Group Discussions

Cutting the grocery bill...

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  I have been reading about how to cut down on your grocery bill. Here are a few tips I picked up. Don't buy items that are in the checkout aisles...even the light bulbs are priced higher than the ones in the regular aisle. Make sure that the sale sign is actually advertising a sale (you can check the unit price that should be displayed in all stores). The same goes for buying large containers...make sure the price is actually less per ounce (or whatever the measurement is). Also try and shop based on the coupons that you have...as long as you are actually going to use the stuff. That's all I've got. What are your tips for cutting the grocery bill down?

  Flag as inappropriate Posted by mamajama on 9th October 2007
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  I've learned NOT to buy it just because you have a coupon. I go through coupon phases (currently off since just getting to the store with a list is a challenge). But I do check the fliers every week. If the rotisserie chicken is cheaper than a raw roasting chicken (sometimes it gets down to $3.99) then I'm all over that for a week of chicken everything. Check the dairy isle...a lot of stores mark down the things that are about to expire in a separate case. Yogurts and cheeses. Gogurts and the like are great to freeze for a treat. And cheese can always be frozen. And if you're buying things you don't normally buy or buying without a menu in mind, make sure you can see EVERYTHING in your fridge. Otherwise you'll discover the meat/cabbage/tabbouleh has gone bad and you've waisted your money.

  Flag as inappropriate Posted by Mandy Nelson - Dandysound on 9th October 2007
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  I went to budget101.com for some great ideas. They are really big into planning your weekly menu. That way you only buy what you are using. They have a book you can download about feeding your family for $200.00 per month. That may be a bit low at this point, but I know I am a big impulse buyer. If I stick to my menu and list I spend a lot less.
  
  Now that I am working some nights I am not even home for dinner. I am trying to cook and freeze things so that there is always something for both of us or one of us. This allows us to eat well without doing too much take out.

  Flag as inappropriate Posted by Christine on 9th October 2007
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  I avoid the inner rows of the store as much as possible. I try to do most of my shopping along the outside, where the fresh food is mostly kept. This majorly cuts down on impulse buys and foods that we really shouldn't be eating anyway. I try to avoid pre-packaged food because I find that, on average, it is more expensive and less healthy.

  Flag as inappropriate Posted by heels on 9th October 2007
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  I recently went to a Dinners 4 U place where you go online and decide what items you want from their menu, you say if you want them split and made into 2 meals and then you show up on the date you choose. You can even do a "Girls nite out" event with your friends like I did and have wine, food, and make the meals for 2 weeks for your family!!!
  
  I've only done this one time, but I can't tell you how much freedom I felt knowing I had meals for every night in the freezer and done. All I had to do was pull them out the day before and defrost them in the fridge.
  
  It's a freedom you don't know you've lost until you actually have it...I was out with my kids at a homeschool event, and several times I started to panic as I usually do about "what should I make for dinner?" and realized...it's already done!! Oh man..I felt 20lbs lighter and like a new woman...it's so hard for me with 4 kids to get them out of the house, make meals for them all day when we're home, go to activities, and work my business, etc....AND make dinner for 6! It's like Thanksgiving dinner at my house every night only I have a 1yr old holding onto my ankles and a 2yr old wanting snacks the entire time I'm cooking. It's just crazy for me to cook even though I love to do it!
  
  I'm going to go again to do the meals. I saved money because I usually just go to the store every other day and get a few things for a few meals that are quick and easy and end up spending more than I want to.
  
  They prepare all the ingredients and chop everything, you just go to each station for whatever meals you've picked, you put everything together in the appropriate container, wrap it up, and you are ready to go...it was about 2hrs, but well spent and I had fun with my girlfriends too!
  
  It cost about $150 for 10 meals and I split a few of them so I ended up with 13 meals...it's about $11.50/per meal....and they were super yummy and this one used organic meats and ingredients and a chef runs it. My family loved the dishes and I was a free woman for a few weeks.
  
  At this phase of my life with 4 kids and 2 of them in diapers, it just makes life more sane for me and we have less clean up so we can play games or go for walks after dinner while it's still early...Happy Mama, Happy Family!

  Flag as inappropriate Posted by Christine Eisenman on 9th October 2007
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  Christine - a friend of mine just did this and could not stop raving about it - I think it was called Dream Dinners or something like that. I am going to look up the closest location - your post has just convinced me to try it. Can I ask - how big is your family? (so could one meal feed all of you?)

  Flag as inappropriate Posted by Nataly on 9th October 2007
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  Hi Nataly,
  
  I have 4 kids ages 6, 5, 2, & 1yr....we're a big family, but my 2 youngest boys are not big eaters, so I don't really count them in the dinner numbers.
  
  I split several meals because my hubby and I don't eat alot and either do my girls, so the 1/2 feeds 2-4 with a good sized portion, and the whole meal would feed 4-6.
  
  I didn't split them all because there were some casseroles that I knew we'd love to eat for leftovers the next day for lunch or even the next night for dinner with a different side dish.
  
  They are very filling, so you don't eat alot. All very flavorful but most recipes are kid friendly and my kids loved them! You can take ingredients out or add more of things you like. Spicy or not spicy, etc...
  
  I think you can even choose 4 or 6 meals if you just want to try it out with a small number of meals. They even have days where you can do just 1-2 meals to sample them. it costs more that way, I think it's like $20/meal if you just do a few.
  
  I did the 10 meals because we did a "girls nite out" and they gave us a discount for having a certain number of women attend. You might want to gather a few girlfriends and see if they'll do the same for you.
  
  I know they even have "Kids in the kitchen" days where they do a fun meal like burgers or a pasta and the kids get to come and help you make that one meal and then get to go home with cookie dough to bake or some fun treat. Gets them involved and they are more likely to try new foods if they made them!
  
  Have fun!

  Flag as inappropriate Posted by Christine Eisenman on 10th October 2007
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  That sounds like it was a blast Christine! I'm really going to have to get on the band wagon about something like that. Was it hard to find enough room in your freezer for it all?
  
  Mandy, this is gonna sound kinda silly, but I never knew you could freeze dairy. That's awesome. Sometimes I want to stock up on stuff like that, but I think that we'll never finish it in time. Great tip!

  Flag as inappropriate Posted by mamajama on 10th October 2007
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  Nataly,
  
  I found dream dinners. There are a bunch in MA. You have to order a minimum of meals. It must total 36 servings, which totals around $150.00 depending on what you order. I could not get prices until I set up an account. Their website is great, and there is one in the next town over from me. Only one person can go per session, but I spoke with my sister and I may go and split my order with her. The site is dreamdinners.com.

  Flag as inappropriate Posted by Christine on 10th October 2007
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  This thread has so many good ideas!
  
  For me, my over-all food bill is what needs to be managed, not only my grocery bill. With my husband and I both working full time, one way I try to keep costs down is by limiting our lunch-time and snack-time buying. So I cook with the intention of having plenty of leftovers that I can transform into something lunch-like. Roasts are good -- large cuts of meat can be more economical in the long run (depending on what you buy, of course. A prime rib roast will never cost less than a pork shoulder!) and you can repurpose leftovers into sandwitches, stirfries, and super-quick stews. I also make a lot of ethnic foods -- mostly Indian, since that's part of my heritage -- and you can really get a lot of value for your money when you're making a curry of some sort.

  Flag as inappropriate Posted by Lylah M. Alphonse on 10th October 2007