How much do you spend on food, etc?

[manglicmot]

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

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.

[CurtInKS]

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.

[Shalynn]

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

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

[Shalynn]

Food spending

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.

[lrprn]

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?

You are doing very well to feel 4 people on $2-300/month, CoCo. Do you coupon? Any other secrets to share?

[CoCoChanel]

How Much Do You Spend on Food?

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?

[manglicmot]

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

[JollyGG]

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.

[whatamess]

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....
WAM

[arkienurse]

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.

[arkienurse]

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.

[JollyGG]

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.

[CurtInKS]

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.

[leftyf]

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.

[CurtInKS]

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.