STORM2K

I am always looking for ways to cut corners with 3 kids as a stay at home mom, i found this cool web site with a list on emergency $45.00 weekly food shop for a family of 4-6. They also have one for $70.00 but in a pince $45.00 fo rthe week not bad but it does require actual cooking/baking/planning
Check it out

http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/40dollarmenu.htm

also, any one have any other links, tips, tricks or whatever post away!

I would cut my grocery bill in at least half when i used to plan my meals. I would make a grocery list and stick to it. Some dishes would last longer than i expected so therefore the next meal ingredients cut be used at a later date thus less grocery expense later.

Yep me too but that's when I wasn't working full time lol

Go to the store on a very full stomach.....

I see prices all over that list that are inaccurate. For example

1 lb hot dogs......... .89 cents
And all the can goods are about .50 cents for 15 ozs.
Those are like double price in my area, and 2/3 of the cheap brands. And I guess if you don't like meat that would be a great menu. That may work for me and the kids but the Husband would not go for beans all week.

I plan my weekly dinner menu and make a list from that, I used to be able to get 7 days worth of grocerys for our family of 5 for between 100-120 bucks, but not latley. I guess we have been eating really good latley though. If money gets tight we do eat alot of cheap meals and I can cut back the money I spend from the $175 I have been spending to the $115 dollar range.

It is the non food items that add up. You can get by not using freezer bags or foils if you use your plastic bowls with lids. Give up paper towels and paper napkins and wipe up stuff with the dish rags, etc. Paper plates, straws, etc. can be replaced with regular dishes. These are luxuries and the money used for food. By off brand stuff, you can spice it up. Don't buy junk food for the kids like poptarts. They are not good for them either. Treats are expenive. Replace with raisins or fruit.

Cut back one month on these things and you will see you saved a bunch. You can go without them once in a while. If you took all the junk and treats out of your cart that is not considered nutritious food, you would be shocked.

I started planning meals and that cut the bill a little. I spend 45 per visit I can only dream of 45 per week.

What kills most people are the daily shopping trips, I used to do that and my God, we were spending upwards of 20-28$'s a day.....we now do monthly shopping, make a list as things run out and at the end of the month (we get payed at the end instead of at the first) and it's cut our bill OVER half, $180 month. You see, I was a meat cutter for 20 years and when meat goes on sale, I buy it bulk, still in bag and save another $1.00 a lb and I grind my own burger, pay $1.49 lb. for a whole round and I make a 98% lean burger at that $1.49 lb...........I mean, store bought burger, the extra, extra lean ground round is NOW $4.29 lb locally

Here's a simple approach - treat yourself to one or two carry out/dine out meals - a month! It is hard in the beginning but if you plan your home cooked meals well, it can be done. We did it and saved a ton on carry out. Long ago....my husband's 35 yr old brother had a heart attack and scared the entire family - to death almost. At the time he did recover but later had a stroke (very sad story). The entire family ran to their doctors - all had complete physicals. And we decided all that high fat and not very nutrious fast food wasn't healthy for our family (our daughters were 7 and 10 then). I clearly remember our daughters wondering why we couldn't order pizza on Fridays. So I bought all the ingredients and we made our pizza dough, from scratch. Didn't taste at all like Pizza Hut but we had fun making it. I did buy a pizza stone eventually - that helped! Instead of just calling that local # and ordering a $15 pizza, I didn't. I realized they didn't want meat loaf again, for one example. So I improvised.

It can be done but the trick is to be prepared. We'd be running out the door to a game, coming home to eat here. I would set the table, get out the pans/pots I needed. Fill one for water, for rice, etc. I would wash and prepare fresh vegetables such as green beans. They'd be sitting in a bowl, the pan would have water waiting to be set to boil. I would have thawed chicken breasts in the fridge. The minute we walked in, I turned on both pots of water on the stove, preheated the oven for broil and we were eating dinner within 20-25 minutes. Didn't need no stinking Taco Bell, as I would joke with my family....LOL

Just my advice.

Mary

I guess thenbased on that page I hould be spending that much, but with going to food basic and feeding 3 people I only spend 20-30 a week if that, and that includes meat and vegies if I can afford them that week, otherwise we eat peanut butter or pasta

This is true I dont believe the prices on the list are totally accurate. No matter what i do i cant seem to spend less on groceries. Its always an inital 130.00 for the week and then as the week goes on, we pick-up as we need. But its crazy! 2 adults 3 kids almost 6-700 a month in food. and we NEVER eat out. At the worst when theres nothing to make my husband for luch, he will grab some but otherwise, we very rarely eat out unless its a special occassion. There has got to be a way to cut the food bill a little! I did try the grocerygame.com for a while with the coupon clipping and all , if its buy one get one free and you have a coupon you get a good deal, they tell you based on your store when to use your coupons. You just clip and save them. They charge like $10.00 for the service.

Remember, you always pay a lot of packaging. They don't give you plastic containers containing food, etc. for free.

Why does it seem that most of my groceries end up being more personal items
and household cleaning supplies than actual FOOD? LOL, my tummy is growling,
but, I'm clean, and, the house and laundry are clean...??

I'm still trying to fine-tune the grocery list. I get paid every 2 weeks,
and, I'm working on the actual food list, and, what other things that I can
cut corners on.