membership where you earn cash back and every year I have had it I have got my membership fee plus some back. I wait for coupons for things like toilet paper, etc. and it is definately cheaper than even Walmart for several of the things I buy. Then tend to have a better selection of food items for me as well. Milk is always $.50-1 cheaper at BJs than even the walmart but I do need to utilize the Aldi near us more as well.
I only go to my grocery store (Harris Teeter and Lowes Foods) for fresh produce, specialty items, and meats. Walmart opened 1-2 years ago and I have definately been saving money there. Target is good on some things, like I found the bread I buy for almost $1 cheaper than walmart or BJs the other day.
I spend about $150 month for me and my son on grocerys and and about $75/month dining out but the grocery total includes nonfood items like toilet paper, papertowels, shampoo, soaps and detergents, etc. I track my expenses on MS Money and I just put them all under groceries since they all get bought on the same trip.
I do not coupon much because I tend to stick with non-processed and whole foods (have to buy organic for things like ketchup and soups because I rarely buy anything that is loaded with junk like high Fructose corn syrup and preservatives). I do buy frozen veggies, bagged salad, and I freeze my meat when I find it cheap or stock up on it at BJs. I very rarely can find coupons for non-processed foods or the stuff I normally buy. I watched a segment about a woman that spent literally pennies on groceries every week but her pantry was full of the boxed rices and pastas and things like that. I will only have those occasionally. I do coupon some though, but I only end up saving a few dollars each trip, except for the BJs coupons, those really add up when I use them.
I watched a segment about a woman that spent literally pennies on groceries every week but her pantry was full of the boxed rices and pastas and things like that. I will only have those occasionally. I do coupon some though, but I only end up saving a few dollars each trip,
When I was an avid couponer I found my pantry filling with stuff that I had to force myself to use b/c once in a while was ok but weekly was yuck (like hamburger helper). I am still (well not me but my husband and oldest son) eating canned soup (chunky and healthy request) from last winter's soup coupon/sale combo. I also found myself feeling challenged and getting competitive with other coupon shoppers (because I frequented the coupon forums looking for deals) to have the lowest monthly budget (which was really dumb considering everyone has different needs and preferences and grocery prices).
Now I use fewer coupons but I eat the stuff I buy!
I have found my best system is to stick to the loss leaders on the front page of the grocery circular for stocking up on things like beef and poultry, and buying fruit based on what is on sale that week (and apples keep a long time so when the price is good I fill up at least one crisper drawer with apples).
I was on a mom's forum a few years back and one woman who had 6 or 7 kids said her grocery budget for the month was $150. I would have loved to see her purchases.
OP (and anyone who can't figure out how to cut down) - I think the best thing for one to keep in mind is to try to get the best prices available to you for the food you eat and is healthy for your family. Not everyone has the same prices or the same dietary needs. Its pretty easy to pick a few key items and keep an eye on the price trends over time to discover when something is a great deal or not. If you do this with some high ticket items (like meat and poultry, fresh produce) its an easy way to cut down a grocery bill without spending hours tracking things or cutting coupons if you don't want to (not that tracking your purchases or cutting coupons are bad, its just that some people get overwhelmed with it or would rather spend their free time with something else).
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