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Yay - I'm in too. I really need to cut down on our grocery spending. I am actually planning to start eating some meat (probably just chicken for now) and possibly eggs in order to be able to plan meals easier. DH has agreed to eat more veggies and try new ones so this way I can plan and prep one meal for us and LO to share rather than spending what little time I have cooking separate meals.
I also need to focus on bringing lunches rather than buying them at work. I typically end up spending $7-$9 on our salad bar which is such a crazy waste when I could just make my own salad at home!
My goal for January is to stay under $350. Less would be even better!
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@dojo: it's really hard when you have a different diet from you SO. I know, because I'm vegetarian and DH is not. And he doesn't quite share my love of beans, lentils and quinoa
How's everyone doing? January 1st is tomorrow, can you believe it??? My in-laws are cooking us dinner and we have plenty of food in the fridge so hopefully we can hold off on our first grocery store trip of 2014 for a bit.
For good measure I made DH a ham, cheese and spinach quiche last night. The ham was leftover from Christmas dinner, and would have ended up in the trash if I didn't turn it into quiche!
I'm happy to be using things up and not spending any more money (for now). Happy New Year everyone!
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I think I have identified the issue in my grocery spending...it's that we buy very specific, expensive ingredients that we won't subsitute, like imported cheeses, artisan baked breads, certain milk, imported yogurt, etc.
So, for the bread, I am going to dig out my enameled cast iron dutch oven and start baking our own bread again, using the no knead method (from Sullivan Street Bakery). I've done it before and the results are great considering the fact that you just dump all the ingredients together, stir and wait for 18 hours.
It's the other items that I am struggling with. I think what I need to do is go grocery shopping alone one weekend, so I can stake out some alternatives.
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@looch: oooh, I'd love to try baking bread! We definitely get the cheapest bread at the store. Going to the grocery store alone is a must when you need to focus on options and prices! Easier said than done, I know.
I'm just happy we made it through the first day of January without going to the store! I shared my goals with DH and he is on board. -
Proud of myself! According to my Kroger receipt I saved 48% on my groceries this evening with sales + coupons.
And I got some ground turkey BOGO last week so I made skinnytaste's turkey taco chili soup. I love making dinners like that so I can freeze leftovers for lunches.
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@jhd: whoo hoo! Great job!
I love making chili and freezing half.
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DH made our first trip to the grocery store yesterday and he didn't do too bad. He spent $31 on protein powder, baked beans and kitty litter (our necessities, lol). I'm proud of him because I asked him to consider a different brand of protein powder, because our grocery store was advertising several on sale this week. He paid $11 less than the last time he purchased protein powder!
He's supposed to go to Costco on his lunch break today to pick up chicken. I'm interested to find out if it really is cheaper there! -
@cmomma17: that's great! I don't have a costco but I can usually get chicken cheaper at sams club than my regular grocery store.
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@looch: That stuff is hard, baking your own bread is a great idea though. Have you seen Artisan bread in five minutes a day? You can Google it for the starter recipe and they have at least two cook books with variations. It sounds like a similar process to the one you mentioned but with this one you mix up enough for like give loafs and bake them off over the course of two weeks.
@cmomma17: that sounds like improvement to me! If he goes through one weekly an eleven dollar difference is $572 a year!
@jhd: 48%?! You are my hero! I need to sit down and spend an hour or two on coupons. We are picky about brands or buy things that don't typically have coupons so often that I don't typically bother but there are a few things we could stand to stock up on so that will be my goal for the next week is to get a good coupon list going.
My breaks planning for the week was thrown for a loop, one night my husband's plans were canceled and the other night the fish store didn't have what I wanted so I didn't bother driving over there. Last night we had a weird hodge podge of stuff but it worked.
What day do you guys shop?
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@Cole: I have that book downloaded on Kindle, about 3 years ago I actually made a spreadsheet of every recipe in there, but I never actually tried it. Maybe that's what I should do this weekend!
We grocery shop on Saturdays, normally, but that will change to Sundays now.
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@Cole: They had a bunch of stuff on sale and I stocked up on some cereal that will last us all month. For some reason Special K with a banana has been one of my recent cravings.
I don't shop on a particular day right now. I work full time and have a long commute so really it's whenever we need stuff or whenever I have enough energy to do it! It was hardest in the first tri because I had so many unexpected aversions. Now that I'm approaching the third tri it is easier to get back to meal planning. I try to stock up on staples every month and then just do smaller trips to stock up on fresh fruits, milk, etc.
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@jhd: woohoo! great job!
@cmomma17: protein powder is $$! sounds like he found a great deal! i've found i do best ordering it on amazon with my monthly 'subscribe & save' 20% off for having amazon mom & 5 or more subscriptions in a month (i order most things once & cancel) and amazon coupons- like right now this one would be $0.32/oz after subscription & the 20% off coupon. i don't spend more than $0.40/oz because mr. bird goes through soooo much of it. i was super picky and insane about damage from the heavy metals found in most protein powders (you can google consumer reports protein powder danger if you wanna scare yourself), but now i've let it go, he can drink cheap protein powder & fry his brain, we're poor! haha, i'm a mean wife! how did he do with the chicken? i don't remember what it is per lb at costco 'cause i don't make it there as often as i'd like.
http://www.amazon.com/Body-Fortress-Advanced-Protein-Cookies/dp/B002HHREU8/ref=pd_sbs_hpc_1 -
i did my first grocery shop of the year today. it wasn't planned, so i didn't do my best & didn't have any coupons, i spent $53 & i spend $10 on a chicken at another store, so $63 total. there was an impulse purchase of cookies, i have terrible PMS & lots of super emotional stuff going on right now and dammit, i needed those $1.99 cookies! haha
i also noted that we spend more on beverages than we ought to- tap water is free (to us), we should drink more of it!
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@mrs. bird: it's the unplanned trips and cravings that kill our budget sometimes! I have so been there on the cookies! I resisted at the store tonight because I knew I had ingredients for cookies at home, which is why I have to start baking as soon as I get LO to sleep!
Thanks for the protein powder info. Ick to the metals! DH already knew about that, but so scary! I checked the prices on amazon and that's the route we might go next time. It's so expensive!!!
DH went to the store yesterday evening on his way home from work. He got chicken ($2.99/lb) at the regular store because he didn't go to costco on his lunch break like he was supposed to. He also (being sweet and thoughtful) picked up a bottle of my fave hot sauce that we didn't *need*
This is why he isn't allowed to go to the store unattended
I went today and only spent about $30 on lettuce, tomatoes, bread, cottage cheese, black beans, honey, and a few other things. Small, quick trip. Discovered dry black beans are NOT cheaper than canned! Also spilled a whole contained or grape tomatoes on the ground
so embarrassing! -
How's everyone doing?
It is January 5th and we have spent HALF of this months grocery budget already!!!!
Here's why: after buying some chicken yesterday, I looked at the weekly sales flyers this morning and discovered chicken on sale this week for $1.99/lb at Martins. That's the best price I have ever seen in our area, so I sent DH to buy out the store! Should last several weeks. Wrapped it all up and stored it in the freezer.
I also made my first trip to costco this morning. We got a costco membership with some Christmas money this year. I needed diapers (not out of grocery budget) and I also bought paper towels, toilet paper, a huge box of ziplock bags, and a big thing of vanilla extract (I bake a ton). I also collected some prices for my price book! In the future we will buy oatmeal, brown rice, honey, raisins, and a few other staples from Costco. Chicken there was actually 2.99/pound.DH also stocked up on coffee for his tassimo machine, which we buy at bed bath and beyond. Crazy expensive couple of days, but hopefully it pays off long term!
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So far this month we spent $150 on groceries/household items/toiletries. We only go to the grocery store twice per month, so if we go on more time in about 2 weeks we should average around $300. However, I am guessing we will need about another $50 for wipes, diapers, medications, and other things that come up in those types of categories.
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@Bao: that's awesome that you just go twice a month! I have a separate budget category for baby stuff and prescriptions, but it know budgets are personal and vary.
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Guys, do you know if there is a website or an app of some kind where you can search by brand for sales or coupons?
I am trying to cut back on our grocery expenses, but like @looch: we are pretty picky about our food and mainly shop at the local co-op. I think I'm spending at least 120.00 a week to feed me, my husband, and my 8 month old (that does include things like paper goods, all lunches and all breakfasts though).
we eat mostly vegetarian, but meat probably once a week (for economic reasons, because we buy local, free range meat).I was thinking today that there are somethings that go on sale in the regular grocery store that I should try to stock up on- frozen goods, non perishables, that kind of thing- plus dairy items from a local producer that sells in larger stores. But checking the fliers online every week for all three major grocery stores in the area is so time consuming!
Any tips?
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@Silva: Check and track the prices for just one store, and maybe just for your major staples (for us that would be beans, rice, oatmeal, etc.). Less overwhelming. I'm checking the weekly ad just for my grocery store and CVS every sunday morning and taking note of any good sales. Then I track the price of what I'm paying for items. After several weeks I'll have a good idea of what a "stock up" price is for any of our frequently purchased items.
Another good tip if you're brand loyal is to go to the company's website. Usually there is a coupon to print out and more if you join an email mailing list.
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I like having freezer meals at work for when I'm in a pinch and can't think of anything to take. I found Boston Market chicken parm and meatloaf dinners at Aldi's for $1.79 each! Great deal!
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@mediagirl: that's great! We have an aldi but I have never checked it out!
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How much does everyone spend monthly on groceries?
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@locavore_mama: somewhere in this thread I mentioned our spending over the last couple months - it's horrifying!
our budget "on paper" is $590/month. Insane in my opinion. I'd like it to be $500.We include cat stuff (food and litter), some health and beauty items (although I'm trying to buy those more exclusively from CVS out of a different budget - vitamins, makeup, shampoo, etc.). Our grocery budget also includes household items like paper towels, toilet paper, dish soap, etc.
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@locavore_mama: probably about 600.00. That includes alcohol (we have a beer or glass of wine every night) and all cleaning supplies, paper products, shampoo, etc.
We also buy all local and/or organic and shop at the coop. We eat meat about 1x per week, and occasionally get free meat from our families (who raise chickens, or buy in bulk from local farms).I'm not sure how much lower we could go, without changing the way we consume food,which is something we don't want to do. I'm hoping if I pay better attention to non perishables, like frozen veggies, frozen veggie burgers/salmon burgers, and canned foods, and stock up when they are on sale I could save a little.
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Oh, I used a coupon service where I printed out manufacturer's coupons for a few things we needed anyway and saved around $10. Even my husband was impressed.
As for toiletries and cleaning supplies, I find I get better deals for those at either CVS or Walmart.
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@mediagirl: how is the produce at your aldi? we have one now & i've only gone once because it was kind of yucky, but i hear such great things online about them & i read somewhere that they have a new in house line of organics. maybe i should give them another shot! do you have price rite? it's another discount grocer we have here. they also have great deals on things, but their stock is inconsistent
went to the store for a mini run wed. spent $23. bought some chicken, produce, broth & crackers. we're at $86 for the month so far. that's just food, i order most of my household products on amazon or get them for next to nothing with coupons.
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@Silva: what if you switched from paper products, and used cloth there? You'd be able to save that cost, assuming it's paper towels, toilet paper, napkins?
And making your own cleaning solutions?
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Ugh I need DH to read this... Since he mostly cooks, he is the one that grocery shops. He looks at circulars and he knows where to get what, but he definitely will never coupon like me.
So for me I am trying to save on non-food items. I shop almost exclusively at Target, I use my 5% from my red card, I regularly coupon, use cartwheel & their mobile coupons.
@locavore_mama: food-items only, there are 2 of us, we spend probably $200-$300. We live in metro NY to give some context.
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@looch: oh, I just meant toilet paper. Not interest in trying cloth for that....:) we use cloth napkins and dish towels for everything.
I definitely should make my own cleaning stuff. I've been meaning to do so, but keep forgetting to get out to the dollar store to buy spray bottles! I did have to buy some heavy duty cleaners with bleach in them because we had a serious mold problem in the bathroom and vinegar just wasn't working. But now that that is under control, I'd like to use less toxic stuff.
I do cook a lot from scratch, but haven't done beans yet. We eat them several times a week, so that is definitely an area for improvement. If I get around to cleaning out the freezer soon, I should have more space to freeze them, which make it a little easier,
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@Silva: haha fair point!
If you do go the cleaning supplies route, please report back! I have a cleaning lady and i don't know if she'd be open to using the home made stuff, but I would be interested in using it for the in between touch ups.
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I've been doing The Fresh 20 for the past 2 months. It has been a bit of a money saver because we only buy things that are on the list and (most importantly) we use absolutely everything. I think part of our issue prior was that we were just terrible at menu planning and using up everything we purchased.
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@mrs. bird: it's okay. I really have to be choosy there. I have taken home bad produce before and had to take it back. I find some things are better quality than others. Broccoli, loose fruit and bananas are good quality. Bagged items like onions and bagged fruits/packaged veggies aren't always great.
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I'm failing. I am pregnant and nursing and feeling like I am eating us out of house and home!
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I'm in! I try to spend $90/week for 3 of us (L is a toddler) and the past few weeks I've stayed under - trying to use what we have first.
PlumDistricts has a $24 voucher to luckyvitamin.com for $12. I know my husband got protein powder there before. http://www.plumdistrict.com/moms/discount/everywhere/deals/luckyvitamin-lucky-vitamin-clif-bars-nature-s-path-organic-burt-s-bees-more-famil-HLzcEa
(ETA, I don't think that's a referral link - I'm not logged in to my plum district account.)
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@jedeve: oh man! that's tough! I ate so much when I was pregnant, and so much now nursing, I can't imagine combining the 2! You're putting all the food to good use though, so you get a break!
how's everyone else doing?
I just checked and we have spent $315.86 so far in January. Need to spend less than $274.14 the rest of the month to make our goal. We MIGHT make it. Biggest problem is when DH goes to the store unattended and shops off list, buys treats, etc. We need to get back in the habit of only shopping ONCE a week (and me doing the shopping). We dropped a lot of money on bulk items this month so I think we'll really start to see the savings in February and beyond ...Oh, and I'm slacking on my price book! I have 2 or 3 grocery receipts to go through, hopefully this weekend!
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I think we are doing alright so far this month. We are at $266 of $350 and I'm hoping to not do too much more grocery shopping before the end of the month. I will probably just need to pick up fresh vegetables and maybe a few other things this weekend. I did a big costco trip and was proud of myself for not getting pricey frozen prepackaged type foods.
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this week i spent $10 on turkey meatballs at TJs (they're the best!) and $65 at the regular grocery store. that brings me to $161 for the month so far. i know i'm gonna go a little over my $200 goal, there have been a bunch of days where our meal plans have been screwed up schedule changes last minute & we've wasted food or not had time to take something out of the freezer (normally i come home during the day & then go back to work, but if i get stuck at work and can't come home, it screws up dinner). $39 and a wk and a half left in january..... we'll see!
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@merriment: what is the fresh 20?
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Hi everyone this is my goal this year too! I already do a lot of cooking at home but will try to be more conscious about what I buy (like choosing a less expensive cut of steak and use it in a stir fry instead of splurging on filet mignon every time we eat steak!) also I would like to be more conscious of coupons. I think what might help me is meal planning because it will force me to look at what I have and make a shopping list of what I need (and not deviate from my list!)
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Ok for those of you who are spending less than $100 a week or $400 a month... is this for all of your food? Are you eating lunches out or something?
Our budget is $100 a week and it's hard!
I'm happy to be using things up and not spending any more money (for now). Happy New Year everyone!
i also noted that we spend more on beverages than we ought to- tap water is free (to us), we should drink more of it!
so embarrassing! 
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