Food-shopping/meal-making/money-saving advice and tips

[guster]

We spend a lot on food. I like to cook; I like to experiment. And as much as it’s a big part of our lives, I sometimes wonder if I could save more on it.
Can we make this a thread to share our processes and what tips we have for each other?

[guster]

We eat out at least once a week for dinner and once a week for lunch.

There’s a few Starbucks runs and maybe a fast food run in there.

This summer we’re planning on dropping all drive thrus. If we want it, we have to park and go in.

We will still eat out twice a week, but no take out bc it’s not great around here, and I’m never satisfied with it.

I spent an hour this morning meal planning for the entire summer (July and August). I heard a podcast about making each week’s day a thing, so every Sunday will be cold pasta salads in July and every Tuesday in August is chicken sheet pans. There’s variety within the week’s day, so no boredom, but easy to meal plan for the month. I tied really hard to make the meals simplify than my usual plans.

I made grocery lists for each week and added our snacks and breakfast/lunch foods to it. I will stick to the list (which I usually do not do). I only want to shop once a week (opposed to the every other day run plus the big trip once a week)

[klong11]

Download your store's app, if they have one so that you can easily look through their coupons.

Download Ibotta. Basically you get money back if an item you purchase is listed in their app. It's not a lot of money, but I'm able to get a $25 Starbucks card every couple of months from my savings, which to me is worth it.

I recently started getting the Imperfect Produce box. I tell them what to send me and then I meal plan around that. They have more than fruits and veggies, like dry pasta and seasonings and such. I haven't comparison shopped their prices on anything other than the veg, though.

Think about meals that will feed more than just one meal. We usually have leftovers that mh then takes to work for lunch, so that saves him some money.

[tgrimes]

Like you already mentioned, we try to do a quinoa dish and a pasta dish each week. I hate grocery shopping so I try to only go once a week.

I subscribe to Krazy Koupon Lady. It's very helpful for things like laundry detergent, deodorant, toothpaste, etc. But some times they'll have tips for food items as well. I usually don't spend more than $1-2 on laundry detergent. Do you have a Kroger around you or maybe a different store than has an app? Digital coupons are very helpful. Kroger has free items every once in awhile and buy 5 save 5. www.krogerkrazy.com

[guster]

Jun 18, 2019 10:51:22 GMT -6 klong11 said:

Download your store's app, if they have one so that you can easily look through their coupons.

Download Ibotta. Basically you get money back if an item you purchase is listed in their app. It's not a lot of money, but I'm able to get a $25 Starbucks card every couple of months from my savings, which to me is worth it.

I recently started getting the Imperfect Produce box. I tell them what to send me and then I meal plan around that. They have more than fruits and veggies, like dry pasta and seasonings and such. I haven't comparison shopped their prices on anything other than the veg, though.

Think about meals that will feed more than just one meal. We usually have leftovers that mh then takes to work for lunch, so that saves him some money.

Thanks for the Ibotta tip. I use ebates but that’s online shopping only I think.
I always cook a bigger meal during the school year bc mh will take it for lunch. And I will look into that imperfect produce box. Sounds cool!

[guster]

No Kroeger— I shop at The Big Y (I think that’s local to me), Aldi and sometimes Stop and Shop (we’ve been a lot in the last two week bc they have a robot who cleans up and the kids love him). I get most of my meat at Stew Leonard’s (another regional one, I think). I’m on their email lists, but will look for apps.

[nam2013]

Not sure if it is possible in the us. With each transaction I make with my debit card, it transfers 10% of the paid amount to my savings (max. €10 per day). It’s not much but it adds between €35-55 extra to my savings each month.

[guster]

Jun 18, 2019 11:07:45 GMT -6 nam2013 said:

Not sure if it is possible in the us. With each transaction I make with my debit card, it transfers 10% of the paid amount to my savings (max. €10 per day). It’s not much but it adds between €35-55 extra to my savings each month.

I think my debit card has that keep the change option. Basically it rounds up to the nearest dollar and deposits the difference in change into my savings account. Like you said not much on a single trip, but I bet it does add up throughout the month.

[vino]

We live similar food lives; we eat at home, take leftovers, pack lunches for the kids and are quite stingy when it comes to eating out, at the most it’ll be two times a month, restaurant or order in (when we do eat out it goes under ‘misc’ spending cause it’s variable). MH gets a Tim Hortons gift card filled every month $50 and that goes under grocery budgeting for his coffee in the morning or the occasional lunch out.

I’ve done the ‘eat from your pantry’, coupons, shopped for sales etc and what I’ve found that’s proven from my years of budgeting and keeping track of everything is that food just cost what it cost. IDK maybe that’s too ¯\_(ツ)_/¯, but it’s how I’m rolling these days with food costs.

I track all food related costs under groceries and every year I average it out and that becomes the budget amount for the next 12 months. Sure, there may be variations per month but the average has really made me feel better about money spent eating. To give you my numbers, I budget/spend $1700/month on food, that’s about $1270 usd. Through the years it’s just gone up; I’m assuming inflation, rising food costs, adding in the kids, MH being home more etc.

So, I’m probably the outlier here and maybe that’s not what your looking for but maybe a different perspective on your food bill.

[guster]

Jun 18, 2019 11:41:05 GMT -6 vino said:

We live similar food lives; we eat at home, take leftovers, pack lunches for the kids and are quite stingy when it comes to eating out, at the most it’ll be two times a month, restaurant or order in (when we do eat out it goes under ‘misc’ spending cause it’s variable). MH gets a Tim Hortons gift card filled every month $50 and that goes under grocery budgeting for his coffee in the morning or the occasional lunch out.

I’ve done the ‘eat from your pantry’, coupons, shopped for sales etc and what I’ve found that’s proven from my years of budgeting and keeping track of everything is that food just cost what it cost. IDK maybe that’s too ¯\_(ツ)_/¯, but it’s how I’m rolling these days with food costs.

I track all food related costs under groceries and every year I average it out and that becomes the budget amount for the next 12 months. Sure, there may be variations per month but the average has really made me feel better about money spent eating. To give you my numbers, I budget/spend $1700/month on food, that’s about $1270 usd. Through the years it’s just gone up; I’m assuming inflation, rising food costs, adding in the kids, MH being home more etc.

So, I’m probably the outlier here and maybe that’s not what your looking for but maybe a different perspective on your food bill.

Unfortunately, that’s where my mind was as I wrote the post. It is what it is. Food is our vice. We like to eat out; we like that if we feel like having something to snack on/eat, we just go pick it up; if one of the kids gets a great idea to make a rainbow fruit or veggie plate, I like jumping at the chance. It’s not affecting our bottom line, and it’s not infringing on our other lifestyle choices, but we’ve never tried to lower the overall cost. I don’t think I’m going to become a coupon clipper overnight, and I’m probably not going to look through circulars to find the best deals, but things like sticking to the grocery list and cutting out the spontaneity might be better for our wallets, but also probably our waistlines.

[flamingo]

I have been enjoying the weekly grocery pick-up service b/c a) easy and b) I see my total in advance and it definitely makes me stop and think about frivolous stuff. With that said, within reason we basically buy what we want. 

I've always heard meal-planning for the month is most effective from a cost standpoint, but I am not that organized, and I feel like my appetite is very subject to random cravings, lol.

I average b/n $100-125/week on my groceries, including any cleaning supplies, toiletries and paper products. (That does not include wine/beer). Occasionally I'll send DH out for odds and ends during the week, so maybe add another $25 for that to be safe? I like name brands for most things; WalMart and the commissary are the best prices around here so I do utilize those for big trips. I try to prepare at least 1 meal/week that will work for 2 nights (pulled pork, casseroles, lasagna, etc), and some sides will work out that way, too (pasta salad, mac n cheese, etc).

We also eat out for dinner about once a week, usually a lunch or two on the weekends, and I'll do fast-food with the kids once a week. DH does a mix of leftovers and going out during the work week. Take out once or twice a month, and we do a date-night once a month or so and typically that involves a $100+ dinner so I guess you could add that to the tab, too. Could we cut all that stuff out? Yes, but it would take some of the fun/pleasure out of life. We enjoy trying new things and giving our kids those experiences...and of course some nights I'm just lazy! 

[guster]

Jun 18, 2019 11:53:24 GMT -6 flamingo said:

Could we cut all that stuff out? Yes, but it would take some of the fun/pleasure out of life. We enjoy trying new things and giving our kids those experiences...and of course some nights I'm just lazy! 

I agree with this. If we were trying to really lower our overall budget, I would cut out all outside of the home food and drink, but for now it’s part entertainment for us and a welcome break in my day.

[slenle]

I’ve had all of these thoughts too. I really want to be better about budgeting, but at the end of the day, it’s not hurting us and I know I’m not going to shop at 3 different stores to get the best deals because I’m just too lazy.

I need to be better about meal planning. That’s the #1 thing that would help. Plus when I meal plan, I will do order pickup and stick to the list which is a win win... i plan for the week and don’t add extras so it’s saves money.

[wineallthetime]

Like Flamingo, I've been doing the curbside pickup. It's $4.95, but helps me stay on track. If it's more than I've budgeted for then I go through and remove stuff. Plus it keeps the kids from throwing random stuff in the cart.

I've been trying to get better at meal prep and trying to use up stuff I already have on hand. Tuesday I typically do a large meal good leftover so I can take that to work the rest of the week for lunches.

I've also been trying to buy more in bulk when it's things I know we will need

[guster]

Jun 18, 2019 12:40:48 GMT -6 slenle said:

I need to be better about meal planning. That’s the #1 thing that would help. Plus when I meal plan, I will do order pickup and stick to the list which is a win win... i plan for the week and don’t add extras so it’s saves money.

I really like meal planning. It’s not something I ever did until I joined these boards. I like having a plan for the week, but I’m not great about remembering to take out the protein the night before.

[flamingo]

Jun 18, 2019 13:03:07 GMT -6 wineallthetime said:

I've also been trying to buy more in bulk when it's things I know we will need

I could do more of this, particularly dry goods/non-perishables like granola bars, cereal, etc. Sometimes I shop like I'm still single and forget that I actually have 3 more people at home, lol. A couple times recently I absent-mindedly bought the smaller box of cereal and it was gone in like, 2 days. 

We actually gave up our Costco membership while living here b/c we just do not have the storage space for large containers, tons of extra paper products, etc. Once we move, I will definitely pick that back up again and probably try to get more of the kid snacks, etc. there.

[peachsmama]

Jun 18, 2019 13:04:49 GMT -6 guster said:

Jun 18, 2019 12:40:48 GMT -6 slenle said:

I need to be better about meal planning. That’s the #1 thing that would help. Plus when I meal plan, I will do order pickup and stick to the list which is a win win... i plan for the week and don’t add extras so it’s saves money.

I really like meal planning. It’s not something I ever did until I joined these boards. I like having a plan for the week, but I’m not great about remembering to take out the protein the night before.

As you make your meal plan for the week, set a reminder in your phone for the night before each meal "get chicken out" or whatever it may be. LIFE SAVER. 

[flamingo]

Jun 18, 2019 14:20:42 GMT -6 peachsmama said:

Jun 18, 2019 13:04:49 GMT -6 guster said:

I really like meal planning. It’s not something I ever did until I joined these boards. I like having a plan for the week, but I’m not great about remembering to take out the protein the night before.

As you make your meal plan for the week, set a reminder in your phone for the night before each meal "get chicken out" or whatever it may be. LIFE SAVER. 

Such a good idea! 

[guster]

Jun 18, 2019 14:49:54 GMT -6 flamingo said:

Jun 18, 2019 14:20:42 GMT -6 peachsmama said:

As you make your meal plan for the week, set a reminder in your phone for the night before each meal "get chicken out" or whatever it may be. LIFE SAVER. 

Such a good idea! 

Seriously!

[wineallthetime]

Jun 18, 2019 13:50:26 GMT -6 flamingo said:

Jun 18, 2019 13:03:07 GMT -6 wineallthetime said:

I've also been trying to buy more in bulk when it's things I know we will need

I could do more of this, particularly dry goods/non-perishables like granola bars, cereal, etc. Sometimes I shop like I'm still single and forget that I actually have 3 more people at home, lol. A couple times recently I absent-mindedly bought the smaller box of cereal and it was gone in like, 2 days. 

We actually gave up our Costco membership while living here b/c we just do not have the storage space for large containers, tons of extra paper products, etc. Once we move, I will definitely pick that back up again and probably try to get more of the kid snacks, etc. there.

I'm trying to get smart about our bulk stuff. In the past I would buy anything that looked good, now I make sure we will actually use it. Typically that means la croix (my weakness), chicken and ground turkey (can freeze and come in small 1lb packages), box of veggie straws and chips (kids love and easy to grab if kids are over or we are on snack duty for soccer), applesauce pouches, chickpea puffs, toilet paper, paper towels, ect. We don't have the freezer/fridge space for a lot of things we would use (waffles, more meat, frozen fruit, bulk yogurt..)

[lahdeedah]

Jun 18, 2019 10:53:26 GMT -6 tgrimes said:

Like you already mentioned, we try to do a quinoa dish and a pasta dish each week. I hate grocery shopping so I try to only go once a week.

I subscribe to Krazy Koupon Lady. It's very helpful for things like laundry detergent, deodorant, toothpaste, etc. But some times they'll have tips for food items as well. I usually don't spend more than $1-2 on laundry detergent. Do you have a Kroger around you or maybe a different store than has an app? Digital coupons are very helpful. Kroger has free items every once in awhile and buy 5 save 5. www.krogerkrazy.com

This is helpful to me. I am trying to learn Kroger ways since I lost my Beloved Publix with this move. I have the app, but it kept logging me out every so often. I realized today that I could add my shoppers card to my apple wallet, so now I won’t have to access the app for that.

[tgrimes]

Jun 18, 2019 21:55:46 GMT -6 lahdeedah said:

Jun 18, 2019 10:53:26 GMT -6 tgrimes said:

Like you already mentioned, we try to do a quinoa dish and a pasta dish each week. I hate grocery shopping so I try to only go once a week.

I subscribe to Krazy Koupon Lady. It's very helpful for things like laundry detergent, deodorant, toothpaste, etc. But some times they'll have tips for food items as well. I usually don't spend more than $1-2 on laundry detergent. Do you have a Kroger around you or maybe a different store than has an app? Digital coupons are very helpful. Kroger has free items every once in awhile and buy 5 save 5. www.krogerkrazy.com

This is helpful to me. I am trying to learn Kroger ways since I lost my Beloved Publix with this move. I have the app, but it kept logging me out every so often. I realized today that I could add my shoppers card to my apple wallet, so now I won’t have to access the app for that.

It definitely logs you out if you don't use it very often.  You can clip digital coupons online or through the app.  I think every Friday they have some sort of free item.  I'll keep you in the loop when I hear of any good deals going on there.  I have a coworker that is really into it, so she gives me the scoop on what to buy and when.  

[lahdeedah]

Jun 19, 2019 10:19:39 GMT -6 tgrimes said:

Jun 18, 2019 21:55:46 GMT -6 lahdeedah said:

This is helpful to me. I am trying to learn Kroger ways since I lost my Beloved Publix with this move. I have the app, but it kept logging me out every so often. I realized today that I could add my shoppers card to my apple wallet, so now I won’t have to access the app for that.

It definitely logs you out if you don't use it very often.  You can clip digital coupons online or through the app.  I think every Friday they have some sort of free item.  I'll keep you in the loop when I hear of any good deals going on there.  I have a coworker that is really into it, so she gives me the scoop on what to buy and when.  

Thanks! I’ve noticed they do weekend deals. I always check the circular for what’s on sale that weekend. I liked the app for being able to “make a list” from the weekly add and when I’m in store it would pull up said list, but it doesn’t always register when I go in the store and I don’t know how to make the store mode appear. They need to make improvements.

[tallb]

I'm a big Costco shopper, but we do store some stuff in our basement. Typical things we get there - cereal, fig bars, granola bars, on/jelly, bread, yogurt, eggs, milk, salad bags, fruit veggies, etc. I also get their pre-packaged salads for lunch and they are great - good size for 2 days of lunch and really good. It's def helped me with my goal of only eating out for lunch one workday a week. I also try to shop their sales, so if our favorite chips are on sale, I'll buy a few bags, this week we bought 2 cases of spindrift bc it was $4 off. We have the executive membership and it's a higher return rate so it kind of cancels out with the cashback at the end of the year if you go enough (or at least pays for the upgrade). We especially like Costco for rental cars, which is unrelated to saving on food.

And then mh goes shopping on his own and overshops at whole foods and I can't look at the receipt 🤦. He tries to meal plan while shopping and buys like a ridiculous amount of meals to cook and the meat ends up in the freezer 9/10.

We also have regular trader Joe's trips, but those are for specific items and they never have sales and it is easy to overspend on fancy chocolate almonds and fun things to try. I do try to get my cards there, great selection for $.99.

[tgrimes]

lahdeedah thekrazycouponlady.com/tips/couponing/couponing-at-kroger?utm_source=sfmc&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=205613&utm_subscriberid=71333756

I received an email about Kroger from krazy coupon lady this morning.

[lahdeedah]

Thanks! tgrimes

[chrisy01]

Ill buy ground beef in bulk on sale, cook it in 1 lb increments and then freeze each pound individually. That way when we need cooked ground beef for meals I just defrost and use it in the meal. It saves time each night and ends up saving us money.

[klong11]

Buying family packs of meat and then freezing in individual sized packs can save a lot of money too.