What Do You Spend?

We only have 3 in our household, but somedays you would think more. I only spend around $100 a week on groceries and still have leftover at the end of the month. We use a TON of organic products which do cost more, BUT....without all the preservatives, red dyes, MSg, additives etc..the food tastes better and believe me when I say we eat less. We are satisfied. I am living proof that one can do without the daily pound of chocolate when you eat fresh, preservative free, additive free food. And we dont eat at ANY fast food places, my 8yr old will tell you herself she hates mcdonalds. I do buy in bulk, but if you are going to do that, I really beleive you need to invest in a food saver such device to preserve frozen foods and prevent freezer burn. We do not eat alot of red meat(I can totally do w/o, but hubbie cant). You also need to be creative. There is a company called Homeade Gourmet that shows you how to use their different pantry staples to make 4 different meals out of 1 roast. I have started using some of their suggestions on this also. Ishop only at jewel/dominicks/meijer/walmart/target about a half percent of the time.. Otherwise it is Aldi's, Costco, Caputo, and Trader Joes. Organic is costlier, but in the long run you spend less on your health and being sick and you will crave less sugary foods etc. My poor daughter is finally coming around to the less sugar is better, less preservatives is better etc. Granted this is how we run our hosuehold, but again I am here to say..Since we switched to organics, cut out sugar laden and preservative laden products, my irritable bowel is better, my migraines are less, my allergies are better and i dont eat what seemed like a pound a chocolate a day anymore..Dont get me wrong we do splurge occasionaly, but you have to decide what is best for you.

K.
www.arkparties.com

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WOW! I wish I had that much to spend!! Take out the gas (just estimating your gas expenses) and you figure it's about $400 or so you're spending on groceries. That could feed my family of 3 for at LEAST a month, including beer!!

One suggestion that I didn't see anyone else mention.....no matter where you go to shop, leave your son at home if possible!!!! That stops the "I want this, I want that" impulse buying (I have a 5 yr old so I know all about it lol). I agree with everyone else about going to Aldi for the basics. Their quality has improved SOOO much over the years for alot of their products.

Why only "good" cuts of meat? Stop being such a food snob! Even the cheapest stuff can be tender and taste delicious if you cook it right. One of our favorite meals is chuck roast (we usually find it about $8-$10 for a roast big enough for at least 2 meals) cooked in the crock pot with french onion soup mix (which they have at Aldi!), potatoes and carrots. Marinades are great for tenderizing other cuts of meat as well, if you just want to cook quickly. Make your own with some olive oil, flavored vinegar or citrus juice (need one of those for the acid, that's what tenderizes), and whatever spices you like.

Also, there are groups in yahoo called pantry challenge (a nationwide group and also state groups, the nationwide one gets more action though), lots of great ideas for saving money on food and cooking frugally.

Oops I almost forgot!! I think someone mentioned a co-op.....there's one in Ottawa, IL, and they have co-ops for veggies as well as meats, all grown right there on their farm without pesticides or hormones. Here is their contact info, send them an email for prices and more information about what they offer-

Jody & Beth Osmund
1985 N. 3609 th Rd Ottawa IL, 61350
###-###-####
____@____.com

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If you cook mostly from scratch and plan your meals before you go to the store you'll spend a lot less money. I could buy a month's worth of groceries for the cost of your two weeks' allowance.

GO to the store on your own if you can, make a list before you go, and stick to it. Only buy what you're really going to eat that week, and plan out meals. THen you won't buy food you don't need. Also keep portion sizes in mind when you're at the store. A portion of meat is only the size of a deck of cards. That's only about 4 oz. Keep leftovers in mind when you shop. Make meals that you can have at least twice. Because there are only 3 of you, this should be relatively easy to do.

Don't insist on buying the most expensive cuts of meat. There's nothing wrong with chuck if you cook it properly. Sometimes it's better! Chuck makes the best roasts because there's more connective tissue. Chuck also makes great meatloaf. Talk about an inexpensive meal: it makes at least 6 servings, and costs about $2 a serving; only requires about 15 minutes of prep time if you have a food processor.

Organic mac and cheese? Please. Produce, meats, and milk I understand doing organic. BUt mac and cheese seems really overboard. Take a hard look at your shopping habits. Ask an economical friend to come to the store with you to critique your habits and preferences. Brand loyalty isn't necessary, buy what's cheaper unless you have a really good reason to think the quality is inferior.

Above all: plan, plan, plan. You'll spend a lot less money doing that alone.

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A couple things to add:

One thing that saves my family a TON is to buy meat from a meat market in HUGE bulk, like 1/2 a cow at a time. You might have a challenging time with the organic thing, but for steaks, ground beef, and roasts it comes out to $2.21 a pound! We also have them make hamburger patties for us which costs more. If you didn't have them do that, it would be even less! What I like about this is that all the meat is fresh, I know it has not been sitting in a case for weeks! Also, the cows are all locally raised so I feel like I know where they come from! We also buy a hog and we spend $1.14 per pound and that includes it being smoked, and some of it made into sausage for us. I never knew how many pork roasts there were! We have a huge upright freezer and it is completely full when we get our meat. We mostly eat frozen chicken breasts from Sam's club, or wait for the legs or wings to go on sale at one of the bigger "chain" stores.

Another suggestion is check out websites like http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/index.htm The site is a hoot to begin with, but it has some good tips on how to prepare things from scratch. This can save a ton of money if you want to spend the time. Google for some more $$ saving tips!

I do most of the other things that were already mentioned, like shopping ads, stay away from the "chain" stores like Jewel and Domicks for anything but what's on sale, coupons, shop Aldi, buy in bulk from Sam's Club, make a list and stick to it, plan out meals, etc. I think you have brought up a concern that we all have about cutting costs! It could possibly be the main concern of SAHM!

Good luck!
J.

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I highly recommend vickysdeals.com! They have coupons and deals on there. Other than that, I have four kids. Our bill for food is about $300/wk! And we are a healthy and fit family! No beer, of course though. That's with coupons and Sam's bulk stuff. I agree with making a menu and sticking to it. Not to mention, I do NOT shop with the kids!!!! It's a proven fact that you will spend more with kids or hungry! Good luck!!
H.

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This was probably one of the most helpful questions I've seen on the site thus far...something I struggle with each month but never thought to ask for input. I can't say I have anything to add that hasn't been said yet, but I am very appreciative of the advice that I've gotten from this.
I have started using Kraftfoods.com to get menu suggestions and the grocery list and that is really helpful. Good luck.

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www.kraftfoods.com Love it...they have what is called dinners in a bag...so you get a weeks worth of meals planned for you along with a grocery list of what you need to buy and recipe cards for how they are cooked....I will tell you the food is GREAT and I coupon shop and sometimes get the store brand for what they ask for....all it takes is planning and you'll go a long way.

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coming from a mother who feeds her family almost all organic (meats, fruits, veggies etc) I will tell you that even $500 is too much. I don't know exactly how much we spend but if I had to guess (based on our total expenses monthly) it's probably more like $500 every month. Also we are mostly wheat and spelt free as well. So how do we do it? Good question. I find the cheapest prices for meats, cheapest locations for fruits and produce and I ONLY buy stuff on sale. I buy bulk of things when they are marked down and I shop in a variety of places to save money --- alot of it. My primary places include Trader Joes, Wild Oats, a store on Chicago Ave. in Evanston (forgot its name, not Whole Foods) Certain places you pay for the aura vs the item. Don't be fooled by this. By eating organic, know that you are making a well worth while compromise. It simply does cost more but hopefully in the long run you'll be feeding your family better, more hearty and nutritious meals. Also, we eat meat only 1-2 times a week, rarely red meat at all. That costs money too. And cut the beer and alcohol and it'll do wonders! An occasional (once every few weeks is fine, but not every shopping trip.) Oh - also cloth diapers save you money and wipes use homemade tushy spray and paper towels. Use hand me downs for EVERYTHING besides for toilet paper. LOL Also, majorly important, I use TONS of coupons. It takes dedication if you want the best of both worlds, I will admit that without hesitation! Good luck!

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M., if you are eating alot of organic/natural foods you should seek out a health food buying co-op. this would save you alot of money because you can buy in bulk. also try farmers markets. theres a great one in palatine at the train station on the weekends. or there are farmers who you can pay a few hundred dollars a summer and they provide all your vegetable and some fruits all summer long. its called a c.s.a. (community supported agriculture) google csa and also google u.n.f.i. (united natural foods inc.) you will be able to look at prices and find drop sites for orders from the co-op. also, theres alwyas two buck chuck (trader joes) its very inexpensive and tastes great. also they make alot of ready to eat frozen foods that are excellent for families. good luck!

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