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Your list sounds similar to mine. Unfortunately I have to buy meat for the husband so that hikes the cost.
I'm allergic to all dairy so the cheese, yogurt, and butter are out. I don't drink much coffee but I drink expensive P.G. Tipps tea once a day. Sauerkraut is good for you but it takes me a while to use it up.
Since I love blueberries, I buy the frozen variety in large bags--and they're the little, sweet, wild variety. I like guacamole but avocados can be expensive around here--I only buy them when they're on sale.
The killer for me is the high price of nuts, like almonds! Now I'm just buying whatever type of nuts are on sale and not eating as many as I used to. I've started to alternate between free range eggs and the eggs that are not from properly raised hens.
I think the advantage that I have where I live is the presence of a wonderful family owned grocery store chain called Market Basket. They get what the locals WANT and they keep the prices low. Their selection isn't as huge as some of the other stores but I can usually get what I want there. (There is now a film about how "the people" helped Market Basket to stay in business by a huge supportive boycott of the planned takeover two years ago.)
If I need something that's not carried in MB and I have to venture into another grocery store, I am shocked by the prices. MB has started to carry more in the way of organic foods and they're making them affordable.
We also, just for fun, take a scenic day trip sometimes up to a grocery outlet store in New Hampshire. There, I can get unusual items that just didn't sell at a regular store--cheap. Husband likes it because he can get his British foods that cost an arm and a leg in the local British shop. Hubs also gets bags of sugar since he loves it so much. Brown rice, quinoa, nuts--things like that, can be found there too. I get a few bottles of San Pellegrino and last time I scored a huge box of Truvia (stevia.)
I agree with you about these sky high grocery prices. I, too, avoid the farmers' markets as I can't afford the prices. I grow what I can in my tiny yard but it's mostly beets (at least we can eat the greens and they're organic) and tomatoes. I need to hone my skills at growing organic spinach and romaine.
We eat a lot of chicken--roasted and then using leftovers and making broth from the carcass. I buy ground turkey and make a meatloaf or patties out of it. Oatmeal is a cheap breakfast and I add nut$$$ and raisins.
I think where people waste money is buying boxes or cans of food instead of just buying the food itself. (I'm not bragging about how I save money--we just have a wonderful grocery store chain around here and that's my key to saving on groceries.)
Guess food shopping varies from area to area. Like Hass avocados are on sale here now - about 75 cents to $1 a piece. Still - I guess that would get pricey for guacamole. I do eat guacamole from time to time - and simply buy the stuff on BOGO at Publix. Or at Costco. Price works out about the same. My favorite brand is Wholly Guacamole:
Isn't organic - but seems pretty wholesome to me (and it freezes and thaws very nicely). FWIW - most of the good local growers here who show up the local farmers' market (stop in occasionally - but not often) don't sell "organic" produce. When you're a small grower - you often can't afford to jump through all the hoops necessary to label your stuff "organic".
If you have a local Costco - I suggest trying it. Things like blueberries in season are cheap. Costco has both regular and organic. But I'll be darned if I'll pay double the price for organic blueberries over regular - especially since the regular ones are so good - and I tend to eat them like popcorn.
Even if you don't have a local Costco - you might look into a membership to buy non-perishable things that can be shipped - like nuts. Especially if you eat/use a lot of them. Here's what Costco charges for almonds:
I don't use almonds a lot - but I recall paying maybe $3 for a tiny little bag of sliced almonds (all I need for a particular recipe). So $6/pound sounds good to me. My husband made his own granola for a while - using these almonds. And I thought the taste/quality was excellent (I use tons of Costco pine nuts - and about 2 pounds of walnuts a year - and the quality there is excellent too). Browse the website and see what you think.
Note that I really don't care about "organic" per se. I will buy organic if it's cheaper than/looks better than regular. But I am agnostic otherwise. The main thing I care about is clean safe food - in terms of food poisoning and the like. So I'm careful in terms of washing produce - not doing things that might result in cross-contamination in my kitchen - cooking and keeping things at proper temperatures - etc. Robyn
My normal food budget is approx $200 a month for two women both on social security. We eat very well on that and always have ice cream, Greek yogurt, coffee creamer, sour cream, cheese, butter, beef, chicken, pork, fish, frozen or fresh vegetables and fruit on hand. My indulgence is mixed nuts and hers is potato chips. We both like the dollar store bag of mini ginger snap cookies which are kept out in a glass container. We eat two meals a day and one or two snacks.
I do all the shopping and cooking and she does the dishes. I cook everything from scratch mostly in the crockpot. I buy fresh items in season. 10 corn on the cob for $3 this week at Publix, the only thing I'll get there and only need four. I never buy organic, individual servings, boxed foods, or items at the high priced grocery stores and rarely buy ground meat or pay extra for chops and such. I allow $2 or so per person avg for meat at dinner, more if I get scallops or shrimp, and serve at least two vegetables. Almost everything comes from Aldis.
I am lucky to have a discount bakery near me where I can get specialty bread or Thomas english muffins or Entemanns for $3.00 for two. Ironically the company is called Bimbo Bakeries. That is a huge savings. I don't feel like we are suffering in the least.
Thomas' English muffins is one item that goes on BOGO at Publix like every other week (your bakery might be buying it at Publix - marking it up - and selling it to you ). And it's not out of date at Publix either. Ditto when it comes to ice cream. There are always at least one or two brands that are on BOGO every week at Publix. And various brands of Greek yogurt and sour cream too. Think if you learn how to shop at Publix in terms of BOGOs and sales - you'll get better and fresher food. Better service too (carry out to your car with a smile - no tips expected or accepted).
TJs opened up close to us about 2 years ago. I don't like anything about that store at all. Not the store - what it sells - the parking lot - or anything. Aldis recently opened up in our metro area (although not close to us). Since I don't like TJs - I don't think I would like Aldis - which is supposed to be a cut rate version of TJs.
I will drive 10 miles to Costco once a week. And to Whole Foods - about 20 miles away - about once every 3 weeks. Because both offer things I can't get at Publix (whether it's 90 rolls of toilet paper at Costo for $3 - or some excellent made in house sausages at Whole Foods).
Note that we also have other stores here that are close to us. Like Fresh Market and Winn Dixie. Not much interests me at either store. Robyn
We don't run around between stores trying to save money. Time is money, and car gas is going up. We're not willing to take up that much energy, either. Run in, run out of WF and TJ with a mental list, ignoring thousand of items. Not willing to get suckered into designer foods. But organically grown and fresh caught wild fish are a must.
I have a sister who puts me down for buying "pricey" groceries. She'd never in a hundred years see any reason to buy organic/clean foods. Yet she will spend literally hundreds per month on handbags, shoes, nails and hair, bringing Fido to his salon, etc. It comes down to priorities, and as someone said, to each her/his own.
Can't recall if you're retired. We are. And once a week to our local Publix for a big shopping is no big deal (with several stops there in between for this and that). Once a week to Costco (10 miles away) isn't either. Once every 3-4 weeks to Whole Foods (20+ miles away) - I can justify that. If Whole Foods were closer - I could justify more trips. It has some very nice stuff there. And some good deals too. Beautiful racks of St. Louis ribs on sale today for $4.99 pound ($6/off). Robyn
A retired lady I knew had an extremely small SS check (even after working all her life) and a tiny pension.
From one pound of hamburger, she would make six patties for six dinners for the week. Her daughters took her out to eat on Sunday.
I am frugal with food, but I can't do $20 a week for food or 6 patties out of a pound of hamburger and not be starving
Sadly, many of the elderly are starving, albeit slowly....ever notice they're the first in line at free buffets, like church socials, picnics, etc, and they "heap" their plates? I've seen some pack such food into their bags to take home.....that might be all they eat for days.....
Guess food shopping varies from area to area. Like Hass avocados are on sale here now - about 75 cents to $1 a piece. Still - I guess that would get pricey for guacamole. I do eat guacamole from time to time - and simply buy the stuff on BOGO at Publix. Or at Costco. Price works out about the same. My favorite brand is Wholly Guacamole:
Isn't organic - but seems pretty wholesome to me (and it freezes and thaws very nicely). FWIW - most of the good local growers here who show up the local farmers' market (stop in occasionally - but not often) don't sell "organic" produce. When you're a small grower - you often can't afford to jump through all the hoops necessary to label your stuff "organic".
If you have a local Costco - I suggest trying it. Things like blueberries in season are cheap. Costco has both regular and organic. But I'll be darned if I'll pay double the price for organic blueberries over regular - especially since the regular ones are so good - and I tend to eat them like popcorn.
Even if you don't have a local Costco - you might look into a membership to buy non-perishable things that can be shipped - like nuts. Especially if you eat/use a lot of them. Here's what Costco charges for almonds:
I don't use almonds a lot - but I recall paying maybe $3 for a tiny little bag of sliced almonds (all I need for a particular recipe). So $6/pound sounds good to me. My husband made his own granola for a while - using these almonds. And I thought the taste/quality was excellent (I use tons of Costco pine nuts - and about 2 pounds of walnuts a year - and the quality there is excellent too). Browse the website and see what you think.
Note that I really don't care about "organic" per se. I will buy organic if it's cheaper than/looks better than regular. But I am agnostic otherwise. The main thing I care about is clean safe food - in terms of food poisoning and the like. So I'm careful in terms of washing produce - not doing things that might result in cross-contamination in my kitchen - cooking and keeping things at proper temperatures - etc. Robyn
For blueberries I buy Wymans. Industrial | Wyman's
They are not organic but they're not as bad as those great big tasteless cultivated types. I'd much rather pick them wild in the woods like we used to but wild blueberries aren't found that much anymore around here. It's gotten too built up.
We don't have a Costco but we have a great grocery store that gets anything people want and they also keep prices cheap. They may not carry everything but they will get it for you if you ask.
Yes, an avocado is at least $1.99 around here so I don't buy them too often. Anyway, there are so many times that I don't use one in time--there's a narrow window of ripeness with avocados.
Sadly, many of the elderly are starving, albeit slowly....ever notice they're the first in line at free buffets, like church socials, picnics, etc, and they "heap" their plates? I've seen some pack such food into their bags to take home.....that might be all they eat for days.....
I don't know, maybe it's learned behavior. I know lots of elderly people, including my mother, that would do that, but had tons of food at home that would just rot away.
They couldn't pass up a free meal or free food. My mom always had things from the food pantry that would just sit on her kitchen table. She'd go eat lunch at the senior center and have fast food for dinner. But that didn't stop her from getting the other things. Crazy!
M*eals on wheels will deliver one balanced meal per day on request - No means test is required. Additionally, if he is living on $800 SS per month, he likely qualifies for food stamps. There is no need to scrimp by on $20 per week in processed dollar store food.
88-year old FIL lives on $15 to $20 a week for food and I believe it. He is single and an elder-frugalist living just about exclusively on an $800 Social Security check. He takes a small IRA distribution from time to time for special occasion purchases.
So, is this his choice as a "frugalist" or could he live a bit better if he dipped into his IRA a bit more? He's 88, for pete's sake; does he expect to be around to 100 or is he saving it to leave to someone?
And would he refuse or be insulted if you and your wife slipped him $10 or $20 a week or occasionally took him to a real grocery store?
I have been a couponer since I was a young man. Coupons are free money, and if you don't use them you are subsidizing people who do.
Rebates used to be great -- you could buy something on sale, use a coupon and get a rebate, essentially being paid to use the product. Those days are past. I also mourn the end of double coupons.
But web couponing is here, I use Ralph's online coupons all the time, in addition to newspaper coupons.
The trick is to not use a coupon on something you would not otherwise buy, unless you want to try it out. Also, if a product isn't on sale and it can wait, hold off on using that coupon until the price comes down.
Many ins and outs -- couponing is a skill, one well worth acquiring.
I'd estimate my savings at 30 percent, and it's tax free of course.
M*eals on wheels will deliver one balanced meal per day on request - No means test is required. Additionally, if he is living on $800 SS per month, he likely qualifies for food stamps. There is no need to scrimp by on $20 per week in processed dollar store food.
It doesn't sound to me like the OP's father inlaw is scrimping or suffering.
I'm sure the man is getting along fine and is happy to be independent.
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Brown rice, quinoa, nuts--things like that, can be found there too. I get a few bottles of San Pellegrino and last time I scored a huge box of Truvia (stevia.) 
). And it's not out of date at Publix either. Ditto when it comes to ice cream. There are always at least one or two brands that are on BOGO every week at Publix. And various brands of Greek yogurt and sour cream too. Think if you learn how to shop at Publix in terms of BOGOs and sales - you'll get better and fresher food. Better service too (carry out to your car with a smile - no tips expected or accepted).
- or some excellent made in house sausages at Whole Foods).
