We have a grocery problem... [Household budget]
Re: We have a grocery problem... [Household budget]
Stop going to Whole Foods.
Plan out three meals a week and make two on the weekends. Limit yourselves to two dinners & lunches/week
Spending roughly $1,600/month on food for two people is insane. That's over $50/day. You should be able to get that down by at least 25%, 50% would be responsible.
Good luck.
Plan out three meals a week and make two on the weekends. Limit yourselves to two dinners & lunches/week
Spending roughly $1,600/month on food for two people is insane. That's over $50/day. You should be able to get that down by at least 25%, 50% would be responsible.
Good luck.
Re: We have a grocery problem... [Household budget]
A lot of great suggestions, thank you.
Some of them we cannot do however. He needs to eat over 3,000 calories every day. Honestly, 4,000 would not surprise me on some days. He is moving, running, walking and lifting very heavy things from 7am to 5pm. He barely has any body fat on him either, so he is not overeating.
We used to shop at costco but stopped, I had a free membership because a friend worked at corporate and had me on her account. But, maybe it is time to revisit that.
I never shop at whole foods.
Some of them we cannot do however. He needs to eat over 3,000 calories every day. Honestly, 4,000 would not surprise me on some days. He is moving, running, walking and lifting very heavy things from 7am to 5pm. He barely has any body fat on him either, so he is not overeating.
We used to shop at costco but stopped, I had a free membership because a friend worked at corporate and had me on her account. But, maybe it is time to revisit that.
I never shop at whole foods.
Re: We have a grocery problem...
You could start by verifying how much you actually spend. Separate your non-food items onto a different receipt. Lots of people split their purchase into two purchases at the checkout stand. Don't change your spending habits for the first month other than saving all receipts. Write "food" or "not food" on each.BL wrote:There are good suggestions here, but I suggest you study what you are considering food. If in addition to snacks, fast food, and eating out, you are buying lots of non-food items including cigarettes, liquor, beauty, cleaning, and the like, you do need to be aware of that and perhaps separate it out in analyzing what you are spending for food.
After you know what you are spending, make it a "game" to see if you can spend half of that one month and see how it goes. Read the ads in the newspaper or junk mail to compare prices. Participate in the frequent shopper programs at the stores you use most often. You may also find that half of your current food costs are not for food.
A dollar in Roth is worth more than a dollar in a taxable account. A dollar in taxable is worth more than a dollar in a tax-deferred account.
- ClevrChico
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Re: We have a grocery problem... [Household budget]
One tip is to realize you don't have to have a traditional meal all the time. It's a huge help when you're really busy.
You can have a granola bar and a coffee for lunch. Or a piece of fruit and a bowl of oatmeal. That's a cheap, five minute meal.
You may want to take another look at Aldi. Here, the produce is excellent and the meat is pretty good. Some of the imported meats are excellent. Aldi probably saves us $3k/year.
You can have a granola bar and a coffee for lunch. Or a piece of fruit and a bowl of oatmeal. That's a cheap, five minute meal.
You may want to take another look at Aldi. Here, the produce is excellent and the meat is pretty good. Some of the imported meats are excellent. Aldi probably saves us $3k/year.
Re: We have a grocery problem... [Household budget]
I think that where you can shop can make a significant difference.
You already know that Jewel, where you do most of your shopping it sounds like, has high prices. So finding an alternative may be job one. Mariano's has better prices than Jewel so that would be a step in the right direction, although I've noticed that Mariano's has plenty of high-priced meats you would need to steer clear of. And of course, as many have mentioned, Costco's prices will be better than any major retailer (including Walmart). You just have to be willing to buy in bulk.
I also think you may want to work some more items from the center of the store into your repertoire. There are plenty of good-for-you items there. Canned and frozen vegetables can be a cost saver, allow you to keep more items on hand (so fewer grocery store runs), and there's no possibility of spoilage.
You already know that Jewel, where you do most of your shopping it sounds like, has high prices. So finding an alternative may be job one. Mariano's has better prices than Jewel so that would be a step in the right direction, although I've noticed that Mariano's has plenty of high-priced meats you would need to steer clear of. And of course, as many have mentioned, Costco's prices will be better than any major retailer (including Walmart). You just have to be willing to buy in bulk.
I also think you may want to work some more items from the center of the store into your repertoire. There are plenty of good-for-you items there. Canned and frozen vegetables can be a cost saver, allow you to keep more items on hand (so fewer grocery store runs), and there's no possibility of spoilage.
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Re: We have a grocery problem...
No Aldi is very different here (it's actually owned by a different branch of the family than TJ) and most of the meat except for ground beef is "enhanced" with solution and sits there glistening at you so I won't buy that but I don't have any complaint about the produce although of course selection is limited and variable.dgdevil wrote:Why is he averse to Aldi meat and produce? Just asking, because I've only been to overseas branches. Since Aldi is a corporate sibling of Trader Joe's, which has a great selection of real meat and produce (ie grassfed, organic, etc) at reasonable prices, I would have assumed Aldi would be the same.
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Re: We have a grocery problem...
Tomatoes lose a lot of flavor when they're refrigerated. I would refrigerate them if they're cut, but otherwise, no.Trell Dogody wrote: Putting too much food in the fridge is not that helpful. Eggs, tomatoes and vegetables often can be stored outside the fridge.
- interplanetjanet
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Re: We have a grocery problem...
I find they keep better after they're cut if they're placed cut side down onto a plate and left out at room temperature...which is about 70-80F in my house during tomato season. Seriously, they keep like that for days, and you don't have to deal with cold tomatoes (blech!). I've had one or two of them go viviparous on me over the years when kept like that, but that might have happened even if they'd remained whole (and it's not dangerous, just weird).dolphinsaremammals wrote:Tomatoes lose a lot of flavor when they're refrigerated. I would refrigerate them if they're cut, but otherwise, no.
Re: We have a grocery problem...
I completely disagree. Maybe part of this is the quality of fresh meat vs. what's sold frozen but I am surely not going to mistake a thawed Costco steak for fresh grass-fed beef. Ditto for chicken breasts, and x10 for fish.denovo wrote:...Meat doesn't taste any different if it's fresh or if you leave it in the freezer for a couple of days or even a week. Next time, cook two steaks , one frozen, one fresh. He won't notice a difference, I guarantee it...
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Re: We have a grocery problem...
Free seeds for next year! unless they're hybridsinterplanetjanet wrote:I find they keep better after they're cut if they're placed cut side down onto a plate and left out at room temperature...which is about 70-80F in my house during tomato season. Seriously, they keep like that for days, and you don't have to deal with cold tomatoes (blech!). I've had one or two of them go viviparous on me over the years when kept like that, but that might have happened even if they'd remained whole (and it's not dangerous, just weird).dolphinsaremammals wrote:Tomatoes lose a lot of flavor when they're refrigerated. I would refrigerate them if they're cut, but otherwise, no.
Re: We have a grocery problem... [Household budget]
Wholeheartedly agree with @epitomist
While one does want to decrease unnecessary or wasteful spending - poor food choices (meat with antibiotics, veggies / fruit with pesticides)
will shorten one's lifespan or result in issues for your children or your children's children down the road e.g. http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/1104553/
My wife is a Chef so she is able to make the trade-offs of price / safety but most folks aren't there yet.
Even the whole "organic" label is a bit dodgy as there are organic pesticides just as dangerous.
Cut out any frozen foods and pre-packaged kid foods and then find the healthiest meat / fruit / veggies you can.
Don't be "penny wise and pound foolish"
-Frank
While one does want to decrease unnecessary or wasteful spending - poor food choices (meat with antibiotics, veggies / fruit with pesticides)
will shorten one's lifespan or result in issues for your children or your children's children down the road e.g. http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/1104553/
My wife is a Chef so she is able to make the trade-offs of price / safety but most folks aren't there yet.
Even the whole "organic" label is a bit dodgy as there are organic pesticides just as dangerous.
Cut out any frozen foods and pre-packaged kid foods and then find the healthiest meat / fruit / veggies you can.
Don't be "penny wise and pound foolish"
-Frank
Re: We have a grocery problem... [Household budget]
Two retired seniors living in rural mid-west, so most food and sundries (paper products, cleaning supplies, vitamins etc.) are purchased together at WalMart or Harps. I budget $900 per month for this and DW stays pretty close to that.
At the risk of going hungry, I damn sure keep my mouth shut whenever she ever goes over 'the-budget'
At the risk of going hungry, I damn sure keep my mouth shut whenever she ever goes over 'the-budget'
If past history was all that is needed to play the game of money, the richest people would be librarians.
Re: We have a grocery problem... [Household budget]
Check out GoodCheapEats.com. I have the same problems as you, including the hungry skinny husband, but I also have 2 kids. We seem to get by at $600 a month for food, and $200 for take out in Metro Boston. I'd go crazy if I shopped as much as you!! Use that time to cook! The crock pot and the freezer are your friends.
Re: We have a grocery problem...
If you do go the slow-cooker route, I can recommend two good cookbooks:sramina wrote:A great way to save money during the week would be to cook large meals on Sunday and then take them for lunch or eat them for dinner throughout the week. Some people like to use a slowcooker because they are pretty low maintenance and easy to use. Pick some things that you really like (discuss it with your significant other). It is important to note that you may be very unhappy cooking and it may be worth the money to you to eat out and get fast food regularly; everyone is different.
Trader Joe's has some pretty good frozen meals as well. These would be good to take for lunches or have for quick dinners at home. Sometimes when we don't feel like cooking we will make those bags of Indian food that take 1 minute to eat up and pour it over rice or Cous Cous.
America's Test Kitchen Slow Cooker Revolution (ISBN 1-9333615-69-9) <-- this one is more innovative
Mable Hoffman's Crockery Cookery (ISBN 1-55788-217-7) <-- this one leans towards traditional comfort food
You can also do menu planning based on what is on sale that week. Check the adds on Wednesday and then do your shopping Friday night or Saturday morning and cook over the weekend. For example, if chicken breasts are on sale, I'll look for a chicken casserole recipe; if beef stew meat is on sale, I'll do Beef Burgundy or stew; with ground beef it's chili or lasagna. All of these scale up well so you should be able to cover multiple meals even with a hearty eater. By shopping the sales for the high price items, you can save a bunch. I believe the OP indicated they are in an apartment, so stocking up on canned goods may not be an option.
Re: We have a grocery problem... [Household budget]
Do you have a food 4 less near you? I shop at ours and save so much money on veggies and meat there. What I did was sit down once and make a meal plan and grocery list for a month. This took a few hours. Now, every week I make a new list for 4 weeks from now. The way this helps is I can go to Aldi once a month and buy all the things I need, then mostly get by with Target and Food 4 less the rest of the time. Only rarely do I have to go to Jewel or Mariano's for something and I try to do that on my lunch break when I am less tempted to buy extra stuff. We spend $400-450/month on groceries for two in Chicago like this, plus about $200 in eating out. Aldi has helped so much to trim our budget.
Re: We have a grocery problem...
Bold, italic, underline added. I might become a Lobsterian at that price point.The Wizard wrote:Step one is to separate out all the non-food items in that $230, along with alcoholic beverages as well.
That could get it down to $180 a week for two, which is still a bit high.
I buy a fair amount of SEAFOOD at my grocery store: lobsters @ $5/lb; steamer clams @ $4/lb; swordfish @ $9/lb most recently. But I've passed on the scallops and halibut around $18/lb for right now. So I look for comparative bargains.
In reality, I'm not too concerned about what I spend on groceries since it's quite less than eating similar food in a restaurant. But I think it varies between $50 and $80 a week for one depending on:
1) whether I'm eating up stuff from my freezer/pantry vs restocking it
2) whether I'm eating lunch out more that week
3) whether I'm at the GF's place for a few days vs she at mine...
Re: We have a grocery problem...
I agree. I buy high quality grass fed ground beef and end up freezing some. The freezer doesn't appear to hurt the flavor.denovo wrote:...
Meat doesn't taste any different if it's fresh or if you leave it in the freezer for a couple of days or even a week. Next time, cook two steaks , one frozen, one fresh. He won't notice a difference, I guarantee it.
...
Sounds angry. I would keep this guy well fed.mojave wrote:Just this weekend we were at a wedding and I was the DD. The following day was a Bears game. The bartender joked to me with my husband standing there "so when he's laying on the couch watching the Bears game you'll have dinner for him at 6:30 for the game?" or something along those lines. My husband got a little huffy and said to him "I don't EXPECT her to make dinner for me".
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Re: We have a grocery problem... [Household budget]
Aldi "enhances" their meat? I am curious about this. How do you know - I guess by sight? What do they enhance it with? Do they do anything that other supermarkets don't do? That is a pretty serious allegation.No Aldi is very different here (it's actually owned by a different branch of the family than TJ) and most of the meat except for ground beef is "enhanced" with solution and sits there glistening at you so I won't buy that but I don't have any complaint about the produce although of course selection is limited and variable.
Thanks
It is in the uncompromisingness with which dogma is held and not in the dogma or want of dogma that the danger lies. |
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Re: We have a grocery problem...
It helps to live in New England if you want to be a Boglehead Lobsterian:LowER wrote:Bold, italic, underline added. I might become a Lobsterian at that price point.The Wizard wrote:Step one is to separate out all the non-food items in that $230, along with alcoholic beverages as well.
That could get it down to $180 a week for two, which is still a bit high.
I buy a fair amount of SEAFOOD at my grocery store: lobsters @ $5/lb; steamer clams @ $4/lb; swordfish @ $9/lb most recently. But I've passed on the scallops and halibut around $18/lb for right now. So I look for comparative bargains.
In reality, I'm not too concerned about what I spend on groceries since it's quite less than eating similar food in a restaurant. But I think it varies between $50 and $80 a week for one depending on:
1) whether I'm eating up stuff from my freezer/pantry vs restocking it
2) whether I'm eating lunch out more that week
3) whether I'm at the GF's place for a few days vs she at mine...
Attempted new signature...
Re: We have a grocery problem... [Household budget]
Literally mouthwatering price tag - and the lobster looks delicious too.
Re: We have a grocery problem... [Household budget]
I find some posts like these kind of interesting. It is as if some people realy believe they have no personal power in their lives, unable to make decisions or weigh risks and benefits of certain scenarios. Perhaps it is different when asking about things folks know little about, like getting into new kinds of investing or real estate rentals.
But food? Really, is this something new?
Stop for coffee, what does it cost? Is there a cheaper way? Are you willing to do it? I can buy at work for over a dollar, or grind at home, buy a gadget that goes in the machine at work, and save over a buck each day. Perhaps >$10 per day compared to stopping at SBUX.
Subway? No. I bring food from home every day.
Calories an issue? I weight 275# so not likely.
Meat adds nothing to caloric needs.
Slow down if activity level makes one eat a lot.
Fast food? A sign of someone that cares for convenience over nutritional value.
Evaluate every food choice every day for a month. Make your own decisions. Weight the alternatives, right them down.
Adult family of two. Average food per month this year has been $15.12-$32.1 per day. No months over $1,000.
This does not include indirect costs like food raising our own chickens for eggs or butchering costs for some meat.
I could eat for much cheaper and be healthy. Rice, beans, veggies. Water. The rest of the world does.
But food? Really, is this something new?
Stop for coffee, what does it cost? Is there a cheaper way? Are you willing to do it? I can buy at work for over a dollar, or grind at home, buy a gadget that goes in the machine at work, and save over a buck each day. Perhaps >$10 per day compared to stopping at SBUX.
Subway? No. I bring food from home every day.
Calories an issue? I weight 275# so not likely.
Meat adds nothing to caloric needs.
Slow down if activity level makes one eat a lot.
Fast food? A sign of someone that cares for convenience over nutritional value.
Evaluate every food choice every day for a month. Make your own decisions. Weight the alternatives, right them down.
Adult family of two. Average food per month this year has been $15.12-$32.1 per day. No months over $1,000.
This does not include indirect costs like food raising our own chickens for eggs or butchering costs for some meat.
I could eat for much cheaper and be healthy. Rice, beans, veggies. Water. The rest of the world does.
Pale Blue Dot
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Re: We have a grocery problem... [Household budget]
It's not an allegation as USDA regulations require them to label the meat so it says it right on the package but if you disagree you are free to check it out and report if it seems to be different in your city.CanyonCitySteve wrote:Aldi "enhances" their meat? I am curious about this. How do you know - I guess by sight? What do they enhance it with? Do they do anything that other supermarkets don't do? That is a pretty serious allegation.
Re: We have a grocery problem...
So Wizard, where did you shop while market basket was shut down? I had a huge increase in my $60/week food budget as I shopped at other local grocery stores.The Wizard wrote:LowER wrote:The Wizard wrote:Step one is to separate out all the non-food items in that $230, along with alcoholic beverages as well.
That could get it down to $180 a week for two, which is still a bit high.
I buy a fair amount of SEAFOOD at my grocery store: lobsters @ $5/lb; steamer clams @ $4/lb; swordfish @ $9/lb most recently. But I've passed on the scallops and halibut around $18/lb for right now. So I look for comparative bargains.
Re: We have a grocery problem... [Household budget]
"I find some posts like these kind of interesting. It is as if some people realy believe they have no personal power in their lives, unable to make decisions or weigh risks and benefits of certain scenarios. Perhaps it is different when asking about things folks know little about, like getting into new kinds of investing or real estate rentals.'4nursebee wrote:I find some posts like these kind of interesting. It is as if some people realy believe they have no personal power in their lives, unable to make decisions or weigh risks and benefits of certain scenarios. Perhaps it is different when asking about things folks know little about, like getting into new kinds of investing or real estate rentals.
But food? Really, is this something new?
Stop for coffee, what does it cost? Is there a cheaper way? Are you willing to do it? I can buy at work for over a dollar, or grind at home, buy a gadget that goes in the machine at work, and save over a buck each day. Perhaps >$10 per day compared to stopping at SBUX.
Subway? No. I bring food from home every day.
Calories an issue? I weight 275# so not likely.
Meat adds nothing to caloric needs.
Slow down if activity level makes one eat a lot.
Fast food? A sign of someone that cares for convenience over nutritional value.
Evaluate every food choice every day for a month. Make your own decisions. Weight the alternatives, right them down.
Adult family of two. Average food per month this year has been $15.12-$32.1 per day. No months over $1,000.
This does not include indirect costs like food raising our own chickens for eggs or butchering costs for some meat.
I could eat for much cheaper and be healthy. Rice, beans, veggies. Water. The rest of the world does.
But food? Really, is this something new?
Ok.
"Meat adds nothing to caloric needs."
For someone with a know-it-all attitude, perhaps you should educate yourself on this one.
"Fast food? A sign of someone that cares for convenience over nutritional value."
You know what they say about "assume". Fast food does not mean McDonalds. It means, getting food fast - that can be Chipotle, that can be the local vegan take out place.
"Calories an issue? I weight 275# so not likely."
What does this mean? Are you 5'0"? 6'11"? If you have a very high activity level then that's a better comparison.
"Slow down if activity level makes one eat a lot."
It's his job...
Re: We have a grocery problem... [Household budget]
You are correct on calories and educating myself. A calorie with regards to food is really misused. A body requires carbohydrates as a fuel source, not calories. Meet offers no carbohydrates. That is why Atkins dieters eat meat and lose weight. Eat more cheap quality carbs instead of meat to meet bodily fuel source requirements. It would likely save money.
I should have offered my food budget first. The intent was to show that on a reasonable budget in an active adult that excess weight can be carried. I purchase food cheaper than the OP and maintain weight with BMI >25 if not 30.
I cook myself, brew my own coffee, eat out infrequently. It is the choice I make.
For someone with budgetary issues, does eating at CMG compared to eating food from home make the budget worse or better?
Food out per month ranges $87 to $291 in my household.
It is a choice to spend that much and we do not need to spend any of it.
I should have offered my food budget first. The intent was to show that on a reasonable budget in an active adult that excess weight can be carried. I purchase food cheaper than the OP and maintain weight with BMI >25 if not 30.
I cook myself, brew my own coffee, eat out infrequently. It is the choice I make.
For someone with budgetary issues, does eating at CMG compared to eating food from home make the budget worse or better?
Food out per month ranges $87 to $291 in my household.
It is a choice to spend that much and we do not need to spend any of it.
Pale Blue Dot
Re: We have a grocery problem... [Household budget]
We are in NW Indiana, just across the border from Chicago and I am in Chicago area 2-3x per week. Here are a few tips...
1. Jewell prices are thru the roof. Marianos are not bad, but you do pay for some of the glitter. They do have service where they will cook certain meats for you while there.
2. There are a number of very attractively priced independents in the Chicago area. Part of this is driven by the big co-op headquartered in Joliet - Central Grocers. They sell under the Centrella brand. These independents are typically stores with 5-10 stores such as Tony's, Walts, and others. Pretty good prices...check out the Centrella website to determine their locations. In NW Indiana they have the Stracks, Town and Country, and Ultra brands. Central Grocers actually owns these stores.
3. Slow cookers in the winter are great, particularly for roasts, stews, etc. But, I do not use them frequently, as the food tends to lose individual flavor and tends to meld together. But still, there is nothing quite like walking into a kitchen on a cold winter day and that smell hits you!
4. I work out of my house and take care of quite a bit of the cooking. My wife is much more creative. We tend to do serious cooking on Sunday, either grilling in summer or indoor cooking in the other seasons. Thus we have at least Monday and Tuesday meals covered. Planning is critical. Hearty soups made in large quantity are very healthy and easy. Plus you can freeze portions of soup for later.
5. Thursday is "everything must go" dinner. We clean out the leftovers and often this is the best meal night of the week.
6. This probably will not work for you, but we garden heavily during the spring - fall. This time of year we are freezing corn, green beans, tomato sauce, brocolli, etc. We also will convert vegetables to prepared meals and freeze (stuffed peppers, soups, etc).
7. We eat leftovers for lunches.
8. Aldi is outstanding. So is Costco, as long as you have adequate freezer and storage space. Also, check out places such as Gordon Food and specialized meat markets such as Bobak's in Chicago (Archer Ave near Midway). My wife and I will go to Bobaks a few times of the year and their meats are outstanding and inexpensive. Plus it is fun being around Polish speaking people.
9. Farmers markets in downtown Chicago are expensive, but perhaps out in the suburbs the prices are better.
You can manage your food costs better. My guess is you are throwing away quite a bit of food.
Ed
1. Jewell prices are thru the roof. Marianos are not bad, but you do pay for some of the glitter. They do have service where they will cook certain meats for you while there.
2. There are a number of very attractively priced independents in the Chicago area. Part of this is driven by the big co-op headquartered in Joliet - Central Grocers. They sell under the Centrella brand. These independents are typically stores with 5-10 stores such as Tony's, Walts, and others. Pretty good prices...check out the Centrella website to determine their locations. In NW Indiana they have the Stracks, Town and Country, and Ultra brands. Central Grocers actually owns these stores.
3. Slow cookers in the winter are great, particularly for roasts, stews, etc. But, I do not use them frequently, as the food tends to lose individual flavor and tends to meld together. But still, there is nothing quite like walking into a kitchen on a cold winter day and that smell hits you!
4. I work out of my house and take care of quite a bit of the cooking. My wife is much more creative. We tend to do serious cooking on Sunday, either grilling in summer or indoor cooking in the other seasons. Thus we have at least Monday and Tuesday meals covered. Planning is critical. Hearty soups made in large quantity are very healthy and easy. Plus you can freeze portions of soup for later.
5. Thursday is "everything must go" dinner. We clean out the leftovers and often this is the best meal night of the week.
6. This probably will not work for you, but we garden heavily during the spring - fall. This time of year we are freezing corn, green beans, tomato sauce, brocolli, etc. We also will convert vegetables to prepared meals and freeze (stuffed peppers, soups, etc).
7. We eat leftovers for lunches.
8. Aldi is outstanding. So is Costco, as long as you have adequate freezer and storage space. Also, check out places such as Gordon Food and specialized meat markets such as Bobak's in Chicago (Archer Ave near Midway). My wife and I will go to Bobaks a few times of the year and their meats are outstanding and inexpensive. Plus it is fun being around Polish speaking people.
9. Farmers markets in downtown Chicago are expensive, but perhaps out in the suburbs the prices are better.
You can manage your food costs better. My guess is you are throwing away quite a bit of food.
Ed
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Re: We have a grocery problem...
Hi Marie,marielake wrote:So Wizard, where did you shop while market basket was shut down? I had a huge increase in my $60/week food budget as I shopped at other local grocery stores.The Wizard wrote:LowER wrote:The Wizard wrote:Step one is to separate out all the non-food items in that $230, along with alcoholic beverages as well.
That could get it down to $180 a week for two, which is still a bit high.
I buy a fair amount of SEAFOOD at my grocery store: lobsters @ $5/lb; steamer clams @ $4/lb; swordfish @ $9/lb most recently. But I've passed on the scallops and halibut around $18/lb for right now. So I look for comparative bargains.
There's a Stop&Shop right next door to the Market Basket here, so I went there for a month or so. Prices weren't THAT much higher on everything, same $2.49 a gallon for milk, for instance. Lamb chops might have been a bit lower. But I'm just shopping for one most of the time, so not a large dollar amount for me.
Half of the aggravation was just being able to find stuff in the different store; it's like that when you get older.
Getting back to the OP's situation, if you're trying to conserve money on food, it helps to buy on sales and use up leftovers to avoid waste.
I quite often chop up a small piece of leftover chicken/pork/beef and mix it into pasta sauce as it's warming up, for use in that night's dinner. Unlike the OP's husband, my caloric needs seem to be less than a few decades ago, so I'm always having leftovers...
Attempted new signature...
Re: We have a grocery problem... [Household budget]
One can get plenty of calories cheaply with the ol' favorite: red beans and rice. Or black beans and rice. Or any beans and rice. If you eat a lot of beans and rice, your biome in your gut will adjust.
I suspect though that if you took a photo of your grocery cart just before checking out and posted it here, we would have a LOT more comments.
I suspect though that if you took a photo of your grocery cart just before checking out and posted it here, we would have a LOT more comments.
Re: We have a grocery problem... [Household budget]
Frozen fruit is usually better/cheaper than fresh fruit (*), which starts to decay as soon as it is picked. Frozen fruit is flash-frozen immediately and good to go at any time, as soon as it is thawed. Also great for smoothies.kellyfj wrote:
Cut out any frozen foods and pre-packaged kid foods and then find the healthiest meat / fruit / veggies you can.
Don't be "penny wise and pound foolish"
-Frank
* = thinking of berries, mostly.
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Re: We have a grocery problem... [Household budget]
EDIT: OK I just googled it and found a bunch of references to it. I am shocked!CanyonCitySteve wrote:Aldi "enhances" their meat? I am curious about this. How do you know - I guess by sight? What do they enhance it with? Do they do anything that other supermarkets don't do? That is a pretty serious allegation.
It's not an allegation as USDA regulations require them to label the meat so it says it right on the package but if you disagree you are free to check it out and report if it seems to be different in your city.
Enhanced chicken breasts - note the label!
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bBIF-g7R_fc/U ... hicken.jpg
Thanks
Last edited by CanyonCitySteve on Sat Sep 20, 2014 3:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
It is in the uncompromisingness with which dogma is held and not in the dogma or want of dogma that the danger lies. |
--Samuel Butler
Re: We have a grocery problem... [Household budget]
Sad to say that most American supermarket meat is rubbish - loaded with antibiotics, ammonia and god knows what else. Watch Food Inc., and disregard any claims about USDA-certified, top-grade, blah-blah. Stick with grass-fed, preferably imported. Costco has good NZ lamb. As DeNovo says, it does not matter if it is frozen.CanyonCitySteve wrote:I'm not disagreeing, but I've never noticed this; can you tell me what it is you're referring to, so I can check it out myself.CanyonCitySteve wrote:Aldi "enhances" their meat? I am curious about this. How do you know - I guess by sight? What do they enhance it with? Do they do anything that other supermarkets don't do? That is a pretty serious allegation.
It's not an allegation as USDA regulations require them to label the meat so it says it right on the package but if you disagree you are free to check it out and report if it seems to be different in your city.
Thanks
Re: We have a grocery problem... [Household budget]
Just curious, why do you consider imported grass-fed to be better than domestic?dgdevil wrote: Sad to say that most American supermarket meat is rubbish
...
Stick with grass-fed, preferably imported.
I know the farm where my grass-fed meat comes from. Seems good to me.
Re: We have a grocery problem... [Household budget]
As we have switched to more home-cooked meals and fewer take-out and/or cheaper restaurant meals, I have to agree that home-cooked isn't necessarily any cheaper, as long as you keep your restaurant meals reasonably priced and eat leftovers. However, home-cooked meals do tend to be more healthful.livesoft wrote:Maybe you should go out to eat more often? Or do take out. It might be cheaper. For us, Chinese takeout is about $30, but we don't eat everything at one meal. The $30 would be 6 adult meals. We dine in our favorite Tex-Mex place and not counting margaritas, $30 with a to-go box would be $30 and also 6 adult meals.
So $60 would cover 6 lunches and 6 dinners (and no cooking except using a microwave). Cereal & milk for breakfast is $5.50 for the week. That leaves one day of lunch and dinner to either go out, take out, or cook.
I have cheap salad recipes in this thread: http://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtop ... 2#p2124332
or this thread: http://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtop ... 6#p1009146
or this thread: http://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtop ... 98#p664898
Retirement investing is a marathon.
Re: We have a grocery problem... [Household budget]
Chicken,pasta,hunts sauce,water,energy bars,eat out a few times(mexican,chinese)Salads,lots of beans,rice,tacos,chili ,,,,around 300-350 month ,2 people
"One does not accumulate but eliminate. It is not daily increase but daily decrease. The height of cultivation always runs to simplicity" –Bruce Lee
Re: We have a grocery problem... [Household budget]
Probably not a deal-breaker. Just an extra level of insurance amid general skepticism about the whole US food industry. The sheep and cows seem happier in the rolling green pastures of Australia, NZ, Argentina, Brazil, etc,linenfort wrote:Just curious, why do you consider imported grass-fed to be better than domestic?dgdevil wrote: Sad to say that most American supermarket meat is rubbish
...
Stick with grass-fed, preferably imported.
I know the farm where my grass-fed meat comes from. Seems good to me.
Re: We have a grocery problem... [Household budget]
Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. I didn't see any evidence, let alone credible evidence of this extraordinary claim.4nursebee wrote:A body requires carbohydrates as a fuel source, not calories. Meet offers no carbohydrates. That is why Atkins dieters eat meat and lose weight.
A BMI of > 25 is overweight and 30 or higher is obese. My BMI is 23.7 and I maintain that through eating almost no meat. Instead I mostly eat fruits, vegetables and carbohydrates.4nursebee wrote:I purchase food cheaper than the OP and maintain weight with BMI >25 if not 30.
Re: We have a grocery problem... [Household budget]
Discussion on the health claims of a specific diet constitutes medical advice and is off-topic. As a reminder, see: Forum Policy
Please stay on topic, which is how to reduce the grocery budget.Medical Issues
Questions on medical issues are beyond the scope of the forum. If you are looking for medical information online, I'd like to suggest you start with the Medical Library Association's User's Guide to Finding and Evaluating Health Information on the Web which, in addition to providing guidance on evaluating health information, includes lists of their top recommended sites in the following categories: consumer health, cancer, diabetes and heart disease. They also provide a larger, but less frequently updated, list called Top 100 List: Health Websites You Can Trust.
- Crimsontide
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Re: We have a grocery problem... [Household budget]
Quite possibly the most unsubstantiated reply I have ever read on this forum...dgdevil wrote:The sheep and cows seem happier in the rolling green pastures of Australia, NZ, Argentina, Brazil, etc,linenfort wrote:Just curious, why do you consider imported grass-fed to be better than domestic?dgdevil wrote: Sad to say that most American supermarket meat is rubbish
...
Stick with grass-fed, preferably imported.
I know the farm where my grass-fed meat comes from. Seems good to me.
Re: We have a grocery problem... [Household budget]
Extraordinary claims? What are these?
An obese BMI suggests even further evidence that the OP can eat cheaper.
And that if I ate less and was healthier than my budget would be less. Again, better evidence the OP could do things cheaper.
An obese BMI suggests even further evidence that the OP can eat cheaper.
And that if I ate less and was healthier than my budget would be less. Again, better evidence the OP could do things cheaper.
Pale Blue Dot
Re: We have a grocery problem... [Household budget]
Some people have a hard time realizing that alcohol and tobacco products aren't "food". If those happen to slide into grocery shopping expenses and "meals out" the total amounts can skyrocket.
The closest helping hand is at the end of your own arm.
Re: We have a grocery problem... [Household budget]
Start by learning something about nutrition, and I don't mean cruising the AHA, ADA, USDA websites to get the latest on the food pyramid. Actually go learn something about nutrition. There is no one size fits all, but you have to figure what is healthy for you. If you are not serious about this, then maybe you should consider the list of degenerative diseases you may be subject to just from what you eat over your lifetime.
After you figure out what to eat, and you can't go by the marketing in the super market, then take a look at what it costs. My guess is that if you really understood the implications behind what you are doing now, and how it will affect you over your lifetime it won't be a problem eating healthy on a whole lot less money. And I don't buy the excuse that you don't have time. That is a lot like saying you don't have time to be healthy.
After you figure out what to eat, and you can't go by the marketing in the super market, then take a look at what it costs. My guess is that if you really understood the implications behind what you are doing now, and how it will affect you over your lifetime it won't be a problem eating healthy on a whole lot less money. And I don't buy the excuse that you don't have time. That is a lot like saying you don't have time to be healthy.
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Re: We have a grocery problem... [Household budget]
I don't think the OP said either of these categories were in there...123 wrote:Some people have a hard time realizing that alcohol and tobacco products aren't "food". If those happen to slide into grocery shopping expenses and "meals out" the total amounts can skyrocket.
Attempted new signature...
Re: We have a grocery problem... [Household budget]
It's actually very simple to totally reduce that grocery budget by well over 50%.
Just minimize going to restaurants and/or eating prepared foods (like premade meals.) If you cook REAL food (not just heat up premade prepackaged food), you will immediately see a 50%+ reduction in costs AND almost certainly be eating much more healthily. It may also save you time as well - restaurants and take out have a significant time cost in the waiting and picking up that people often don't account for, whereas cooking simply but well usually takes <30min to prepare most meals, and you can make multiple servings to save even more.
You can even shop at Whole Foods, buy their premium meats/veggies, and still come out with this type of savings.
Just minimize going to restaurants and/or eating prepared foods (like premade meals.) If you cook REAL food (not just heat up premade prepackaged food), you will immediately see a 50%+ reduction in costs AND almost certainly be eating much more healthily. It may also save you time as well - restaurants and take out have a significant time cost in the waiting and picking up that people often don't account for, whereas cooking simply but well usually takes <30min to prepare most meals, and you can make multiple servings to save even more.
You can even shop at Whole Foods, buy their premium meats/veggies, and still come out with this type of savings.
Re: We have a grocery problem... [Household budget]
I have a similar issue. I cooked everyday but don't go to wholes food and my grocery bill is still quite high. I plan to attack it in the following manner:
1. Examine the receipt to see where the spending is going. Perhaps it's going to these snacks, etc. I am betting that a lot of money may be due to diaper and baby formula.
2. Examine the fridge, what's going bad. Perhaps we should stop buying that sort of item.
3. I am considering cooking the same sets of meal each month. May be it won't be as rigid as Monday = meat loaf, Tuesday = salmon, etc, but cooking the same set over and over again means I buy the same stuff over and over again and be able to detect prices and exact quantity to purchase. Even though I can't drink it, I buy a lot of milk and I can tell that I want to stay below $3.00 per plastic jug and a good price is around $2.30, etc.
1. Examine the receipt to see where the spending is going. Perhaps it's going to these snacks, etc. I am betting that a lot of money may be due to diaper and baby formula.
2. Examine the fridge, what's going bad. Perhaps we should stop buying that sort of item.
3. I am considering cooking the same sets of meal each month. May be it won't be as rigid as Monday = meat loaf, Tuesday = salmon, etc, but cooking the same set over and over again means I buy the same stuff over and over again and be able to detect prices and exact quantity to purchase. Even though I can't drink it, I buy a lot of milk and I can tell that I want to stay below $3.00 per plastic jug and a good price is around $2.30, etc.
Re: We have a grocery problem... [Household budget]
I don't know how to solve your problem, but I thought I'd post some data to compare.
We are a family of 5 with 3 boys ages 13, 8, and 5. The two older boys eat A LOT. We live in Milwaukee area and while not Chicago, still not cheap.
Our annual expense for last 12 months:
Groceries: $20,403 (or $1700/month). This is a bit skewed as this basically includes anything bought at Walmart/Target as well as grocery stores (e.g. cleaning supplies, toiletries/personal items, etc.). That's $340/person/month. If you assume that 85% is food, that's $290/person/month.
Eating Out: $9,934 (or $828/month). This is all dining out and is pretty clean numbers-wise. That's $166/person/month.
Total for us is about $455/person/month.
We are a family of 5 with 3 boys ages 13, 8, and 5. The two older boys eat A LOT. We live in Milwaukee area and while not Chicago, still not cheap.
Our annual expense for last 12 months:
Groceries: $20,403 (or $1700/month). This is a bit skewed as this basically includes anything bought at Walmart/Target as well as grocery stores (e.g. cleaning supplies, toiletries/personal items, etc.). That's $340/person/month. If you assume that 85% is food, that's $290/person/month.
Eating Out: $9,934 (or $828/month). This is all dining out and is pretty clean numbers-wise. That's $166/person/month.
Total for us is about $455/person/month.
Re: We have a grocery problem... [Household budget]
My husband is 5'10", weighs 175 and has a body fat % in the 10-15% range. If you don't know what that looks like, google it. People who are overweight and not active can stand to cut back on calorie consumption and buy less food. My husband cannot and should not cut back on calorie consumption.
Re: We have a grocery problem... [Household budget]
anonforthis, Can I hire you to come in my house and do this for my family?
Re: We have a grocery problem... [Household budget]
Note sure if this will help, but here's another data point for you to consider.
Have you considered leaning towards vegetarian food for most of your meals? My wife and I cook a lot at home and eat out 2-3 times a week and we seldom go over $350/month (that's excluding any cleaning supplies, toiletries etc.). I think there are 3 main reasons for those low costs:
1. My wife is a vegetarian and I eat meat at most twice a week.
2. Neither of us drink any alcohol - I am sure that saves a lot of money over time!
3. We use groupon deals a lot. I am sure in an area like Chicago, you'll get a lot of those deals which can save you a lot of money when you eat out. Most of these deals give us 50% off.
The single biggest factor, though, is 98% vegetarian diet and cooking at home extensively.
Hope that helps!
Have you considered leaning towards vegetarian food for most of your meals? My wife and I cook a lot at home and eat out 2-3 times a week and we seldom go over $350/month (that's excluding any cleaning supplies, toiletries etc.). I think there are 3 main reasons for those low costs:
1. My wife is a vegetarian and I eat meat at most twice a week.
2. Neither of us drink any alcohol - I am sure that saves a lot of money over time!
3. We use groupon deals a lot. I am sure in an area like Chicago, you'll get a lot of those deals which can save you a lot of money when you eat out. Most of these deals give us 50% off.
The single biggest factor, though, is 98% vegetarian diet and cooking at home extensively.
Hope that helps!
Re: We have a grocery problem... [Household budget]
Tracking expenses like that is actually very easy to do on Mint.com if you use mostly credit card purchases. Most food and restaurant purchases will autocategorize themselves without any extra work from you so you'll be able to get instant reports on exactly how much you spend on grocery and restaurants, separated, with minimal extra work.SkierMom wrote:anonforthis, Can I hire you to come in my house and do this for my family?
This kind of data also makes it really clear how expensive restaurants are compared to groceries.