How to save Money on Weekly Expenses

Hmm we have a similar situation (3 year old, 7 month old, and 2 adults) but spend quite a bit less. We also do organic milk, produce, cook from scratch etc. 2 big things we do differently are (1) I breastfeed and (2) we use cloth diapers. Oh... and I don't clean very much! So the formula is an expense you won't really be able to get around until your baby outgrows it (depending on how long that is, you may want to renew that costco membership), and you may or may not want to mess with cloth diapers. For cleaning supplies, we use lots of vinegar, baking soda, and borax.

Diet-wise... we eat very little meat. I make my own yogurt instead of buying it (so for organic, it's around $1.50/quart versus $3.00+), cook with lots of dried beans. In the summer we have a CSA (http://www.localharvest.org/csa/M19174 ) where we get local organic fresh produce. It's only $25/week for more than plenty for our family. We eat a fair bit of peanut butter, cheese, whole wheat tortillas and bread, pasta, nuts, fruits and veggies. We try and buy seasonal fruit, which is usually cheaper and tastes better. We probably have meat maybe once per week.

We also shop very selectively at different stores. Milk, eggs, bulk-foods, and butter come from Whole Foods. Nuts and dried fruits and some frozen stuff comes from Trader Joes.

I know lots of these things don't work for everyone, but maybe the list has given you some ideas to work with...

HI C., we're all looking for ways to spend less, and I have to say that I have similar buying habits, but I definitely don't spend $300 a week - more like $200-250. First, try drugstore.com and diapers.com for household items. I've always gotten free shipping from both places and if you sign up on ebates I believe both are on there (ebates give you a percentage back - look it up on line and read about it but it's so nice to get a check in the mail out of the blue. I used it a lot at the holidays for gifts as well). Also - I know you may think that pureeing your own food is less expensive, but right now Target sells Earth's Best organic baby food for .64 a jar and with a $1 off coupon when you buy 10 jars (found on the back of their cereal boxes and on line) it gets it to .54. Earth's best is the least processed of all the baby foods so you may want to try it (I know homemade organic is the healthiest though). In addition, try using less cleaning supplies, a little goes a long way. And finally, lately I've been trying to scale down my meals so while they are still healthy there's not always a meat or fish involved - beans and tofu and brown rice pasta are great too! As for Costco I am a member and I would try it out one day (I think they would let you). The diapers and wipes are a good deal and they now have some organic fresh veggies and fruit - but very limited. I'm not sure if it's cost effective for my family (I am a family of 4 also) so I'm not sure if I'm going to renew my membership. Good luck, I hope this helps.

Try buying deli stuff (meats and cheeses) and produce from a produce store - like a Mexican produce store. That's where we go. I live in the suburbs so there are plenty of those around. The produce is a lot fresher than places like Jewel or Dominicks and way cheaper. For example, for land of lakes american cheese, we pay half of what we would at Jewel. We buy pint of blackberries for 89 c and plum tomatoes for 99c/lb. Its amazing how much you can save.

Good luck,
A..

Hi C.,

I don't know where you live, but I'll give Jerry's Fruit & Vegetable (in Niles at Milwaukee & Oakton) a resounding second. Really cheap prices on good, fresh produce, and they're getting in more organics. Also, there's a Shop 'n' Save in Niles (at the Golf Mill Mall) and another, newer and nicer one in Des Plaines (in their new downtown development, just off River and NW Hwy) and they also have good prices on produce (but I don't think the quality is generally as good as Jerry's) and very good prices on deli meats & cheeses, meats and spices (in the bulk containers, not in the baking aisle). They also have separate aisles for different ethnic foods, so things like olive oil are also very reasonable.

Good luck!

J.

Hi C.,

Thank you for posting your question. My family is in a very similar situation, except we have three children. Due to allergies, we have to buy specialty flours and avoid dairy, eggs, corn, soy, and other things. We do buy organic whenever we can and cook from scratch. I still breastfeed and use cloth diapers.

For cleaning, I use baking soda or Bonami powder and vinegar - it works for stoves, sinks, bathtub, windows and any surfaces. For toilet bowl, I use Bonami and spray the bowl and seat daily or every other day with alcohol(my husband got a big bottle of vodka for his birthday and nobody is drinking it:) I do not use chlorine bleach at all. For disinfecting, I use grapefruit seed extract (i.e. about 15-20 drops is enough to add to your washing machine, and I add 5 drops to the dish washing liquid or liquid soap to make it antibacterial). Sometimes, I add a bit of dish washing liquid to warm water and use this solution to clean door knobs, walls or anything else affected by the kids' creativity.

For laundry, I just recently found out about soap nuts -- a handful can be reused up to 5 times. I haven't used it consistently, but a friend of mine switched to soap nuts completely and is very happy. You can order by a kilo and save in the long run.

We buy different things at different stores - my husband has his "route". If I can't find inexpensive organics, I choose European deli stores for grains, like oat meal, barley grits, buckwheat, millet, dry beans and peas, etc. That way I know they are at least non-GMOs. I don't pay extra for organic onions, broccoli, beets or citrus fruit. But do buy organic lettuce, carrots, radishes, or celery, as those absorb chemicals the most.

Some things, like toothpaste or shampoo or hygienic products, I order on-line. They are less expensive than at Whole Foods and you don't pay tax.

I avoid Dominick's and Jewell - they are much more expensive than smaller stores and the produce is not that fresh.

Big Lots is a store that I sometimes visit -- Tom's of Maine toothpaste or natural crystal deodorant are only $2.50 there. Also, sometimes you can find Seventh Generation products, like diapers (size 3 available in Wood Dale) or laundry detergent.

Sorry for the long post - I was trying to be specific. Good luck.

J. K.

We LOVE Costco for all of the fresh fruits, vegetables, diapers, wipes, and we used to buy Kirkland brand formula which is half the price of other brands.
Trader Joe's also has reasonable prices for certain items...

try to watch the store circulars when they come in the mail and clip coupons. if you coordinate the sales and coupons you can get a lot more for your money. you just have to be willing to buy what's on sale instead of buying the brand that you prefer.

I've started using thegrocerygame.com It's a website that's free for the first month or two and then I think it's $10 for 2 months. The woman who runs it puts together lists of foods that are on sale in conjunction with coupons to let you know when food items hit their rock bottom prices. You have to get the Sunday paper in order to get the coupons, but we've saved a lot of money this way. Some of the stuff is just junk food, but they also hit a bunch of meat sales, cleaning products, etc. I wasn't sure if I would find it useful, but because the trial was free I thought it was worth checking out. I've really liked it and we've bought a chest freezer so that we can stock up on meat and whatnot when it's dirt cheap. Also, for cleaning products, I've seen a lot of websites that show you how to make your own cleaning products very inexpensively. Of course, I can't remember the addresses, but just google home made cleaning products and I'm sure you'll find plenty.

Hi C.- I use a CSA that operates year-round called "Farmer Tom's CSA". They have various drop-off sites in Chicago or can deliver to your home for an extra fee. They offer reasonably priced full or 1/2 bussels of fruit & vegetables ($33 for full or $22 for half). I really like this CSA because you only pay for what you order and can skip a week whenever you like. There is a small annual membership fee ($60 or so). I'm a vegetarian so my little family (which includes my husband & our 3 year old son) can easily go through a 1/2 bussel in a week. This CSA saves us money as compared to buying organic fruit & vegetables at a store.

www.farmertomscsa.com

Coupons, coupons, coupons. Easier said than done, I know, because it's so time-consuming. I also know what stores sell our household staples the most cheaply and keep that in mind when running errands (eg, the store-brand foods for my daughter's GF/CF diet are cheapest at Whole Foods, produce at Stanley's, cleaning supplies at drug/food stores when they're on sale AND I have a coupon). There are alsp numerous DIY websites that show you how to make homemade "green" cleaners for next to nothing.

I've also had to bite the bullet about "needs" and "wants". I've had to move so many "necessity" grocery items into the "luxury" list it's almost criminal:^) I do miss really high-end coffee, meat and olive oil, but desperate times warrant the sacrifice.

Good luck, and hope this is helpful!

Not sure what are you live in, but Jerry's Fruit & garden in Niles on Milwaukee has incredible prices on fruits, vegetables and some dairy items.

Plan your menus according to whats on sale - ie: buy the sale items & then figure out what you can cook from what you have bought.

we started using target brand diapers they are HALF the cost of pampers or hugging and i have tried many store brand diapers and targets are the best, slo try shopping at like aldi i was always ewwww aldis but i went there and couldnt believe how good and cheap the food was.

I also do a CSA in the summer and fall. It is an excellent value and the produce is outstanding. Sign up now as many get sold out early.

I would suggest buying your produce at Stanley's on Elston. The prices are great and they do have organic as well, for less than at Whole foods or Trader Joes. The only caveat is that the produce tends to be ripe at the moment you buy it, so shop only for what you will eat that week or in the next couple days or you might wind up wasting money on food you have to throw away.

Also, I would recommend Costco - perhaps you could find someone to share a membership with, which would make it only $25/year. A friend and I share and we each have a card - it really makes it cost effective.

Well two things stand out about your post. Groceries are very expensive right now and fresh produce is extra expensive in the winter and of course buying organic is much more expensive still. Sorry to say but you might limit your organic buying to the things that are most important to you.Also if you are buying organic stuff at regular grocery stores it's more expensive then buying at say the Whole Foods.
The other thing that stands out are the formula and diapers. Unfortunately formula is something you could completely eliminate if you were breast feeding at very little extra expense-maybe it's too late for that now. And cloth diapers are a cheaper option as well and of course are better for the environment. I believe even a diaper service is cheaper then those plastic things. Good luck...

If you are eating organic fruit and the greener products, they are all much more expensive. There are a variety of articles on the web about which ones are more important to eat organically and which are not eg. bananas have an outer skin that you take off and so this may not be one that you need to buy organic for. Raspberries however are delicate and hard to wash so organic may be better there. I sometimes shop at Big Lots. It is certainly cheap but sometimes you get what you pay for. Costco is good provided you avoid buying other things that you don't need. They don't do much in the way of greener products. If you are using baby formula, their brand is at least half the price of other formulas and is required by the FDA to be just as good. Their diapers - kirkland brand are cheaper than Target normally - keep an eye on the cost per diaper. Their baby wipes also are the cheapest. Sometimes huggies are cheaper there if you have a coupon. But when my budget gets tight sometimes some of my better intentions go out the window. Some meals are cheaper than others eg. mac and cheese, so I try to balance out what is on the menu and avoid those recipes that need specialized items except for more special treats. Good luck.