groceries on a tight budget?

[babybunsmum]

ok.  i finally took my poor lil head out of the sand and listed out a crude monthly budget.  yikers bikers.  i need to make huge changes to dig myself out of the financial hole i’m in.  *sigh*  long story short… i need to watch every penny starting with groceries.  if i started this years ago i’d be skinny and able to afford a nice vaca on a hot beach somewhere. 

so what penny-pinching foods / recipes / grocery tips do you have?  even tell me the frugal habits you’ve heard but laugh at!  i want to know.  any and all tips welcome! 

i’m trying to keep an open mind but am staying away from ‘beg / borrow / steal’ options for the moment

 

 

[SmokeyBunnyRobinson]

If you have a ShopRite near you, the one by me ALWAYS has plenty of options for veggies for Smokey (I give her romaine, mint, parsley, dandelion greens, carrots with greens, etc) plus plenty of other options like bok choy, brussel sprouts, etc, and they are actually cheaper and better quality than Wal-Mart’s.

Also, I keep them in the little bags they provide and wrap them tight, them store them in the crisper drawer in the fridge and they tend to stay fresh longer. Also, ShopRite’s veggies are crisper and last longer.

I totally understand the whole budget thing. And what with the next taxes on food going up due to population rising to an estimated 9 billion this year, it makes buying healthy food even MORE expensive than it already is. It is entirely frustrating. I do wish you luck, though, and hope that things work out for you.

[Monkeybun]

When summer hits, be sure to go to local farmer’s markets for nice cheap veggies

[peppypoo]

Pretty much everything I cook is Chinese style, which can be surprisingly healthy and cheap. A bowl of rice, with some stir-fried veggies and/or meat. It may not make the most exciting meals, but doesn’t require much oil, salt, or money! 

[Monkeybun]

Also, avoid name brands if there is a store brand that is similar. You can save a bunch of money that way

[babybunsmum]

thanks all

there appears to be no shoprite stores in canada but i think a good comparison shopping investigation is in order.

[Beka27]

Either store brands, or couponing. If the store brand is $2, and the name brand is $3… BUT I have a .75 cent coupon that my store doubles… the name brand end up .50 cents cheaper… It takes time, but I save a good amount of money that way. We only buy stuff when it’s on sale.

We belong to two wholesale clubs and we try to go there INSTEAD of the regular grocery store. But again, we’re feeding more people so it works for our needs. Depending on what kind of storage you have, that could work well for dried or frozen goods tho. We have a deep freeze in the mudroom and it is invaluable to bulk shopping. Mike started a new diet: A small 8oz container of almonds was $4 at the grocery store. A big 3 pound resealable bag, same brand, was $9 at the wholesale club… HUGE savings and he can just portion the big bag into smaller containers or ziploc bags for “on-the-go”…

Veggies… we don’t save money there.

[LittlePuffyTail]

I’m in the same situation as you babybunsmum…trying to get out of that stubborn hole! Iit’s especially hard right now with Romaine at $3.99 each!!!

Something I recently started doing to save money: read flyers every week. Find out what’s cheap, write it all down and make several grocery trips. It’s a pain in the butt but you can save a lot of money by stocking up on things that are at a really good price. For example we have 3 grocery stores in the City so I check out all the flyers and find the best deals at each store. Some drugstores sell food and I get stuff at Walmart too. I always stock up on non-perishable sale items like cereal when it’s super cheap. I try to do my grocery store runs when I’m in that particular part of town so I’m not wasting gas.

Do you have a bakery outlet store? We started going to a bread bakery outlet. You can buy bread, bagels, donuts, etc at 1/3 to 1/4 of the price. It’s not as fresh but if you just want bread and bagels for toasting or whatever it’s still perfectly fine. They don’t sell anything past the best before date so it all still tastes good. We went to the outlet on Monday and bought 3 loaves of bread, 1 raisin bread, 1 bag of bagels and a bag of donuts for less than $6.00. Not sure if you have “Ben’s Bread” company up that way?

If your not already (can’t remember) try going vegetarian or semi-vegetarian: tofu, beans and lentils are WAY cheaper than meat.

[longhairmike]

i find the mexican grocery stores always have the best prices (and freshness) on veggies and greens. when you sell 20,000 bunches of cilantro daily, you get quite a good volume discount. those might be few and far between in canada though.

[Beka27]

^And… you can freeze bread! We like the expensive brand of bread (of course… lol!), but about once a month it goes on sale for “buy one, get one free”… We buy a month’s worth of bread at that time (about 4 loaves) and freeze 3 loaves. Another reason to have a deep freeze.

[LittlePuffyTail]

We freeze bread too. It’s nice to not have to run to the store when you run out.

[RabbitPam]

Use every square inch of your freezer. You can freeze many different types of foods, so you can buy bigger, cheaper quantities of stuff and put into the freezer for later. If you buy a whole chicken, for example, at Costo ($5 cooked, instead of $8 and smaller at my local grocery store) you can cut it up into several meal sized packages. Like 2 legs and wings, sliced white breasts, etc. Then freeze in 4 little labeled packages for yourself and defrost as needed for that day. If you make up meals from large amounts to small batches, you will find you don’t need to hit the store nearly as often.

Make sure to read expiration dates, and shop with a list so you don’t impulse buy. The healthiest, cheapest generic brand stuff is in the middle of the aisles. Avoid the ends of the aisles. That’s where the marked up impulse and fattening stuff is sold.

[Elrohwen]

One thing I do is stock up on meat when it’s cheap and freeze it. Chicken breasts (a staple in our house) are often 50% off which is the difference between $17 a pack and $8 a pack, so I only buy them when they’re on sale and then I stock up and freeze them. We do this with bread products too and always freeze them.

I love to make braised dishes (or slow cooker, if you have one of those). They’re so good and the best cuts of meat to use are typically very cheap. I’ll often buy an 8lb pork butt and cut it in half or even smaller portions and freeze what I don’t use that day.

Definitely buy the store brands. We have Stop & Shop and they have an organic store brand that’s often cheaper than the non-organic name brands, which is nice.

One of the most expensive things in grocery stores are the toiletry and beauty products. These can really add up since one item can be $10-20 easily. Definitely try to buy cheaper brands or buy when they’re on sale. The weeks we spend more on food it’s usually because we bought deodorant, toothpaste, shampoo, etc.

[Sarita]

Well, one thing is just buy what you need – especially fresh veggies and fruit. Make a list and stick with it.

Cook at home – do you like too cook? If you do, I can list a few of my favorite cooking blogs.

Look through your pantry, freezer, and fridge right now and make a decision to use what you have before you buy more.

[ScooterandAnnette]

I like costco – the package of 3 chickens (uncooked) is usually a pretty good deal. Try bulk cooking – get the three chickens, roast them all together, cut up the meat and freeze it for meals and then toss the rest into a pot to make soup from. Sobeys has been surprisingly good – every 4 or 5 weeks they put the box of frozen chicken breast on sale for $10 off and I buy one. When I cook them I toss the frozen chicken into a crockpot, add some salad dressing (usually italian or french) and also usually baby carrots (from when Sobeys has them on sale for $1) and let it cook during the day. Oops in fact I’m supposed to have some on right now, I should do that. Every now and then Sobeys will also have bags of chicken legs on sale at a really good price – I buy 2 of those, divide them up into smaller portions and freeze them and make shake’n’bake with them. I find Bulk Barn is great for things like that. I also go with the Walmart brand of items a lot of times, quality is just fine and the price can sometimes be half of the name brand.

– Annette

[GrumpyBun]

Do the store labels in the US have to stipulate price per unit? E.g. $2 per lb? I save a small fortune by checking I’m buying the cheapest by volume – sometimes the same product can differ by quite a lot because of the size of the container!

Also, switch one brand down. From premium to stores own, from store’s own to value. If you jump too many you’ll probably notice it in the taste

But seriously the biggest way to save money? Shop once a week, plan your meals and write a list. If it’s not on the list – however much of a bargain – it stays on the shelf.

[Sarita]

Yes, don’t be sucked in by a bargain! I’m guilty of this and then regret it later. Just buy what is on your list.

For me, I’ve tried the bulk cooking thing to have enough to eat all week…and honestly I get tired of it by the next day so I stopped doing this. So if you are going to cook alot of one item try at least to be a bit more creative (than me) and try to prepare it several ways.

[LBJ10]

This is going to sound terrible, but we buy our milk at Menards a lot. It is cheaper there than at a grocery store. Right now it is about 90 cents cheaper. Use a coupon for 50 cents off and YAY!

[ScooterandAnnette]

A few more thoughts – I don’t know about there but I know that here I don’t think grocery stores are allowed to do double coupons. I know that one store (Safeway maybe?) tried once many years ago and it didn’t last very long.

One of the Chinese grocery stores here often has very good prices on large cuts of meat. I know I’ve gotten large pieces of what might have been striploin (I can’t remember), which I cut up into individual steaks at home and froze in bags with marinade.

When I do the bulk cooking thing I usually put some in the fridge for the next few nights, and then freeze the rest so that we don’t have to have it right away. That usually helps to alleviate the “oh, this again?” feeling (although not always).
– Annette

[angie-la]

freeze! freeze freeze freeze! haha. I know your original question is about groceries, but if you like to eat out alot you’re going to have cut down on that =[ I found that cooking my own food saves me SO much money, plus I feel it’s healthier.

right now, veggies are CRAZY expensive because of the freeze in Mexico. then again, you’re in Canada so maybe it’s different? anyway, I’ve found that ethnic markets [Asian and Latino] always have amazing produce prices, so definitely check them out. and they usually have meat and seafood for affordable prices too! just separate and freeze them when you get home. my dad would make me separate things and wrap them in saran wrap in individual portions, and THEN stick them in the freezer. I thought he was crazy for it, but now that I’m on my own I see how much time it saves when you don’t have to defrost an entire package of chicken breasts lol.

when you have a bunch of random leftovers, do the asian them and chop it all up, and then stir fry it with rice or noodles! haha. great way to use all your food and it will make tons of food. or you can always make soup! also, buying the generic store brand saves you money. when it comes to things like chicken stock and other canned goods, the generic brand is just the same =]

[LBJ10]

If you buy meat, you can save money by buying a quarter or half cow. It seems expensive since you’re paying for it all at once, but the price ends up being cheaper than if you bought all that meat at the grocery store. You can have it packaged up neatly in convenient portions and then keep it in a large freezer. My in-laws do this every year.

[Beka27]

We’ve been actually going to Sam’s club and buying CASES of boneless, skinless chicken breast and packaging it up. Mike is on a diet (did I say that already… lol!) and pretty much ALL he eats now is baked chicken and oatmeal and frozen veggies. So he’s making a TON. But when you buy it by the case, you save 50 cents a pound, bringing the cost to about $1.50 a pound. I’ve heard of people doing the quarter/half cow thing. We don’t eat that much beef to really make it worth it tho. Closest we get is buying those big “cryo-vacced” pork loins and making our own pork chops.

[babybunsmum]

wow… cool… you all have really good ideas. thanks!

i’m def going to roast a couple of chickens, portion freeze the meat and make soup from the rest. that’s also a great way to stretch veggies that aren’t really fresh but not yet spoiled and use up broccoli stems. my mom’s tip was to buy meat any time it’s on sale and freeze. she washes and flattens raw chicken pieces, puts in the freezer on a cookie sheet with wax paper and the next day bags the individual frozen pieces.

since it’s just me i’m fine with the meat from one small roasted chicken or a pound of beef to last the week. i def like getting protein from eggs (my cholesterol is nice and low… yay) and beans / chickpeas for variety. i wish i had a skill for sprouting. sprouts are so healthy and cheap but they always go funky on me.

beka, mike’s diet sounds pretty much like mine will be. oatmeal is cheap, it fills me up and i like it.

[Molzy]

Another thing I have found is to never buy prepackaged things like the individual oatmeals packages, or even presliced cheese!

I make a lot of sandwiches, because they are easy and filling. So, I buy ham when it is on sale, and freeze the extra packages. I like good orange juice in the morning – it was on sale a few weeks ago for $2 off each gallon, so I filled the bottom shelf of my fridge since they’re good through April! I also make meals in full family portions, and then freeze them in tupperware for myself (I live alone).

Another tactic – I make sure to always bring lunch with me to work. I will sometimes still go out to lunch with my coworkers, but I will eat my sandwiche before going, then just order a soda or something at the restaurant. Now, I’m in grad school, so no one thinks this is odd! It might be different if you’re in a more professional environment.

[Elrohwen]

Molzy, I second bringing your lunch to work! It’s not necessarily going to save you on groceries, but it will definitely cut down your total food budget for the week. I work in an office and at least half of my friends bring lunches every day.

[babybunsmum]

ah yes… packing a lunch is great. there are some good lunch deals to be had out there but considering my lunch today was oatmeal fruit and a yogurt none of those deals are better. not to mention the gas expense (no restaurants in walking distance except for a street meat vendor). my colleagues will go out every now and then for lunch but there’s one guy here who’s super super frugal so i’d never be judged for going out and just ordering a drink or a cheap app.

yeah i don’t buy packaged oatmeal either. i don’t like how much they’re sweetened and flavored. plus i avoid sugar substitutes where ever possible. its just so easy to chuck a 1/3 cup of oats into a bowl and add water. i put a tsp of maple syrup & cinnamon for flavor and throw in a few almonds. mmm.

[Sarita]

I totally agree about the oatmeal – love this stuff. I’ve quit doing the Starbucks for breakfast about 3 years ago – they are grossly expensive.

I did buy a big box of granola at Costco for breakfast and now, as usual, I’m regretting it because I’m already tired after one bag of it and have one bag to go…

I try to bring lunch to work as well, but that takes planning and sometimes I don’t plan well.

I am currently making my own bread which is alot of fun and my DH says it’s better than the bread in the stores and he’s French…so surprised about that.

[babybunsmum]

wow thats cool. do you have a bread machine? my mom makes the most fab breads in hers.

bread is a weakness of mine. i can blow my caloric intake with bread alone easily meanwhile, if i avoid bread i drop weight like crazy. bah. so frustrating. i’ve mastered being mostly bread-free during the week but then go berserk on the weekend and ruin all progress weight-wise. the only way i can stay on track is with careful planning and sometimes i don’t plan very well either.

[Sarita]

I do have a bread machine but I’ve been making a no knead bread…I’ll pm you the recipe – it’s SO SIMPLE.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

WEEEE So my topic lol I’ve learned to be really frugal since moving out!!!

I totally debted myself a few years ago going wild with the credit cards and then turned it around have great savings-and I haven’t got financial help from my parents in over a year (so proud lol )

So I’d LOVE to share my tips!!!

1) Dollar store-get hand soap and ziplock bags and such there. 1$ is a lot less then 5 and makes a difference.

2) Freeze your bread. I no longer keep bread-all my bread products go strait in the freezer. Dave is a meatatarian and I’m a veg, so buying for one means careful shopping-which means not letting my bread rot lol You toast it or microwave for use You can put it in the fridget too to extend shelf life

3) Do not overshop on produce-I like to buy big to save time, but if I can’t eat the veggies and fruit before they go bad with bunnies and a dog helping me it’s too much. It’s been an adjustment to change, but I now buy produce twice a week and waste little.

4) brings me to-buy little more often-you spend less. Don’t stock your cupboard-meal plan instead. Dave spends like nothing to feed himself and buys weekly. Rather then shopping for what you are out of, shop for what you are planning to use.

5) Don’t run out-buy on sale ahead of time. I have six hair conditioners now as they were on sale!

6) seperate your veggies and fruits-like tomatoes and bananas-they off-gas and it makes them go bad. Seperate and they last longer

7) Batch cook-this is soo good because I find I’d order in or go out if I was hungry. I cook several portions at once and freeze them and then I have food ready when I need it instead!!!

I have never done so, but flyers and coupons can save a bundle and I have coworkers who live by them

[skibunny8503]

There’s just the two of us right now so we just by what we need but we really need to start freezing meat and such like you guys do to save on money. We do freeze bread though. How about to save on lettuce in the spring/summer, plant a garden! You’ll still have to buy some at the beginning but it’ll save you some money in the end. Our lettuce didn’t turn out so good last year but hopefully we can grow a lot this year. Or if you eat other veggies grow those. We’re not much for veggies so all we are going to grow is lettuce. Maybe strawberries but they never turn out when I grow them, the bugs always eat them.
I only save coupons that I need, if it’s junk food then I throw them out. My mom only buys new products are either on sale or she has a coupon for since they’re more. I’m not as organized as her, I wish I was though.

[Elrohwen]

Sarita, I would love your bread recipe! I love making bread (don’t have a bread machine – just knead it by hand) and it always tastes fantastic. I keep saying I’m going to make all of our bread for sandwiches (or at least my own, if DH would rather eat the packaged stuff) but I never get around to doing it for more than a loaf or two. I think having a stand mixer would help since it’s a little less work and I would be more likely to start a batch.

Anyway, BBM, have you tried steel cut oats? I got some a few months ago because a friend recommended them and I like them sooo much more than regular rolled oats. Mine were sold as Irish oatmeal or something in an old fashioned tin type thing (at the regular grocery store). They do take a while (I think 30-60min of boiling or something) so it’s more of a weekend breakfast (though maybe you could make a big batch and just heat up throughout the week), but I love the taste and texture.

One thing I do that saves money is making the same meal often. This only works if you’re like us and don’t mind eating the same thing week after week, but once we find something we like we can eat it for a while before getting sick of it. Lately I’ve been making fajitas a lot. The ingredients are simple (some peppers, onion, chicken, and tortillas) and it means I can keep the basics in the house and just buy some more peppers each week. When I plan for new recipes I end up buying a lot of things I didn’t already have and spending more. Having a cheap and easy go-to meal simplifies shopping and saves money I think.

[babybunsmum]

more excellent tips… thanks

this weekend i pledged to start eating out of my freezer and pantry as much as possible. i did a quick inventory and planned my week’s meals around the same breakfast and lunches (hardboiled eggs, oatmeal with almonds and yogurt) and figured what was the minimum fresh stuff i needed to buy. then i went thru all the flyers and found the cheapest deals on what i needed only. meant going to 3 diff stores but it turned out i was nearby each of them on my travels thru the weekend anyways

looks like my groceries will only cost me $30 or $40 bucks per week eating/spending frugally. eventually i’ll need to refill some condiments or girlie hygiene products which will up the anti but that’s still a far cry from the $500-$600 i was spending per month before!!! crazy crazy crazy how fast it all adds up. wow.

some how this past week the whole ‘living on a budget’ topic has gone from being scary to being a game of numbers. i’m so happy and relieved!

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