Aren't food prices seriously insane here?

[starshrike]

When we kept better track of our budget we would spend on average $500/month for 2 people and then holiday/celebration months it could spike up to $800 when we have lots of people over. Where we can we buy local and/or organic. Breakfast is generally vegetarian except maybe one day on the weekend, lunch was dependent on dinner the day(s) before.

Farmers market or CSA for veggies, eggs, fruit. Meat, Fish and Dairy (excluding milk) only on sale and we freeze if we buy in bulk. Dry goods in bulk. Sweets limited - I buy raw ingredients to make them.

Restaurants limited to two nights a week ($25-$60/time). Lunches are sandwiches or leftovers. Breakfast is home-made or granola bars/fruit/leftover bread item (if we were on the run). We primarily drink water and tea, have milk on hand (mostly for cooking or cereal), and will have alcohol a few nights a week (at home). When we go out, it is rare to get drinks unless it's unique and we can't make it home or buy it from the grocery store.

[darkeconomist]

If you're keen on electronics and have space in the garage, get two chest freezers and convert one to a chest fridge. Can be a pain to keep clean, but are very cheap to operate. Then buy basics in bulk. The closer you can keep your food to "from scratch," the cheaper it is going to be (not pricing your time spent preparing the food, of course).

Personally, my budget killers are animal proteins (beef, fish, shellfish, etc.), alcohol, rare sauces and spices, and my own lack of planning and preparation.

[SFBayBoomer]

Originally Posted by dogandcat

What do you mean under "their" pasta sauce -- Safeway trademark sauce or any sauce selling at Safeway? I personally prefer Barilla pasta and Barilla sauce that are very often on sale at Safeway.

Rana pasta sauce is tastier, in my opinion, especially the pesto.

Safeway sells it.

[skris4]

We don't have a set food expense but it averages around $1000-$1100 per month. That includes restaurants and groceries for 2 adults and a kid(vegetarians). That said it used to be close to $1500 last year. We started carrying lunches at least 3 times a week and the number fell down about$400-$500 .
One of the reasons it is still high is because we include a ton of vegetables in our food and buying ONLY organic has greatly increased the cost. I have received suggestions from colleagues about visiting certain farmers market(Fremont/Milpitas as opposed to Mountain view market or whole foods) to reduce this cost, however I don't know for sure.

[starshrike]

Originally Posted by skris4

I have received suggestions from colleagues about visiting certain farmers market(Fremont/Milpitas as opposed to Mountain view market or whole foods) to reduce this cost, however I don't know for sure.

I would second that suggestion. I have shopped Fremont (Newark), Milpitas (ICC), Mountain View and Palo Alto Farmer Markets. From several years of shopping I found consistently Fremont (Newark) had best prices for organic, Milpitas had best prices for Asian, Mountain View had best variety overall, and Palo Alto had more upscale choices but seemed to have a lot more prepared food in proportion. You also will tend to pay less per pound if you buy in bulk @ Farmers Market AND while something is at peak season.

As for organic, I focus on the "dirty dozen" (those crops with highest rate of pesticide transfer/use). There are many stands that say "no spray" or organic methods but may not have organic certification - farms that get certification tack on an added cost to consumers.

[dogandcat]

Originally Posted by SFBayBoomer

Rana pasta sauce is tastier, in my opinion, especially the pesto.

Safeway sells it.

Thank you. I'll try it.

[opossum_]

Food prices are insane here,; since I don't want to throw money out and save them instead, on engineer salary I eat the same way I was eating back in....USSR...oh well...."freedom and democracy" around, everywhere...but one can't eat them.

[dogandcat]

Originally Posted by opossum_

Food prices are insane here,; since I don't want to throw money out and save them instead, on engineer salary I eat the same way I was eating back in....USSR...oh well...."freedom and democracy" around, everywhere...but one can't eat them.

If you don't like living here, then you can always go back. Back to the USSR lol.

[bigdumbgod]

Within a quarter mile from the doorstep, one can do the sweep of all grocery needs: Cash n Carry > 99 Cent Store > Zanotto's > Safeway. (And then BevMo!, of course).

Gotta love Burbank!

[njbiodude]

Tons of cheap foreign food. Go to the walk in Asian/Mexican places when you eat out. You can pay $8-13 a meal and avoid tipping. It ranges from decent to very good.

When cooking go to farmers markets to buy vegetables and buy more rice and pasta to mix with your vegetables. Use sparing organic ground beef in some of your pasta/rice dishes.

I don't find food here to be all that much more expensive than where I moved from in North Carolina, actually. If you feel entitled to prime rib steak every night and expensive dinners out with drinks all the time then don't complain.