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Cooking suggestions to cut down on grocery bill...

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dderidex

Platinum Member
Seriously, just putting all the stuff back in Quicken (after a lapse of use for a year or so), and find that the grocery total for last month was $880! There are only TWO of us! And that's on TOP of another $400 'dining out'.

This has got to stop! Now, granted, last month was an anomaly for some reason I've not nailed down yet - but the average is still $700 in groceries and $200 'eating out' a month....and that's just too much! (And I really can't fathom HOW we spend that much - we only really eat once or twice a day, and not very much at that. Almost always frozen stuff, though. And definitely always 'organic' foods.)

My thinking is that since I'm working a regular 9-to-5 kinda job (wife works odd retail hours), I can do some cooking instead of us buying prepared/frozen/quick-to-cook foods. But....ummm.....don't really have any ideas on how to do that with a mind to budget.

What kinds of food are cheap-ish to make and still taste good? And....uhhh....not TOO complicated. (At least, to start with. I can cook meat easily enough - but the wife is vegetarian. And pastas I'm alright with.)
 
Try not buying brand name stuff.......$1200/month in food???????????????? There are 2 of us and we do maybe $400/month in groceries.....2/month dining out.
 
subscribe to the sunday newspaper for the coupons. then only buy the stuff on sale that has a coupon. it's a lot more work, but you'll end up saving at least 25-50% off your grocery bills.

buy frozen chicken tenderloins at costco - those are so versatile. grill them and throw it in your spaghetti or stir fry something with them.
 
Try to cook at least twice as much as you'll eat for dinner, freeze leftovers in single meal portions (gladware type containers) for lunches later. Don't eat out for lunch more than a couple times a month.
 
Well, "Organic" seems like it still runs you a bit more than your normal stuff.

Lots of sandwiches and stuff for lunch. Eggs, toast, etc. for breakfast.

Clip coupons. Seriously.

Call and lower the Credit Card APR%

Call and see if there is a better deal on your internet connection.

What's the name of that "database" thingee... the place that'll help you see when grocey things will be on sale where... hrm. That would help if it's available where you are. At any rate, be a bit more mindful on what all is on sale.

Could even get into how much energy your fridge is using a month. Possible that a newer fridge would allow you to save some money on power, while also maybe providing more space for when you find the food sales and can stock up on some items. Likewise on the possibility of a chest freezer and buying some frozen stuff in bulk.
 
Originally posted by: Bryophyte
Try to cook at least twice as much as you'll eat for dinner, freeze leftovers in single meal portions (gladware type containers) for lunches later. Don't eat out for lunch more than a couple times a month.
Click to expand...

I could really stand to do this. Thanks for the reminder.
 
Stock up on basics when they're on sale, never or rarely pay full price for most food items. We average around $400/month for a family of 4 for food (usually including eating out).
 
Wow
Shop at a discount grocery store: Walmart/Costco/Sam's Club etc. I stopped in at a Safeway a few days ago because it was convenient, and was amazed by how much more stuff wa.

And potatoes - lots of potatoes rice & beans. Cheapest calories out there 😛
 
Originally posted by: Bryophyte
Stock up on basics when they're on sale, never or rarely pay full price for most food items. We average around $400/month for a family of 4 for food (usually including eating out).
Click to expand...

Define 'basics'. Really have no point of reference, here. Noodles? etc?
 
Things like Chickpea Curry and Borlotti Bean Bolognese are very cheap to make (and vegetarian friendly!), PM me if you want the recipes
 
First off, holy crap! Averaging close to a grand a month just on food for two people?!?!? Buy stuff on sale and only buy things you'll actually eat w/in the next few weeks. And no impulse buying. Make a list and stick to it.

When my g/f and I lived together our monthly spending on food, including eating out, was around $250-$300.

OMG, seriously that's just an insane amount of money for two people to spend a month on food.


Lethal
 
Define 'basics'. Really have no point of reference, here. Noodles? etc?
Click to expand...
I define "basics" pretty broadly - anything I eat on a regular basis pretty much.

For example, I like Chunky soup for lunch. When it goes on sale for $5/3 or better, I'll stock up. Same with canned fruit, if it's on sale for $1/can, I'll buy 5-10, even when I don't plan on eating it that week. Anything canned/not perishable. Cereal is a big one - I LOVE Post frosted/honey nut shredded wheat (bit sized). It's expensive though. A couple weeks ago it was on sale for $2 a box. I bought all they had on one day, went back after they restocked and bought 6 more boxes 🙂. Sure, my cupboard is full of cereal, but I don't get sick of it and it doesn't go bad.

Like someone said, rice and potatos go a long way.

I like muffins for breakfast, rather than buying them at the bakery, I use my mom's recipe and make them myself each week. They're easy, cheap, and a batch is enough for a week's worth of breakfast.

Groceries as a whole seem a lot more expensive lately. Maybe it's where I'm shopping, but I spend $40 minimum each week just for me. I'd shop at wal-mart, but their produce is horrible.
 
Originally posted by: dderidex
Originally posted by: Bryophyte
Stock up on basics when they're on sale, never or rarely pay full price for most food items. We average around $400/month for a family of 4 for food (usually including eating out).
Click to expand...

Define 'basics'. Really have no point of reference, here. Noodles? etc?
Click to expand...

Non-perishables...anything that keeps for decent periods of time, canned goods, frozen stuff, etc. Also, know where to buy perishables for consistently good prices (Costco, or wherever) and try to buy produce at appropriate times of the year (eat grapes when they're a buck a pound, not when they're four or five bucks a pound.)

Cut coupons and use them when products are on sale. If you look over the ads in the paper, you can hit Safeway for what's on sale and use coupons and double coupons to stock up on what you know you can eat within a few months, then hit Albertson's for what is a good price there, etc. Keep a shopping list of items that are getting low in your pantry/freezer, and stock up on those as soon as they go on sale.

For example, Albertson's and Fred Meyer were having sales on "premium" soups (Progresso, etc) for a dollar a can. I bought probably thirty cans, but now I won't have to buy it for a long time, and I saved a good dollar and a half per can. A dollar for soup plus a few crackers and an apple or carrots and a glass of milk makes a nice lunch or dinner.

Why pay full price? For the nearly $1300 you spent last month on food, you could have bought yourself a chest freezer, stocked up on meats for yourself, frozen veggies, etc, and filled your pantry with enough basics to eat on for probably three or four months. Change your mindset from buying for today's dinner (you'll be stuck paying full price for whatever you happen to crave TODAY), to knowing what you like to eat and giving yourself the choice of eating just about anything you want because you just have to hit the pantry/fridge/freezer and just about everything you need to cook what you want is already there, and was bought at the best price. It takes a little while to get your pantry/freezer stocked up, but with your current budget, you could do it in one month.

Finally, if you have an extra freezer, you can spend one afternoon once a month and make ahead a few meals of something you like that you can pull out and stick in the oven on days you don't feel like cooking. Examples: lasagna (tip, put the noodles in dry, don't pre-cook them), stuffed shells, enchilladas. So one month, make up four pans of one thing, next month, make up four pans of another thing. A full freezer is more energy efficient, so keep rotating foods through it.
 
Originally posted by: FlyLice
A) Stop eating so much.
B) Shop at an Asian market.
Click to expand...

A) Meh, I only WEIGH 167 (should be 155, IMHO)
B) None nearby
Originally posted by: MrBond
Define 'basics'. Really have no point of reference, here. Noodles? etc?
Click to expand...
I define "basics" pretty broadly - anything I eat on a regular basis pretty much.
....
Click to expand...

Sound suggestions!
 
look through the grocery flyers for sales, and use coupons

I alternate between Safeway, Albertsons and Fred Meyer -- whoever has what I want on sale.
When something's on sale super cheap, buy 10 of it and stick it in the cupboard.

For each meal, I shoot for ~$2 but sometimes end up $3. I don't think I've ever spent more than $150/mo on food.
Granted, this is for 1 non-vegetarian that tends to eat whatever is on "super-sale" most of the time. I can't remember the last time I paid full retail for any food -- and most of my receipts show "savings" of 30-40%

Today I'm on my last of 10+ meals from a 20lb turkey I bought on sale for ~$5
Add potatoes, veggies, rolls and drink on to that for another $10 and that's <$2/large meal.
All this cheapness is complicated when you have a vegetarian.

Spaghetti is super cheap and easy. Noodles are often on sale for $1, prepared sauces (Ragu) are also often on sale for $1 (stock up when they're on sale!). $2 for probably 6 meals (not including veggies or drink)

Burritos are cheap too. 4 cans of beans $2, tortillas $2, brown rice $0.50, salsa $1.50. that's $6 for 6-8 meals (not including veggies or drink)

Oh, and ramen... 10 meals for $1

breakfasts: eggs/toast/potatos, 1-minute oatmeal (not the individual servings), cereal-on-sale; all cheap
(rite-aid has 24oz Grape-Nuts (and other Post brand) on sale for $1.99 this week -- very filling. While there, I found Country-Time powdered lemonade "bonus-size" on sale for $1.99. I'll guess that's 50+ drinks over the summer for <$0.05/serving.)

Saving substantially CAN be done. And eat before you shop, to avoid impulse buys.
 
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