Reducing the grocery bill question?

[Ima saver]

Re: Reducing the grocery bill question?

When I was a kid, cereal and soup were what poor people ate. Now they are so expensive!

[flash]

Re: Reducing the grocery bill question?

you don't notice stale cereal? Some people don't, but I do, I have to have it fresh.

I agree with Katwoman. With coupons and sales, I never pay more than 50 cents for a large box of cereal, or FREE for soup.

Cereal, I freeze, or keep it in the garage in the winter. I use stale cereal in muffin recipes. I have a B&B recipe that uses a box of flake cereal, like raisin bran, and they get frozen, too!

[lrjohnson]

Re: Reducing the grocery bill question?

I agree that eliminating certain foods can dramatically reduce a grocery bill, and so can generics. I am not a coupon user-if I didn't like generics and I ate convenience food I might, but it hasn't felt right for me. I think you can do generic/reduce certain foods half-heartedly and still save, but I'm not sure you can half do coupons well. I try to do the Amy D. Pantry Principle-have a well stocked set of basics, and buy great deals when I see them, and cook with that-I rarely (once or twice a year) actually buy6 special ingredients for a recipe. I buy from bulk bins at WinCo when the bulk bins are cheaper. I don't mind certain foods being stale, like cereal-I don't like it when it's mushy stale, but I am not as advanced in tastebuds as some. Dry cereal for me is a treat, actually-I do oatmeal, or home baked muffins. With a stocked pantry I can do simple meals anytime. I prefer shopping once a month for a big run, with maybe one or two produce runs in between. My battle is using up fresh foods especially produce-we are getting better at using more/buying less, but I hate composting a whole head of lettuce! I've had to get over that certain higher priced produce will get eaten faster-I will eat green beans and cherry tomatoes, but lettuce or radishes or celery will sit. So I bite the health bullet and figure a healthy item I eat is a better deal than any item I toss, regardless of original price.

A hard one for me, with a weight battle going, is just to eat less. Of everything. It would be frugal, and healthy. Or, deal with eating a "real" portion of a healthy food that is twice the price of the unhealthy counterpart, instead of a huge triple portion of the cheap stuff. For example, bread: either have one sandwich with smaller slices of dense hearty whole grain stuff with great ingredients, than two sandwiches with the super cheap kinda whole wheat fluffy large slice stuff.

[locolorenzo24]

Re: Reducing the grocery bill question?

I'm fighting off the urge to go back to the store as soon as I get my paycheck..but I think I can live on what I have for a week or two...

[acezz4e_tish]

Re: Reducing the grocery bill question?

i have saved lots by buying always save stuff instead of others or premade stuff. i have a propane oven so expense is minimal. an always save bag of cake mix here is 69 cents. its one third size bigger then most and all it takes is eggs and water, except the white. i make two round cakes and 12 cupcakes with one mix. thats desert for a week for at home and daves lunches at work. i make a yellow and a chocolate and switch back and forth and i let the kids decorate them all. they enjoy it. which i bought all the toppings at the dollar tree. big bottles too of one color and multicolors, a four pack with diff color dinosaurs and all. dollar tree would have to be my first choice, second is family dollar. i buy my tide coldwater there for 5 dollars. well except this week, i bought a 125 oz bottle on sale at walmart for 5.94. i use vinegar too in the rinse cycle, saved me 20 dollars already in one month. i saved 40 dollars this month on laundry alone. bought sponges, a bag of asst ones a dollar tree, used a shaker cup, put my liquid softener in there and used the sponges in the dryer, then put those in the dresser. and next week ill switch those out for a fresh one and then reuse the last one in the cup again.i use coldwater on my front loading washer and it saving 63 dollars is true too. i use the warm setting on wash only for whites and i use ammonia vs bleach and baking soda. cheaper and safer on clothes. i bought my front loader over a year ago and have not had to replace any clothing from washing. my old washer i had to replace stuff monthly. i hate the old agitators. lol

[Ima saver]

Re: Reducing the grocery bill question?

Our local paper has no coupons, so I just try and take advantage of the store sales. We drink diet sprite, for example, so when it is on sale I try and stock up. I don't ever buy things for dessert because we just don't need it!

[katwoman]

Re: Reducing the grocery bill question?

Another great way to reduce your bread bill is to shop at the bread thrift stores.

I prefer whole wheat/whole grain varieties which happen to cost more. Even with coupons the cost was way too much for my tastes. I hit the bakery thrift store and on WED and SUN they offer 12/$12. Add a 13th item and you get another free item from certain bins. Since I go on SUN, I get double punches on the bread card which earns me another 2 free items!

They also have a day for seniors. Don't know what that special is.

I can't say enough about bakery thrift stores!

[Tree0164]

Re: Reducing the grocery bill question?

I hit the bread store as well!

Also check out the older produce section in my store it usually towards the back. Lots of fruit like apples there that are still good. I got 3lbs of baby carrots there for 99 cents the other day-will use up some of them for a stew. Got 2 eggplants for 99 cents -making some eggplant parm.

Also alot of times meat is marked down and you get good choices of steak and stew beef for a few dollars off.

If you shop early in the day (before noon) you can get these deals. Ask the clerks when they mark down stuff.

[PRICEPLUS]

Re: Reducing the grocery bill question?

We have a Friehoffers bakery near me where you can get bread at discounted prices. When I was younger I would take home the rolls from my job, rather than see them thrown out. We froze the rolls and heated them in the oven when we ready to use them.

[acezz4e_tish]

Re: Reducing the grocery bill question?

here we have hostess and on wednesday you get to spin the wheel for ten-50 percent off, 5 dollars or a box of mini muffins or anything of its value, so you always get something. i always check stores for thier special day of the week. when walmart will give out samples, when catos has thier clearance day etc

[shelbylovesmelby]

Re: Reducing the grocery bill question?

I agree with the pp about thrift bakery stores. We have a Brownberry outlet that does that same deal but it's 13 for $12.

If you shop @ aldi's go in there the day after a holiday. Sometimes they have things @ BOGO prices or like after 4th of july last year. I got hotdog & hamburger buns, & bread @ .10 ea! I grabbed as many as I thought could fit in my freezer & called my bargain hunting pals & told them too.

My uncle hangs out @ a farmers market & has become friends with alot of farmers. At the end of the selling day he'll help them pack up & as payment they give him produce for FREE for his help. & whatever he can't use he gives to my aunt whom gives her extras to me. I'm not saying everyone can do this but it's nice to get veggies that aren't spoiled for nothing. KWIM?

Jewl-osco has their bakery marked down usually on the Eve of a holiday or by the morning after. I picked up on several deserts for Christmas on Christmas Eve for $1 or so.

Also you best saver as well is to KNOW YOUR PRICES! Generic Store Brand is often times more expensive than something you can buy @ Aldi's or Save-a-lot for half of that.

[flash]

Re: Reducing the grocery bill question?

I often buy at the Pepperidge Farm or Hostess outlets. Another thing local bakeries do is either have a "closeout" at the end of the day (great in grad school, when we were out at 11 pm anyway). Our local bakery also has day old sales -- Donuts are 50 cents to a dollar each fresh, but the day old are five dozen for $5. I've purchased and frozen, brought them in to work, etc. They aren't as fresh, though.

My DH and I work out 4 - 5 hours a day, and protein and fresh veggies are the main event. I buy sales, and look for every discount. I also keep a large pantry and freezer stocked with sales and basics. Stockpiling a sale of things we would buy anyway (key point) is one of the best ways to save money. Buying stuff we wouldn't normally buy just because it's on sale is usually a waste for us.

[acezz4e_tish]

Re: Reducing the grocery bill question?

i got a gr8 deal today. dite rite is 2.85 for a 12 pk, goodhousekeeping has a 2.oo off coupon this month.

[Ima saver]

Re: Reducing the grocery bill question?

First time I have ever stocked up and bought 4 - 12 packs of sprite. $10 for 4 of them, usually about $3.99 each.

[frugalfarmwife]

Re: Reducing the grocery bill question?

I shop once a month with a strict list, no varying from it! Then hit the bread store and load up the freezer, on a good day there I can get loaves of the good stuff at 2 for a buck, and I get 4 for a buck on huge uncut sub buns that I use for garlic toast, we eat a LOT of it.

I'm very fortunate in that we have two chest freezers and they are full come fall, between home raised beef and our veggie garden I'm set.

I'm fortunate, our grocery bill is usually under 100 a month this way.

kj