How much do you spend on food, etc?

Hi,

I'm working really hard at staying on a budget - most of the time I do okay, but I've let it go on "auto-pilot" a few times in the last year and wasted some money - had to get myself back on track fast.

Anyway, we spend about $125 per week on groceries - and was wondering if that seemed like a lot?

It's just the two of us - me and husband. I shop at Wal-Mart and most of what I buy is the house brand. That $125 includes all food for the week - 3 meals a day for 2 people, plus pet food & supplies for 2 cats. It also includes ALL paper products (paper towels, TP, etc) and ALL other supplies (laundry detergent, deodorant, shampoo, toothpaste, soap, cleaning products, food storage products, etc etc etc)

When I shop, first I do meal planning for the week and make a list of what I need to prepare those meals, then I go through our home and see what I need as far as personal items/cleaning products, etc.

I never deviate from the list - I don't buy anything that is not on my list. I don't buy junk food at all - no chips, no soda, etc.

If I find something on sale at Wal-Mart - like ground beef - I plan meals for that week around ground beef - lots of ground beef recipes that week.

I eat dinner leftovers for lunch - husband won't do that so I make him sandwiches to take to work.

I buy the house brand of any product I can. I don't cut coupons.

Strange as it may sound, at age 44, this is the FIRST TIME in my life that I ever made myself a food budget, so I'm new at this :D

Any other ideas for saving money on groceries?

Does $125 seem like a lot for 2 people - or do you think I'm doing okay?

ETA: I guess what I'm saying is that I have no point of reference - and wondering what other family's spend.

that sounds pretty good. that's about 60 bucks a week each or like 8 bucks a day. that's what i'm aiming for.

i realized that with all my eating out i was spending $7000 a year just to stuff my face, not including the $3500 i spend on liquor and smokes.

i have cut back on the eating out but it is difficult because i work so much, i don't have the energy to cook when i get home. as for the drinking, i am trying to cut back because i think that contributes to my lack of energy. i doubt i will quit smoking anytime soon.

but sounds like you are doing pretty good. do you have a save-alot or aldies in your area (one of those stores that you shop out of boxes instead of shelves and you have to buy your own bags)? their prices are significantly cheaper than normal grocery stores.

but sounds like you're doing well with your budget. that's what i need to aim for.

Wow!
I can't imagine spending that much.
We spend about $60 a week on groceries for a family of 4. (two teen age kids)
Then again, I cook large meals and then have leftovers the next day.
Or with something like spagetti for the next couple days.
($6-8 worth of sauce, $5 work of hamburger and $1 worth of noodles. Add in about $3 for 2 loaves of garlic bread and you have $17 for 2 full meals and still have some leftovers for snacking on)

And we only really do one meal a day.
Cereal for breakfast. No one is really home for lunch (the kids eat at school)
So it is dinner and snacks here for the week.

We spend around $130 a week for me, my husband and our two kids. The kids are 3 1/2 and 9 month old so honestly they don't eat that much.
I make my own baby food. I take leftovers or salad for lunch and my husband usually goes home for lunch so makes something for himself. The kids are at daycare all day so the sitter feeds them lunch.
About one week a month the trip to walmart is more like $180 when we have to buy toiletries or paper goods.
We have budgeted $600 per month for groceries.
If we don't make a menu or plan well we always go over. Those extra trips to the store during the week really add up for us.

My parents just got us a quarter of beef for christmas so those numbers will be going down. For anyone who hasn't thought of this angle. A whole beef is somewhere are $1200. If you split that cost between two to four people and figure that you get roast, steak, hamberger, ect all for that cost it is a great money saver. The quarter of beef will last us 6 to 9 months. We have also in the past bought a pig. That was around $350 and a whole pork lasted us 6 to 9 months and we had pork chops, pork loins, brats, sausage, ham, bacon, ect. If we had a bigger freezer so we could fit both the beef and the pork we would probably do another pig this year as well.

...we spend about $125 per week on groceries - and was wondering if that seemed like a lot? ... ETA: I guess what I'm saying is that I have no point of reference - and wondering what other family's spend.
To see the average cost of living expenses (which includes food) in your local area, check out http://realestate.yahoo.com/Neighborhoods . Enter your zip code - you'll see the average living costs plus lots of other information about your area and how costs in your area compare to the national average....very cool!

Costs for food and household items actually vary quite a bit depending on where you live in the US. and food costs also vary by seasons. Betty, it sounds to me like the approach you've set up is very reasonable. You aren't spending on extras and you are taking advantage of sales, etc. Good for you!

We spend about $1100/mo for a family of 6 for food. That's everything. Groceries, toiletries, and fast food we grab maybe once a week. We're spending about $45/week/person. A bit less than you. We have 3 teens and we do buy junk food. Chips, SAM's sodas, Great Value cookies.

I don't do coupons either. Not that we haven't tried. I'm just not a coupon person. Most times, coupons are for phoo phoo frills that we just don't purchase to begin with. Air fresheners. Things like that. Or expensive entrees that we can't (won't) afford.

Even tho you don't carry coupons to Wal-Mart, you can do price matching. I do that a lot. Watch for your other stores ads that generally come weekly in the mail. Look in the Sunday paper as well. If you're in the Drug Store or another grocery and they've got a sale on something, note the price for when you go to Wal-Mart.

Back in the Fall, Kroger ran Campbell's Chunky soups in the larger, 2-3 serving size cans, on Sale. 5/$5. But Kroger didn't have great selection. So when I went to Wal-Mart, I price matched Kroger's price, bought tons of soup, and we stocked up for the winter.

A local drug store here runs Dean's Milk for $1.99/gal all the time. But the price at Wal-Mart is over $3/gal. I buy Dean's Milk at Wal-Mart for the drug store price.

Our Wal-Mart used to require you show the sales circular from the competitor store. But they changed their policy and don't require that any more. Check your Wal-Mart and see if it's the same there. Then, anytime you see a better price any where on something you buy, just tell the cashier at check-out, "I have a price match on ........ for $....... " and they will change the price for you. :D

Another trick,.......... Buy a freezer. When other stores run meat sales, you can price match at Wal-Mart and stock up.

Also, our Wal-Mart puts Deli breads on a clearance rack in the back of the store by the Milk and Juices. On the "Sell by Date" the Wal-Mart Deli moves breads, rolls, and buns back to the Clearance rack. You can get all sorts of french bread, sourdough bread, and such there. Every time I'm in Wal-Mart, I make a run by the clearance rack.

Thanks for the feedback - and the ideas!

Looks like I might hafta do some more work on my budget :tongue:

Seriously.
If you and others in your house like leftovers then plan larger meals and stretch them out.
It doesn't take that much more money to buy a 3 pound roast as opposed to a 2 pound roast. Make a few more potatoes. Then have leftovers the next day.
Or better yet, roast beef sandwiches.
Not only does it save money, but it also saves time.
It doesn't take any more work really to make a larger meal.
Then you are only cooking every other day. (one of the main reasons I love leftovers)

Just make sure it is something you like, and will reheat on another day. Otherwise you are just wasting it if you won't actually eat the leftovers.

When I do pot roast, I cook a ton of meat, like Tay suggested. We throw in extra potatoes as well. I shoot for getting pot roast dinner 2x from cooking once. Then, the 3rd night, I pull the leftover pork or beef with a fork, stir in BBQ sauce and we have BBQ sammies. Add some oven baked fries or chunk potatoes and slaw for another great meal all from one cooking.

SinkingFast, we have another thread here on this topic about saving money cooking..................receipe ideas, and how to stretch the food out and save on cooking expenses........ now where is that?????

Here's how to stretch out a ham you have bought..........

1st time around - nice ham slices for dinner
2nd time around - ham and eggs for breakfast
3nd time around - ham sandwiches
4rd time around - ham and scallopped potatoes
5th time around - ham bone/chunks in pinto beans
6th time around - left over ham/beans and make bean dumplings.
Finally - anything left (usually not) - the pets get them and LOVE IT........

It's amazing what you can do with one nice size ham..................

Same principal with chicken and a pork roast...... goes into BBQ, soup,etc.....

Mom was great at stretching out the $40.00 grocery allowance my dad allowed her each week................. we ate good, healthy, and had plenty to eat....... and not junk either..... she taught me well....

SinkingFast, we have another thread here on this topic about saving money cooking..................receipe ideas, and how to stretch the food out and save on cooking expenses........ now where is that?????



That's funny, Minny!!

We just did roast this past weekend. That's why when Tay mentioned it, I thought of it. Pot roast is a production so I don't do it real often. Maybe once a month or so.

I cook pot roast in a pressure cooker. I have a larger one. Like 6 quart sized. So I can do a large amount at one time. Cook once. Several meals. Only have a fair amount of dishes the one time. Works for me!! :D

Since it was "heat and eat" last night, today's dinner was cooked yesterday afternoon. We have a snow storm coming so we threw together a big pot of chili yesterday. It simmered until bedtime. Then out into the garage. It's like a fridge out there right now with the temps so low. I'll bring the pot in in a bit and throw it on the stove to heat up for dinner tonight. Yummmm!

YES - its definitely "chili" weather............... had homemade soup the other night off a roast - lol.

We've been lucky here in KY - all the snow has been 75 miles north of us so far...... all we've had has been a dusting this year.......

My brothers are getting "pounded" in upper Ohio............ and the people in NY - I sure don't envy them any - hope they are warm, prepared, and have lots groceries and a way to cook........

Years ago when we had an ice storm here - no elec for 8 days and trees over the roads...... I cooked all meals on the grill out back - COLDER THAN CRAP OUTSIDE.......LOL..... even made my morning coffee on it, fried eggs, etc.......

Looks like it may turn into a "vicious winter" this year for many folks.......

my boyfriend eats during his sleep...and has put on 10 lbs....I need to lose another 10-15 so I started buying slimfast for myself....a can for breakfast & a can for lunch....that's $2 a day for lunch & breakfast for me....$10/week is pretty good...

as far as he goes...I am not keeping food in the fridge anymore...unless it's fruit or vegetables.


I would say $125/week for two people is pretty good...that's what I have in my budget...but he eats EVERYTHING...so we have to discuss things before I fill up the fridge...I am not working to support his stomach....:cool:

LOL - I HEARD THAT..............
One of the roommates I have - a guy - 42 (aren't I the lucky ole lady) is like a garbage disposal............................
I told him "you like to eat so well - start paying for some of it".............

So he did................. yeah, some of them have a tremendous appetite.....

Glad I don't have 6 kids (all boys) like a friend of mine.............. they eat her out of house and home....................

I tell her that her retirement went for groceries.......6 boys and their friends!!

That's funny, Minny!!

We just did roast this past weekend. That's why when Tay mentioned it, I thought of it. Pot roast is a production so I don't do it real often. Maybe once a month or so.



Really.
I don't really consider anything that can be roasted as a production.
I just throw it in the pot with potatoes and carrots and let it cook for a few hours.
Pretty easy.
The only hard part is peeling the potatoes.
Which I sometimes skip and just leave the skins on them. Depending on the potatoes we have at the time.

As a bonus this time of the year. The oven going for a couple hours also makes the house feel a little warmer, as well as the smell of things cooking just makes things more pleasant.

Biggest problem for me is that I work 3rd shift, while my wife works 1st shift.
So I usually have to use a slow cooker through the week and start it in the morning to have it done at a normal diner time.
It works, but just doesn't taste as good as oven roasted.

It's cause I use a pressure cooker to cook the roast. I have to get "mentally" prepared for the noise from the jiggler thingy on the top. :D

Actual cooking time is about 40 minutes. But you have to wait for the pot to heat up and build up pressure. So it really does take a bit longer. I cook the meat first. Cool down the pot. Throw in the veggies and cook them.

SinkingFast, most people now days don't kow what a pressure cooker is or how fast you can "whip up a roast" in it........
Everything nowdays is "fast foods" - instant or microwaveable........

I use a pressure cooker a lot also...... quick, easy, and done in no time!!!!
Great piece of equipment in the kitchen...

We spend about $700 per month on just groceries, for two people. That does not include hygiene products, cleaning supplies, the $700 is simply food and teh stuff that goes with food.

I averaged out 14 weeks of grocery receipts and it came to $275 per month. That includes personal products and cat supplies, and I live alone. I eat one frozen food dinner per day and cook the rest of my meals, or eat from a can, like sardines.

Hmmm, the last time I went Grocerie shopping was in January, JUST ME. I spent about $300 bucks. Haven't done any major grocerie shopping since. I eat out once in awhile, being "single," its rather cheaper for me to eat out. When I get around to cooking, I can FOR EXAMPLE, eat tacos the whole week! I eat about one meal a day. I work alot too 60-70-80 hours overtime but I still only eat one decent enough meal a day.

CMIYC

Places like McD's - Wendy's - Burger King that offer the $1.00 menu makes it real cheap for a single person to eat out...... even someone on a diet.....

You can get a salad and chicken nuggets for 2 bucks!!! Sure can't buy and make it for that!!!

As usually in the grocery store it's the "prepared foods" that are so expensivie to buy..... frozen - heat to serve dinners are the most expensive... and if you have a family you can't hardly afford to do that very often.... AND you sure can't afford $50.00 a day to take them out to eat a good meal......

So you have to be wise and skillfull when it comes to that food list and budget for it..... stretch it out and make it work for you.... because a lot of time you need those other funds for other things - like property taxes, or shoes for the kids....

I still "treat" myself about once a month - eat out and eat what I really want - either steak or seafood...... and don't begrudge myself spending the money for it either!!

Now if I could just TEACH a roommate to TURN OUT A LIGHT!!!!!!

We are a family of five and live on less than 750/month in AK where groceries are not cheap! We actually have built up a year supply of food in a year on this budget! We make everything from scratch though. We grind wheat almost every day, we buy just the basics: Milk, eggs, butter, cheese, wheat, oil, and honey. That is about it! We eat really good and our wheat and dairy are all organic. We have a small garden and utilize numerous wild foods. We NEVER eat out. We NEVER eat processed or prepared foods. We even have a meat grinder and have bought roast on sale cheaper than hamburger and ground our own to save pennies! It can be done very cheap and very healthy!!! We live off of about $450/ month, and spend about $300/ month on food storage for next year when the depression starts (cause we're loony like that!).

Wow, Run, what about your heating bills up there is AK?? Does a wood stove keep the house warm enough? (Its 95 degrees right now in humid NJ, and I'd like to imagine I was in Ak right about now, in say what, 75 degree weather?)
I heard grocery bills up there were double to triple the lower 48. My Dh & I thought of moving there before to get away from everyone!!! Nj is a conjested, miserable place. My neighbors even get mad if you hang clothes out to dry!! God forbid your dog barks. We has someone get annoyed about having three cord of firewood last year. (HAHA! We saved on heating oil, they didnt!!)
We are live free or die people, so we have a hard time here.
Thumbs up to you.
WAM

Lasagna freezes well and heats up well. My boyfriend and I spend about as much as the OP on food and groceries / month when we do our shopping trips. Sometimes we'll do up several lasagna pans (the alluminum foil bread ones) and freeze what we don't have for dinner that night. Then when we don't want to cook, we heat that up.

In Southeast Alaska it doesn't get that cold. It snows and melts, snows and melts, all winter. Wood is everywhere in the Tongass, but a lot burn fuel oil (don't ask me why, I don't know). Dogs here are like pigeons in New York, they pretty much wander the streets. People don't complain about those things here for sure! We are also live free or die folks, which is how we ended up here. It is the best kept secret in the U.S. We don't even have local government in half of the areas here, though boroughs have been proposed. Alaska is one of the few places where subsistence is a reality for many.

Seems like we traded off, our eating out, for a huge grocery bill. We are a HH of 3, soon to be 4, in September, and we spend about $700.00 a month for groceries. That's 3 meals a day, for 3 people. We eat breakfast at home, before work/school, pack our lunches, and eat dinner at home. I have to wonder sometimes, how much money we are really saving, with increased utility bills, from eating at home, washing more dishes, etc., and the cost of food. Once the baby gets here, and formula diapers, and baby food kicks in, it'll go way up.

Congrats on the new arrival to the family. Eating out is very expensive, so I'm sure you're saving money there.
Can you feed the child off the teet? This helps save a lot of money...don't know what to do about diapers though. Maybe a Bounty, the quicker picker-upper paper towel would work, but it will require frequent changing. I've been using Walmart diapers and I used Kroger store brand formula with the last child. No problems at all and they're relatively cheap. The latest child has been breast fed which saves a bunch of money and wearing Walmart diapers. They're pretty good for cheap diapers and it's a fun place to shop.
My nipples do hurt though, so I can't begin to imagine how my wife's must feel. Ha-ha, hee-hee.

Congrats on the new arrival to the family. Eating out is very expensive, so I'm sure you're saving money there.


IMO, you have to qualify that, and say that eating out CAN be expensive, but doesn't have to be. There are lots of ways to eat out, without overspending, and in honesty, there are lots of types of food, that are cheaper to eat out, than to prepare at home. With most restaurants having nights where kids eat free, it helps a ton. Also, my DW and I have discovered that we have several places where instead of ordering 2 entrees, we get one entree and one appetizer, and split them, and usually save $6.00 or $8.00. Add in no charge on our daughter, and we can knock $12.00 or $14.00 off a meal. Mix in just drinking water, and you save $3.00 or $4.00 more. Eating out just takes smart planning, IMO.


Can you feed the child off the teet? This helps save a lot of money...

My DW has given that some thought, but that's her decision to make not mine.

I've been using Walmart diapers and I used Kroger store brand formula with the last child. No problems at all and they're relatively cheap.

Do you mean the White Cloud brand? We've been stocking up on White Cloud. They seem to be the best value, with coupons, and look to be good quality. I am hoping we can use the cheapest forumla we can. Our oldest daughter has some digestion problems, and we had to give her a more expensive formula, but I am hoping we don't have that again. My oldest girl is almost 9, and I can still remember scapping together cash, to pay $25.00 for a can of formula.

The latest child has been breast fed which saves a bunch of money and wearing Walmart diapers. They're pretty good for cheap diapers and it's a fun place to shop.

I can barely stand Walmart. I try not to go there any more than I must. We usually go twice a pay period. On payday, late in the evening, a Friday night, and then the Sunday before payday, crack of dawn, before church. Anything to avoid the crowds.




:)

Our oldest daughter has some digestion problems, and we had to give her a more expensive formula, but I am hoping we don't have that again. My oldest girl is almost 9, and I can still remember scapping together cash, to pay $25.00 for a can of formula.

If this is the case I would encourage your wife to breastfeed. It is deffinately hard to get started but once you get the hang of it, it is easier, cheaper, and more convienent in many ways than formula. It is also much much easier to digest. I nursed both of mine for a year and I remember that first month being really hard, but after that things were great. I stuck it out because I figured a few weeks to figure it out was easier than years of allergies (my husband has several). A hard few weeks learning to nurse is probably easier than dealing with the fussy baby with digestive problems. We did supliment with formula occassionally for convience and so Dad could have a turn at things. But a couple of bottles a week is way cheaper than every bottle baby eats. Best of luck with whatever you and your wife decide.

Congrats on the new arrival to the family. Eating out is very expensive, so I'm sure you're saving money there.
Can you feed the child off the teet? This helps save a lot of money...don't know what to do about diapers though. Maybe a Bounty, the quicker picker-upper paper towel would work, but it will require frequent changing. I've been using Walmart diapers and I used Kroger store brand formula with the last child. No problems at all and they're relatively cheap. The latest child has been breast fed which saves a bunch of money and wearing Walmart diapers. They're pretty good for cheap diapers and it's a fun place to shop.
My nipples do hurt though, so I can't begin to imagine how my wife's must feel. Ha-ha, hee-hee.


I am so glad I didn't have coffee in my hand when I read this one this morning.

I used white cloud with this last baby. They work great, and are just a bit more xpensive than the walmart brand. I found myself changing more often if I used the walmart brand than white cloud.

I am so glad I didn't have coffee in my hand when I read this one this morning.

ROTFLOL
I nearly fell off my chair here too.
That was hilarious!


BTW , we figured we saved mucho bucks breast feeding longer with daughter #2, it was tough at first but it gets better. I pumped and stored. I even used cloth diapers during the day to save money and all. ( I bought the "wally world" brand for nightime and they did fine.) Who knows what we saved, but I'm sure it was at least $50 a month easy. We tend to be a bit kooky though in others eyes...lol...It baffles me I got in this situation, as I grew up a poor sixth child of an auto mechanic turned prison minister who ate whatever grew in the garden that day or whatever meat was on super sale.
Run, better be carefullllll, as AK is sounding real fine right about now. Ive only been there on two layovers to Asia, but I may get off next time and not board again....:D
WAM

We bought diapers at Sam's club to save a little bit. Whenever anyone asked what we needed for the kids we weren't shy about telling them the kids sizes for clothes and diapers. I do remember using cloth diapers a time or two with our first when payday was still too far off to get more disposables.
We discovered that most people get pretty sick of the totes of baby clothes living in their basements and are thrilled with the opportunities to pass them on to you. We even got hand-me-downs from people we barely knew (my aunts sister-in-law, and one of my husbands coworkers). So make sure people know that you would be thrilled with anything they want to get rid off. I got tons of clothes, but also baby bottles, toys, a swing, a sacuer, and other baby stuff this way. Also make sure people know what you still need before any showers that get thrown for the baby. Be sure to check out the garage sales as well.
We also made our own baby food. It is really easy. We just cooked whatever fruits or veggies were in season, on sale, or in the garden and blended it up in the food processor or blender. We then froze whatever the kids wouldn't eat that week. We usually made a batch or two once a week. Squash, carrots, green beans, broccoli, apple sauce, pears and peaches were all very easy to make. If some of the fruit are a little runny we just thickened them up with a little bit of baby cereal.

Just back from grocery store - this weeks grocery bill total: $39.01. My lowest weekly bill in many, many years. :yahoo:

:angel: I try to stick with buying essentials stuff and no junk stuff even though I have fallen off a couple of times. I buy things like milk, bread, cheese, sugar, butter, rice, potatoes, chicken, cooking oil, eggs, coffee, seasonings, pasta, sauce for pasta, corn, peas, carrots, fish, peanut butter, jelly, juice, Kool Aide, tomatoes, onions, green peppers, garlic cloves, grapes etc. I usually spend anywhere a month on groceries from 200.00 to 300.00 with 4 people in the house. Is that a lot you guys?:unsure:

I usually spend anywhere a month on groceries from 200.00 to 300.00 with 4 people in the house. Is that a lot you guys?:unsure: You are doing very well to feel 4 people on $2-300/month, CoCo. Do you coupon? Any other secrets to share?

I spend about $300 a month on groceries ($400 if I'm stocking up on meat sales) for a family of five (I just wanted to add that I'm sure some of this has to do with where you live. I know food prices have a wide range depending on what you are buying and where you live) We do have two older teens who work and spend their own money eating some of their meals out. So, I'm sure that cuts down on some of the spending.

I think our biggest savings comes when I buy a lot of meat when it's on sale and put it in the freezer. My weekly grocery trips usually don't include much meat.

We are big on "recycling" food here too. For example, I'll buy the boneless, skinless chicken breast, and make several meals out of it. The first night we might have it with baked potatoes and steamed broccoli. Leftovers might be chicken tacos, or grilled chicken in a salad. I do the same with pot roast. I put it in the Crockpot with potatoes, onions, carrots, etc. We have that the first night, then after eating on it a day or two we take the left overs and mix them them with mixed vegetables, and tomato juice and have a good vegetable beef soup. I do similar things with other cuts of meat. We do eat at least one meatless meal a week also. Plus, I don't serve big cuts of meat, and usually use other foods to help us get more protein.

We buy very little frozen, or processed food. I also buy fruits and vegetables in season. We have three groceries that are very close to us and we shop the ads. The stores are all within five miles of each other, so we don't waste gas.

I just wish I was able to do as well in other areas of my budget. :(

Just back from grocery store - this weeks grocery bill total: $39.01. My lowest weekly bill in many, many years. :yahoo:

Good for you!! What's your secret? I spent $56 dollars last week, I thought that was pretty good too for five of us. :yahoo:

We can't get ours under $150.00 a week for food/bathroom stuff/paper products, stuff like that. We've cut back to practically no variety in our meals, and nothing name brand, but 3 meals a day, for 3 people, is what it is. At some point, stressing whether I spent too much on a pack of hotdogs isn't worth it.

Good for you!! What's your secret? I spent $56 dollars last week, I thought that was pretty good too for five of us. :yahoo:

The biggest cuts came from bacon/eggs and from frozen dinners. I replaced them with bulk ramen, which I also got on sale, and with PBJ. My grocery store has membership cards which allow you to get things on sale, so I don't have any brand loyalty, I get what is on sale that day.

We eat lunches at home. Usually sandwiches. Unless we have left overs. And dinners most every night. Between groceries, TP, paper towels, toiletries, and such, I spend about $150/shopping trip and go at least 4-5 times a month.

Has anybody else noticed the price of items at the grocery jumping??

All at Wal-Mart:

Milk here has gone from right at $2.50/gallon to right at $4.25/gallon.

Coffee went from $5.49/3 lb can to $7.12/can.

Bologna and Hot Dogs have jumped $0.50/package each.

Every once in a while, we'd treat ourselves to Dean's brand sweet tea. It's jumped $0.17/gallon.

Fish sticks,........... Gorton's Fish sticks,....... 44 count. Jumped over a $1/package.

Beef has gone up. Chicken has gone up. Everything is increasing. And it's not pennies here, a nickel there, or a dime increase. Prices are jumping $0.50 to $1, or more for the same items.

Do they think we don't notice??!!

Has anybody else noticed the price of items at the grocery jumping??

Do they think we don't notice??!!

We deffinatelly notice. Expecially about the milk. I have a toddler and a preschooler and we easiely go through 3 or 4 gallons a week.
Sunday I made the weekly menu and there was alot already in our pantry. I was pleased thinking that it would be a cheap grocery week as I only needed an item or two for each meal. I get to check out and it was $130. On the drive home I'm trying to figure out what cost me so much and realized that milk alone was 10% of that. The other items added up pretty quickly as well.

Has anybody else noticed the price of items at the grocery jumping??



Do they think we don't notice??!!



It's all about the gas prices. All that food gets to stores on trucks, and so long as gas companies are continues to make Billions, with no regard to it's customers, it's only going to get worse.

I can promise you that the increased cost for fuel for the trucks was not being passed to the trucker. Sure we got a small fuel surcharge added to the revenue for the truck but it wasn't enough to cover the total increased cost of fuel. That's why we are no longer in business.

Milk and all dairy has gone up because corn, that used to be fed to the cattle, is now being used to make fuel. Good ole supply and demand, the demand for corn increases so does the cost, and it's affecting cattle.

Wait till you see the minimum wage go up............then you'll see some hiking of pricing......

A lot of it is pure "price gouging" and more than covers the fuel charges these stores are being charged for delivery......

The only way to stop most of it is stop buying it.... only buy necessities....

When the meat lays on the shelf and rots, believe their prices WILL COME DOWN....

Its up to John Q Public to "help" maintain a cap on the prices rising..... if we don't buy (and a lot of things we can do without).... then they are forced to come back down on their prices.....

It can also be done on gasoline............say for 1 day - NOBODY buys any gas..... can you imagine the millions of dollars they would loose and can't re-coup.....

The consumer plays a "big role" in consumption...... no comsumption, product doesn't sell..............nobody makes any money!!!

Milk and all dairy has gone up because corn, that used to be fed to the cattle, is now being used to make fuel. Good ole supply and demand, the demand for corn increases so does the cost, and it's affecting cattle.




I used to be all for Ethanol, but if you took every kernel of corn grown in the US, and made Ethanol out of it, you'd still get less than 15% of the need met.

Wait till you see the minimum wage go up............then you'll see some hiking of pricing......

A lot of it is pure "price gouging" and more than covers the fuel charges these stores are being charged for delivery......

The only way to stop most of it is stop buying it.... only buy necessities....

When the meat lays on the shelf and rots, believe their prices WILL COME DOWN....

Its up to John Q Public to "help" maintain a cap on the prices rising..... if we don't buy (and a lot of things we can do without).... then they are forced to come back down on their prices.....

It can also be done on gasoline............say for 1 day - NOBODY buys any gas..... can you imagine the millions of dollars they would loose and can't re-coup.....

The consumer plays a "big role" in consumption...... no comsumption, product doesn't sell..............nobody makes any money!!!



I respectfully disagree, on a couple of points.

Increase in the federal minimum wage will not increase prices? Why? Because simple economics states that is people have more increased income, will spend more. The cost of my tomato won't go up, because of minimum wage, because the grocer is going to sell more tomatoes.

Also, it's also a common misconception, that stopping buying gas, for a day, will matter at all. All that will happen is, there will be a spike in sales, either the day before, or in all likelyhood, the day or two after. The only way to force gas prices down, it to reduce demand, and only we can do that. I posted a link to ways to reduce demand, by the consumers, on another thread. If we can find ways to cut our own use of gas, demand will go down. As it is now, we are a greedy society, gas included, and the oil companies are making a killing off our own greed.

Actually there are new techniques for producing ethanol from corn being developed that would make use of more parts of the corn plant. There is also technology out there to make ethanol out of other plans. Brazil has reduced their gasoline consumption to next to nothing. They make ethanol out of sugar cane.
However, I doubt that the price of corn will go up that much. With the recent popularity of ethanol farmers are planting record amounts of corn. Most farmers around here do beans one year and corn the next in rotation. They have started doing corn two years and beans one to increase corn production. There is a real concern that growers are being over ambitious and that prices will not be as hoped. Additonally, farmers who have their land let to government programs and do not farm will find those programs becoming unavailable if corn prices go to high.
I look at ethanol this way - Research has not proved that it is better for the environment (it is still up in the air), due to decreased fuel efficiency it is not really much cheaper. However, if I'm going to support someone's economy it will be my own.
But I do agree that one day of not buying gasoline will not change anything. People will just need to buy gasoline they next day or the day after. The way to reduce our dependence of gasoline is to develop new technology. Buy electric hybrid vehicle (or ethanol), and not drive as often.

However I do agree with Minnymuth that the minimum wage increase will increase prices. If workers have to be paid more than the stores are definitely going to pass that on to the consumers. Even if it is just an excuse to do so.

However, I just noticed that this post has gotten away from the issue of how much do you spend on groceries.
Mods can feel free to more this portion of this thread to the rising "cost of gas" or it's own thread.

Ah, headed to the grocery store on my lunch break today. Working on my list now. Ugh...

SinkingFast, we have another thread here on this topic about saving money cooking..................receipe ideas, and how to stretch the food out and save on cooking expenses........ now where is that?????

Here's how to stretch out a ham you have bought..........

1st time around - nice ham slices for dinner
2nd time around - ham and eggs for breakfast
3nd time around - ham sandwiches
4rd time around - ham and scallopped potatoes
5th time around - ham bone/chunks in pinto beans
6th time around - left over ham/beans and make bean dumplings.
Finally - anything left (usually not) - the pets get them and LOVE IT........

It's amazing what you can do with one nice size ham..................

Same principal with chicken and a pork roast...... goes into BBQ, soup,etc.....

Mom was great at stretching out the $40.00 grocery allowance my dad allowed her each week................. we ate good, healthy, and had plenty to eat....... and not junk either..... she taught me well....And dont forget beans! I love pinto, lentils and pork and beans. Sometimes when we are short on dough we have beans and if we have enough I will put a little bacon in them. We can do all kinds of stuff with them and they are nutritious at the same time!:yahoo:

I budget $250/week for gas and groceries. I commute 30 miles each way and so does my husband (in opposite directions, though his commute just this week turned into about 5 miles. :yahoo:). So, it varies, and I have to work really hard to stay in that budget, but it's all the cash we have each week after bills, so it's the best I can do. It will also be better now that my 2 year old is almost potty trained and I only have to buy diapers for night and nap ($20/month for diapers is a LOT better than $20/week).

Anyway, I have found the best way to cut my grocery bill is to get the supermarket circular and plan our meals based on what is on sale. I spent $88 last week for the week and bought enough meat to last about 3 weeks (pork chops and pork ribs were buy one get 2 free). I got 5 jars of spaghetti sauce for $5. When you shop the sales and stock up, you can save a TON of money.

Wow, where in the world do you get buy one get TWO free?? That's awesome!

And dont forget beans! I love pinto, lentils and pork and beans. Sometimes when we are short on dough we have beans and if we have enough I will put a little bacon in them.

Me two.YUMMY! I love all the beans.

I was really wondering how some of you say you live on $60 a week with a family of 4 for groceries until I looked at the cost of living index for my area. They say 100 is normal for my area of California is 160! I looked up Arkansas and their index was 80. It would be nice to buy groceries where the living index was only 80!

I was really wondering how some of you say you live on $60 a week with a family of 4 for groceries until I looked at the cost of living index for my area. They say 100 is normal for my area of California is 160! I looked up Arkansas and their index was 80. It would be nice to buy groceries where the living index was only 80!


Yeah, but remember, we have lower salaries to go with that. so the money doesn't go any further than yours does.

I am a Registered Nurse. I make 21 dollars an hour. I read a post on here from an LPN who made around this amount. But she lived in New York. Here, LPNs make half the salary of RNs.

Whew. This got long.. Sorry..

We are a family of 3 but our daughter is only 6 months old. We budget about $500 a month for groceries, $150 for pampers/formula and another $50 for pets (I have 3 dogs and a cat), but I recently started examining the receipt and these are some interesting things I've found:

#1 I thought I was saving money by buying things at the Super Target and then buying bulk things at BJs/Sam's Club and then running to the Winn Dixie to stock up on buy-1-get-1-free days. Turns out I am spending MORE. You inevitably pick up things you didn't plan on because "it's on sale", etc. Plus, places like Super Target are full of temptations for extras. Maybe you guys are more disciplined, but this is a pitfall for me and it's best to avoid going in at all.

#2 Those bulk places aren't always cheaper. Yes, for paper goods, I can get a deal. But some of the stuff is MORE expensive than buying it at the local supermarket. Check the price per unit and compare. I buy certain thing there, like diapers and formula. I breastfed in the beginning but my milk supply kinda disappeared 4 months into it when I got a cold - it just never recovered so now I need to buy formula. She uses Similac, which is about $30 a case at BJs (that's almost a 1 week supply). But if you sign up with Similac, you get $5 coupons in the mail. I signed up and had my mother, sister, and mother-in-law also sign up. They mail me the coupons.

#3 Since we both work flex time and take care of our daughter (plus I am expecting again), we tend to buy convenience items like prepared meals, etc. I cut that out last month. My sister-in-law bought us one of those food saver things and I buy meat, separate it into the bags, throw in marinade and freeze. When I get home from work, I cut it open and just throw it in a pan with veggies. Saved a lot that way. Also, frozen veggies keep a LOT longer than fresh and are just as healthy and sometimes cheaper (at least when I account for how many times I throw out spoiled produce).

#4 Making baby food isn't that hard. I get things like sweet potatoes and butternut squash, bake them and throw them in the blender. Use clean ice cube trays for "baby size" portions. Just pop out 1-2 "cubes" and nuke it for 10 sec. Also, after about 1 month of buying baby food, I realized that if I just stick a small portion of whatever we are eating in the mini food processor, she can eat the same thing we have every night. If it's something spicy, I take out her portion prior to seasoning.

#5 Clipping coupons drives me bonkers but I started to do it. A good tip is: DO NOT clip coupons for stuff you don't normally use. If it's not something I usually buy, I trash the coupon. I was winding up with tons of crap in my pantry that I wouldn't really cook, but "hey, we had a coupon".

#6 You will go crazy if you create a budget that's too strict. I allow myself some luxuries. It's like a diet. If you allow yourself a controlled cheat once a week, you're less likely to binge. I cut out my husband's ice cream allowance of 1 pint of ben and Jerry's a day (I kid you not - the man was eating like $35 of ice cream a week). He now gets 1 pint a week and if he eats it all in one sitting - tough cookies. The dogs get a treat once a week and not daily.

#7 My husband has NO portion control. If I make chicken cutlets, he'll eat 3 or 4 pieces. If cut up the same amount of chicken into cubes or strips and mix with noodles, rice and veggies, I can get 2 meals outta the same dish. You can "fill" a plate with a lot of healthy and cheaper options.

#8 Cleaning supplies are the biggest rip off EVER! Our moms didn't have 20 different bottles of stuff to clean the house. Hot water and vinigar work well as a degreaser for the kitchen and it cuts through grime on the floors (add some lemon juice). Bleach is the best disinfectant for toilets - does the same as all that antibacterial toilet wands, scrubs, etc. Instead of Tilex, wet a fabric softener sheet - it removes soap scum from shower doors. Fabric softner sheets are also ideal as deodorizers for shoes - stick a half sheet in each shoe when you put them in the closet. For pet accidents, scrub the floor with baking soda and hot water. When it's all good and soaked, throw vinigar on it - then mop up. For windows, vinigar and water and use newspaper for no streaks.

I was able to shave off about $100-150 from our grocery bill using the above.

I'm gonna stop now. Sorry. I get carried away since I made this lifestyle change….

I just can't help myself. Here are few more tricks to keep your grocery bill down...

#1 Juice is expensive and I drink alot of it. To cut down on cost, buy club soda. I pour 1/2 juice and fill the rest with club soda - it's like a fizzy grape juice. Plus, it's healthier because juice has ALOT of sugar in it.

#2 Instead of buying fancy ready made marinades, salad dressings can double as a marinade. Believe it or not, marinating a ham in Coca-Cola works too and it's yummy.

#3 Cookies and chips seem to disappear in my house. When I buy snacks, I open up the box and divide them into ziplock bags. Hubby can grab a bag and sit on the couch to watch his tv program and not eat everything in one sitting. I saw this on the Today show recently as a dieting trick too.

#4 Don't take the family with you when you go shopping. Everyone has something they throw in the cart that's not on your list... Also, don't go to the supermarket when you are starving - you start tossing all sorts of stuff into the cart.

#5 As a general rule, the more expensive items are at eye level. When staring at a shelf, look at the items in the less attractive areas - up high and down low. They are often cheaper and would work just as well in some cases. Don't get sucked into those bright red and yellow "SALE" tags. Target is notorious for these. They stick a big sale sign under an item, which prompts you to pick it up and thorw 1 or 2 in your cart. Sometimes, "sale" or "temporary price cut" means it's 3 -10 cents cheaper. Not much of a deal for something you didn't plan on buying in the first place.

Nazstar - great suggestions........

Many ways to cut the cost of cleaning supplies, groceries, and pet items....

Bleach, vinegar, baking soda, salt, are many of the cleaning supplies that old generations used. A lot healthier too, then the scented - spray can - chemical cleaners......

Name brand items are just that - Name brands!!! You pay for the name!!!
Example - Liquid detergents are ALL made from the SAME SOAP BASE. They just add their own scent and softeners to them. (my brother hauled the same soap base to all the different companies - his wife used just the soap base drained out of the left over barrels to do her laundry - I did too for years.)

Store brands are MADE by the name brand companies and sold as cheap labels also.
Example - bread...... name brand makes store brand!!!

Lots of ways to cut corners, just eat good BEFORE you go to the store, lol......

Good point on the salt. When I have a tough pan to clean, I fill it up with hot water, throw in a handful of table salt and let it sit for a few hours. It washes out like a breeze. I started looking for natural ways to clean - not for money reasons but for health reasons. I have 3 small dogs and a baby. I was worried about chemicals and sprays, etc in the house. The fact that it's cheaper is just an added bonus.

[QUOTE=Minnymouth;124720]Nazstar - great suggestions........
Bleach, vinegar, baking soda, salt, are many of the cleaning supplies that old generations used. A lot healthier too, then the scented - spray can - chemical cleaners......

:)
Minny & nazstar
I use baking soda, vinegar and bleach for almost all cleaning. the only issue Ive had is we have well water and nothing gets rid of rust/iron stains except iron out...any suggestions??
The best deoderizer with dogs is to put arm & hammer dryer sheets in your vaccum bag. That way when you vaccum up 'dog stank' you neutralize it. Before I did this my vaccum smelled like wet dog.:( Even hepa bags did not work. Sometimes I throw a tablespoon of baking soda in the bag as well.
The only downside, is your house will smell like a pickle factory from the vinegar!!
Also, Fels Naptha soap is the BEST stain remover, and only around 99 cents a bar. Shout doesnt work for me at all.
WAM

Don't know a cure for the rust problem...... thats a hard one. Maybe somebody else has some thoughts on it.....

:)
Minny & nazstar
I use baking soda, vinegar and bleach for almost all cleaning. the only issue Ive had is we have well water and nothing gets rid of rust/iron stains except iron out...any suggestions??

WAM

Have you tried naval jelly for the rust. It's a pink jell, available in hardware stores and not very expensive. But read the warning label.

For rust on clothes and other fabrics, lemons are supposed to work really well but I haven't tried it. I had some screws that rusted on an outside lock once. I soaked them in Dr. Pepper and it ate right through it - makes me think twice about drinking it now!

Have you tried naval jelly for the rust. It's a pink jell, available in hardware stores and not very expensive. But read the warning label.
Nasty stuff if you're referring to the naval jelly rust dissolver.........http://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/household/brands?tbl=brands&id=13010007

Nasty stuff if you're referring to the naval jelly rust dissolver.........http://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/household/brands?tbl=brands&id=13010007

Yep, but it works, especially well in bathtubs and sinks...just keep it away from kids and wear gloves. Definitely not a product I'd use every day but for those really tough stains, I won't bother with anything else.

I've heard of the "navel jelly", but never used it.....

Also Dr. Pepper/coke/pepsi can be used to clean battery cables of corosion.

Wonder if it's that hard on the stomach too??????????? :blink:

Hmm maybe I will pour my Dr pepper down the toilet then!!! If it does indeed do to rust what said i will not be drinking much soda anymore. ICK! I already have an ulcer!!!!
Ive never heard of that "jelly", but it sounds scary.....then again, Lime away isnt exactly good for you either.
Thanks!!
WAM

I am just one, I spend from 25-30 dollars per week.

I am not sure about "buying a freezer," as mentioned above. You may be able to get meat on sale, but you end up paying for it through your additional electricity bills. I always thought the "half cow" purchase was a good idea until I figured it needed to pay rent.

It's me, hubby and three kids - 17 (b), 13(g), 8(b) and dog. I spend at least $200 a week on food and still run out. I can NOT keep enough food in the house, its maddening. And thats *with* clipping coupons and looking for deals. I don't know what to do anymore.

And with summer coming and them home all the time (friends over more etc) its only going to get worse!

Becca

#6 You will go crazy if you create a budget that's too strict. I allow myself some luxuries. It's like a diet. If you allow yourself a controlled cheat once a week, you're less likely to binge. I cut out my husband's ice cream allowance of 1 pint of ben and Jerry's a day (I kid you not - the man was eating like $35 of ice cream a week). He now gets 1 pint a week and if he eats it all in one sitting - tough cookies. The dogs get a treat once a week and not daily.

I have the same issue with ice cream with my husband. Also, if I buy a bag of Oreo cookies it only lasts 2 or 3 days. I've gotten to the point where I don't buy certain items like these anymore. So now the only time he gets Oreo cookies is on the rare occassion when he goes to the grocery store. Unfortunately, he does occassionally buy a pint of ice cream at a convenience store, which of course is about the most expensive place to buy anything.

#7 My husband has NO portion control. If I make chicken cutlets, he'll eat 3 or 4 pieces. If cut up the same amount of chicken into cubes or strips and mix with noodles, rice and veggies, I can get 2 meals outta the same dish. You can "fill" a plate with a lot of healthy and cheaper options.

Oh my gosh, I sure know what that is like and it's sooooo frustrating. I make a big pot of something thinking we'll get 2 full meals out it, if not more, and my husband just keeps eating and eating until he's beyond full and actually uncomfortable, at which point he says he can't eat anymore.

#4 Don't take the family with you when you go shopping. Everyone has something they throw in the cart that's not on your list... Also, don't go to the supermarket when you are starving - you start tossing all sorts of stuff into the cart.

I couldn't agree with this more. I make a point of going without my husband for the reason above, where he'd just wander off and come back with an impulse item to throw in the cart, and then repeat numerous times. For example he'll go over to the meat aisle and look at the steaks (while I'm in another aisle comparing different brands to see which is cheaper per ounce) and grab up a package of 2 huge expensive steaks to cook on the grill. I'm not that much of a steak person (personally, I'd just as soon have a hamburger over a steak) and try to convince him to get a cheaper cut for my serving. Well, that's insulting to him and he retaliates with, well it's cheaper than eating out. I don't know what that has to do with us going over our food budget, but just let it go at this point because I'm tired of fighting this all the time. Oh, and what do you do with an expensive cut of nicely grilled steak? Well, if your my husband you drown it in steak sauce. Honestly, what's the point?

Another reason I don't like my husband going with me is because he does not like me buying in bulk, even when it's cheaper. All he can see is that if we buy that smaller package the bill will be cheaper at the register. Usually I just do it anyway, but I hate having to explain/justify why I just put a 10-pack roll of paper towels in the cart instead of a 3-pack that "doesn't cost as much."

That way of thinking is probably why it doesn't bother him at all to buy a 6-pack of beer at the convenience store for $7.50 when he could buy a 12-pack for $11.00 at Walmart. When a 6-pack (or more) is being consumed weekly, and money's tight, it makes a difference. Of course, picking up that expensive ice cream at the same time doesn't help any. I guess I'm stuck with this one, though, since I have reached the point where I refuse to buy beer when I'm shopping at Walmart because I feel he's on the verge of becoming an alcoholic.

On the plus side, at least he's not brand loyal and is fine with store brand!!

Meal planning has been the biggest savings for me. I used to just go shopping haphazardly, without a list or any ideas on what we were going to eat for the next week. We ended up wasting a lot of food due to such poor planning, and also not being able to make a meal that appealed to us out of what was left. Oftentimes we'd end up going out to eat just because neither one of us felt like cooking.

I used to gripe because our fridge is so small with a tiny freezer on top. Now I actually like that it's small because I'm doing everything I can to cut back on wasting food. Our fridge used to be so packed all the time that we'd end up throwing food out that we'd forgot about or just kept overlooking. We'd also throw out frozen food after it'd been up there for way too long, or we weren't sure when we froze it, or sometimes didn't even know what it was anymore. Now that I'm planning our meals and making better use of any leftovers, our fridge is not packed full of useless junk anymore and we can actually see everything that's in there much more easily now.

Our food budget is a work in progress. Right now we're budgeting $150/week for the both of us and 2 dogs. That includes food, paper products, tolietries, cleaning products, dog food, those convenience store pitstops, and occasional meals out. This would be a lot easier if my spouse would get on board with this. I think he feels like this is just short term and we'll be going back to the way it used to be once I eventually get a job again. I'm trying to get it in his head that this is a lifestyle change and when I get back to work we'll need to really start saving our money for emergencies and short term goals and retirement, which we don't have any now to speak of and which is only 25 years away.

Sorry for such a long, complaining post. Any thoughts or ideas or true stories about how someone turned their partner around to the idea of staying within a budget would be greatly appreciated.

Lol, the only way my husband understands the grocery budget is when the bank account says $0.00 left. He's not quite that bad, but will seriously keep making a beer run if he thinks we have extra. We each get 50.00 a month to spend on whatever extra we want and I swear his all goes to beer. I won't put it in the official grocery budget, but he can spend his 50 on whatever. I'm sure he thinks my 50.00 goes to silly girly stuff he couldn't care less about either. We spend about 200-250 a week for 4, (2 adults and 2 kids ages 11 and 13) That includes toiletries and cleaning stuff too. I could do better and stay at 200 I think , we just started this budget thing and will file soon. I really never have had a budget and it's kind of hard. I should've had one all along, but it's never too late right?

Anyone have any ideas on the cheapest yet still decent quality laundry detergent for the HE front load machines?

I am a single guy, live in a house by myself, and I have one dog. When I was still living on credit, I spent whatever I wanted on groceries. I would use coupons and shop sales, but didn't have a budgeted amount weekly. I could easily spend $100 a week, which would include cleaning supplies, etc. Sometimes $20-$50 of that would be alchohol, though. I do enjoy cooking and would buy gourmet and premium ingredients. The worst thing is spices! If I wanted to try a recipe and it called for a spice I didn't have, I would pay the $6 to get it and use maybe once. Some of this was from my mindset of, "Well, I can't afford to go on vacation or have any other fun...I might as well eat good!" I was also guilty of buying bags of salad and not eating them or other produce and throwing it out, letting yogurt expire, having one sandwich out of a loaf of bread before it got moldy, etc.
Now, I am trying to keep it at $80 or under, including a 12 pack or case of beer (beer is a staple), dog food or treats, cleaning and household supplies, and toiletries. I am trying to take better advantage of sales and use coupons where I can. I don't buy more than I can eat before it will expire, and I try to make meals that I don't mind having leftovers of.
We have Meijer here and I love it. It doesn't feel as dumpy to me as other discount chains, and they have name brand, high quality foods. Most of their store brand stuff is pretty good...I get a bummer once in a while, though. They usually have some killer deals, too.

Don't know a cure for the rust problem...... thats a hard one. Maybe somebody else has some thoughts on it.....

If it's rust stains on clothes, just rub table salt and lemon juice on the rust stain (on the heavy side), and let it sit in bright sunlight for a couple hours. Then launder normally. It's worked like magic for me every time.

In our city, a grocery chain owns several chains of grocery stores. They own the chain of the most expensive stores in the area but they also own the chain of the cheapest stores in the area. I can buy the same bananas at their cheap stores which would cost me about twice as much at their expensive stores.
Every other day, I buy some meat. What is on sale is what I buy. Generally pork or chicken for about $.79 to $1.29 a pound. I generally pay for a package between $2.00 to $4.00 and it last the two of us for 2 days.
The milk is generally $2.79.
I get their icecream (the kind that comes on a stick). They have varieties I really like such as mango ice cream with real pieces of mangos.

I also buy food from an ethnic market. The owner gives us a good break on prices and we are able to buy some things we can not buy anywhere else. Our favorite is pickled pig; I know, not everybody's favorite.

I spend 1000-1200 a month on groceries for a family of 4.

I don't go cheap with detergent for my HE front loader.


Anyone have any ideas on the cheapest yet still decent quality laundry detergent for the HE front load machines?

We're a family of 4=myself, dh, dd 15yrs, ds 12yrs. I just upped my groc. budget to $125/week. Every year we buy 1/3 cow with our tax return. With packaging and everything it comes to $2.99/lb. We make a trip to Sam's Club 2-3 times each year. Here lately it's the vegetables and dairy that seem to be going thru the roof. After our BK7 is complete in Aug. we're hoping to be able to build a greenhouse to grow our vegetables all winter...then I could also grow my flowers for my flowerbeds which would save me a fortune!

We are a family of 5 in MA...myself, DH, 6-year old son and 3-year old twin girls. We are up to about $1200 a month (includes paper goods, hygiene products, etc.). Does not include diapers\wipes for the girls. Our grocery bill has gone up about $200 - $300\month over the past several months.

Sorry for such a long, complaining post. Any thoughts or ideas or true stories about how someone turned their partner around to the idea of staying within a budget would be greatly appreciated.

Is he involved in creating the budget? Can you get him to sit down with you and help you do it? Perhaps this might get him the see the reality of the situation.

We had a huge fight a while back ending with him actually looking at the budget, which seemed to have helped his attitude. I hope it lasts. Before that it was like I was just being mean to him or something. He just didn't seem to get it.

The total amount for groceries this month is 1200$.

id say around 300-350 a month

Any thoughts or ideas or true stories about how someone turned their partner around to the idea of staying within a budget would be greatly appreciated.

For us it was the opposite. I handled, if you wanna call it that, all the finances and my DW didn't really want any part in it. However, once I sat her down and showed her how bad this really was, she is on board 110%. We have a 3 year old and a 4 week old. My wife has become one of those crazy coupon ladies. She just got 20 bottles of shampoo and conditioner for $3. Yes, $3. If you know how to work the system, sometimes they pay you to take their merchandise. Our grocery, household supplies, and paper products budget is set at $160 a month. Usually, we are a little under that. And, the crazy thing is, it is all name brand stuff.

One thing that I've learned is to not worry about being brand loyal and to shop sales. I buy very little that I don't have a coupon for or isn't on sale.

One thing that I've learned is to not worry about being brand loyal and to shop sales. I buy very little that I don't have a coupon for or isn't on sale.

Have you been informed on Angelfoodministries.com ? Great food at a great price and no conditions. They are in kits but you may purchase as many as you wish. 'Hub

I tried it once. All I have to say is BLECH!