This seems like such a good deal to me. Recently went to the movies for DB birthday and the tickets were $26 each.
Budget Grocery Shopping and Meal Planning
- Thread starter AnnieClaus
- Start date
Heard there was a shortage of sanitary napkins... is it the same where you live?
I'm going to sound like an old lady in this post, but I simply want to convey my thoughts on how I'm feeling in this bit of a financial crunch. Like many of you, I'm feeling the pinch. I retired early and, while I have funds in an investment account, I'm trying to hold off on withdrawing them for everyday living. I've got my late spouse's pension and his Social Security income, plus a little I bring in from freelance work (which covers my health insurance). I'm comfortable, but increases in fuel and food are hitting home, so I'm now watching my spending even more closely.
Yesterday I needed to pick up a prescription and a couple of items I'd forgotten when doing my shopping over the weekend. I'm trying to only shop once a month, but since I had to make the trip back to the pharmacy for the backordered prescription, I figured I'd make it count. I'd previously forgot to check the date on my milk (1/4 of a half gallon left, dated 6/15), and was out of celery seed for my mac salad. I also discovered that the package of bacon I thought I could use this week had been opened and was a little beyond what I'd consider safe to use. Luckily, I found some thick-cut peppered bacon that had been packaged up from the meat case for clearance ($3.39 for 10 thick slices, perfect for BLTs and breakfasts this week) and a package of heirloom tomatoes on the discount cart (asked the produce guy how long they'd been there and he said they came in with the regular delivery, but were too small, so they packaged the little ones up and priced them "to move" -- $1.30 for 6 smaller heirlooms, a steal when hot-house Roma's are 1.49/#).
But here's what got me going ... The woman checking out in front of me had a bunch of packages of pre-cut fruit and vegetables -- fruits and baby carrots in single serve packages + pre-cut broccoli in a bag, zucchini shreds, pre-chopped onions, and halved brussels sprouts; close to a dozen boxes of Lunchables; prepared meals-in-a-box (i.e. Hamburger Helper and similar); family size boxes of frozen casseroles, frozen breaded and pre-cooked chicken; single-serve juice drinks; a pack of 6 bakery cupcakes (whoot whoot -- on sale for $6.00); white milk, chocolate milk, half & half ... I could go on. She had nothing from the deli or meat case and no non-packaged produce. Her cart totaled more than $250 and there was not even a week's worth of food, from what I could tell. Granted, I don't know her situation, but ...
When you're menu planning, perhaps give some thought to whether or not, with a little added time and effort, you could make any of your meals from (or partially from) scratch. Pull out that trusty cookbook, or Google "copycat xxxx" to find a recipe for the item, and you can do the same thing for your favorite seasoning packets and sauces, too. If it turns out good, keep the recipe to use again; if not, try another one next time. Get your kids and spouse involved with slicing and prepping veggies, rather than paying for a corporate packager to cut (and chemically treat) them for you. It will help to get them to "buy in" and learn about packaging and the associated costs vs. more environmentally friendly bulk packaging and recycling/reusing what you already have on hand. If anything, the extra time spent together in the kitchen will be worth it.
Yesterday I needed to pick up a prescription and a couple of items I'd forgotten when doing my shopping over the weekend. I'm trying to only shop once a month, but since I had to make the trip back to the pharmacy for the backordered prescription, I figured I'd make it count. I'd previously forgot to check the date on my milk (1/4 of a half gallon left, dated 6/15), and was out of celery seed for my mac salad. I also discovered that the package of bacon I thought I could use this week had been opened and was a little beyond what I'd consider safe to use. Luckily, I found some thick-cut peppered bacon that had been packaged up from the meat case for clearance ($3.39 for 10 thick slices, perfect for BLTs and breakfasts this week) and a package of heirloom tomatoes on the discount cart (asked the produce guy how long they'd been there and he said they came in with the regular delivery, but were too small, so they packaged the little ones up and priced them "to move" -- $1.30 for 6 smaller heirlooms, a steal when hot-house Roma's are 1.49/#).
But here's what got me going ... The woman checking out in front of me had a bunch of packages of pre-cut fruit and vegetables -- fruits and baby carrots in single serve packages + pre-cut broccoli in a bag, zucchini shreds, pre-chopped onions, and halved brussels sprouts; close to a dozen boxes of Lunchables; prepared meals-in-a-box (i.e. Hamburger Helper and similar); family size boxes of frozen casseroles, frozen breaded and pre-cooked chicken; single-serve juice drinks; a pack of 6 bakery cupcakes (whoot whoot -- on sale for $6.00); white milk, chocolate milk, half & half ... I could go on. She had nothing from the deli or meat case and no non-packaged produce. Her cart totaled more than $250 and there was not even a week's worth of food, from what I could tell. Granted, I don't know her situation, but ...
- For the cost of 2 Lunchables (and she had 8 or 10, if not more), which cost between $1.79 and $2.79 at my store, you can get at least 1/2# of lunchmeat or 1/2# cheese at the deli counter. If you've got kids going to summer camp, grab a square Ziplock or Rubbermaid container, roll up the meat, cut or cube the cheese, add in 6 Ritz crackers, and a handful of grapes and you've made your own. Or, spread a tortilla with some vegetable cream cheese, top with deli meat and cheese, a thinly sliced pickle or cucumber, and roll it up. Chill it overnight and slice it up for the lunch container.
- Grab an apple from a 3# bag. The cost of a bag of apples is significantly less than the cost of those 8 or 10 packages of pre-sliced ones. If the kids want it sliced for lunch, soak the apple slices in a mix of water and lemon juice, then drain it and put them in a container for grab and go.
- Frozen chicken? You can get a roasted whole chicken in the deli for less than that bag of frozen stuff. Or, buy a package of raw chicken and bake or grill it at home.
- What is Hamburger Helper anyway? Essentially, our mom's or grandmother's goulash, minus all the chemicals we can't pronounce.
- Chocolate milk --> a glass of white milk + a squirt or two of Hershey's syrup. I don't think they make Nestle's Quik anymore, do they?
- Fruit drinks for the summer? How about a pitcher of Kool-Aid or iced tea (cut it with orange juice, for some added nutritional value). So long as there's no carbonation, it can go into a to-go water bottle.
- Single serve Jello cups? $0.79 for a box of Jello + boiling water, pour into small single-serve reusable cups, if you need them for grab and go. Add some fruit, if you'd like. You can do the same for pudding cups.
- For the cost of those cupcakes, despite their being on sale, even baking them from a boxed mix with a can of prepared frosting would have been cheaper! And it would have made twice as many. Making them from scratch might have been even better yet, and you'd know exactly what's in them.
- Might you consider the larger container of plain or vanilla yogurt, and add your own sliced or mashed fruits? These can be made ahead, fruit on the bottom or layered, in an 8-oz. canning jar, for grab & go (for this kind of use, you can easily re-use the lid and ring from something previously canned). Or, instead of commercial yogurt, make your own from scratch?
- My store even sells a 2-pack of hard boiled eggs in the grab & go case near the deli for $2.00. Seriously? What does it take to hard boil eggs????
- Next time you grab a container of pasta salad, chicken salad, or other salad at the deli, take a look at the list of ingredients on the label. Is that something you could recreate at home?
When you're menu planning, perhaps give some thought to whether or not, with a little added time and effort, you could make any of your meals from (or partially from) scratch. Pull out that trusty cookbook, or Google "copycat xxxx" to find a recipe for the item, and you can do the same thing for your favorite seasoning packets and sauces, too. If it turns out good, keep the recipe to use again; if not, try another one next time. Get your kids and spouse involved with slicing and prepping veggies, rather than paying for a corporate packager to cut (and chemically treat) them for you. It will help to get them to "buy in" and learn about packaging and the associated costs vs. more environmentally friendly bulk packaging and recycling/reusing what you already have on hand. If anything, the extra time spent together in the kitchen will be worth it.
I am going to have to figure something different as we r both disabled. Living on a fixed income. Hubby always paid big bills with his wages & my wages went for gas & groceries. Now their both sooo stinkin outrageous, it’s hard to adjust too. I have started meal planning as I do planning around freezer weekly. We always have “whatever u can find” once a week . Lol…. .
Thank u for all the tips & tricks…
Thank u for all the tips & tricks…
Lori too bad there is no 'applause button' - I agree with you wholeheartedly. And it will come to that for most people with the prices going up everywhere.
Nestle's Quik is still available here
I know dh takes a glass of chocolate milk for breakfast everyday
Nestle's Quik is still available here
I know dh takes a glass of chocolate milk for breakfast everyday 
Lori I completely agree. To often any more I see complain when they see their grocery bill total but I don't see them rushing to put back those cases of soda, and packages of junk food they have in their carts. A little time and food prep saves so much money.
Lori - absolutely right!
We all have to make our choices and I try and use the convenience foods mainly for camping when I do not want to spend time cooking.
I try and look at everything that way - can I make it? If so I shouldn't buy it.
We all have to make our choices and I try and use the convenience foods mainly for camping when I do not want to spend time cooking.
I try and look at everything that way - can I make it? If so I shouldn't buy it.
Lori- You need to give classes!
Not only is the pre-packaged more expensive, it is sooooooo wasteful with its packaging.
When I have bought the pre-cut fruit, I notice:
1. The amount is dinky.
2. It doesn't last very long. Seems the fruit on the bottom is often already bad.
I will say, if it's the only way you are going to eat fruits and veggies, at least you have that option.
I really really try not to go the "pre-packaged" route.
I told someone, it's "Soul less eating."
There's just something about the cutting, the prep. It relaxes me and is almost meditative.
That's if I give myself the time and space in my schedule to do it.
DawnSu- Glad you are here! This thread has been helping me a lot with meal and grocery plan.
Plus, encouraging me in "No Spend" Weeks.
Which I want to do as often as possible.
Annie
Not only is the pre-packaged more expensive, it is sooooooo wasteful with its packaging.
When I have bought the pre-cut fruit, I notice:
1. The amount is dinky.
2. It doesn't last very long. Seems the fruit on the bottom is often already bad.
I will say, if it's the only way you are going to eat fruits and veggies, at least you have that option.
I really really try not to go the "pre-packaged" route.
I told someone, it's "Soul less eating."
There's just something about the cutting, the prep. It relaxes me and is almost meditative.
That's if I give myself the time and space in my schedule to do it.
DawnSu- Glad you are here! This thread has been helping me a lot with meal and grocery plan.
Plus, encouraging me in "No Spend" Weeks.
Which I want to do as often as possible.
Annie
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As much as I am disliking the situation that we are all in at the moment with rising costs I am "enjoying" the challenge.
I am now thinking of every meal and every purchase. Lettuce here at the moment is 12.00 per iceberg. I want one for burgers and meals for this coming fortnight but was not prepared or able to spend 12.00. I could have gone without but found 3 gem lettuce in a pack yesterday for $3.98. Still very pricey but came home washed it and have stored it in a container with paper towel to hopefully lengthen its life. I also have adjusted my menu plan to include more lettuce so as to not waste it.
I think that if we have the time to dedicate to meal planning, supermarket planning, cost comparison etc we are lucky. I do feel for people who either don't have the knowledge or the time to put ideas in place. I also think that some people are just not affected at all and that is OK too.
I am now thinking of every meal and every purchase. Lettuce here at the moment is 12.00 per iceberg. I want one for burgers and meals for this coming fortnight but was not prepared or able to spend 12.00. I could have gone without but found 3 gem lettuce in a pack yesterday for $3.98. Still very pricey but came home washed it and have stored it in a container with paper towel to hopefully lengthen its life. I also have adjusted my menu plan to include more lettuce so as to not waste it.
I think that if we have the time to dedicate to meal planning, supermarket planning, cost comparison etc we are lucky. I do feel for people who either don't have the knowledge or the time to put ideas in place. I also think that some people are just not affected at all and that is OK too.
Hey everyone; I know it's been a while but between working and still trying to get this house built and my gardens rebuilt and planted so I haven't spent much time online.
Like everyone else we are definitely feeling the skyrocketing costs of everything. If you think food and fuel is high, try building a house that has already more than doubled in price from original estimates on everything from nails to appliances. DH just spent over $1k just for the electrical wiring to wire the stove and hot water heater. Our goal is to make sure the house is 100% paid for upon completion.
As for food, I'm definitely seeing the shortages of new products or even fresh existing products. I went to Wal Mart a few days ago and I had to put back 11 of the 16 items I'd picked up because they were due to expire within the next 90 days. I'm not wasting good money on old food. Check those dates because alot of what we are seeing is what was finally trucked in from all those ships that sat out there for months on end.
I've always been a person who gardened, canned, dehydrated and prepared meals ahead of time. When you buy a bunch of green onions replant the bulb and roots into your rose bed to have a years supply of fresh green onions. You don't have to own acres to grow so many things. My new toy (Freeze Dryer) will be here in a couple of weeks and I am just thrilled to embark on this new food preservation adventure. It's a much better way to preserve food such as fruits and herbs without destroying the nutritional value. Everything low in fat and sugar can be freeze dried easily. In my case it's going to be so much easier to evacuate with lightweight Mylar bags versus canning jars as well. Every food preservation method has it's place in my opinion.
Now having said that. Think about what you eat in a typical week for breakfast. We eat french toast, kolachies, breakfast burritos, omelets, muffins, scrambled eggs, oatmeal, pancakes, grits, bacon, ham and sausage patties. I've canned enough sausage patties for DH in small half pint jars to last for one year. I've vacuum packed enough pancake mix for 2 adults in individual packets for one year. I've canned enough small ham chunks for omelets twice a month for a year and ham steaks twice a month for a year. I picked fresh blueberries and they are in the freezer waiting on the freeze dryer to add to individual packets of oatmeal as well as muffin mix as soon as my freeze dryer gets here and the berries are done. I'm also doing this with the fresh strawberries from my garden. My banana trees were lost but new ones are going in the ground this weekend. I've hunted sales and canned butter in half pint jars that taste amazing and is easy to spread on toast. Watch your local sales. I no longer get the paper but you can look every store sales ad online. Hunt coupons online as well.
Do this with all of your family favorites. Everyone talks of storing beans and rice but if you don't care for beans and are practicing a low carb lifestyle then neither will benefit your family. Your kitchen, your rules. Store what you eat and eat what you store. It's your home and your unique likes and dislikes that will determine how well your pantry works for you. Look online and join local groups for sales in your area. Every penny helps.
Like everyone else we are definitely feeling the skyrocketing costs of everything. If you think food and fuel is high, try building a house that has already more than doubled in price from original estimates on everything from nails to appliances. DH just spent over $1k just for the electrical wiring to wire the stove and hot water heater. Our goal is to make sure the house is 100% paid for upon completion.
As for food, I'm definitely seeing the shortages of new products or even fresh existing products. I went to Wal Mart a few days ago and I had to put back 11 of the 16 items I'd picked up because they were due to expire within the next 90 days. I'm not wasting good money on old food. Check those dates because alot of what we are seeing is what was finally trucked in from all those ships that sat out there for months on end.
I've always been a person who gardened, canned, dehydrated and prepared meals ahead of time. When you buy a bunch of green onions replant the bulb and roots into your rose bed to have a years supply of fresh green onions. You don't have to own acres to grow so many things. My new toy (Freeze Dryer) will be here in a couple of weeks and I am just thrilled to embark on this new food preservation adventure. It's a much better way to preserve food such as fruits and herbs without destroying the nutritional value. Everything low in fat and sugar can be freeze dried easily. In my case it's going to be so much easier to evacuate with lightweight Mylar bags versus canning jars as well. Every food preservation method has it's place in my opinion.
Now having said that. Think about what you eat in a typical week for breakfast. We eat french toast, kolachies, breakfast burritos, omelets, muffins, scrambled eggs, oatmeal, pancakes, grits, bacon, ham and sausage patties. I've canned enough sausage patties for DH in small half pint jars to last for one year. I've vacuum packed enough pancake mix for 2 adults in individual packets for one year. I've canned enough small ham chunks for omelets twice a month for a year and ham steaks twice a month for a year. I picked fresh blueberries and they are in the freezer waiting on the freeze dryer to add to individual packets of oatmeal as well as muffin mix as soon as my freeze dryer gets here and the berries are done. I'm also doing this with the fresh strawberries from my garden. My banana trees were lost but new ones are going in the ground this weekend. I've hunted sales and canned butter in half pint jars that taste amazing and is easy to spread on toast. Watch your local sales. I no longer get the paper but you can look every store sales ad online. Hunt coupons online as well.
Do this with all of your family favorites. Everyone talks of storing beans and rice but if you don't care for beans and are practicing a low carb lifestyle then neither will benefit your family. Your kitchen, your rules. Store what you eat and eat what you store. It's your home and your unique likes and dislikes that will determine how well your pantry works for you. Look online and join local groups for sales in your area. Every penny helps.
I totally agree that, with proper planning and the time to research and strategize, we are truly lucky. And, yes, some people are well off enough that they find that they really are not as affected as others -- at least not at this point (that's not to say they won't be impacted down the line). But part of "adulting" is educating yourself and developing that knowledge to plan better, shop smarter, and grow strategies to be able to cope during times of economic downturn. But in the words of a college prof, "you aren't going to learn the material by osmosis,!" We had to put in the time to read and study, to comprehend the materials and put it into action in order to pass his course. If someone wants a to make a change (i.e., to save money, build their pantry, save to buy a house, whatever), they will find 15 minutes a day to allocate to planning -- for budgeting for food, that's 15 mins. a day toward planning a menu, looking at the ads, developing a shopping strategy, and then carrying out a plan of action. Willing to share more tips and techniques, if anyone's interested.
Lori - please do.
It might be a good idea to incorporate a "savings" section into our new MHH cookbook!
For quite awhile it was hard to find "our brands" at some of the shops. It's improved a bit.
Budget Friendly Tips & Tricks
Freeze your produce before it goes bad.
If you have peppers or celery that are starting to wilt, or onions that are starting to grow, chop them up and put them in the freezer in 1/4 c. measurements (or whatever measure you tend to use most in your cooking). They're great to have on hand to add as a pizza topping (well, maybe not the celery) or mix into a meatloaf, sauce, or casserole. You can also do the same with green onions. I saw a post on Facebook earlier today that suggested putting sliced green onions in a dried out plastic water bottle and putting the bottle in the freezer. You can just shake out what you want to use.
I also did this with extra habanero peppers that I grew. I make a jam spread that uses habaneros, and I grew my own one year because they were hard to find when I needed them. But, my plant over-produced. So I chopped them up and froze them for later use. I think I still have a couple of packages of habaneros in the freezer, and some jalapenos leftover from making salsa, too..
Freeze your produce before it goes bad.
If you have peppers or celery that are starting to wilt, or onions that are starting to grow, chop them up and put them in the freezer in 1/4 c. measurements (or whatever measure you tend to use most in your cooking). They're great to have on hand to add as a pizza topping (well, maybe not the celery) or mix into a meatloaf, sauce, or casserole. You can also do the same with green onions. I saw a post on Facebook earlier today that suggested putting sliced green onions in a dried out plastic water bottle and putting the bottle in the freezer. You can just shake out what you want to use.
I also did this with extra habanero peppers that I grew. I make a jam spread that uses habaneros, and I grew my own one year because they were hard to find when I needed them. But, my plant over-produced. So I chopped them up and froze them for later use. I think I still have a couple of packages of habaneros in the freezer, and some jalapenos leftover from making salsa, too..
A read a hint to store celery.
When you bring the celery home trim the green leafy tops off. These and the tiny bits of celery can be used in stocks etc.
Then check that there are no spoiled celery ribs. Then tightly wrap the celery in aluminum foil and store in the crisper.
I have had celery in the fridge for nearly a month and it is still crisp and fresh.
When you bring the celery home trim the green leafy tops off. These and the tiny bits of celery can be used in stocks etc.
Then check that there are no spoiled celery ribs. Then tightly wrap the celery in aluminum foil and store in the crisper.
I have had celery in the fridge for nearly a month and it is still crisp and fresh.
I have never seen prices shoot up so quick as it has done recently....With inflation going to hit 11% in the coming months i dont see any relief anytime soon...Our butcher shopping list has gone up by over £60 a month....Its time to tighten our belts for a while till things start easing
you can also flash freeze your cut up produce. Spread out cut up veggies into single layer on cookie sheet, place cookie sheet in freezer. after they are frozen scrap off into freezer bag and toss into freezer. this way they are not all stuck to each other and you can as much or as little as you need out of the bag. I do this all the time with peppers and various berries.
Check your local road side farm stand. Most of the time their prices are cheaper and the produce is fresher. The one near me has a marked down table where the veggies are at the use now or toss stage and can marked down to 75% off. You pick fruit fields offer fruits at much lower rate. I am going next week to get pie cherries and blueberries. I need to make and can pie filling.
Thanks for the reminder. Loved doing this when I had a bottom-drawer freezer. I now have a side-by-side, which is too narrow for a cookie sheet. Need to think of an alternative.