Budget Living; Making Ends Meet.

GadgetGuy

GadgetGuy

(Formerly Shermie)
Joined
21 Aug 2014
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Brighton, MA.
How do some of you handle your food budget?

How are you able to manage your food expenditures and maintain your grocery shopping where you don't end up overspending when it comes to going to the supermarket?

These days, with the cost of living out of control, and you hear so much about the cost of food items on the continuous rise, it is sometimes not easy to try to keep food on the table and be able to stretch your food dollars, cupboard & fridge, as well as the freezer being supplied with frozen meats and other foods! :eek: :eek: :eek:
 
that's easy - write a meal plan and stick to it. We only shop for the meals we have planned for the week. I am pretty strict on the snacks - we don't as a rule buy biscuits and the likes (mostly because they contain dairy but not all do) and when I need to stock up on bars for cycling with they are all purchased on offer or limited shelf life reductions. (So my latest was a box of 48 Rhubarb & custard Nakd Bars for 36p each instead of 99p each!).
I ban my OH from the daily 'do we need anything' run he likes to do to the shops and we cook everything from scratch. Last week's shopping bill for this week's food was £40 for the 2 of us. That includes all the usual household items like toilet paper & tissues etc. Usually it is closer to £60 and most of that is the cost of non-dairy alternatives to dairy products - for instance Almond milk which costs £1.49 per litre for the cheapest version and we need 6 of them a week.
 
Recently I have really had to cut down my food shopping budget. I keep my food cupboard stocked with rice, pasta and basic value items (no big brand names). I buy fresh vegetables that keep in the fridge, (I always have onions available). I don't have a freezer, but if I did I would only stock it with seasonsal foods purchased when the price was lowest.
 
Food4thought said:
Recently I have really had to cut down my food shopping budget. I keep my food cupboard stocked with rice, pasta and basic value items (no big brand names). I buy fresh vegetables that keep in the fridge, (I always have onions available). I don't have a freezer, but if I did I would only stock it with seasonsal foods purchased when the price was lowest.
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What about your fridge's freezer? :eek:
 
I ALWAYS buy frozen over fresh where it's cheaper and bulk where I can. And I separate the bulk lots into singles and freeze them. So I can get a pack of 6 sausages for $4 or I can get 24 for $7 and store them as single meal sized servings in the freezer. With the frozen veggies they last a long time and if something prevents me from cooking them all they are all good and wont go off, wasting money and food.

I also get long life milk cause I never seem to finish it otherwise and it works out to be the same price in the end.

Coupons are also your best friends, and sales/discounts. I can get 18 eggs for the same price as 12 I recently discovered. Both free-range, from the same company. Doesn't make sense to me but I take advantage of it! :D


I can't imagine not having a freezer, I mean seriously most of my food is in the freezer!
 
My food budget is very tight. Fortunately, I only have to cook for myself. So I make big pots of soups and chilies that last for several days. I have no problem eating the same meal for a few days in a row.

My local health food store sells lentils and all kinds of bean in bulk. They also sell bean soup mixes in bulk too. I save a lot of money eating this way.
 
I really need to figure something out here on my end because food prices are going to the extreme yet my work hours keep getting cut! I have a family of 5 to feed so I'm going to take in some pointers from above posters. I have coupons and used to be an extreme couponer but have since quit. I need to get back into that.
 
Depending on where you live there might be some good tips locally too. I live near a market and apparently if I go there around 10 or 11am they are giving whole trays of meat away for $10 each ha ha.

Also look out for bulk buying stores too, and look for cheaper alternatives to things like toilet paper, cleaners, etc. We don't need a bunch of cleaners really, just some dish soap and maybe some vinegar or toilet cleaner.
 
I buy mainly fresh fruits & veggies for smoothies and hot soups, as well as other important things. Been eating less meat as of late!
 
Once before when I did my grocery shopping, I would always buy an extra delicacy on the side. Nowadays, I tend to stick to the mere necessities and to buy the cheapest brand of most items. Also, I would shop around at other grocery stores where certain items may be cheaper than at the store where I usually shop. Buying certain items in bulk is also helpful. For instance, when it comes to items like dish washing liquid or house cleaners, buying a bigger container one time works out cheaper than buying small containers which would not last as long. When I compare the price of the larger container to the price of the smaller container, it is more economical in the long run to buy this way.
 
I try to plan what we eat carefully to avoid waste. I use leftovers to make meals and cook a lot of vegetarian meals as fruit and vegetables are cheaper than meat and fish. We also eat a lot of rice and pasta as these are cheaper ingredients. I try to use coupons too and I always shop at Aldi as it is by far the cheapest place in the UK to shop.
 
Just went shopping this past Saturday & bought a lot of groceries!

Not going back for a while, except to pick up some milk or bread. :eek:
 
If I'm on a budget, I make sure I calculate everything at home before buying in groceries, and while the amount isn't always accurate, I at least am close to the allowed amount. Also, it helps to plan your meals by week or even months since you could make sure how you would reuse leftovers and ingredients instead of just leaving them to waste.
 
I try to cook as little as possible, usually to go just into the next day. My fridge isn't all that big, so storing leftovers in it would pose a serious problem right after having gone shopping.

It is presently stocked mostly with fresh fruits and veggies. However, I've managed to make some room in there by taking out the fresh meats that I had in there, portioned them up & vacuum sealed them for the freezer. :)
 
I eat a lot of beans, like, really a lot of beans. They are cheap and healthy and a complete protein when combined with a whole grain such as corn or brown rice. I also makes my own frozen dinners so I can cook in large batches. I save on time, washing dishes, and electricity that way. I always look for sales and stock up when there is a good deal on something I like. I buy things like coffee and tea in bulk only, all my grains I get in bulk, beans in bulk. I try to avoid paying for packaging because that raises the price. And I also no longer buy myself treats because I can't afford it. My treat now is a chopped banana with cocoa powder dusted on it. That way it's all good nutritionally too.
 
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