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First off, I don't have diapers to buy so it makes sense you spend a little more than I do. Soda, I have no idea if those are good prices or not. we hardly ever buy soda. Only if we have a party and if there's left overs we'll drink it but we don't buy more when we run out.
I too buy my groceries at Wal-Mart and buy a lot of Great Value stuff. Saves a ton! I do like to cook and try to avoid things that come in boxes and packets and use mostly fresh ingredients. I also will cook dinner for 6 or 8 ppleven though there's 3 only of us that way we have left overs for another dinner or lunches for that week. This saves time and money.
Another trick I use is that I tend to cook a lot of spanish food, Latin American countries tend to be poor and so the typical local food doesn't require a ton of expensive ingredients.
If I can't make it to Wal-Mart I will go food shopping in a lower income area, the prices are lower than high income areas.
Also I take advantage of cultural differences in food preference, for example white americans do not tend to eat churassco (diaphram) so it's usually priced much cheaper in a prodominetly white neighborhood than a spanish neighborhood where they charge a lot more for the same cut. Don't get me wrong I'm not a drive all around town each week kind of person but I know where to go if I need to
I'm also a stickler about the snacks in the house, they are for packed lunches and weekend outings! I don't mind them eating one or two here or there but no munchies fests, heat up some left overs if you're hungry! Those snacks are expensive (and fattening!) I usually buy the single serve a little pricier but they don't sneek one or two this way so they last longer.
And I think the number one thing that helps me keep my food budget down is... menu planning! Each week I write out all the meals for the week, some repeats since I do the leftover thing and I'll repurpose stuff too (steak today?? Steak tacos on wednesday). Then I write my list according to the menu so when I'm at the supermarket i'm not hapharzardly putting stuff in my cart.
First off, I don't have diapers to buy so it makes sense you spend a little more than I do. Soda, I have no idea if those are good prices or not. we hardly ever buy soda. Only if we have a party and if there's left overs we'll drink it but we don't buy more when we run out.
I too buy my groceries at Wal-Mart and buy a lot of Great Value stuff. Saves a ton! I do like to cook and try to avoid things that come in boxes and packets and use mostly fresh ingredients. I also will cook dinner for 6 or 8 ppleven though there's 3 only of us that way we have left overs for another dinner or lunches for that week. This saves time and money.
Another trick I use is that I tend to cook a lot of spanish food, Latin American countries tend to be poor and so the typical local food doesn't require a ton of expensive ingredients.
If I can't make it to Wal-Mart I will go food shopping in a lower income area, the prices are lower than high income areas.
Also I take advantage of cultural differences in food preference, for example white americans do not tend to eat churassco (diaphram) so it's usually priced much cheaper in a prodominetly white neighborhood than a spanish neighborhood where they charge a lot more for the same cut. Don't get me wrong I'm not a drive all around town each week kind of person but I know where to go if I need to
I'm also a stickler about the snacks in the house, they are for packed lunches and weekend outings! I don't mind them eating one or two here or there but no munchies fests, heat up some left overs if you're hungry! Those snacks are expensive (and fattening!) I usually buy the single serve a little pricier but they don't sneek one or two this way so they last longer.
And I think the number one thing that helps me keep my food budget down is... menu planning! Each week I write out all the meals for the week, some repeats since I do the leftover thing and I'll repurpose stuff too (steak today?? Steak tacos on wednesday). Then I write my list according to the menu so when I'm at the supermarket i'm not hapharzardly putting stuff in my cart.
yes, I do that too and it helps TREMENDOUSLY. Also pair your menu with the weekly sales!
Thanks for bringing me back into reality, I feel like i used to shop like list pre 2nd baby... then things went out the window... being a mom at 32 again instead of 22 is so much more tiring, so ive been going the easy route, i need to get organized again. I love latin food so thanks for that advice, this weekend im on it
I was actually shopping online at publix which they have in FL by me, it costs $8 but actually worked for me, because no stick it in the cart, just stick to a list. But publix is so expensive.. i guess i just need will power..
Quote:
Originally Posted by icibiu
Lisa, oh what the heck i'll tell you for free
First off, I don't have diapers to buy so it makes sense you spend a little more than I do. Soda, I have no idea if those are good prices or not. we hardly ever buy soda. Only if we have a party and if there's left overs we'll drink it but we don't buy more when we run out.
I too buy my groceries at Wal-Mart and buy a lot of Great Value stuff. Saves a ton! I do like to cook and try to avoid things that come in boxes and packets and use mostly fresh ingredients. I also will cook dinner for 6 or 8 ppleven though there's 3 only of us that way we have left overs for another dinner or lunches for that week. This saves time and money.
Another trick I use is that I tend to cook a lot of spanish food, Latin American countries tend to be poor and so the typical local food doesn't require a ton of expensive ingredients.
If I can't make it to Wal-Mart I will go food shopping in a lower income area, the prices are lower than high income areas.
Also I take advantage of cultural differences in food preference, for example white americans do not tend to eat churassco (diaphram) so it's usually priced much cheaper in a prodominetly white neighborhood than a spanish neighborhood where they charge a lot more for the same cut. Don't get me wrong I'm not a drive all around town each week kind of person but I know where to go if I need to
I'm also a stickler about the snacks in the house, they are for packed lunches and weekend outings! I don't mind them eating one or two here or there but no munchies fests, heat up some left overs if you're hungry! Those snacks are expensive (and fattening!) I usually buy the single serve a little pricier but they don't sneek one or two this way so they last longer.
And I think the number one thing that helps me keep my food budget down is... menu planning! Each week I write out all the meals for the week, some repeats since I do the leftover thing and I'll repurpose stuff too (steak today?? Steak tacos on wednesday). Then I write my list according to the menu so when I'm at the supermarket i'm not hapharzardly putting stuff in my cart.
LOL... Ok I need to try to work harder at this. I have a 12 year old a 1 year old and a 37 year old at home and im relocating to Jersey and in FL now doing 180 a week. Including diapers etc.
Now I have been able to do $100 before but then I was totally out of everything the next week, i usualy buy all Walmart brands too.
If you can do it maybe i can too.. Ill try
This would make moving so much easier.
If I don't let my husband to go shopping with me, we can manage within 400 as well. I also buy some organic products such as milk, eggs and some fish. However, everytime my hubby goes with me, it always turns to be more than 100 per week. He likes to buy lots more than what we actually need per week because he was used to stock up meats and he likes to buy junk foods.
However, food cost does increase a lot. When I just got married in 2004, our weekly grocery is around $30-40. Now with family of three, the best I can do is around $70-80 per week.
That is actually MY monthly grocery budget. It's me, my wife, a two year old and a 2month old. I usually come in under that AND I shop at Kings( far pricier than A&P or Stop & Shop). I'm far from a bargain hunter and we eat well...I'm sure if I had teenagers the budget would be higher but I can say that from my own personal experience that budget is entirely doable for a young family. I bill my time out at $150/hr for shopping guidance
jesus, i spent at least $1000 a month on food and i am single Maybe i will take up your consulting offer.
In downtown jersey city, normal lunch around the office is at least $12 a pop, add in some soda and breakfast that's $15 a day. Dinner is $20 including fruits and snacks/ice cream etc.. That's $1000 already, then you have the household utilities like soap/paper towers etc, not to mention the occasion weekend restaurant eatouts which are more expensive.
jesus, i spent at least $1000 a month on food and i am single Maybe i will take up your consulting offer.
In downtown jersey city, normal lunch around the office is at least $12 a pop, add in some soda and breakfast that's $15 a day. Dinner is $20 including fruits and snacks/ice cream etc.. That's $1000 already, then you have the household utilities like soap/paper towers etc, not to mention the occasion weekend restaurant eatouts which are more expensive.
$400 seems like a pipe dream.
It's not a pipe dream but you need to take responsibility for cooking some of the food that you are ingesting--that you will save a TON of money.
$20 on dinner?? No way you cooked that. Even if you make filet mignon and truffles for dinner a single serving will not cost you $20 if you cook it yourself.
Just a simple yet very filling dinner--
Spaghetti--$1 (You ate half the box it was brand name)
Ground Beef--$4 (the whole tray, you like it extra meaty)
Sauce--$4 (You splurged at got the Rao's sauce, half the jar)
Dessert--$1.50 (You had a quarter of the container of a fancy pint of $6 ice cream)
After dinner snack--$.75 (You had a big juicy peach)
$11.25 spent and your stomach is bulging. In reality you probably had leftovers for lunch so let's split it down to $5.63 for each meal, even less if you had just gotten the plain old $2 sauce & generic pasta.
It can be done!! What i'm having a hard time imagining is how on earth any one could spend $1,000 a month in a supermarket to feed one person. I don't think i could do it if I tried.
jesus, i spent at least $1000 a month on food and i am single Maybe i will take up your consulting offer.
In downtown jersey city, normal lunch around the office is at least $12 a pop, add in some soda and breakfast that's $15 a day. Dinner is $20 including fruits and snacks/ice cream etc.. That's $1000 already, then you have the household utilities like soap/paper towers etc, not to mention the occasion weekend restaurant eatouts which are more expensive.
jesus, i spent at least $1000 a month on food and i am single Maybe i will take up your consulting offer.
In downtown jersey city, normal lunch around the office is at least $12 a pop, add in some soda and breakfast that's $15 a day. Dinner is $20 including fruits and snacks/ice cream etc.. That's $1000 already, then you have the household utilities like soap/paper towers etc, not to mention the occasion weekend restaurant eatouts which are more expensive.
$400 seems like a pipe dream.
Man, bring something from home for lunch. (What do you consider "normal lunch", by the way?) I work in the city, and lunch is way too expensive to buy every day. Even getting a salad with grilled chicken at one of the buy-by-the-pound salad bars runs me $8 or $9. The best deal is the chicken with rice from the Halal truck, and even that is $5, and if I spent that every day it's $50 from a bi-weekly paycheck.
So, most days I bring lunch from home. I make a lot of salad with chicken in it, especially now that it's the season to get good salad stuff. Sometimes I make rice and beans with a can of those diced tomatoes with chili, which is REALLY cheap, but I like rice and beans and not everyone does. You can do sandwiches, whatever, but $12 a day is a lot of money. I felt the difference in my wallet when I started bringing my lunch from home.
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Maybe i will take up your consulting offer. 
