Community Chat

[Big Joanie]

And Dollar Tree is great for cleaning supplies and they have great

greeting cards at 2 for a dollar ....

[Big Joanie]

of course Wal mart prices are good too .....

[StephaniM]

One thing I did was to discontinue my spectrum cable and have only Amazon and Netflix.  I did keep my internet and YouTube  so you can see the national news on that ( as well as anything else). 

A big big thing for me was that by discontinuing cable, I don’t have any of the shopping channels so I’m not tempted.  I also shop at Walmart for just abut everything.  Try dollar store for household cleaners and some food items.  

I also keep my heat and a/c to a minimum.  It all adds up

[sidsmom]

I read this many, many years ago...and it stuck with me

for my use only...not speaking to anyone here...just me.

”If you’re carrying an ounce of extra weight, you’re wasting money.”

[JeanLouiseFinch]

There are two of us at home and our grocery budget is the same as yours but it includes tp, paper towels, cleaning products, laundry products, dog food, cat food, litter, some health & beauty, and occasional odds & ends.  We still shop at Costco once a month for some things, but I've always shopped the Meijer ad and planned our dinner menus accordingly.  For the past 6 mos. or so, I've found ways to stretch certain cuts of meat to cover more than two meals.  For instance, I'll make bbq'd pulled pork with a boneless pork loin that was purchased on sale - one night it'll be a pile of meat on the plate with a couple of simple sides (2 veggies or a veggie and maybe some applesauce), another night I'll use some of the meat for nachos, and if there's any meat left we'll have a sandwich another night.  We also enjoy stretching an eye of round roast for several meals - traditional roast beef dinner, a big salad with cold slices of beef, sandwiches or wraps, crackers & cheese w/slices of beef.  I'll do the same thing with chicken - making a recipe or casserole that can feed us two or three times.  Rotisserie chickens are usually around $5.00 and you can get a couple of dinners from one.  We have also decided that we don't need a big meal every night either.  We are very content with a grilled cheese sandwich and especially enjoy BLT's when we can get good tomatoes.  We also find a good salad very satisfying by adding some kind of protein like that leftover roast beef, grilled chicken or cooked shrimp.

Last week I ventured out to Aldi.  I really only needed a few things but took my time looking at all they had to offer.  I was impressed by the selections that were available - far more variety than they used to.  The bread I bought was fine.  The fruit preserves might have a little fewer actual fruit pieces but I'm willing to live with that for the overall savings.  I am really thinking of changing things up to include a monthly Aldi run for certain things and cutting my overall bill where I can.  I doubt I'll give up Meijer or Costco, but I'm willing to give this a try for a few months and see what happens.

[blackhole99]

When I didn't have money I just didn't spend it. 800 dollars a month for groceries is a lot of money IMO, unless you have a really big family. I know I like eco friendly cleaning products which are more expensive, but I could do without them and just use baking soda and vinegar to clean with. Sometimes it's the higher end products you can substitute to dramatically lower your grocery bill. I don't shop at high end grocery stores, it's just not important to me.

[Mistic]

I buy most of my cleaning products at the Dollar Tree.  Just as good, or even better better than W-Mart's Generic Brand.

All my Dairy is purchased at ALDI'S.  Their Brand Friendly Farms.  Cheese, Cottage Cheese, Milk, Sour Cream, Butter.....

I use W-Mart for the things that I can not get at the above 2 places.

I hope this helps you some... 

[haddon9]

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@scatcat wrote:

You’re only spending $25 a day on food for 2 people. That does NOT seem extravagant to me.

Only you know your spending and where you can cut corners. Good luck 

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Me either...we actually spend much more than that each month since DH insists on organic produce, GMO free, grass fed beef, wild caught fish, pastured chicken & eggs, etc. 

However for someone on a very tight budget one might need to drastically cut everything way down to save money.  I like the idea of a foodsaver and an additional freezer.

[chrystaltree]

I could say something just to be saying something but that wouldn't help you.  You didn't give us any information except your average food bill.  We don't know what your income is or what your total expenses are and we nothing about you as a person.  So, you asked for something that we can't give you.  I would suggest that you make a list of all of your actual expenses, including gifts and recreational expense and then make realistic cuts that you actually can live with.  

[kitty60]

You have received many great suggestions.  I also think $800 is a large sum for two people.  My husband and I no longer waste food.  We were never casserole eaters but now find a recipe will make more than one casserole for two.  I buy the disposable pans at Dollar Tree, one meal for now another in the freezer.  Meat/chicken goes alot futher when it is shredded and incorporated into a cassserole.  While we prefer boneless chicken I purchase bone in breasts on sale when they are under a dollar a pound.  I then cut the chicken off the bones and freeze, cook up the bones with veggies and have a batch of soup for the freezer. (If I don't feel like makin it that day I throw the bones in the freezer until I have time.)  We also plan our meals so if there is something leftover, ie a piece of meat or fish it becomes lunch the next day on a salad.  I make lots of soups for the freezer and we eat these all year.  

My biggest complaint is dh loves to stop when we are out for hot/cold drinks.  It kills me to pay several dollars for a cold drink or coffee.