# what am I doing wrong? crazy food bill



## BelleWithBoots (Sep 28, 2014)

hey guys im posting this here because I honestly cant figure it out. hope this is the best place and that you guys could possibly give me some insight that I am missing. 
We just bought our first home on 2 acres this summer and have jumped right into the homesteading world as its been our dream for years. right now we have laying hens and 2 mini goats and I just ordered 30 cornish and we plan on getting a treo of rabits started as well as a hog in the spring as well as as big a garden as we can manage. 
All this to say, in the mean time, our food bill is out the roof! there are just 5 of us for now, (3 of which are 5 and under) and our grocery bill is burying us. im trying so hard to become financially stable despite the student loans etc and hubby even has a great job but I cant seem to bring it down. I have friends that I know feed there families on no more than half of what i spend without raising any of their own food. I cook almost everything from scratch, avoid recipes with many ingredients, try to stick with cheap, simple ingredients, cloth diaper, buy off brands, dry beans not canned, everything I can think of but im still paying in the $900 a month range and have gone well over 1000. Managed to get it down to around 800 the last cpl. months but no lower. That is crazy, right?!? What am I doing wrong? how can I feed this family for less? ive looked into couponing in the past but they all seem to be for processed pre prepared foods etc. there has to be another way.


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## calliemoonbeam (Aug 7, 2007)

Are you buying a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables? That can really drive the price up, especially if they're organic. Are you big meat eaters? With the prices these days, that's driving up a lot of shopping costs. 

Do you buy prepared cereals for the kids? You can save a lot of money by making your own, whether knockoffs of commercial types or granolas, plus there's always oatmeal, hot rice, cream of wheat, grits, etc., instead of the high-priced store cereals. Here's a great place for homemade cereal recipes: http://www.mrbreakfast.com/recipe_collection.asp?subcategor---=8

Do you shop sales and loss leaders? I rarely pay full price for anything, and I don't buy many processed foods either, but I watch for sales and stock up. I might buy 24 of an item on sale and then not buy any more until the next time it's on sale. Then you can gradually build up a stockpile so you can save consistently. I base my menus on what I have in stock or what's on sale in a week, not just what I'd like to eat.

I could list a lot more, but I'll stop here and let someone else chime in. I'll come back and post more if I see it's needed, but I bet you get lots of great ideas.


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## Songbird (Apr 2, 2006)

The best way to save money on your food bill is to eat less. Seriously. Eat high quality foods, but eat less, therefore buy less. Works for us. Most people could stand to cut down on portion size these days....


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## BelleWithBoots (Sep 28, 2014)

Yeah we could probably do eat a bit less. It's just getting the tired cranky hubby and kids on board that is the tricky part. Lol. We do buy a good amount of fruit and veggies. Maybe I need to come up with some cheaper snack ideas for the little ones? I buy about 1 3-5 lb frozen chicken a week, maybe I lb of ground beef or lunch meat. I've cut the box cereal and gone to Oatmeal or eggs & toast.


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## Guest (Dec 3, 2014)

Double post


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## CraterCove (Jan 24, 2011)

It has become significantly more expensive to eat over the past few years. It's an inflation cover, no doubt about that. At our local market I just saw the price, which had been 3.50 all year for a gallon of milk jump to 4.25 from one day to the next.

What will cut your bills significantly is purchasing your meat live and paying to have it processed. Also, if there is an LDS (Mormon) church in your area find out about their food storage outlets. They sell staples in bulk at price, no profit. It's a good enough reason to join the church, I swear.

Raising your own vegetables and learning whom to barter with in your area will benefit you greatly. We are still at less than optimal levels of self sufficiency and I can see the positive impact. The set up may be costly and time consuming but the rewards are great.

Hang in there!

P.S. do you qualify for WIC? It's not charity if you are paying taxes, it's your money, use it.


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## BelleWithBoots (Sep 28, 2014)

Im not crazy, this is a ton of money, right? Are you guys able to do it for less?


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## Guest (Dec 3, 2014)

With little kids, it becomes difficult to break the Captn Crunch and GoGurt and Lunchables habit out. I had an issue for a while, before I realized what was happening.

Yogurt can be homemade for the price of a quart of milk, And a heating pad. Add a dollop of jam and it's the stuff you buy in the stores. 

Captn Crunch is not a real food. Try making a batch of Irish Oats in the crock pot on Sunday... Divvy it up into kid sized portions, maybe in a cute little Tupperware, and it should last several days. I gave my kids the little glossy icing tubes so they could write on their oats and make it personal. Or cake sprinkles! They'll come around.

Usually your biggest offenders on the grocery bill are things that "looked quick." Frozen Lasagna appears quick, until you realize cooking it from frozen-solid takes two hours. Where slopping one together takes 15 minutes, and then it cooks in another 45 or maybe an hour. You've still saved time!

Take your grocery receipts and brutally analyze them. That will be your first chore. 

Second chore... This one is tough. Take $XX with you to the store, IN CASH. And do not pop out your swipey card. See how much you actually go home with when it is BUDGETED. Knowing there is a finite budget amount, will make you SERIOUSLY RECONSIDER every item you put in that basket. 

Third. Beer, wine, smokes, coolers... Are not groceries. Keep them separate from your food bill. Set up a different category for "Entertainment" which will include movies, beer, dinner out, or whatever isn't FOOD-SURVIVAL Related.
Same thing with diapers and formula - those go under the Baby category. Because they are short-term items that will be gone in a year or two.
TP, laundry soap, dish soap, etc. Goes under Household Expenses, not food...

See how things look then?

Then you can individually address Entertainment expenses or Household expenses with more focus.


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## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

First, don't beat yourself up. A lot of people do a lot worse.

Keep your grocery receipts. Look carefully at the five most expensive items on each one. Figure ways to reduce the use of those or get better pricing (if possible).

_Where_ you shop can make a huge difference. Especially when you just have moved to an area, you need to shop at a number of places to get the lay of the land. It may be cheaper for you to drive to Atlanta or Columbus than to shop local. When shopping, I generally hit Dollar-tree, Sav-a-lot or Aldis, Hometown, and Publix in that order because prices at the first stores are generally cheaper.

Don't let non-grocery items creep into your grocery budget. Batteries for a remote control are not groceries.


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## BelleWithBoots (Sep 28, 2014)

I breastfeed, cloth diaper, hardly ever buy beer/alcohol, never buy prepaid meals, yogurt etc. I budget on mint weekly, go in with a list menu etc.we do have a bad habit of resulting to fast food when we're out on weekends but that isn't even included in this budget and I'm in the process of trying to eliminate it. Do more baking for snacks etc...


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## hippygirl (Apr 3, 2010)

If that $900 for food ONLY or does it include cleaning products, personal items, etc?

Where do you shop? Places like Walmart or "higher end" chains? As much as it irks me to spend my $$$ at WM, I can NOT beat their prices on "most" items anywhere else in this area, so I shop there to make my $$$ go as far as possible. I buy my meats from three different local stores...what I buy depends on what's on sale on that particular day...if it's a really GOOD deal, I'll buy as much as I can, break it down into "X" meal's worth of meat, and pop them in the freezer.

As someone else suggested, if you're buying a lot of fresh fruit/produce, it can get expensive pretty quick...if it's "organic", even quicker (much quicker). As I grow most of my vegetables, the only fresh vegetables I normally buy are celery, onions, and potatoes (neither of which I care to grow/store in my climate).

Then there's the issue of generic vs big-name-brand. Except for a few items (very few), I never buy big-name-brand. Today, I bought canned whole kernel corn and sweet peas for .48/can...big-name-brand was .98/can. One might say "oh, it's only 50 cents!", but if you're buying a dozen cans, that's $6.00.


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## BelleWithBoots (Sep 28, 2014)

I shop at Walmart most of the time. Always buy generic. Do stock up on stuff I find cheap like bread at the dollar tree when I don't make it myself


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## BelleWithBoots (Sep 28, 2014)

I'm pretty sure a good portion of it must go to fruits & veggies. My kids do eat a lot of them and have yet to store my own. My 1 Year old is hard though because he is finicky when he cuts teeth etc. And I can't just tell him tough luck like the big kids, if he's hungry he doesn't sleep etc. So it's a constant battle to get food in him. And one of the few things he likes is fruits. It does probably include some stuff like soap, although we get most of our tp paper towels etc. From hubby's work.


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## Guest (Dec 3, 2014)

It sounds like you're doing it all right... I dunno. Maybe it's where you live? My food is much cheaper than my daughter's just 10-hours North of me!


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## BelleWithBoots (Sep 28, 2014)

Well darnit I guess I'll have to move


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## Guest (Dec 3, 2014)

Hubby & I eat pretty stinking high on the hog, and include dog food & household items in our budget line. And we spend about $600 a month. For two of us.
I am working on him about it... But it's like pulling teeth. 

But I have access to South Texas produce. When my daughter pays $1 per avocado, I can get three for that dollar. Limes, lemons, potatoes are all cheap here. As are houses -- and jobs pay proportionally less, too!


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## Crisste (Nov 17, 2014)

Cut sugar out of your diets completely. You'd be surprised at how much less food everyone will eat when there's no sugar to inhibit the satiety hormones.

Buy in bulk. I'm talking 50 lb bags and half-pallets of grains from the mills that produce them.

Invest in the future and plant a small orchard. We have pear trees, apple trees, apricot trees, a mini-vineyard (100ft) with grapes, cherry trees and a strawberry patch.

Get rid of all processed food and your food bill will be cut by 25%. 

We eat lots of meat, fish (like salmon), pork and fresh whole fruits. I buy oat bran and raw corn bran in 25 and 50 lb bags as well as potatoes, onions and other things that we require to be fresh.

Absolutely no processed foods! 

Our garden is about 75 feet wide by 150 feet long and grows so thick we have to use the front end loader on the tractor to bring up the veggies. 

Get a LARGE "All American" brand pressure cooker and learn how to can and preserve EVERYTHING! 

In the fall, we take our deer meat from hunting and make stews and chili with the veggies from the garden. Then we pressure can about 10 to 15 loads (200+ jars).

Learn to make jerky from venison as its a great healthy snack.


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## ChristieAcres (Apr 11, 2009)

Great post Crisste! We fish, crab, shrimp, dig clams, harvest oysters, DH hunts deer, and harvest a few different varieties of mushrooms. While we have less fruit trees, currently have 11. Of those, 10 are bearing fruit. Since we moved them late Spring to our new property, 6 bore fruit (but less). We used to have 23 fruit trees, with 19 bearing fruit. I did so much canning last year (over 400 jars), we still have plenty left for this Winter & early Spring (probably won't be out there, either). In addition, since I can crab, venison, soups, stews, sauces, etc..., we have quite the variety to choose from. I didn't get to have a garden this year, due to our move. So I do understand how much it costs to purchase fruits/veggies fresh. To keep our grocery bill low, I would buy the least expensive green veggie every single time. I have 3 pots of Kale growing in our home next to a S facing window. 

Right now, you will find turkeys on sale, so stock up!!! I have done that during years we needed extra meat.

We have a Costco membership, so buy everything in bulk we can. They have bulk organics, too.

I have two water bath canners and three All Americans. I do what I call "bulk canning," as I get a charge out of canning as many jars in one day as I am able to. I can a deer in two days, literally all the meat, and it is wonderful that way. I add garlic, onions, organic beef broth, sea salt, pepper, other spices, and also Chanterelle Mushrooms.

Since I use laundry magnets for my clothing, we save a lot on detergent. We hand wash our dishes. I use only a few inches of soapy water and microwave the dish sponge every time. We use the dinner napkin or paper towel to wipe the plate, before rinsing, and then washing. 

Right now, we are using a propane dryer. Usually we hang all of our clothing. Soon, DH will get our wood stove installed and that will save us a lot (won't need the clothing dryer or the electric furnace).

We drive a car that gets 47mpg, combined city/hwy driving. It is an older VW Jetta TDI.

I could go on and on about all the ways we save money. 

As for feeding a family, there are ways to provide nutritious foods, but you go back to basic, and drop all the junky stuff completely (sugar gone!). You skip the fruit juice and only eat fresh fruit...think all whole foods...


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## mzgarden (Mar 16, 2012)

Belle, lots of good questions and ideas already given. If the questions and suggestions answer your question - good. However, if you are looking for someone to specifically help you spot areas of opportunity - post an attachment of the equivalent of one month of grocery receipts - showing item, quantity, cost. If the ideas are enough help, great. If however, you want deeper analysis, you could probably get that too by posting an attachment with some hard data.


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## Whisperwindkat (May 28, 2009)

For whatever we don't grow we hit pick your own and the farmer's market. When I go to pick your own farms I load up and then come home and freeze and can the excess. The kids eat fresh whatever is in season that we picked until they are sick of it and then when they are ready for more it is on the shelf or in the freezer. Fruit at the grocery store is expensive. Try cutting that down and then only buying what is in season and reasonably priced. Right now Florida oranges are cheap, cantaloupe is high. Buy the oranges and limit how many fruit snacks they have a day. carrot sticks and celery sticks with peanut butter or cream cheese are good snacks around here. And then I know this sounds crazy, but using nuts for the kids as snack options actually cut our grocery bill down. The reason being is that the fruit never made them feel full, so they would run back for more. If I didn't watch then those little boogers could inhale a whole bag of oranges in one day and then be hollering for more. However, I Started buying nuts and they quit inhaling the fruit making it last longer and the nuts even though expensive lasted a good while. The reason is that the fat sticks with them longer than the sugar and so they don't need as much to feel and stay full. It is just a matter of reworking things and setting a limit on those things that cost more. Blessings, Kat


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## 1shotwade (Jul 9, 2013)

Our gross household income is much less than $30K.Of that we still put a few thousand in savings each year.I haven't gone hungry since the 50's.I hunt,fish,trap and raise a large garden.We still end up spending $200-$250 a month at the store but that includes soaps and paper products etc also.
I prefer a meat,potato,and veggy type meal but we only do that about once a week.Otherwise it's a crock pot of soup,chilli,rice,beans stews etc.We rarely buy anything prepared and stay away from deserts.(they are poison!) really not good for you.Every Friday is "mulligan stew" where literally everything in the fridg finds it's way to the same pot.Half an apple two pieces of chicken,slice of cake,any fresh veggy that looks like it is on the downhill side.And our kids just loved it! I would see one of them not finishing something and questioning he he would say"I'm going to save that for mulligan stew!"
Forget snacks! They are overpriced poison.If y'all enjoy beer or wine,make your own for 1/4 the price.It's not even that hard or time consuming. Take one day a week when everyone is home and turn the electric of for a few hours. You'll be saving some money and when it actually goes out you will be comfortable with what you need to do.Plant stuff NOW,Today! Lots of veggys go good indoors in front of a window.Limit your portions on expensive items like meats
You can also add cornstarch of flour to lots of things like stews etc and it takes lots less to fill you up.Don't penny pinch small items.Wylers is 2 cents cheaper that koolaid.If you drink a half gallon a day you're only saving 14 cents a week!
The list goes on and on. The important thing is to start TODAY ! Once you adjust your mindset the rest will follow naturally.
Good luck and hang tight!

Wade


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## V-NH (Jan 1, 2014)

BelleWithBoots said:


> I breastfeed, cloth diaper, hardly ever buy beer/alcohol, never buy prepaid meals, yogurt etc. I budget on mint weekly, go in with a list menu etc.we do have a bad habit of resulting to fast food when we're out on weekends but that isn't even included in this budget and I'm in the process of trying to eliminate it. Do more baking for snacks etc...


My wife and I were in a similar situation last spring. We realized that we were spending $600+ per month on food and it was truly ridiculous. We are now down to $65 per week. This does not include the cost of formula for our baby since breastfeeding didn't work out, that adds an additional $45 per month. I am going to do you a favor and show you a typical grocery receipt of ours. This one was from last week.

Pork Chops - $5.17
Slicing Pepperoni - $2.49
Hot Dogs - $1.49
Salami - $3.99
Lo Mein Noodles - $2.69
Provolone Cheese - $1.96
5lbs of Russet Potatoes - $1.99
Tomato - $0.91
Pepper - $1.19
European Cucumber - $1.29
Lettuce - $0.99
Onion - $0.56
Bananas - $1.54
Butter Sticks - $2.00
Yogurt (8 pack) - $4.00
Pillsbury Biscuits - $1.50
String Cheese - $2.99
Gallon Skim Milk - $2.59
1/2 Gallon Whole Milk - $1.79
Frozen Broccoli - $1.99
Shredded Cheddar - $1.89
Sour Cream - $1.79
Greek Yogurt (plain) - $1.78
Honey Chicken Sauce Mix - $0.99
Rotini x2 - $2.00
Chicken Corn Chowder x3 - $3.00
High Fiber Tortillias - $2.00
Baked Beans - $2.00
Sub Rolls - $1.50
Soy Sauce - $1.50
BBQ Sauce - $1.50
Greek Dressing - $2.59
English Muffins - $0.89

-2.47 in savings from a 4% off your whole purchase deal.
Total = $63.59

The above list includes 7 dinners, 7 lunches, and 7 breakfasts. We could totally reduce the cost of that list if we had more time to do things from scratch during the week, but we're poster children for having zero time. I work 10 hours a day and spend an additional 2.5-3 hours commuting to and from work. My wife works close to the same, but with a shorter commute. Add animal chores, church obligations, and the fact that we both bring work home every day and we're down to absolutely no spare time during the week. Here are our tips:

1) Buy generic.
2) Eat the same meal multiple times per week. Some weeks we literally have the same lunch 5 days in a row. Bulk saves money.
3) Map your whole weekly meal plan out and stick to the plan.
4) Pay in cash. Don't bring more than you budgeted with you, that way you can't go over.
5) Literally walk around with a calculator and add up everything going into the card.
6) Avoid organic foods. If you want to eat organic, plan to break the bank at the store. You're much better off buying local than buying organic anyway, a lot of the times the same producer is offering an organic and a non-organic option. Is there really that much of a nutritional difference? Nope.
7) Shop based on what is for sale rather than what you want to eat. My wife and I each choose one dinner per week that we want, then 100% of everything else we buy are sale items. If it's not on sale or naturally cheap, it isn't on the menu. That said, virtually everything on the above list was on sale this week, hence why we're eating it


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## countryfied2011 (Jul 5, 2011)

1st thing I see is you are going to the grocery store every week....regardless of what anyone says you spend more money shopping weekly imho. If you do have to go weekly right now before you get a stockpile going....plan your meals by the sales ads....if chicken is on sale plan meals around that,veggies the same way. I dont find Walmart all that cheap...there are a few things that are cheaper but I am not going to make a special trip just to shop there for those items. Do you have an Aldi's? You will definitely save money there. 



225.00 a week for 2 adults and 3 young children... someone is sticking extra in the shopping cart...if you are truly doing what you say you are doing you should not be spending that much.


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## Muleman (Nov 8, 2013)

Lots of long term goal ideas that are good. I think there is one of those Mormon bulk food places down in your area? You will have go to their website to see for sure?? Here are my suggestions to help right away.
- Breakfast, corn meal mush. Basically boil water stir in some cornmeal with a wish and cook for a few minutes then let sit a few minutes covered. This should be the consistency of oatmeal or so. serve it with a bit of sugar, butter and milk like a hot cereal. A small bag of cornmeal will make many many servings at pennies a serving. I at this as a kid and still like it. I was grown before I realized my mother did it to save money, not because it was good?? Left overs can be refrigerated and then made into patties and fried, this is also good, cheap food that will fill you up.
- Rice, this is a cheap way to fill people up and it has some protein. 
- Barley, another side dish like rice, cheap and filling
- Add crushed crakers to meat loaf, again cheaper than meat and will make it go further. works with hambugers as well.
- Look at making some scrapple. I know it is normally done at hog killing time, but there is no reason you can not buy some cheap meat at the store and make some small batches. A small amount of meat with cornmeal or buckwheat flour, many different ways to make it and it only takes a small amount of meat to make a lot of food.
- Look in your local paper and on C.L. many people are selling animals cheap now because they do not want to feed them through the winter. I have even seen FREE roosters. most animals are made of meat! A $50 pot belly pig that has gotten overgrown and no one wants it anymore. You can get meat this way cheap, you will just need to do some home butchering, not a big deal. having lots of equipment for this is nice, but not needed. You can butcher a full size pig with nothing more than a knife and a hand saw for the bones. A small pig like a potbelly will be able to be processed quickly and if you do not have freezer space is small enough to keep refrigerated and use in a short amount of time. 
- beans and rice and beans and rice. There is a reason why poor countries consume lots of beans and rice.
- growing kids need protein, so beans and rice with small portions of high quality meat.
- bacon is out, one of the highest priced meats at the store is bacon and processed lunch meats.
- buy cheap cuts of meat and cook them in a crock pot so they are tender. 
- potatoes if you can get them inexpensively is another good filler.
- Spend $200 on a wondermill or the like and you can make your own cornmeal, grits, flours etc. A 5# bag of cornmeal is a few dollars? A 50# bad of corn is about $5, if you use it it will pay for itself in short order.
- visit the local antique and junk stores and get a used hand meat grinder, you will need this for butchering and using up otherwise unusable pieces of meat. I have bough several good ones for less than $20.

Think outside the box. To many people have grown up in the city and look at animals in a different way. When you look through the CL adds do not think, pet pig or chicken, think pork and chicken and how much per pound they are at the store. figure conservatively you will get 1/2 their weight in usable meat. That 150# potbelly for $50 will yield you 50 to 75 pounds of meat for under $1 a pound, maybe even a little better than that. 

anyway, that is just some ideas to think about that can help you now, as in today you can start with most of it.


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## Muleman (Nov 8, 2013)

I just spend some time looking through the CL adds for NW Geogia. not sure just where you are but here is just one deal I found
http://nwga.craigslist.org/grd/4784323997.html
That is a 500# barr for $350. You and your husband bring that home and butcher it yourself and you will have a freezer full of cheap pork for the winter. You will be under $1 per pound of usable meat. 

I also want to mention sale barns. normally animals will not bring as much in the sale barn as they will other places. Find a sale bar in your area and you may also be able to buy some cheap meat animals there. Do not overlook goats. They are fine to eat and also another animal that people often get as pets then tire of. just some ideas if you are serious about saving money and still having plenty of good meat to feed your family. Nothing wrong with any of the choices I have offered. Just not culturally thought of as normal in some ares because we have so many people so out of touch with the reality of where food comes from. Butchering your own at home will save you a lot also. i know many people do not for various reasons, but it is not rocket science and anyone can with good results if they just want to. there will be no nutritional difference in the pig you cut up in your driveway and the the one the butcher cuts up for you, his will just be packaged prettier maybe and cost about twice as much.


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## MO_cows (Aug 14, 2010)

Wal Mart doesn't do much in the way of "loss leaders" and sales. I can do better shopping at Hy Vee and planning meals around their best sales. Also hit Aldi's and Save a Lot here and there.

Are you throwing out food that has gone bad? That's a big clue you are over-buying. 

Before going to the store, inventory what you have and think what you can make from it. Then just "fill in" at the store.

Also, check out the monthly Frugal thread and archives for ideas. 

Good luck! I'm sure you can find some savings.


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## Use Less (Nov 8, 2007)

If you buy fresh food out of season, that can add up very quickly. A bag of frozen green beans is in fact more nutritional than higher-priced fresh out-of-season. Do you make good use of the scraps and bones? One chicken can make several meals if you have hot meat, then cold meat, then soup from the carcass. Does your Cooperative Extension have a homemaker or nutritionist on staff? That person could be a resource and might go over your food expenditures with you.


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## sidepasser (May 10, 2002)

BelleWithBoots said:


> Im not crazy, this is a ton of money, right? Are you guys able to do it for less?


Yes you can do it for less. I lived in West GA., right near the Alabama border for 30 years. 

First of all, I would certainly do a food survey in your home. Write it down! Make a list of what you have on hand, including frozen items, spices, etc.

When you know exactly what you have on hand, place them in categories such as meat, dairy, veggie, fruit, cereal/bread and snacks. Hint..there should be much less in the snack category than in the others!

Now that you know what you have, you can do meal plans. Also, it is important to note that you do not have to have meat at every meal, I used to make meat the "side" dish and make a veggie casserole, or similar the main dish. This works well to stretch your meat dollars.

Since you have little ones, plan to make some healthy finger food snacks for them, you can do carrot muffins, or you can make dishes like baked apples with spices, etc. Also you can dehydrate fruit to make "finger food" for them or cut up fruit into smaller sizes and put them in individual containers in the fridge. When the children want snacks, get them a cup of fruit. Saves calories and money.

Plan your meals a week or two in advance. Make those meals from what you have on hand. If an ingredient is missing, such as the noodles for spaghetti, put that item on your shopping list. Pretty soon you will be down to ONLY shopping for what you actually need to make your meals.

It is a little bit of work in the beginning to set this up, but over time, you will be able to look at your lists and will quickly be able to determine what you need to shop for.

Next - I am not sure where in West Ga. you are, but find local shop/dent stores or an Aldi's type store. Use coupons..I do and I don't always have to buy packaged food..many here can help you locate sources of good coupons. However scratch and dent stores likely won't take them. I have found that Walmart is not the cheapest on food and many times the produce quality is not the best. You can go online and find the sales fliers from your local Kroger and Publix. I shop Publix when they have the bogo sales and usually save a lot of money by stocking up on ONLY the Bogo items. Many times they have the staples like mayo, mustard and ketchup as a bogo. I have bought hotdogs, sausage and bacon that way as well.

Another source you may not be familiar with: The Ga. Farmers Market Bulletin. Subscribe to that online and look at the pick your own section. It comes out in the spring/summer. Find your local farmers market. If you are anywhere near Atlanta, go to the big farmers market there. I shopped there every few months and picked up bushel baskets of stuff fairly reasonable and canned the veggies and fruit for winter use.

Find your local feed store and place an ad that you are interested in buying fresh from the farm which will save you money. I have bought blueberries, apples, peaches, and strawberries right from the farm before and saved an awful lot of money.

Buy in season only. I love berries in winter..but rarely pay the premium price for them fresh. I make do with frozen or canned. 

See if you can go in on shares on a beef or pork with someone. Or better yet, find the local slaughterhouse and buy direct. There is one in Roanoke that is awesome. I have taken a pig there, a few steers, etc. and they have a meat counter where you can buy direct. 

Use "extenders" like beans/peas, etc. to make your meals. you can make a pot of pinto beans and use the "trims" from a ham to add to it, add some cornbread and turnip greens and you have a meal. 

Plant some salad greens, if you build yourself a small cold frame with a glass top, you can have fresh salad greens all winter. Put some straw against the frame to insulate and make sure that you prop the window open and you can grow lettuce, chard, carrots, radishes and onions all winter. I have grown snow peas in a cold frame before. Any cold or cool weather veggies can be grown in a cold frame and they are very easy to make. You can get an old window frame usually very cheap or free..look on Craigslist.

I hope this helps some as you are spending a whale of a load of money on groceries for five people. Three of which are "littles". Oh and my answer to "I don't like that" spoken by children is "ok you do not have to eat it, but there will be nothing else until the next meal"..pretty soon my kids learned to eat whatever I put on the table. With the exception of beets and liver..the three of mine will eat anything, including fried chitlins..lol Last bit of advise: I never ask my children what did they want for dinner unless it was a special day (birthday)..as their answer would always be: pizza and burgers. I simply made dinner and told them what we were having. 

Breaks a lot of bad habits before it gets expensive and out of hand.


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## gracielagata (Jun 24, 2013)

Muleman said:


> Lots of long term goal ideas that are good. I think there is one of those Mormon bulk food places down in your area? You will have go to their website to see for sure?? Here are my suggestions to help right away.
> - Breakfast, corn meal mush. Basically boil water stir in some cornmeal with a wish and cook for a few minutes then let sit a few minutes covered. This should be the consistency of oatmeal or so. serve it with a bit of sugar, butter and milk like a hot cereal. A small bag of cornmeal will make many many servings at pennies a serving. I at this as a kid and still like it. I was grown before I realized my mother did it to save money, not because it was good?? Left overs can be refrigerated and then made into patties and fried, this is also good, cheap food that will fill you up.
> - Rice, this is a cheap way to fill people up and it has some protein.
> - Barley, another side dish like rice, cheap and filling
> ...


I just had to comment- 'most animals are made of meat'
That made me laugh and is oh so true! We currently have 3 rooster babies that most likely will be going to freezer camp, along with some old hens. 
But that is an excellent suggestion- to take on and butcher out someone else's unwanted edible and meat-filled animal.


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## farmerDale (Jan 8, 2011)

Hunt for meat. GA must have lots of deer and liberal seasons?

Buy meat directly from a farmer. Drive out into the country, find a cattle/sheep/pig farm, and see if they will sell direct. Sure the up front is higher, but a beef or even a half is so much cheaper this way. You get the prime cuts for the same price a lb as the burger meat.

Grow veggies and freeze and can them. One can produce a pile of veggies on even a thousand square feet. 

Bake your own bread. Make your own pasta. For us, this is a huge saver, and the bread is so much better than what they pass off in the store as "bread".

Ultimately raise some of your own meat. And eggs. And milk.

A 10 lb cornish cross here, will give us many meals for a family of 6, and cost us maybe a buck a lb to raise.

Just a few suggestions that for us, help trim the bill, big time, AND promote better health. Some of the stuff that gets to the store, like the breads, some veggies, and meats, are lacking in freshness, full of preservatives, and easy to find elsewhere, or make and grow on your own.

In Ga., with a growing season like you have, the sky is the limit, I should think, as to what you can grow, and raise for meat and eggs and milk. Once you get a place to raise your own goods, I bet you can spend a third of what you do now, EASILY.

Just a few suggestions.

Best of luck!


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## Muleman (Nov 8, 2013)

gracie, My kids have always come up with new animals and pets they wanted. They find all kinds of good deals and when I ask what they are going to do with it the answer was often " IDK???" So I would ask them, "Well, is it made of meat??" to which they would respond "We are not going to eat it", then I would say "Well then, what is the good in having it, it does not do anything and we can not eat it?" They started to do a bit more thinking before they ask for things that way.


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## Kristinemomof3 (Sep 17, 2012)

If you give us an idea of what you eat in a week, meals written out, it might help us show you where to cut back. We have 5 in our house and three are teens and big eaters. I spend average $479 on groceries, $54/mo on home supplies (cleaning, paper towels, tp, batteries, things like that.) and about $20/month on 2 cats (litter, wet & dry food.) (I originally had $65 on this, but realized we had one huge one time expense that I'm not counting, it was a large brewing pot)
No we do garden, freeze, can & dehydrate whatever we can. I make a lot of stuff from scratch and try and buy very little processed food. I shop Aldi, Sam's Club and a few other places. I try and watch sales & stock up with things are at their lowest. Buying in bulk is key as well. We eat a lot of eggs (I've found them cheapest at a local gas station at $1.19/dozen, everyone else wants $1.96 and I just buy 5 dozen at a time. I do get a quarter of beef a year as a gift, so that does help us immensely.


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## Muleman (Nov 8, 2013)

Honestly, unless you have a cheap or homemade source, such as Kriestie with gifted beef, beef needs to be off the menu for the most part. Due to various reasons, but mainly due to the drought 2 years ago cattle numbers are low, therefore beef prices are at an all time high. Do not get in the habit of thinking just because you have always had a recipe with a certain kind of meat it can not be substituted with another type of meat.


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## Crikket (Sep 17, 2012)

I do most of my shopping at walmart, which I detest, but I can get more for my money there!! Only buy cheese, sour cream, etc at Kroger when they have their 10/10 sales! You will save a ton right there! And buy extra, stick it in the freezer! If you use real butter go to Sam's, you get 4lbs for $10, most places right now it's $4+/lb! Or make your own from fresh cream. I make a lot of meals cetered around potatoes and rice, some pasta, these are all cheap & and filling. Make huge pot of potato soup, freeze your leftovers. Put a whole chicken in a pot, covered with water, cook for 2 hrs, de-bone it, take all the yucky stuff, put it back in the pot, add an onion, celery, etc, and cook on low for a few hours. Get some freezer containers from dollar store, and freeze that broth/stock, that will save you some serious $if you use a lot of canned broth like me! Back to the chicken, hold back a few cups of that broth before adding all the other stuff in and make dumplings, then put the meat from your chicken back in, freeze some too. I raise ,y own meat birds and will cook 4 at a time, de-bone them all, seperate the meat and freeze it for putting together quick meals later. Then I take all that broth and let it simmer for hours with all the bones and yuck, it really saves $ for me, but I do use a LOT of broth!


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## CraterCove (Jan 24, 2011)

Yes, I have found Walmart to not be a very good place to shop. Take an exploratory mission to _all_ grocery outlets in your area. Did you know that often the cheapest milk prices per gallon are at places like Walgreens or a convenience store not your grocery store? Keep track of all ads look for specials and only buy when things hit a certain price point that is the lowest in your area. Buy ahead and plan from your pantry and freezer not the store.


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## secuono (Sep 28, 2011)

Wow, never thought I'd hear that $150-200 per person per month is 'too expensive'! 
=/
Buy the holiday turkeys when they're on sale, the big ones, bake them, save half, feed the rest. Then reheat the other half and feed. I got over 25 meals from my 19.5# turkey, would of been more, but I couldn't handle eating any more turkey for awhile. 
Buying in bulk you can usually save. Fill up on breads, liquids, sauces?


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

Crisste said:


> Get a LARGE "All American" brand pressure cooker and learn how to can and preserve EVERYTHING!


The idea here is to SAVE money, not waste it. Get a large Mirro canner and put the other $150 or so into the jars and lids that you'll need. I can't see spending high $'s on an All American when a Mirro will do the same job for 1/4 the price. If you're counting pennies, don't go out and buy a Cadillac or Lexus when a Chevy will get you down the road for a lot less.


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## Crikket (Sep 17, 2012)

If you use a lot of 'cream of' soups, you can make your own in batches really cheaply and freeze it! You can make cream of anything, and it's very easy & tasty!


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

1shotwade said:


> We rarely buy anything prepared and stay away from deserts.(they are poison!) Every Friday is "mulligan stew" where literally everything in the fridg finds it's way to the same pot.Half an apple two pieces of chicken,slice of cake,any fresh veggy that looks like it is on the downhill side.
> Forget snacks! They are overpriced poison.
> 
> Wade


Ummmm....Wade, if deserts are poison, how did that piece of cake make it to your fridge?


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## Lazy J (Jan 2, 2008)

How much of that $900 to $1,000 per month is food? How much of it is for non-food items?


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

Crikket said:


> I do most of my shopping at walmart, which I detest, but I can get more for my money there!!


You'd do much better shopping at Meijers. Do a side-by-side comparison and you'll see. Walmart doesn't put out a weekly sale flyer (for a reason). Their prices are higher.


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## Wendy (May 10, 2002)

There are 3 adults, 2 teens, & 2 younger kids here. I average $150 per week. That includes all toiletries & paper products & dog food. We have 3 huge dogs & 1 small ankle biter.

I also suggest buying meat on the hoof. I have a pork scheduled at the butcher in February & a beef in March. A lot of money up front, but waaaaaay cheaper in the long run. Plus you get all of the good cuts like t-bones, ribeyes, chuck roasts, rump roasts, burger, etc. Same with the pork. I also raise at least 100 broilers every year. Sell enough to pay for them plus the feed which basically gives me free chickens. Just my time in butchering them. I also have rabbits & I think have about 50 of them in the freezer right now.

Can & freeze whatever you can get your hands on. I get free produce from people all the time. Most of the fruit I can is free. 

Shop loss leaders & stock up when it's on sale. I rarely pay full price for anything. I also buy in bulk. 

I still feel like I spend way too much. $25-$30 a week is on milk. Come February I'll be milking the goats again if all goes well. That will save a bunch. My big milk drinker is in college so that helps.  I have chickens for eggs & sell the extra. Not a lot, but helps pay the feed bill.

Check out the tightwad tips at the top of the page.


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## Crikket (Sep 17, 2012)

suitcase_sally said:


> You'd do much better shopping at Meijers. Do a side-by-side comparison and you'll see. Walmart doesn't put out a weekly sale flyer (for a reason). Their prices are higher.


My walmart & meijer are across the street from each other, so I have gone from one to the other to compare prices, and our meijer is substantially higher! The items I buy at walmart *gag* are sometimes twice the cost at meijer :yuck: *sigh* you do the best you can.


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## 1shotwade (Jul 9, 2013)

suitcase_sally said:


> Ummmm....Wade, if deserts are poison, how did that piece of cake make it to your fridge?



When you have a family you have to break the rules now and then for birthdays and other events but on a regular basis we really don't do deserts.And yes,that stuff is poison.It's just not labeled that way(at least in words you can understand).Frankly,although I have never been able to follow my own advice completely,I sincerely believe "if it comes in a package it's not fit for human consumption." If we could witness the actual production of what we are eating no one would need to be on a diet.We would all go back to eating out of the field and garden and creek the way it was intended.


Wade


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## mrs whodunit (Feb 3, 2012)

IMO groceries have really gone up in price which is why you cant lower your bill.

I look at items that I knew the price of 3 months ago. I look at it now and it has DOUBLED.

Ouch!


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## Crisste (Nov 17, 2014)

suitcase_sally said:


> The idea here is to SAVE money, not waste it. Get a large Mirro canner and put the other $150 or so into the jars and lids that you'll need. I can't see spending high $'s on an All American when a Mirro will do the same job for 1/4 the price. If you're counting pennies, don't go out and buy a Cadillac or Lexus when a Chevy will get you down the road for a lot less.


Yuk yuk yuk... 
Here are the problems with Mirro-
1. Rubber seals that will wear out. Better hope they're still in business if you need a replacement.
2. Limited size. Largest I saw was 22qts. Unless you plan on living in your kitchen and spending the rest of your life canning, you want something about twice that size.
3. Its probably made in China. That's the ticket! Lets take something made with Chinese quality, pressurize it like a bomb, and put it in the kitchen! (Ok, that was an exaggeration but I made my point)

Stick with an All American brand... And investment in quality and longevity will pay dividends for a very long time.


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## CraterCove (Jan 24, 2011)

Buying cheap and repeatedly is false economy.


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

I've noticed very recently that food has seen another jump in price after being steady for awhile. So you may be seeing that change.
I can tell you what my own mother did to help. She had a series of dirt cheap foods that were fairly high in fat (as in filling) but low in expensive ingredients (as in meat was considered a 'flavoring'.) These were actually kid favorites, like spaghetti with her home made marinara sauce from canned tomatoes and spinach sneaked in during the cooking of the sauce. Also there were kid's meals and adult meals in which my always hungry father got more of the things that filled him up but were thinned for herself and us. 
She also made a meal and that was it. There were no snacks- you ate at the table and no where else. I think mindless eating in from of tv is a way for food to disappear yet not satisfy. Every the small after school snacks were at the table. Placemat down and cloth napkin and all. So no one went rummaging through the kitchen at odd times.
Plates and glasses were smaller too which helped the overfilling. You might achieve seconds but no one saw thirds. And she always said when the whines came about being hungry- she made something and if it didn't please, then you obviously weren't hungry. Amazing that none of us faded away despite our protests. Food was not the fixation it seems to be today.


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## Molly Mckee (Jul 8, 2006)

If your little ones are eating baby food, get a small food processor and make it yourself. Takes a few minutes, is much better quality and if you freeze it in ice cube trays, you can make it ahead. Get a dehydrator and make fruit roll ps and ried fruit for snacks. Shop only the loss leaders at the grocery store and things that either you can't find in other places or you absolutely need. We get flour, cheese and a lot of meat at a restaurant supply store. It's lots cheaper and better quality. You just have to cut up the meat and cheese. We get number 10 cans of things we don't grow, if we can find frozen or its cheaper. I divide it and freeze it in the right sized packages. Tomato products, mushrooms, are tons cheaper than smaller cans. A grocery store with bulk dry goods can save you money if there is one in your area. We get milk, butter, eggs ect at Costco. In our area it's cheaper and better quality. Buy yeast in pound packages at Costco or Sam's, keep it in the freezer. It is much cheaper than the little packages and make your bread much cheaper. Spend the money to get a pantry and freezer going get to the place where you only buy sale items. Plan your meals a week or so in advance and plan your left overs. Save little bits of left overs for soup or Chinese food. It will take some changes, but you should be able to cut your grocery bill quite a bit.


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## Guest (Dec 3, 2014)

I found a free eBook... Haven't looked in it yet, but will when I get back from my weekly errand run today. 

http://www.amazon.com/Frugal-Delicious-Secrets-Thousands-Kitchen-ebook/dp/B007Y1OS4M


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## 1shotwade (Jul 9, 2013)

Crisste said:


> Yuk yuk yuk...
> Here are the problems with Mirro-
> 1. Rubber seals that will wear out. Better hope they're still in business if you need a replacement.
> 2. Limited size. Largest I saw was 22qts. Unless you plan on living in your kitchen and spending the rest of your life canning, you want something about twice that size.
> ...



We all have an opinion here but you're wrong about mirro. We (the family) have used them since the 50's or so with no problems.Since that time I have found Presto's at yard sales etc and have gone through 3 of them. However my original mirro from the 50's(or when ever they started making. I don't know 'cause I was just a kid the) that I got from my mother is still going strong. I don't have any problems with the rubber seal. I stretch it over my knee when I use the canner for the first time that season and I'm good to go for the year.I've used this one consistently for 15-20 years with no problems.

I did find an American a couple years back at a sale and have it only for back up. I've never used it yet.And it isn't any bigger than the mirro. I have used water bath that would hold 10-12 quarts (I don't remember) and it's too much weight for the burners so I end up playing with then trying to get them working again or replacing them and I loose all the time I saved going from a 7qt to q 10 qt batch.
I also love the jiggler system so i don't have to be right there all the time and can work on getting the next batch ready.I'm sorry but I can't find a thing to complain about with my mirro canner.Everyone has a difference of opinion! You may be right about the product as of today. I don't know where they are made 'cause I got a quality product and have never had the need to go look'n for another canner.


Wade


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

Well, to START with, food prices have gone up in a major way! I am not talking things like potato chips (though they have gone up also) but basic things like meat and potatos.

This is what I have done about it.

1. I have switched to loss-leader meats. I went shopping today, and I bought a whole boneless pork roast at $1.88 a pound (for 10 pounds) I also bought one beef arm roast and one package of chicken breasts. Most of this went into the freezer though we will have pork chops tonight. 
Of course that is too much pork for us to eat this week: most of it is going into the freezer where it will share room with LAST weeks loss leader meats! Basically I reduce the meat bill by not paying full price. It is all sale stuff, including the Thanksgiving turkey.

2. Do you have an Aldi's where you live? The food is much cheaper, excepting in my area the meat is not. Aldi's does not take checks or credit cards, and bring your own bags for the groceries: they have cheap prices because they cut their costs to the bone! Most things are 25% less than at the grocery store but check the prices as this varies from store to store.

3. Leftovers. USE THEM! When the kids were little I used to make pizza on many Fridays to use up those bits and pieces of leftovers. With a home made crust, a handful of cheese, and spagetti sauce for the sauce it was a meal for a couple of dollars. Now that the kids are mostly grown I find that stir fry is a better way to use them up.

4. Do you look at your shopping receipts? how much did you spend on produce last week and how much went to meat? When you see where the money went you will have the answer to why your grocery bill is so high. Figure out where you can cut costs: not all home made dishes are inexpensive!

5. What were your Mothers recipes? My Mom was a depression baby and she had this all figured out! When I made the recipes I had grown up on the food bill dropped. For example spagetti: For my family of 4 I would cook one pound of hamburger (Currently at about $4.25 for 90% lean when bought on sale) plus 1 pound of spagetti (88 cents at Aldi's) plus loss leader spagetti sauce ($1.95) Now spagetti was something that my Mom fixed a lot, and for my family that is $7.08 for dinner.

MIND, 5 years ago it would have cost me $4.50: the government is LYING when they say there is no inflation! 
................................

Look at your receipts and see where the money is going! I about swallowed my gum when I saw we were spending $30 a month on soda: I switched to home brewed ice tea and soda is now a bit of a treat. I saved perhaps $25 a month which is 1/4 of a week's grocery money.


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

Making baby food was a real saver: remember babies need only a little salt! If the meat tastes salty enough for you then it is way too high for a toddler. I cooked a stew, ran it through a blender with enough water to make it blend, and then I thickened with baby cereal. And, yes, I froze it in an ice cube tray!


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

Terri said:


> Well, to START with, food prices have gone up in a major way! I am not talking things like potato chips (though they have gone up also) but basic things like meat and potatos.
> 
> 
> 
> MIND, 5 years ago it would have cost me $4.50: the government is LYING when they say there is no inflation!y.


But idea is that you pay half the price for that tablet so it all averages out. As if you buy that tablet every month. (Sarcasm if it's not clear.)


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## Kristinemomof3 (Sep 17, 2012)

Crisste said:


> Yuk yuk yuk...
> Here are the problems with Mirro-
> 1. Rubber seals that will wear out. Better hope they're still in business if you need a replacement.
> 2. Limited size. Largest I saw was 22qts. Unless you plan on living in your kitchen and spending the rest of your life canning, you want something about twice that size.
> ...


Whatever, I've got a gasket that I've used for years and as long as you clean it, it will last quite a long time. I would never encourage someone to buy an All American if they could not afford it.


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## Kristinemomof3 (Sep 17, 2012)

Terri said:


> Making baby food was a real saver: remember babies need only a little salt! If the meat tastes salty enough for you then it is way too high for a toddler. I cooked a stew, ran it through a blender with enough water to make it blend, and then I thickened with baby cereal. And, yes, I froze it in an ice cube tray!


Or you wait until the baby is old enough that you can mash food up from your plate for them.


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## kasilofhome (Feb 10, 2005)

I would love to help

Please scan your next four grocery slip....black out personal info.
If you still have last month's we could start today or submit as various in post 22 did.

We need facts not assumptions as to what is going on to help you.


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

Kristinemomof3 said:


> Or you wait until the baby is old enough that you can mash food up from your plate for them.


As long as you do not salt it first, that works also!


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

BelleWithBoots said:


> we do have a bad habit of resulting to fast food when we're out on weekends but that isn't even included in this budget and I'm in the process of trying to eliminate it.


An easy way to eliminate this is to put a frozen chunk of meat in the oven and set the timer for when you are due back. When you get in the meat will be taken care of, and then you can nuke some potatos or fix some other side dishes. 

Fast food for 5 costs what, $30 to $50 ? Roasted beef or an oven stew is cheaper and healthier. We still eat fast food, just not nearly as often!


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## Veronica (Oct 31, 2008)

First, set a budget. Maybe plan to knock off 10 or 20% off your food bill, and each time you achieve that, knock more off. 
I stock up on lost leaders and sales. Then I can take that item off my list for a time and buy other things I need. For instance, turkey was on sale a couple of weeks ago. I bought three - 2 in the freezer, and 1 we ate for Thanksgiving. Lots of meat, soups, etc to eat during the winter. When flour and sugar are for sale at this time of year, I buy in bulk. Won't have to buy either of these for awhile.
Set aside a portion of the budget for stocking up, and eventually you will have a nice pantry and freezer items to chose meals from. That will help lower your budget.
I don't usually plan meals only from what I see in the store flyers. I base meals on what I have in the house and then figure out what else I need. I also buy fruit and veggies in season, but I also have a garden which helps quite a bit.
Check out the Prudent Homemaker site for more ideas.


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## Homesteader (Jul 13, 2002)

to quote TracinTexas

"Usually your biggest offenders on the grocery bill are things that "looked quick." Frozen Lasagna appears quick, until you realize cooking it from frozen-solid takes two hours. Where slopping one together takes 15 minutes, and then it cooks in another 45 or maybe an hour. You've still saved time!"

Save even more, but both time and electricity, by making 2 lasagnas (or meatloaves, or casserole) at once. Freeze the other one!


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## Homesteader (Jul 13, 2002)

Also, if you are shopping Walmart and if they offer it, start using the Savings Catcher function.

You have to use an email address and create a password to set it up. Then, you enter the code on each receipt from WM and they automatically calculate if any other store in your area had any of your items for less. If so, they "credit" you, and you can print out a walmart money card. I just started this a few weeks ago and am already up to 10.21 total, doing nothing more than entering a number once a week!


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## Crisste (Nov 17, 2014)

1shotwade said:


> We all have an opinion here but you're wrong about mirro. We (the family) have used them since the 50's or so with no problems.Since that time I have found Presto's at yard sales etc and have gone through 3 of them. However my original mirro from the 50's(or when ever they started making. I don't know 'cause I was just a kid the) that I got from my mother is still going strong. I don't have any problems with the rubber seal. I stretch it over my knee when I use the canner for the first time that season and I'm good to go for the year.I've used this one consistently for 15-20 years with no problems.
> 
> I did find an American a couple years back at a sale and have it only for back up. I've never used it yet.And it isn't any bigger than the mirro. I have used water bath that would hold 10-12 quarts (I don't remember) and it's too much weight for the burners so I end up playing with then trying to get them working again or replacing them and I loose all the time I saved going from a 7qt to q 10 qt batch.
> I also love the jiggler system so i don't have to be right there all the time and can work on getting the next batch ready.I'm sorry but I can't find a thing to complain about with my mirro canner.Everyone has a difference of opinion! You may be right about the product as of today. I don't know where they are made 'cause I got a quality product and have never had the need to go look'n for another canner.
> ...


That's some interesting input. I have heard others say they were satisfied with their rubber-seal type canner too. You're not the first. 

But, I've seen too many of them with rotted seals sitting on the shelves in storage. The excuse? "Oh, I have to order a new gasket for it one of these days". 

Its just my personal preference, but I don't like them.


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## gracielagata (Jun 24, 2013)

Muleman said:


> gracie, My kids have always come up with new animals and pets they wanted. They find all kinds of good deals and when I ask what they are going to do with it the answer was often " IDK???" So I would ask them, "Well, is it made of meat??" to which they would respond "We are not going to eat it", then I would say "Well then, what is the good in having it, it does not do anything and we can not eat it?" They started to do a bit more thinking before they ask for things that way.


Ha!! That is funny. My daughter has off and on asked for the same various small pets my husband and I had as kids- rodents, turtles, fish, ferret, etc. 
We are such mean parents that we told her she isn't allowed to own anything that can't physically walk up to her/us to say 'hey, you human, you forgot to feed me this morning.' lol I don't think there would be much eating in any of those!  
She has her own dog and a horse, not to count the barn cats, other horses, and the chicken flock. But other than aged chickens, we have no plans to eat the rest.


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## Muleman (Nov 8, 2013)

Here is the kind of thing I am talking about, a little to far from me as it is in Missouri, but I see adds like this often this time of year on C.L. $3 roosters and 14 free hens. Lots of chicken meat for a little money! I still never figured why people give them away instead of eating them themselves. I suppose there may be some people who think chickens are only an egg laying machine and have not figured out that most of them are made out of meat???

I've got 19-1/2-week-old roosters for sale. I hatched them myself. Super sweet birds. They've been free-range on our farm. Their parents are different combinations of jersey giant, ameraucana, cinnamon queen, barred rock and white leghorn. *$3*

*FREE: I've also got 14 2-year-old laying hens. Three ameraucanas, 6 white leghorns and 5 cinnamon queens. Their production has dropped.*


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## gracielagata (Jun 24, 2013)

Muleman said:


> Here is the kind of thing I am talking about, a little to far from me as it is in Missouri, but I see adds like this often this time of year on C.L. $3 roosters and 14 free hens. Lots of chicken meat for a little money! Is still never figured why people give them away instead of eating them themselves. I suppose there may be some people who think chickens are only an egg laying machine and have not figured out that most of them are made out of meat???
> 
> I've got 19-1/2-week-old roosters for sale. I hatched them myself. Super sweet birds. They've been free-range on our farm. Their parents are different combinations of jersey giant, ameraucana, cinnamon queen, barred rock and white leghorn. *$3*
> 
> *FREE: I've also got 14 2-year-old laying hens. Three ameraucanas, 6 white leghorns and 5 cinnamon queens. Their production has dropped.*


See I sorta fall into that line of thinking; that they are laying only. Or should I better put that: that honestly I feel guilty butchering them because 'they aren't good enough anymore.' I grew up and always lived in the city, bought everything in a store, until a just barely a year ago. So I am learning.
We have 14 hens, 1 rooster. Oh and 3 baby cockerels we hatched- dang things for not being any hens! I can't bring myself to butcher them just because they are inconvenient for me as roosters. lol If I can find them a home by spring, they are stayed. If not, then yes, I will butcher them. My hopefully good defense: this was our 1st ever hatching, so I am learning. My hopes are that in the future I will be able to hatch out 10-20ish assorted eggs as needed, and raise them all to edibility or layability, to replace the hens as they age/quit laying well. Again, I now will have to butcher those... and I will feel guilty for them no longer being good enough for me, lol. Even though I know they had much happier and healthier lives with me than a battery type hen ever did!


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## Kris in MI (May 30, 2002)

You have gotten lots of good advice on this thread.

One thing I didn't see mentioned, although I was skimming, so might have missed it, was looking at what your family *drinks*.

How much milk do you go through in a week? How much juice?

Because if you are serving lots of cheese, or other dairy products, you can cut your milk consumption way back. Drink water instead. When my kids were growing up, there came a day that I realized going through a gallon of milk a day was ridiculous, even with 4 kids. They ate cheese, and yogurt, and other dairy products every day; there was no reason they also needed 3 glasses of milk each in a day. I instituted the "one glass of milk at dinner" rule, and they all grew up with strong teeth and bones despite no longer guzzling milk!

Same thing for juice. If your kids eat several servings of fruit in a day, they don't need juice too. Just stop buying it, and serve water instead.

As for pop/soda (whatever you call it where you are) that should immediately be dropped from the shopping list and saved for special occasions only. Same with koolaid, sports drinks, etc. Water, water, water! It's cheap, it has no calories, it has no additives.


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## whiterock (Mar 26, 2003)

keep a shoppiong list book, write the prices (per unit) for the items you purchase most and do it at different stores. Gal of milk? this price at WM, this price at Kroger, this price at Dollar General, this price at Aldi's. No law says you have to buy everything at the same store. 
I get the sale circular and see what the loss leaders are, if I like em, I go in and get a bunch. Works on canned goods, veggies, meats, and most other things as well.
I usually drop 40 or 50 dollars when i go in, sometimes three times that amt. 
I live alone, but my DD is a single mom again and often "shops" at dad's house.

Milk is horrendous. I don't drink it, just use it occasionally for cooking, been well over $4 a gal at local store for a while now. Worth a trip to Aldi's in the next town just to buy milk these days.

ETA: I posted this on another thread a few weeks back, the dinner plates on my vintage china are a good bit smaller than those on new sets of dishes. Look for smaller plates to cut down on waste/over eating. Most of us older folks will fill a plate and eat til it is empty, smaller plate means less/smaller portions. I ate out the other night and brought half my meal home, when I put it on a plate here the next day at lunch, that half filled the plate, and was more than enough.

Also, smaller pots and pans. I always cooked for large groups, now I'm alone and still use those big pots. Good thing for me I like leftovers, and now mostly make soups and stews, beans and such. Smaller pots would lead to less waste for most families while still being big enough to prepare the meals.


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## froebeli (Feb 14, 2012)

Not knowing exactly what is on that $900 shopping receipt, I can't help a lot with what to change. I can tell you what we did when the kids were at home and still do, that helps cut costs. 

+ Never make only one meal at a time. I always cook for at least one extra meal and sometimes more.

+ Soup is very inexpensive to make for hot nourishing meals. Veggie beef soup, potato soup, chicken noodle soup, chili with more beans than meat and served over a bowl or rice. Red beans and rice. Made in large batches that you eat off of for several days. 

+ any Mexican dish--- beans, tortillas and a little meat and onions... Mexican soups are also inexpensive to make.

+ Stretch all your meals with more filler and veggies than meat. There's a reason for the expression "throw another potato in the pot" if you have company coming unexpectedly. Stretch meals with potatoes, rice, pasta, grains. 

+ Breakfast for dinner. Eggs, pancakes from scratch, potatoes are all cheap ingredients. 

+ Shop for spices in bulk food stores/ make your own spice blends. A jar of parsley may cost you $2 in the grocery store and is mostly packaging cost. I can get 4 times as much for $.50 at the bulk food store.

Just some tips that I used as the family grew up and still use.


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## Marilyn (Aug 2, 2006)

You most certainly have hit a hot button with our frugal members here, Belle. I don't remember ever seeing quite so many responses in less than 24 hours!

First, let me congratulate you for raising young children that love to eat fresh fruits and vegetables. If you can at all keep the fresh produce in your diet, please do so. They are our best cancer fighters and your little ones have already developed a good habit.

Second, How about waste? At the end of a meal, is there still food on your children's plates? If so, you might start with smaller helpings and save the leftovers for another meal.

Speaking of leftovers, one of my favorite "pat myself on the back" frugal ideas was 3 meals on a chicken when we had three little ones, too. I'm not talking about a 10 lb'er here either, just a normal grocery store variety. For Sunday dinner, I would roast a chicken with assorted veggie/potato sides. On Mon, we would have cold chicken sandwiches, and then one night later in the week, I would pick every strand of meat off that carcass, make chicken gravy with the drippings (and a bouillon cube), add a box of frozen mixed vegetables, and serve over rice. As the children grew, there seemed to be less and less actual chicken available for that third meal, but no one ever complained! 

Now things are a little different:
- I use a homegrown chicken, larger and more flavorful
- still enjoy cold chicken sandwiches for meal #2
- now I make a little stock out of the carcass which I use to cook the rice AND to make the gravy with the drippings from the original roasting

It is hard to imagine how your grocery bill could get so high when you do so much cooking from scratch. Maybe there's some waste that has gone unnoticed...


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## Muleman (Nov 8, 2013)

Belle,
You are not cooking for that dog of yours too are you??? That could be 1/2 your grocery bill right there, just trying to fill that big thing up I bet, if you are???


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## V-NH (Jan 1, 2014)

> + Stretch all your meals with more filler and veggies than meat. There's a reason for the expression "throw another potato in the pot" if you have company coming unexpectedly. Stretch meals with potatoes, rice, pasta, grains.


This is such good information. My wife and I entertain a couple of times a week at least. Mostly church families, but sometimes visiting friends and family. We always serve something that is potato, rice, or pasta based with lots of vegetables and a small amount of meat. Example, we recently had a family over and knew we would be feeding six extra people. We threw some frozen sausage in the crock pot with BBQ seasoning that we bought at a salvage store for $0.05 cents per packet (yes, I bought so many we will never need seasoning again). Then I made 5lbs of mashed potatoes and a big bag of frozen broccoli. Served the saucy sausage and broccoli right on top of the potatoes. It was delicious and we fed eight people for about $8.05. Remove gourmet from your mindset


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## Muleman (Nov 8, 2013)

I like that broccoli and sausage idea!!!
You know another thing is breads. I know some of the wheat bread can be $3 or so a loaf. When I was growing up I remember the only time we had sliced bread at my grandmas house was when she would fix us a sandwich to take hunting with us. The rest of the time is was biscuits or cornbread, both fairly inexpensive to make and adds to a meal as well. They also both keep for a day or so, if you cover them with a dishrag on the table, so their is no waste. (don't cover them with plastic, they get soggy, yuk)


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## emdeengee (Apr 20, 2010)

BelleWithBoots said:


> I shop at Walmart most of the time. Always buy generic. Do stock up on stuff I find cheap like bread at the dollar tree when I don't make it myself


One of the best things that you can do to cut down on groceries it to make a monthly menu for all three meals. This can seem like a lot of work at first but you can duplicate a lot and since we all have certain foods we prefer and recipes we use (as opposed to making new things all the time) it is not that bad. 

I use a three prong budget - groceries, household/personal care supplies and stocking up. Each category has its own set amount of money and I find it easy to keep track of the real cost of the items, how muchI am buying and what I am buying. You don't have to use separate money at the cash but you do have to add the separate items up on your grocery receipt and subtract that amount from their budget. Stocking up is great but it really can run away with you and your money so you need to have a specific amount for it so that you are not taking from your regular grocery money.


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## sidepasser (May 10, 2002)

suitcase_sally said:


> You'd do much better shopping at Meijers. Do a side-by-side comparison and you'll see. Walmart doesn't put out a weekly sale flyer (for a reason). Their prices are higher.


We don't have Meijers in Ga.


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## Sawmill Jim (Dec 5, 2008)

Growing up we had white beans (the dried ones) corn bread ,fried potatoes and onion :thumb: Next meal we had potatoes ,cornbread onion and white beans :sing:

Then we went to brown beans and the extras . When we got to mashed potatoes the left overs were fried in a patty form . For a big meal add cabbage . :thumb: Nobody starved :thumb:


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## bluemoonluck (Oct 28, 2008)

Good advice here. If you haven't already, read the pinned threads here called Tightwad tips. Lots of good info there 

I have a 16-month old boy, 2 year old boy, and 2 13-year old girls, plus me and my DH, to feed every day of the month. Every other weekend and other varying days inbetween, I also get my 3 stepkids (girls 8 & 13, and a 19-year old boy). 

I do big grocery shop trips twice a month, and spend around $150 each trip. That includes diapers for both my boys. I also go to Aldi once a week to get Milk and bread at about $20/trip - their milk is at least 50 cents to a dollar less a gallon than I can get anywhere else, and their bread is 89cents per loaf (20 cents savings or more). We go thru 4+ gallons of milk and 2+ loaves of bread a week, so that adds up. 

So two big trips at $150 each, plus 4 Aldi trips at $20 each, means we spend about $380/month on groceries. Round it up to $400 for incidentals and that'd be about right.

Here, I only buy meat that's on sale. On Thursdays they mark down the meat that will expire over the weekend to clear room for their weekend shipment that night, so I buy that if the price is right. 

I get the idea of printing out menus and shopping off that list, but I have found that actually drives your bill UP. See, if my DH says he wants hamburgers, and I go to the store and hamburger is $$$$$, but I can grab a pack of pork chops for cheap, I tell my DH "Sorry, no burgers this week - we're having pork." If you're sticking to your list, you probably won't even notice that the pork chops are on sale unless they're on your list. 

I base my week's meals off what's on sale. I check the entire meat section for prices before I decide what to get, and then I build meals around that. You HAVE to know what you have at home already, and you HAVE to know what things cost at various places, and you HAVE to know what you're willing to pay for a meal. 

Buy a big 50# bag of rice for cheap, and keep it in an airtight storage container in your kitchen (I use one I got on sale that's meant to hold birdseed). Get in the habit of tossing a handful or two into everything you possibly can - things like soups/stews are no brainers, but consider adding some to your casseroles or anything cooked in a liquid to stretch them out. Pasta is, IMO, expensive - usually a dollar a pound if you're lucky around here. But I can get a 50# bag of rice for less than half that price, and it's easier to incorporate rice into meals than it is pasta IME.

I don't buy baby food, it's too expensive. I mush up what's on my plate and give that to the babies. They get a taste of everything that way. 

I also buy almost everything generic - nowhere around here doubles coupons so even with a coupon I can always find the generic for cheaper. But pay attention to unit prices, sometimes what looks like a better deal is more per ounce/pound/etc than you think.

Food prices have gone way up, especially the price of meat :hammer: so you really have to be creative.


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## InTownForNow (Oct 16, 2008)

We have 4 kids under 9, dh, me and a big dog. We budget $ 250 every two weeks and take it in cash. I really like aldi, and sometimes walmart mostly for on food items. SAMs too- buying in bulk is cheaper in the long run. $900does seem really high. 
We just don't eat dessert or many snacks ( although I'm pregnant and craving some snacks lately haha) buy and freeze milk, etc
Meat has gotten really high here. It's crazy. 
Buy in bulk, make a list. Take cash (and less of it) that's about the best I can do without seeing your actual receipts


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## Packedready (Mar 29, 2011)

If I shopped in Union markets my grocery bill would be double, I only buy their loss leaders. I shop in ethnic markets for meat, cheese and deli items and only what is on sale.

The same with produce. We grow some but still need to buy. Right now tomatoes are $2.00 lb and I refuse to buy any. I will use canned tomatoes to make salsa etc. I also took it very seriously when everyone on this board predicted the high meat prices, I stocked up on loss leader prices and vacume sealed all of it. My meat prices are the same as when they were low. I also buy large blocks of cheese 5-10 lbs when it is a loss leader and vacume seal it and when I need some cut off a piece and re-vacume seal. It will last for over 1 year.

We have the benefit of Mexico being close and produce prices are low. This year they have at least doubled. I paid .50 for a head of celery, in the Union Market it was $1.95.

Also last Saturday was American Express Small business Saturday. If you registered by American Express card and spent $10 or more in a participating business they will credit you $10. You could use each card 3 times for a total of a $30 credit. Well to my amazement I had 9 American Express cards. I did 27 at little over $10.00 transactions in ethnic grocery stores with low prices. I will get a credit of $270. I received $270 in free groceries.


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## Jlynnp (Sep 9, 2014)

Here are the problems with Mirro-
1. Rubber seals that will wear out. Better hope they're still in business if you need a replacement.
2. Limited size. Largest I saw was 22qts. Unless you plan on living in your kitchen and spending the rest of your life canning, you want something about twice that size.
3. Its probably made in China. That's the ticket! Lets take something made with Chinese quality, pressurize it like a bomb, and put it in the kitchen! (Ok, that was an exaggeration but I made my point)

Stick with an All American brand... And investment in quality and longevity will pay dividends for a very long time.[/QUOTE]

I agree, I will spend more $ on the All-American and in return spend less time in the kitchen.


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## Wendy (May 10, 2002)

I have a MIRRO also & have canned a lot with it for years & still have not replaced the gasket. It holds 7 quarts or 20 pints. I sometimes can over 1,000 jars per year. Price wise, that's what I could afford.


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## fixitguy (Nov 2, 2010)

A long time ago, we went to the store every weekend and spent about $190 a trip.
Then I started buying a beef every year, Still went to the store every week but dropped the bill about $90 per week.


Now: We made a list of all the things we use all the time, and pasted it to the refrigerator. Now we only shop the loss leaders, It took quite some time to have a fully stocked pantry. Also, seasonal items go on sale, i.e., memorial weekend has brats etc., November has baking items.
We buy a pig every year, @ $220
We can only tomatoes and apples, every thing else gets eaten out of the garden.
I pick up onions and potatoes in the fall @25lbs & 100lbs this year.
We have a friend of a friend that works at a local cannery, we are lucky to get in on the once a year "employee sale" , this year its canned carrots and potatoes. (you never see them on sales)

We don't shop WM much, only for the items our local store don't carry. Our store sells the loss leaders a few cents +/- WM, So normally its not worth a 40 mile round trip.

I all honesty, I think our weekly food bill from Oct~Apr runs about $40, but if we find a great price on a LL, we might spend $40 just on that one item.
In the spring we take a inventory of needs, and write a new list.

Also, we make extra every night for work/school lunches. Just buying that stuff they call school food would cost me about $20 per week, for some garbage food he don't like.


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## randumguy (Feb 15, 2014)

1shotwade said:


> We all have an opinion here but you're wrong about mirro. We (the family) have used them since the 50's or so with no problems.Since that time I have found Presto's at yard sales etc and have gone through 3 of them. However my original mirro from the 50's(or when ever they started making. I don't know 'cause I was just a kid the) that I got from my mother is still going strong. I don't have any problems with the rubber seal. I stretch it over my knee when I use the canner for the first time that season and I'm good to go for the year.I've used this one consistently for 15-20 years with no problems.
> 
> I did find an American a couple years back at a sale and have it only for back up. I've never used it yet.And it isn't any bigger than the mirro. I have used water bath that would hold 10-12 quarts (I don't remember) and it's too much weight for the burners so I end up playing with then trying to get them working again or replacing them and I loose all the time I saved going from a 7qt to q 10 qt batch.
> I also love the jiggler system so i don't have to be right there all the time and can work on getting the next batch ready.I'm sorry but I can't find a thing to complain about with my mirro canner.Everyone has a difference of opinion! You may be right about the product as of today. I don't know where they are made 'cause I got a quality product and have never had the need to go look'n for another canner.
> ...


You can buy a jiggler kit for the All American for around $20 on Amazon. Well worth the money.

That said, I got a great deal on an All American, but also use the Mirro that I got from my Mother. It hadn't seen use in 35 years or so, but it works like a champ.

Any pressure canner that can be used is better than no pressure canner.

Just my randum thoughts for the evening.


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## SouthGAMan (May 5, 2014)

Muleman said:


> Here is the kind of thing I am talking about, a little to far from me as it is in Missouri, but I see adds like this often this time of year on C.L. $3 roosters and 14 free hens. Lots of chicken meat for a little money! I still never figured why people give them away instead of eating them themselves. I suppose there may be some people who think chickens are only an egg laying machine and have not figured out that most of them are made out of meat???
> 
> I've got 19-1/2-week-old roosters for sale. I hatched them myself. Super sweet birds. They've been free-range on our farm. Their parents are different combinations of jersey giant, ameraucana, cinnamon queen, barred rock and white leghorn. *$3*
> 
> *FREE: I've also got 14 2-year-old laying hens. Three ameraucanas, 6 white leghorns and 5 cinnamon queens. Their production has dropped.*


Gee I must live in the wrong state...NEVER have seen free hens offered in the same post where someone was offering to sell roosters, even 2 year old hens. ( I have seen roosters many times offered for free!). I would snatch up such an offer quick and promote them to being paired with dumplings.


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## SouthGAMan (May 5, 2014)

This is a good post with a lot of good information. I can sympathize a lot as I have 5 kids (two grown but only one moved out) and 4 of those boys so there are 6 of us now in the house counting me and the wife. I would have to check with my wife (lol i know) but if I am not mistaken we are running roughly around $600 -$650 on food. My health isn't great (and my soil is terrible) so we didn't make a ton on our property vegetable wise this past season but with stuff from family gardens we did manage to put up roughly 350 ears of corn in various forms and to the best of my memory like 20 quarts of different peas. We have already used all the spinach, chard, and basil I had (which i didn't grow too much this past year unfortunately). Groceries can be tough.

My oldest son hunts to help add meat to the freezer and we also fish. It is difficult for me to be an effective hunter anymore because of my health. We do try to shy away from the more expensive cuts at the grocery store and don't use too much lunch meat (quick but often very expensive per pound). We often do buy mark down meat to use that day or the next (depending on quality). Buying markdown meat is a big savings. We also on the rare occasion we don't have ground venison will buy the large packs of ground beef that is either marked down or on sale...then break it up into roughly 1.5 pound servings (large family remember). 

We most often buy generic although there are some that just don't taste the same (so we then buy the name brand). We do frequently use coupons but we don't use that as an excuse to buy something unless it would then be cheaper than the generic ---although I admit that sometimes we might use a coupon to try a new item.

I have lived in enough towns and been in enough grocery stores to know that Wal-mart isn't always the cheapest place BUT I also know if they aren't they will price match and according to their guidelines they SHOULD be the cheapest. So if they aren't tell the store manager and complain about it (or call 1-800-walmart which WILL get their attention trust me). Competition is normally a very good thing.


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## Freya (Dec 3, 2005)

BelleWithBoots said:


> I'm pretty sure a good portion of it must go to fruits & veggies. My kids do eat a lot of them and have yet to store my own. My 1 Year old is hard though because he is finicky when he cuts teeth etc. And I can't just tell him tough luck like the big kids, if he's hungry he doesn't sleep etc. So it's a constant battle to get food in him. And one of the few things he likes is fruits. It does probably include some stuff like soap, although we get most of our tp paper towels etc. From hubby's work.




Have you tried taking some receipts and adding up all the items in different categories? All food in one, all animal, all paper, all hygiene, etc...?

You could then break "food" down into sections like milk/dairy/fresh veg/meats/bulk/fruit/canned/etc...

You need to break it down and figure out what you are spending the money on in black and white on paper.


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/ge...-famous-$1-00-meal-thread-revived-goodun.html


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/specialty-forums/general-chat/338530-$1-00-meals.html


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## CajunSunshine (Apr 24, 2007)

Wow... this is one of the most helpful threads I've ever seen on this site for cutting grocery costs!

I am late coming around to this thread, and what I would have contributed to it has already been posted (and then some).

I have added this valuable thread to a list of helpful links in a thread I have going in the Homesteading Questions forum http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/ge...-famous-$1-00-meal-thread-revived-goodun.html 

It contains links to over a dozen threads that I dredged up from this site's archives, all about good and cheap meals that will help us to save $$$$.




EDITED TO ADD: Ha! Great minds think alike; I see Elkhound beat me to it and posted a link to the above mentioned topic. 

He also posted a link referencing the same topic in the General Chat forum (that one may doomed to die a slow death from lack of interest?).



.


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

i seen your thread and thought of this thread...i have not read it all..


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## CajunSunshine (Apr 24, 2007)

Thank ye, kind sir! 



.


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## ChristieAcres (Apr 11, 2009)

Crisste said:


> That's some interesting input. I have heard others say they were satisfied with their rubber-seal type canner too. You're not the first.
> 
> But, I've seen too many of them with rotted seals sitting on the shelves in storage. The excuse? "Oh, I have to order a new gasket for it one of these days".
> 
> Its just my personal preference, but I don't like them.


I concur and the absolute #1 reason to buy an All American Canner? With just a little care, it will be your LAST canner! I have a small one, medium sized on, and a larger one. I use the larger one the most frequently, however for smaller batches, the small one is great! My medium sized one was an AA I bought at a garage sale. Originally, I purchased a Presto and an AA at different garage sales the same day. I used them both, and sold the Presto.


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## countryfied2011 (Jul 5, 2011)

> Any pressure canner that can be used is better than no pressure canner.


Quote of the Day....:thumb:

I bought a Presto from Walmart back in 2008---still going strong. Someone gave me a Mirro 4 yrs ago(the canner was not a new model but never used), havent used it yet but bought a new gasket etc for it with NO problem this summer.

I can afford an AA but as long as mine are working I cant see spending that type of money when I can use the dollars on something else..jmtcw

ETA people have to do what works for them....I have a 9 tray Excalibur Dehydrator...but a cheaper one would give the same results I just choose to spend money on a more expensive one.


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## Muleman (Nov 8, 2013)

Ok, I just looked on Amazon for the cost of the AA canner. The big one is right at $400. Wow, that is a lot, but it does look like it would last forever. I do have one question for those who have them. The big complain was it was so heavy and the metal so thick that it took a long time to heat up?? One person even said they could do 2 or 3 batches in their Presto in the time it took to get one batch in the AA up to temp. Has that been your experience, or is this an over exaggeration. Maybe the issue is trying to use it on an electric stove?? 

I also agree, if you are trying to work within a budget, get what you can find at local used stores. If you have the money to spend and want to buy the best, then go for it. Do not let a budget keep you from doing it at all though, you gotta start somewhere, so start where money allows. Even if you intend to upgrade someday, you can always sell the cheaper one to someone else starting out on a budget.


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## Grandmotherbear (May 15, 2002)

I posted a link to the USDA meal planner files in the $1 meal revival on Homesteading Questions. It's my opinion that most of us homesteaders and Scottish-descended cooks are beating the Government figures.

When I was growing up, desserts were canned fruits and milk based puddings. Since I couldn't drink milk without throwing up or eat cheese without developing a migraine, my folks choose this to get calcium in me.

The USDA used to depend heavily on peanut butter on their thrifty budget meal plan. Sandwiches for lunch. PB pie for dessert. You can also make pad thai seasoning for stirfry with PB. Didn't see much PB when I checked their website yesterday. Grandfatherbear puts peanut butter on his toast before serving himself creamed ham (we dropped the eggs since we discovered my allergies) or SOS.

When I was a welfare mother on $33 a month FS budget I would buy a turkey every 3 months, divide it in half, cook one half and we had turkey and mashed potatoes, turkey pot pie, creamed turkey on rice, turkey n dumplings etc.

I also made all our grain products from scratch utilizing the Joy of Cooking's Triple Rich Flour formula. In the bottom of every cup measure, before adding the flour, I would put in 1 spoonful wheat germ, 1 spoonful soy flour and 1 spoonful dried milk powder. That would complete the proteins already present in the white wheat flour. Now I vary it by skipping the dry milk powder (which has gotten REALLY expensive) and using ground flaxseed or ground chia. I made 2 loaves of bread, 2 pizza crusts and a batch of noodles every week. (Rolled the dough thin with a pastry roller, cut it with a butter knife, and draped it over the dining room chairs to dry)
I figured God gave babies hands to eat with and their first solid foods were pizza crusts they could hold themselves. Made with the triple rich formula, they were so wholesome I didn't have much worry about their nutritional status till they started school and free breakfast and lunches. My dd's breakfast as a toddler was a slice of Triple Rich Bread toast and a serving of fruit cocktail. 
As listed above, eggs, breakfast for dinner, Wheatena wholegrain hot cereal, dried beans and rice rounded out our menus.
I have to tell you that every now and again I would run over my FS allotment- 20 cents, a quarter or 50 cents- and those Grand Union cashiers would frequently reach into their pockets and throw the coins in the register and tell me not to put anything back. I always paid them back later, of course. When I had graduated from school and was preparing to move from DC to FL, I asked one of them why they had done that for me when I'de heard from other food stamp mothers that had never happened for them, and her response was, We saw what you bought. Other moms bought TV dinners, soda and chips. You didn't.
Now I'm allergic to eggs so I have to change a lot of recipes. Mayonnaise can even trigger an asthma attack. Think I have to make the eggless mayo recipe in the Joy of Cooking.


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

Crisste said:


> Yuk yuk yuk...
> Here are the problems with Mirro-
> 1. Rubber seals that will wear out. Better hope they're still in business if you need a replacement. Mirro is one of the oldest brands on the market.I've had my Mirro canner since 1979 and am still using the same seal
> 2. Limited size. Largest I saw was 22qts. Unless you plan on living in your kitchen and spending the rest of your life canning, you want something about twice that size. For the cost difference, you can buy two Mirros and save not only time and money, but also your back when strying to lift that big ol' honker All American>
> ...


Some people like to put down things that are made in China as being junk. I am old enough to remember when the same "nya nya" was said about Japan. Now look at them - they rule the world for quality.

If an American company outsources their product to China, Japan, Taiwan, ect., the American company dictates how the product is to be made. I worked in manufacturing for 32 years and have seen this firsthand.

One of the biggest reasons for sending work overseas is the EPA. Look at the air in China. Do you want that here?

Rant over.


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## Muleman (Nov 8, 2013)

Thanks for the info. I had never heard of this before. I will pass this on to my 17 yo daughter who recently decided she was going to be a vegan?? No, I do not understand it and hope it is just a phase, but here choice. if it is the worst choice she makes in life, we will be ok.

*I also made all our grain products from scratch utilizing the Joy of Cooking's Triple Rich Flour formula. In the bottom of every cup measure, before adding the flour, I would put in 1 spoonful wheat germ, 1 spoonful soy flour and 1 spoonful dried milk powder. That would complete the proteins already present in the white wheat flour. Now I vary it by skipping the dry milk powder (which has gotten REALLY expensive) and using ground flaxseed or ground chia. I made 2 loaves of bread, 2 pizza crusts and a batch of noodles every week. (Rolled the dough thin with a pastry roller, cut it with a butter knife, and draped it over the dining room chairs to dry)*


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## Guest (Dec 4, 2014)

Grandmotherbear said:


> ...I asked one of them why they had done that for me when I'de heard from other food stamp mothers that had never happened for them, and her response was, We saw what you bought. Other moms bought TV dinners, soda and chips. You didn't.
> ...



I have, many times in my life, donated a couple dollars to someone in line - but my criteria to help them is similar to your cashiers' reasoning. If they're buying garbage, I do not offer. If they're buying some sort of staples or "normal" food, I did.


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

Muleman said:


> Here is the kind of thing I am talking about, a little to far from me as it is in Missouri, but I see adds like this often this time of year on C.L. $3 roosters and 14 free hens. Lots of chicken meat for a little money! I still never figured why people give them away instead of eating them themselves.


As for me, I can't eat something once I've looked into their little eyes.


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## CraftyLady (Jul 18, 2014)

BelleWithBoots said:


> Im not crazy, this is a ton of money, right? Are you guys able to do it for less?


Yes, that's about right for a family of five with growing kids IF you are purchasing much of your fresh fruits and veggies. 

So, like many of said it's grow your own. I didn't catch where you live. Can you start a garden early in your area? Can you plant raised beds with covers for cold tolerant greens for salads, greens and smoothies. (smoothies are a great treat 'milkshake' for kids)

Use it all up. Nothing eatable goes in the garbage. Really. Save it for the soup pot. (which is always either in bags in the freezer for continuous soup or on the stove in a soup pot) Soup pot is 'free food' for anyone during the day. 

On days w/o a soup pot there is a pot of beans on the stove. Again free food to fill up on during the day. 

Bread - and other baked goods - run the numbers - calculate the cost. Keep a book on the cost of loaf of store bread or home made bread. I personally have found that Home made bread is always less than a 3.00 loaf of store bread. The breaking point here is .73cents. If I can go to the discount bread store and buy bulk day old for less than 73.cents I buy as much as my freezer will hold and use it up. It's never as good though. 

Bread is even cheaper if I ground my own wheat flour. 

Meat - More meatless meals or hunt in season on your own property if allowed. Buying permits is expensive and so doesn't pencil out in my area. 

Meat meals then become a 2x per week menu item, with soup with leftover meat the 3rd meal of the week. 

Soup meals - 2 x's per week. Soup, homemade bread, greens of some kind and desert. 

Garden, Canning, trading for items. 

Good luck.


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## mnn2501 (Apr 2, 2008)

5 people $800 a month sounds good to me. Especially when you have growing kids.

Frankly DW and I spend just a bit less than that for the 2 of us, but then we both work outside the home and make good money so it includes a couple of mid-range restaurant meals a week and I admit we eat pretty high off the hog. 

Once your homestead starts producing it'll go down a bit. Don't forget to plant fruit tree's appropriate to your area, they take a few years to start producing so you want to get them in as soon as possible.

Watch for sales on items you use and stock up -- build up your pantry so you can hold out buying that item until it goes on sale again.


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## grandma12703 (Jan 13, 2011)

It's hard to figure without seeing your list. I spend very little now with DH and I and we still eat well. A few years (granted 8 years ago) we had ourselves, three kids of our own and 2 exchange kids live in our home every school year for 15 years. I did once a month "big shopping" and spent up to $200.00 but no more and then on each Sat. I went and spent $15.00 for milk, bread and whatever fruit or vegies were on the sale rack(sometimes even found a special sweet treat on the rack and had enough money left to get it). It was always a joke at home by the kids that if you give mom a big bag of potatoes, an onion, pkg of bacon, cornstarch, gallon of milk and 2 loaves of bread she can feed us for a week. I can do a lot with those few things. Do you have aldi's and dollar tree? I go to dollar tree just for their pickled items and sometimes cookies. I always make a little tray of pickled something or other with almost every meal. It just adds something and they eat them up. 

One thing is to learn to cook with less meat. It doesn't take a lot of burger to fix many dishes but just a little definately ups the flavor of the food. Chicken and noodles can be made with a thigh cut into little squares. Flavor and chicken is there but it didn't take much meat. Chili with more beans and less burger, Potato soup with a small amount of bacon, chicken or beef fajhita's out of leg, thigh meat and cheap beef cuts. Cut it thinly and use just a little meat but pack in the peppers, onions and I add potatoes. Homemade tortillas. Try to make 4 meals out of a chicken. Add extra's to compensate like lots of vegies and some bread with each meal. Next summer grow tomatoes, peppers and onions for sure and freeze and can them. I make a summer mix of pepper (red and green) and onions and freeze and then make lots of fajhita's and stir fries all winter long. If you have the acreage next spring get you some fryer chickens and a few laying hens. That goes a long way in feeding the family the next winter. 

We were a farm family and always raised a big garden and had chickens for both eggs and meat but there is no way we could have spent $900.00 on food. Our kids were all athletes and big eaters but we never went hungry.


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## soulsurvivor (Jul 4, 2004)

Just for reference I'll chime in with my often repeated idea of getting and using a big freezer for food storage. All the canning is great but if you have small kids, very little personal time and need a quick way to store a copious amount of food, then a freezer is hard to beat. Put a lock on it to keep the door closed and put an alarm on it to signal loss of power, and maybe if you're storing expensive amounts of meat consider taking out a temporary insurance policy or hooking it up to a small generator during long term power outages, but other than that it's a great way to store a lot of food in a small amount of space. 

The other hint I usually pass along is keeping a pot of bean soup and cornbread ready to heat and eat. It's great as a stand alone meal or can be easily served with almost any other food you have available. Bean soup and cornbread always fills up the empty places. When you get tired of eating bean soup change it to homemade vegetable soup. 

Keep broth as part of your food supply. You can make it yourself and can it or freeze it. Homemade tastes better and doesn't have to have the high sodium content of the store brands. Freeze food leftovers and use in different soup broth combinations to extend the food dollar.


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## Muleman (Nov 8, 2013)

SS, I understand what you are saying and some may believe I am heartless and hard, but I am not. I have never taken an animals life that I did not feel a bit of remorse for it. That is how normal people feel. I take my responsibilities for my animals very seriously. I have the responsibility to care for them and when the time come I have the responsibility to insure they are provided a quick death, as painless as possible. I view it as cruelty to pass this task to someone else, not knowing how the animal will be treated. 

Everyone needs to take this one to heart. Why are you not killing your own animals? Most people will say it would make me feel bad. So where is your first thought? *Your* feelings, not the animals. What is the definition of real love and compassion? Considering others feeling before our own! Animals give their lives so that we may live. We should be involved, we should carry an equal burden for having ask for their sacrifice. I can assure you if you kill your own animals to provide for your family, you will have a different view of meal times. Meal times at your house will return to where they should be in my opinion, something special, something with meaning. A time of thanksgiving and a time of reverence for the sacrifice that was made to provide that meal for you. I am not saying we should feel guilty about a meal, please do not misunderstand me. We should understand this is a natural part of the cycle of life. Life gives life! I do not believe meal time should be what it has become, a boisterous, idle chatter filled room with no thought given to the sacrifice made for the provisions. You want to cut down waste at the table, have your family take part in providing the food. 

This is the real benefit in my mind to home butchering. You not only save money on butcher fees, you make everyone a part of the entire process, from live animal, to meal, the whole way through. They will think twice before they throw away half a plate of food, knowing what they did to help provide it. There is a connection, an appreciation that just can not be experienced with store bought products. Spend time canning some green beans from the garden and see if you can still dish up a large serving then throw half of them away without thought???

Sorry, I may have gotten a bit off the subject. This connection, this appreciation, beyond pure economics is just something that I have always placed a high value on. We should all take our responsibilities as caretakers of animals very seriously and learn to take the pain of death upon ourselves, so they do not have to. We are asking them to give up their lives for us, we should bare a cost also in the form of remorse, which turns to reverence and respect for the life given.

You want life lessons for your children about respect for life? You are missing some of the most important ones in my mind, if you are not home butchering your own animals, at least on occasion.


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## Homesteader (Jul 13, 2002)

here here muleman, beautifully said........


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## Coco (Jun 8, 2007)

One thing I did to cut my food bill, is watch portion size. 

Eat low on the food chain Rice Beans and Vegetables , eat in season , use meat and cheese as flavor, not as a main part of the meal. Try looking at some recipe sites for crock pot, soups and hot dish, stir fry's and curry recipes. these are the most inexpensive to feed for the dollars spent.

I always try to keep my meals serving 5 under $7, it's doable but you need to work at it too keep recipes and meals interesting .

Good luck and you can do it!!


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## Melissa (Apr 15, 2002)

I try to shop only loss leaders. Every store has something each week that is really low-priced- stock up on those items. 

Buy basics, anything you buy pre-made is going to cost more than if you make it from scratch.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are good, try to buy the ones that are on sale and in season. Sure it is nice to have strawberries any time of year, but maybe a better buy is apples and bananas. 

If fresh produce is too expensive, switch to frozen. It is generally as nutritious and you can often find good deals.

Sign up for your stores loyalty card. I have one from Kroger and get a lot of great coupons. 

I know it depends on your area, but around here I can almost always find food cheaper than Walmart.

Make soups, casseroles, salads, etc... that stretch to feed many people for several meals.

Don't waste food. I have read that people throw away up to 40% of what they buy!


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## countryfied2011 (Jul 5, 2011)

I just looked at the Kroger ad for this week(this is in TN)

drumsticks and thighs .99lb
assorted pork chops 1.99 lb
Heritage bacon 1.99 for 12 oz
large navel oranges or grapefruits 88 lb, grapes 1.88, and pears 99 lb Honeycrisp apples 1.99 lb
broccoli .99 
Hunts tomatoes 10 for 10, Kroger pasta 10/10

Publix
GG broccoli with cheese(frozen) BOGO and you can always find coupons for this
Kentucky Legend Ham Slice BOGO free
pineapple 2.99

You could make a lot of meals out of the food listed above

Publix has catfish for 5.99lb 2.00 off, I plan on getting several pieces. Couple of weeks ago they had NY strip 1 inch thick for 7.99, this week they are 10.99. I bought a 100.00 worth when they were 7.99 and vacuum sealed them.


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## froebeli (Feb 14, 2012)

Soo.... Belle... where are you???? How does this help you and your grocery bill??? Lots of great ideas here. What do these ideas do to help you?


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## Marilyn (Aug 2, 2006)

THREAD DRIFT
*Muleman*: That was very well put. We have only been putting chicken in the freezer for four years now, but I still get emotional at the beginning of each processing session. I bow my head and say a very heartfelt prayer of thanks. I am thankful, not only for the chicken that gives its life so that I can feed my family healthy, clean meat; but also thankful that I was able to learn how to do this - and learn why it is so important.

(Thank you Michael Pollan for getting me started down this road.)


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## Jan in CO (May 10, 2002)

Maybe post your average daily menu for a couple days, and see if something jumps out at us? Nice idea about the nuts, Kat but as I recall, her chidren are under five years old, so probably not a good option for them yet. Peanut butter, surely. Prices are different all over the country, and when I hear what my cousins in California pay for a sweet pepper (6.00), I'm astounded! 

Read all the tightwad tips, including those in the archives. There are some great tips there! I've learned to stretch our oatmeal by using twice the amount of water called for and cooking it twice as long. You get twice as much for the same price. We drink water with our meals, healthier than soda and lots cheaper. Can't get my grown 'children' to figure that one out, however. 

Use less detergent, toothpaste, etc than the container says. You'll still get good results. I grew up putting a whole strip of toothpaste on the brush, but you only need a pea sized bit. My Mama would be appalled, but I get two cups from one teabag. My friend taught me to put three scoops of coffee for the first pot, then leave the grounds for the next day and add only two scoops for that day's pot. No one can tell the difference. 

There is a difference in prices at different stores, so look around and see what is available in your area. Some things are more than half again as much at one store here than in another. I pick and choose what I get where and shop the ads.


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

Jan in CO said:


> Prices are different all over the country, and when I hear what my cousins in California pay for a sweet pepper (6.00), I'm astounded!


A sweet pepper is not a necessity.

I grow them in the summer, cut in strips and freeze. Free food!


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## cfuhrer (Jun 11, 2013)

I didn't read all of the replies so I apologize if someone already suggested this.

If you analyze your spending and budget and find that produce is your weak spot, look into Bountiful Baskets. It is a great program and we save a bunch on fresh produce, try things we wouldn't otherwise try and get good bulk deals that I can and dry.

For meats you can look into Zaycon (I think that's what its called). Similar to Bountiful Baskets but for meats.


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## BelleWithBoots (Sep 28, 2014)

you guys are full of great ideas as i expected! i really appreciate all the time youve taken to share them with me. they will definitely make a difference. i cant wait till i can can a garden full of my own food. as a little girl mom had a friend that had walls lining her stairwell with shelves full of homegrown food. I was always mesmerized. only problem is i dont know how to can. haha. im sure i will figure it out. so wish i had someone local to demonstration some of these things for me though.. 
maybe you guys can tell me this, what are some of the fastest growing vegetables i could possible get started growing indoors? or what could i possibly grow outdoors right now? the neighbor has a field full of some beautiful cover crops so I know theres got to be something that will grow. the winter here in ga is so mild. its december and it was like 70 today...

or does anyone want to share some of your cheap staple foods? like right now im trying to stick to oatmeal or eggs and toast and bananas for breakfast. peanut butter sandwhiches for lunch. and simple few ingredient dinners. like chicken and rice w/ broccoli, spaghetti w/ rationed meatballs, chicken soup are a few of our norms. it seems that the more ingredients you add they get really expensive, and even recipes that claim to be cheap usually arent. im thinking baking muffins for breakfast or snacks could help only thing is baked good seem to disappear around here. oh and ive been trying to make the kids stovetop popcorn for snacks. super cheap. any more ideas would be welcome...


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## ChristieAcres (Apr 11, 2009)

I thought of something else, but haven't read every post... Every year, I see multiple ads for folks with FREE produce of all kinds, leftover from their gardens, fields, etc... Locally, an incredible amount of apples are allowed to just rot on the trees and ground.

If your in a good climate for fruit trees, post an ad on CL asking to come get the drops. You can make applesauce, pie filling, and even juice from them. There could even be offers to come pick all the apples off the trees. Other fruit could be offered, as well. Every year, I am offered plums, apples, and pears for FREE. 

We only spend $100 a month or less, as we have a lot of food put up. Our purchases are for green leafy veggies, red potatoes, brown rice, raw milk for me, coffee, and tea. Due to my health issues, I only eat organic (almost all locally grown).


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

Salad greens are the fastest growing. If you take just one leaf from every plant you can pick them indefinately. For my family of 4 I made a bed of greens: the first few pickings just added to the store bought greens, then I got one salad a week from the bed, then 3 salads a week, and so forth until we had more greens than we really wanted. Kale will survive quite a bit of frost, though some of the varieties of kale are stronger tasting that I care for. Some varieties are mild, some are not.

As for baked goods dissapearing, unless the family is getting heavy that is not a problem. You want your family to eat their fill of healthy, inexpensive foods! So it they snack more and eat smaller dinners, that is not a problem. 

I saw one post somewhere that suggested adding a spoonfull of dried milk as a cheap way to make the baked goods higher in nutrition. This is a GOOD idea, because too much grain is not a great idea. We re omnivores, and we are not meant to eat mostly grain: we are meant to eat a variety of foods. So adding a little milk powder or bean powder to muffins or whatever to increase the protein might be a good idea.


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## BelleWithBoots (Sep 28, 2014)

wow i just realized i didnt even see ALL the posts! lol you guys are awesome! I think my biggest flaw is not keeping my recites and careful records of where that money was going. it just sort of creeped up on me. the only thing i can think of is that the "little" things get us in a big way. like that $10 jar of honey the other day and the new water bottle my some had for school, and that olive oil, and dishwasher detergent, etc... so I will vow to keep reciets and figure out where the money is going. having just bought a home we are still investing in some of the little things too like that canner i need to buy, and garden gloves etc... it all adds up so fast. 
to answer a few of the questions, we only buy water and a little milk. Im stingy cause they dont tolerate it to well. and i guess i sometimes buy almond milk for the baby cause he projectile vomits if i dont. no juice. no cokes. I use a better than boulion chicken stock a lot to substitute for the broth i save myself. no baby food he gets table food only, apple sauce etc.. 
Our dog is our prize possession, very expensive to be honest, and hubby chose to feed her a raw diet. which i did not include in the food budjet as he gets all her seperately but is currently very expensive. I told him he needs to stop driving by those dead deer on the side of the rode and bring them home for her if not us! lol. we scored a nice big deep freezer, one year old on cl for 100. we plan to hunt soon but only own one riffle, which is too high powered to use in most places here. so a shot gun would be another purchase. ugh. its just one thing after another! not to even begin to mention christmas. which i plan to make most gifts myself out of supplies i already have, with the exception of new boots for my children. 

oh i either make my own bread or buy it in bulk at the dollar tree when i can. WE have an aldis here but i have never shopped that as i didnt see that much difference in the past, but i will definitely check it out again. was looking at bulk foods on honeysuckle and are they really that much cheaper? like $40 for 50lb? isnt that what it is in the store? liek 4 bucks for a 5 lb bag?


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## southrngardngal (Oct 18, 2005)

We are still working to reduce our food bill but two hints I have is 1. Buy whole chickens and cut them up yourself. We buy whole chickens for .99 cents a pound and I cut them up and can make several meals for us. There's only two of us but one whole chicken can make more than one meal for even 5. I put the wing tips and back pieces in the freezer to make broth and soups from. I split the breast and then cut into two more pieces making four pieces from one breast. Chicken breasts already cut up is $3.99 a pound at our local stores. 2. We buy bread from the day old bread stores. We buy it when we go to a town south of us. There bread is .99 cents a loaf where even at Wal-Mart it is almost $3.00. We buy enough for a couple of weeks and put it in the freezer. Maybe these hints will help you some.


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## Ravenlost (Jul 20, 2004)

Is it just me? Wal Mart groceries here, especially fresh fruits and veggies, are much more expensive than at the grocery store (Kroger) that I shop at. Also, I found out that Kroger marks down their produce on Thursday evening so now I do my grocery trip on Thursday evening so I can get get bags of apples, pears, potatoes, etc. for .99 a bag. I always have a few coupons with me and I always keep a sharp eye out for markdowns and unadvertised sales. Just today I got bags of frozen organic green peas for .79 (clearance) and bags of salad for .99. I found coffee marked down to $2.46 that I had $1 coupons on. I stocked up on coffee!

I never buy cleaning products or laundry soap. I use vinegar or baking soda for cleaning and make my own laundry soap. I buy soap for bathing (we use it as shampoo too) at Dollar Tree. They have a brand that is all natural (plant based) and not tested on animals. I love it!

I rarely buy meat at the grocery store unless they have a great sale. We pay to have a deer processed each year and that lasts the two of us all year long. We often have meat free meals. 

My grocery shopping includes two humans (me and hubby), 21 dogs, eight cats and a rabbit (when we forget rabbit food at Tractor Supply) plus veggies/fruit for three goats, four ducks and seven chickens. My grocery bill tonight was $199.00, which is average per week for me.

I would strongly recommend you check around at other grocery stores to see what kind of deals/mark downs they have. Wal Mart just isn't the best place to get bargains in my opinion.


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## Ceilismom (Jul 16, 2011)

Ravenlost said:


> *Is it just me? Wal Mart groceries here, especially fresh fruits and veggies, are much more expensive than at the grocery store (Kroger) that I shop at.* Also, I found out that Kroger marks down their produce on Thursday evening so now I do my grocery trip on Thursday evening so I can get get bags of apples, pears, potatoes, etc. for .99 a bag. I always have a few coupons with me and I always keep a sharp eye out for markdowns and unadvertised sales. Just today I got bags of frozen organic green peas for .79 (clearance) and bags of salad for .99. I found coffee marked down to $2.46 that I had $1 coupons on. I stocked up on coffee!
> 
> I never buy cleaning products or laundry soap. I use vinegar or baking soda for cleaning and make my own laundry soap. I buy soap for bathing (we use it as shampoo too) at Dollar Tree. They have a brand that is all natural (plant based) and not tested on animals. I love it!
> 
> ...


No, I think a lot of people find the same as you, but a lot don't. In the past, my options were Walmart, Safeway, or locally-owned grocery stores. Of those options, Walmart was mostly the cheapest on most things, most of the time. Because I had to drive such a long distance (200 miles, round trip) to get to those options, I didn't have the luxury of making a planned grocery run to try to keep on top of the good sales. We went when the ranch had a pressing need of something that had to be got in town. 

Currently, my options are Walmart, 2 local chains, and the Mennonite store. The Mennonite store is cheapest on bulk items, and I can regularly get to the local stores for items that are on sale now, without spending an entire day away from home. Plus, if I have to go to the city, I can take advantage of places like ALDI that weren't even available to me before. Walmart is no longer my cheapest option for groceries, but for nearly 10 years, it was.


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## 1shotwade (Jul 9, 2013)

Y'all are putt'n on a show with all the info here! A few things.Wallyworld is consistently 20% to 30% higher than Adli's on the things we buy.If you insist on going there,if possible do it between midnight and 6AM.You'll have the store to yourself and that's when deals actually hit the floor.The employees are more approachable,and they are just people like us. Many times they will give you a "heads-up" on things getting ready to be marked down , or when the truck with the ammo is expected, especially once you become a regular on their shift.That's also when the trucks get unloaded and the floor is restocked.The store is much quieter and many times I have heard conversations between manager and employee that lead me to a bargain. All the baked goods get marked down and you have first choice.Lots of advantages.

Things like biscuits and gravy ,or boiled rice or grits or mush are great ways to cut down on breakfast costs.Honestly,growing up we had gravy 4-5 times a week sprinkled in with pancakes on sunday,bacon and eggs Saturday and sometimes dry cereal(which is really expensive for what you get).I could eat (any meat) fried with potatoes and onions 3 times a day,almost every day!(I know,fried foods!).Everything tastes better fried! I have found that making your own version of "shake n bake" is a great alternative to frying. 

I love salads! It's easy to change up salads.Taco salad,garden salad etc. To change it slice a few pieces of chicken or another meat into it ,change dressings, add apples.It's really versatile. All that vitamin B will do wonders for your mental health!

I love meat! I think every meal should contain meat.It doesn't have to be a lot of meat but it doesn't take a lot to complete a meal. I love pasta! Limit it. It's expensive and it'll kill you! I love fish! And they are good for you. Every piece of water has fish in it,and they are almost free. Just go get them.Learn how to fish. I can't tell you how many times I've been coming home from work and just stopped by the creek,broke out my el cheapo collapsible pole and caught 20-30 meals worth of fish and the only money involved was for the license and bait or lures.You are already there so just do it! ( It's also a lot of fun too you know!)

Deserts are a problem. Fortunately I don't think too much of sweets.Jello used to be a common desert. It's cheap and easy. Can't beat ambrosia or any other fruit based deserts.Make a big batch and use the freezer on it. Cakes and pies will kill you! 

This is getting long so I'll cut it off with this thought.Every purchase you are considering has to pass the "need" test. People have a hard time separating "needs" from "wants".If it's 50% off but you don't need it,it's not a deal.

Hope you find something I've said useful.

Wade


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## Kristinemomof3 (Sep 17, 2012)

If you are wanting grains in bulk, you could look at www.azurestandard.com & see if they have a drop in your area. We have kept our finances on Quicken for YEARS. I can't believe how many people don't know where there money goes.


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

BelleWithBoots said:


> What am I doing wrong? how can I feed this family for less? ive looked into couponing in the past but they all seem to be for processed pre prepared foods etc. there has to be another way.


The best way to save money on food is to stockpile sale items. That means you might be buying 50lbs of hamburger one week and only bread and milk with it. Then the next week you buy 25boxes mac and cheese with only the fresh milk and bread. The idea is to stockpile what is on sale so you have a store of less expensive ingredients. Eventually you end up with a full pantry of items you bought on sale at a cheaper price than the shelf prices. And if mac/cheese goes up to $3 a box, so what? You still have those three cases of mac/cheese you paid .40 a box to purchase. You have a hedge (stockpile) against inflation. You can't do that with perishable supplies, but those are what you keep chickens, goats, rabbits, and a garden to keep supplied for you. I realize it is difficult to do this at the beginning, but use your tax refund or other influx of money to get a few weeks of groceries to cushion you, then only buy what is on sale and stockpile your groceries. Store your harvest as a hedge. Store sale items as a hedge. Store any windfall as a hedge against inflation. Right now is a good time to buy canned evaporated milk unless you have already canned your extra goat/cow milk from your own animals. 

Generally speaking, cash will only be worth as much as it is right at this moment because inflation eats it away. But, if we faithfully convert cash into stockpiles of pasta, beef, eggs, etc, then it maintains its value longer due to inflation. Right now gas is fairly cheap, around $2 a gallon. You better believe that farmers are filling their storage tanks right now. They would rather spend all the cash they have unhand right now for that $2/gallon gas rather than waiting to buy it next summer at $5 a gallon. They are filling their storage tanks. It kind of makes me wish we had a few big storage tanks to keep gas.


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## Grandmotherbear (May 15, 2002)

Belle- I started planting about a month ago. My first broccoli is ready for harvest(Starter plants from home depot!) I planted broccoli 3 different weeks to stagger the harvest. I prefer broccoli to cauliflower cause broccoli produces side shoots after harvest and cauliflower doesn't.
Don't forget you can vary your salads with nasturtium leaves and kale as well as loose leaf lettuce and arugala. Add garbanzos or peas and you're adding protein.
Muleman- The Triple Rich Cornell formula was from the 50s or 60s I believe- before the days when wholegrain products were widely available. I just bought some bobs Red Mill bean flour - they also make almond flour- and will be experimenting with that for the morning pancakes, which GFB puts peanut butter on and I put Neufchatel on, and then we add fresh fruit.


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## Melissa (Apr 15, 2002)

I think you really need to add up just the amount you are spending on food- not diapers, cleaning products, household needs etc... Those should be different categories.


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## arabian knight (Dec 19, 2005)

Melissa said:


> I think you really need to add up just the amount you are spending on food- not diapers, cleaning products, household needs etc... Those should be different categories.


About Mirro products I am sure you can order new gaskets, seals etc., just like you can still get gaskets and seals for old Presto products. 
I have been in Presto's store at their headquarters building where they have all those parts for sale.


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## Muleman (Nov 8, 2013)

I think we can all agree this has been a popular post, not just as an attempt to help out the OP, but as means for all of us to share different things we do. As far as more inexpensive meal ideas or money saving ideas, when it comes to providing for ones household. I have seen more recipes than a person could cook in a month or more in the previous post and never cook the same thing twice? As far as more money saving ideas. If all the ideas previously mentioned are implemented you will be far ahead of anyone here. There comes a point where you must take the intellectual ideas you have and put them to actual use, adding more intellectual ideas will do nothing more for you without actually putting some of what has already been presented to use. In fact, too much information can lead to indecision and so much time is spent getting "Everything Just Right" that "Nothing" actually ever gets done. So take what has been given or part of it anyway and make it your goal "Today", not tomorrow or when you get ready, but "Today" to implement at least some of them. Tomorrow set another goal, for that DAY. Do not spent too much time at this point planning for a year from now or next spring. Next spring is a long way away, Fall is just now coming and there is lots to be done NOW!! So go and get started, with all the info you have been given, we are just holding you up from actually accomplishing something now, by having you continue sitting here reading new post!!


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## Guest (Dec 5, 2014)

This is all random and might have even been mentioned..

Like Mekasmom I also stock up on sale/loss leaders in bulk..I've been known to buy 70lbs of beef when on sale..I turn that 70lbs into meatballs and food savered several packages...the rest I made into meatloaf, taco meat,cooked beef,chili and pressured canned it..

I also didn't have anyone to teach me how to can food so I'm self taught by watching youtube.com (I learned from bexarprepper---I have canned over 300 jars) use your own judgement.

I built up my food supply a little each week..I bought my long term canned food from beprepared.com for my powered milk,dried egg powder etc..

4-yrs ago I found baking chips on clearance after Christmas ($1.00each) bought all that they had..when I got home I put the baking chips in quart size canning jars and vacuumed sealed them..guess what? they are still as fresh as they were when I first bought them..

Walmart sells little spice packets in the mexican section called Badia for .69 a bag ..I bought a few bags of allspice along with some other spices..I was making a recipe and went to use my 0.8oz McCormick allspice (I paid$3.99) and the container was almost empty..I then remembered that I had bought the Badia allspice..I grinded it up using my coffee grinder and refilled that same 0.8oz McCormick container for .69 and saved myself over $3.00...

I grow perennial herbs like oregano,sage,thyme,chives that I dehydrate/grind and use them during the winter months this saves quite a bit of money..

You can regrow your celery by cutting of the bottom,putting in water until you see roots and plant in a little container with soil and put in south side window sill..

I make my own seasonings like onion soup mix,taco seasoning,Italian seasoning that I vacuum seal in quart jars..I dehydrate my own herbs, what I don't can't grow I buy in bulk from Samsclub and the dollar stores..I keep a HUGE variety of spices just so I have what I need to make whatever I might need for a recipe.

I have found that I have to spend money to save money in the long run if that makes sense? 
What I mean is I planted a fruit orchard.. several blueberry,blackberry,raspberry,elderberry,gooseberry,grape vines,juneberry,rhubarb,strawberry patch,herb & mint garden,asparagus all of which will provide my family food for many years to come..



I believe in investing in good quality machines.. like AA pressure canner,Excaliber dehydrater,KitchenAid mixer,Zojirushi bread machine,Foodsaver vacuum sealer all of which I love and use often..I have saved myself $1000's of dollars.

I make a lot of my foods from scratch..I just started making my own yogurt along with my homemade granola and homemade jam..yum! 

I started out by reading a book called The Complete Tightwad Gazette..it's outdated but I learned to make many meals from scratch that helped cut down on my food budget..

I hope this helps you some..Good luck!


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## myheaven (Apr 14, 2006)

youtube is going to be a great source for learning canning if you are a visual learner BUT BUT BUT!!!!!! I have seen people make enormous errors. so please consult a proper canning book. like the ball blue book. they are cheap now a days as canning is mostly over. Greens and radishes grow well now. look for cool crops to grow.
As a mom of 9 trust me honey if I purchased everything from the store we would be without a house, power, clothes, and a vehicle to get back and forth to work. Dairy is so expensive in the store.Oh my gosh. I have a dairy cow and goats. if it wasn't for them we would not have dairy. 7 bucks for 2 lbs of butter. Dairy is critical for a nursing mom and little growing kids.
we have a few pigs. we scrape our plates into an old 5 gallon bucket and our pigs eat that. everything but pork and bone goes in it.
Good luck food isn't cheap. shop sales.use coupons.


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## kasilofhome (Feb 10, 2005)

REALLY A NEW YEAR IS COMMING AND IF YOU START IN DEC RIGHT now keeping track of your money you will have time to be used to it be January.

Look, honestly your money is going some place. If you do not track you might only THINK it is the food. What I have read on what you are buying even with alaskans height prices I could not spend the money you think is going to food and end up with the food you have written about. 

I am not on your case I really want to help.

Google fred meyers weekly ad and use zip code 99610 for the location and you we see the prices I get to deal with.

Gas is Down to $3.53 milk is about three and a half plain store brand bread 22 oz is 2.19.

Our whole house hold budget is about a grand... that includes s feeding the goats gassing the car.

Pasta is just water and eggs a but of oil 

Make a sause with what you have..got mile make a white sauce and the look for what to add in your can good, leftover use what you got.

Make dinner pancakes start the batter and check the fridge for that half an onion, a bit of cheese got a bit of meat, might even be just chicken might have to add a can of corn. Fold what ever you find in after dicing it in to the batter fry it up Ser topped with salsa it's a can of tomato add onions,a few spices.

Make a pot of rice and a pot of beans today cool.it store have in the fridge and half in the freezer...now you have meal extenders handy.

Oatmeal made with broth and stored in the fridge can stretch your ground beef..it can be done.

Look you got your house...a roof over your head...you are doing good..get creative in using everything you got.


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

kasilofhome said:


> Our whole house hold budget is about a grand... that includes s feeding the goats gassing the car.
> 
> How did you teach your goats to gas the car? Do you hire them out??
> 
> ...


On a different note, why is it that whenever Walmart is mentioned, the name shows up in a link? I posted the name a few posts back and it came out as a link.


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## Molly Mckee (Jul 8, 2006)

Be sure you are separating food and other than food. Paper products, lunch boxes, gloves, and dog food should not be counted as food and the grocery store is probably not the cheapest place to buy them. It sounds like some of things you are buying are things you might need and you are at Walmart anyway so you pick them up. If you are throwing them all together as "groceries" you are inflating the amount you are really spending on food for your family.


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## grandma12703 (Jan 13, 2011)

Molly Mckee said:


> Be sure you are separating food and other than food. Paper products, lunch boxes, gloves, and dog food should not be counted as food and the grocery store is probably not the cheapest place to buy them. It sounds like some of things you are buying are things you might need and you are at Walmart anyway so you pick them up. If you are throwing them all together as "groceries" you are inflating the amount you are really spending on food for your family.


Agreed and many many times you can seriously cut the budget on these things as many are wants and not needs.


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## Grandmotherbear (May 15, 2002)

I went to the Bodega (Spanish Supermercadio) yesterday and bought meat and bulk packed black beans and split peas. Their split peas were $0.79 lb compared to Publix at $1.69 lb.
I figure that I got meat for at least `17 - 2 person meals for about $38. That's chicken breast, pork cushion meat, ground beef, ground pork, smoked pork neck bones, and beef shortribs. I broke down each package on getting home into 2-3 quart size ziplocks and labeled and froze them. You have to be careful buying at a bodega. Sometimes I swear they do their butchering with chainsaws. Steaks are tough- USDA inspected not graded- only things I use for frying/grilling is pork and chicken. Their ground beef is good tho.
I am going to TRY to make Pork Pie one of these days- I have an old jar of Mincemeat approaching its expiration date (but then, I really love mincemeat)


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## Lazy J (Jan 2, 2008)

I'll ask again, is all of the supposed food bill actually food?

I've talked with many people that complain that food is too expensive based on their grocery bill when in fact food only made up a portion of the bill.


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## kasilofhome (Feb 10, 2005)

I am lazy. By separating food for the week as one order at the store
Health care medical as another order
Stock up as another order
Personal hygiene as another
Cleaning as another
Pet stuff as another

Let the store do your mathematics come with envelopes that were destined to the tossed as they came from junk mail.

Write month, and category on the envelopes.

You can reach your goals. We all can improve.


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## TerriLynn (Oct 10, 2009)

Wow! Just found this thread, and there is a wealth of information here. The only things I can think to add that may have not been completely covered are to control food waste. If you buy it, make sure it does not end up in the trash.

We use leftovers as convenience food around here. If we get too many leftovers in the fridge, I stop cooking until we eat stuff up.

Leftover oatmeal (or most any cooked cereal) is good in smoothies, quick bread, or meatloaf.

Overripe fruit, specifically bananas, but other fruits also are good used in smoothies, or quick breads.

Jelly jar empty? Look again, pour a little milk in and replace the lid and shake until all the jam is dissolved into the milk, you can add it to a smoothie or pour it into a popsicle mold and freeze. You can also pour leftover smoothies that the kids didn't finish into popsicle molds and freeze.

Did you milk turn sour? Measure it into 1 cup portions and freeze and bake with it, biscuits, pancakes, or quick breads.

Ketchup, mustard, or other condiment sauce bottles almost empty rinse out with water before discarding. They can be added to meatloaf, gravies, sauces etc.

We process an entire pig for the freezer, but we save the fat and render our own lard. When I run out and need additional lard I call the meat processor and I can get pork fat for 79 cents a lb, and since I use all of it that's pretty cheap fat to cook with. We only use butter, olive oil, or lard. We quit using fake fats.

I generally take inventory of my fridge daily. Always before I decide to get anything out of the freezer or generally before I cook anything new. What needs to be used up? What's almost empty? What's getting overripe? That helps me decide what the next meal will be.


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

About food waste: THINK! 

I made an apple dessert for Thanksgiving. Then I boiled the peelings and cores and I added sugar and a package of pectin and I got perhaps 4 cups of apple jelly from them. THEN, I fed the peelings to the chickens. If I hadn't had the chickens the peels would have been composted.

I made bread and sweet rolls today and I see that I am low on flour: flour is on sale before Christmas at some stores and so next time I shop I will try to get 4 packages of flour.

It takes serious though now days to drop the food bill, because prices have gone up!


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## Ravenlost (Jul 20, 2004)

Ceilismom said:


> No, I think a lot of people find the same as you, but a lot don't. In the past, my options were Walmart, Safeway, or locally-owned grocery stores. Of those options, Walmart was mostly the cheapest on most things, most of the time. Because I had to drive such a long distance (200 miles, round trip) to get to those options, I didn't have the luxury of making a planned grocery run to try to keep on top of the good sales. We went when the ranch had a pressing need of something that had to be got in town.
> 
> Currently, my options are Walmart, 2 local chains, and the Mennonite store. The Mennonite store is cheapest on bulk items, and I can regularly get to the local stores for items that are on sale now, without spending an entire day away from home. Plus, if I have to go to the city, I can take advantage of places like ALDI that weren't even available to me before. Walmart is no longer my cheapest option for groceries, but for nearly 10 years, it was.


 Walmart is only seven miles from me. Kroger is 18 miles. Kroger is still a better deal for me though. Plus, it's in the same town as the Goodwill Outlet where I buy our clothing and other items such as fabric, etc.

I should add that we also have a small garden in the summer and I shop the farmer's market during the summer months. We have a winter garden too. This year we only have broccoli and brussel sprouts, but like to grow other winter crops too.


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## dizzy (Jun 25, 2013)

I haven't read all of the posts, so some of them may have already been said. 

1. Make a list of what you buy, then put down the normal price from all the stores you normally shop in. That way, you'll know whether or not it's a good deal. If you see it on sale for lower than normal, buy it.

2. Make your menu based on the circular, not the other way around. And, check first to see what you already have of the ingredients that aren't on sale.

3. If you have a farmer's market, or even farm stands, they're normally cheaper and of better quality than you can buy in the local store. Around here, I can buy honey in the local store, or I can buy it from the person the stores get it from for much less. And, since I frequently go past his farm, it's not a problem for me to get it. Right now, I've been buying deer apples from a local farm stand for $5.00/basket. They're the apples that have fallen on the ground. Normally, there's nothing else wrong w/them. I'll also buy soft or rejects for cheaper than the asking price.

4. Know when your store marks down meats, and try to buy it then. Normally around here, they'll mark it a certain dollar amount off, not a percentage. So, I try to find the smallest packages I can since this is the cheapest.

5. As has been said, stock up. We just got a whole pork loin for $1.29/lb. And, they had already sliced it up into 13 chops and 2 roasts. 

6. If you can, buy block cheese on sale, then slice it yourself. They just had mozzarella cheese blocks on sale around here for $1.99/lb. Compare that to the cost of what you can buy sliced, and you save a ton. Same goes for shredded cheese. It's normally cheaper to shred your own than buy shreds.

7. Don't buy things like chicken breasts, beef cubes, etc. Instead, buy a whole chicken and cut it up. Buy roasts on sale and cut them into cubes, strips, etc. You get a better meat to bone ratio buying chicken legs than you do buying other parts.

8. If you can, buy roasts for cheap, and grind your own ground beef. Ground beef has gotten so expensive we rarely buy it. You can also get pork loin on sale and make your own sausage.

9. Don't buy lunch meat. Instead, make sandwiches out of leftover meats. Or, just send leftovers for lunch. I'm not much of a sandwich eater, so it's not unusual for me to have last night's dinner for lunch.

10. If you've cook a whole chicken or ham for dinner, find out what cheap meals you can make w/the leftovers. Then, once you've picked the majority of the meat off the bones, use the bones for making soup.

11. Don't let anything go to waste. Either eat it as another meal, or save it and throw it in a soup pot.

12. You don't need to have meat for every meal, but you should have protein. That protein can be in the form of eggs, cheese, beans, etc all of which is generally cheaper than meat. 

Hope this helps.


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## Mid Tn Mama (May 11, 2002)

I've tried to read through all the thread so I hope I won't be repeating too much..

Set aside 15-20 per week for things you can stock your pantry and freezer with sale items. Then, in the future, you aren't shopping with a list from the store, but eating from what you have stocked in your at home "store" for very little.
---------------------------
Look at ethnic cooking--very little meat and usually uses up what you have in the kitchen. Don't be a slave to food network wonks--substitute what you have on hand or what is on sale this week. When we are eating fresh vegetables from the garden, I rotate between chinese stir fry, thai pad thai style stir fry and Indian curries with some american thrown in there. We eat these over brown rice or whole wheat spaghetti noodles. I'm not afraid of carbs as long as they are whole grains which give you a lot of vitamin B and folate.
----------------------
Watch all the Clara's depression cooking videos for some good healthy ways to spread your food dollars.
-------------------------
I second the tip to watch the waste. Every bit of small savings helps. For instance, I save all bits of fruit that got a little brown or bruised in a bag in my freezer. It goes in curry and makes it very delicious and a bit sweeter. I save all apple cores and every so often in the winter will boil those with fruit I've grown and frozen to make homemade jellie with only sugar and the fruit juice. I second the tip about making your own wine for less. I can make it for the cost of a little sugar and 1 tblsp of bread yeast.
-------------------------
Which reminds me, make some sourdough starter and you won't have to pay for : yeast, baking powder again. Healthier for you as well. 
-----------------------
When you go into the fridge, always keep an eye open for what is getting old. Use up those things first and if you can't, just chuck them in a freezer bag and use for soup. I am cleaning my fridge today and will make soup with everything that needs to be used up. Did you know that if you have a bag of lettuce that is a touch brown and you wouldn't want it on a salad, it is just delicious added to your soup pot? Ends of bread get made into croutons.
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Start meals with a healthy bowl of homemade vegetable soup. It will keep you from overeating the more expensive dinner items.
--------------------------
You mentioned that your downfall is buying fast food on weekends when on errands. Keep pbj sandwiches on homemade bread cut in smaller pieces in a zip lock bag with you in the car with some water bottles. We always keep halfway frozen bottles of water in the freezer to which we add water and it keeps cold for a long time.
--------------
Kids and fruit. Or, people and fruit. Yes, fruit is healthy for you, but it is not magically more healthful than vegetables. Carrots and celery are cheaper. I basically only buy apples and banannas each week. I switch these out if there is a better sale. In the summer, I freeze what I grow and what is on sale. Kids like dip and you can hand make healthy dips. A little pb on celery is a good snack and travels well. Train your kids palate to not crave sweets but also appreciate nutrition in the form of less sweet things like carrots.
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Salads: I extend (healthfully) with shredded cabbage. Whatever needs to be used in the fridge is cut up and put on there too. I like to chop up any apples that have gotten a bit soft into the salad too. Make your own healthier salad dressings. I just made some with yogurt last night --ranch.
----------------------
You as a young mother and the kids need milk, but maybe hubby could drink water instead mostly.
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Beans with each meal. Stretches your budget, adds good fiber to your diet and is cheap. I cook beans in the crockpot and freeze in smaller portions. This way, we are eating a different kind of bean every few days.
----------------
Stretch your meat with beans. I add mashed beans to spagetti and other casseroles to stretch the meat (and reduce calories and cholesterol for us). You don't even notice! Barley is another stretcher that has the consistency in your mouth that meat gives you. 
-------------------
I shred over-large zuchinni in the summer and freeze. I add these to spaghetti and casseroles to make them healthy and cheap.
I also use frozen past-their-prime fruit in making muffins with leftover bran cereal. Leftover oatmeal, veggies, cottage cheese, yogurt all go in the bread I'm making. Why throw away dollars and nutrition???
--------------
As soon as my kids were big enough to hold a butter knife and stand on a kitchen chair, they were enlisted to "help" me cook. They made their own healthy snacks and sandwiches which freed me to make other things while supervising. They are all good cooks and I believe their small motor skills were excellent by kindergarten because of this. After halloween, stock up on those blunt pumpkin carving knives. My kids chopped vegetables with me with those. Also, make pumpkin seeds and really other squash seeds for snacks rather than throw them out.


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## Sherrynboo (Mar 19, 2005)

Right now is the height of deer season in GA. Here in w. central GA you can buy unclaimed, processed deer meat for about $75 a case. That is what it was last year, it may have gone up this year. If you are feeding raw the processors are great for scrap that isn't processed. Also buying in bulk like a #50 bag of oatmeal or flour is much better than buying the #5 bags or boxes of oats in the store. I just divide it up in gallon freezer bags and keep in the freezer until ready to fill my flour or oats containers. 

Sherry in GA


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## unregistered358967 (Jul 17, 2013)

^awesome post Mid Tn Mama!


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## Grandmotherbear (May 15, 2002)

Mid Tn Mama- I did NOT like curry till I made my own and discovered I could sweeten it with fruit! DD ate so much curry when we were on FS I thought her complexion would turn yellow (but she still loves curry in her 40s!)
I do have a question for all you who buy beeves of half beeves or pigs or venison - Suppose you are on a city lot with no animal trailer, how do you find someone to buy a baby beef or a pig from? How do you find out about a processor selling venison or feral hog? I would love to find out about how its done. I know the county fairs auction off the 4Hers meat animals after the judging, but when I emailed the South Florida Fair (TWICE!)to ask about date, times, and arranging abbatoir transport I was ignored. But I think more than a couple here would like to know.


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## countryfied2011 (Jul 5, 2011)

GMB, a lot of times I go out to Local Harvest put in your state and go from there. Just like anything else on the internet you have discern from the good and the bad. Also I just Google meat processors for my area when I needed one of them. I am sure you could call around to any of them in your area to find deals on meat that wasnt picked up. I use to buy meat sometimes at the Nashville Farmers Mkt that is how I found a person to buy bulk...they did sell half of a beef, but I never bought one. When we use to buy hogs we bought directly from the hog farmer then took it to someone we knew who killed it and qtr then we brought it home and did the rest ourselves in the garage.

Most local deer processors around here are busy through January


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## Molly Mckee (Jul 8, 2006)

GMB everywhere we have lived the kids fair animals bring over market price. You ask people your family does business with in the community to bid on your animal as well. You might be able to find some animals that did not qualify for the fair auction if you go into the barns and talk to either the kids or their parents. They should be able to help with hauling and who to have butcher as well. A good county agent should know which families to talk to about steers, pigs, or lambs.

Your area might be different, but around here the butcher comes to the farm. They have a really neat truck set up to butcher and do the kill skinning and gutting on site and take the hanging animal to the shop to cut. It is quick and the animal is not stressed. Some ranchers will put an ad in craigslist, others just put out a sign. 

The state law here requires meat to be inspected to be sold and it is very hard to find an inspector. Ranchers will put together a group if you want less than a whole animal, but it is your groups animal before it is butchered, and you make the arrangements for butchering. The rancher will give you the information you need to do this.

You can go to auctions, but unless you are a seasoned buyer, I wouldn't. You will be competing with the professionals and probably not do well.


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## Melissa (Apr 15, 2002)

We have small butcher shops here locally that will sell halves or quarters of hogs and beef. Last time I checked you could get half a hog for $1.99 a pound- cut and wrapped. Beef is running in the $3-$4 range.


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## sniper69 (Sep 23, 2007)

Grandmotherbear said:


> Mid Tn Mama- I did NOT like curry till I made my own and discovered I could sweeten it with fruit! DD ate so much curry when we were on FS I thought her complexion would turn yellow (but she still loves curry in her 40s!)
> I do have a question for all you who buy beeves of half beeves or pigs or venison - Suppose you are on a city lot with no animal trailer, how do you find someone to buy a baby beef or a pig from? How do you find out about a processor selling venison or feral hog? I would love to find out about how its done. I know the county fairs auction off the 4Hers meat animals after the judging, but when I emailed the South Florida Fair (TWICE!)to ask about date, times, and arranging abbatoir transport I was ignored. But I think more than a couple here would like to know.


Grandmotherbear - are you looking for something like this? http://miami.craigslist.org/brw/for/4693275134.html

Here in OH, I can go to craigslist and do a search for beef. Listings show up, I can contact the farmer, see the animals, etc and then decide on whether I want to buy beef from them. The half beef I bought a few months ago was found this way, and I actually drove just over the state line into Indiana to pick it up. The half I bought previous to that was from a farmer in OH, the beef was excellent - but I didn't like how the processor the farmer used processed it (that processor took "basic processing" a little to literal. Luckily I have no problems with cutting meat the way I like it, lol.) The processor for the half beef from Indiana that I bought a few months ago gave a better variety of cuts and was willing to work with me to do some cuts that aren't very common in this area, plus the processor vacuum packed everything at no additional charge (which I prefer). The beef so far has been excellent as well.

As for finding processors in your area, if that works better for what your looking for, try this http://www.yellowpages.com/south-florida-fl/deer-processing or also maybe look for those that process alligator. I know that I had the chance to go gator hunting a few years ago, and although I didn't get to go, my buddy and his friends take gator to a meat processor near the Ocala area. So it might help to check out gator processors too.


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## Grandmotherbear (May 15, 2002)

Thank you all for the replies. I will be checking them out and seeing if it will really benefit us versus shopping loss leaders at the bodegas. Our mini-freezer bit the dust so storage does become a problem.


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

Wow, what a great thread! We used to spend $600 for 2 of us (yes, 2!) and that was food only, not even paper towels. It's under $300 now which some would say is high but I do splurge on good parmesan and other luxuries. 

I think everything I was going to say someone has mentioned. But here' my 2 cents:

I don't believe in shopping with a menu plan, if you've been cooking long enough you know what your family eats. Know what's already at home. Shop only on price and deals. Plan it all while shopping or when you get home. If you have a set list and stick to it no matter the price, it'll cost you.

Set aside part of your budget for "stocking up". Your freezers and pantry should be full of food you eat regularly, bought on sale. Your always beating inflation this way. When you are ready, get canning. It's a great way to put up meat on sale, make those dried beans ready to go into a meal. 

Only buy fruits and vegetables in season, or if a great price. Just because the baby loves blueberries doesn't mean he gets them year round 

Make lots of soups and stews. They go a long ways. 

1 glass of milk a day. A child's serving of juice is 2 - 4 oz depending on their age. The rest is water as long as they are eating other calcium sources. 

And snacking, as brought up previously. A little snack after school, but otherwise the kids don't need to be snacking. 

We no longer buy most vegetables as we have a huge garden and just eat in season, but gardens are not always cost-effective when starting out.


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## stickinthemud (Sep 10, 2003)

PAY ATTENTION when you shop!
Boxes may look the same but the contents are shrinking, check the price per unit.
Compare store sale prices but be sure the item is the same in all stores. One week Cheerios were on sale for the same price at all 3 local stores, but for three different size boxes.
Large size is not always cheaper. Take a calculator if you need to. 
Generic is not always cheaper. This week sale prices in same store: 4lb generic granulated sugar $1.99, store brand 2/$5, and brand name $1.68. 
Remember while checking out to to use any rewards cards, coupons, rain checks, etc. 
Be sure prices ring up as they are supposed to. One local store offers the first item free if it doesn't ring up at the advertised price.


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## 1shotwade (Jul 9, 2013)

stickinthemud said:


> PAY ATTENTION when you shop!
> Boxes may look the same but the contents are shrinking, check the price per unit.
> Compare store sale prices but be sure the item is the same in all stores. One week Cheerios were on sale for the same price at all 3 local stores, but for three different size boxes.
> Large size is not always cheaper. Take a calculator if you need to.
> ...



Agreed! I drink coffee and use creamer which I do get at wallyworld on occasion. The generic brand I buy is $.11 per unit so I'm thinking I will get the larger size and save a little more. The larger size is $.14 per unit.These days it's any little trick to separate you from your money.

Wade


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## Grandmotherbear (May 15, 2002)

When the kids were elementary school age,unpacking. the for e
groceries meant immediately putting on the extra dozen eggs we always bought to hard boil, turning the celery and carrots into ready to eat sticks and washing the fruit and putting it in a bowl on the table. That and yogurt and toast from Healthy bread made up our snacks


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## craftychick (Nov 11, 2013)

You might find some good tips on this website. I found them on Facebook and there are many tips that I am implementing to save money. They have a lot of info on lowering your grocery bill as well as a lot of inexpensive recipes.

http://www.livingonadime.com/category/frugal-living/


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## strawberrygirl (Feb 11, 2009)

I did not read all of the replies so forgive me if this has already been mentioned. 

I know you said you make most things from scratch, but do you make things like mayonnaise, salad dressings, and bread crumbs at home? They are super easy to make and can save you money if you make them yourself.


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

craftychick said:


> You might find some good tips on this website. I found them on Facebook and there are many tips that I am implementing to save money. They have a lot of info on lowering your grocery bill as well as a lot of inexpensive recipes.
> 
> http://www.livingonadime.com/category/frugal-living/


I have to second this website - it is full of awesome ideas for saving money and time, cleaning tips, great recipes, etc. Just be careful; you can get sucked into reading one idea after another, and before you know it, you've spent hours!


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

I am another very happy Mirro owner. Got one at a barn sale years ago ($25), bought 2 new gaskets and an extra blow-out valve for less than $20. I have used it for years even though I don't do a whole lot of canning. I recently canned 9 pints of cubed squash in about the same amount of time it took to cook what wouldn't fit in the canner. And yes, you can still get parts. Made in America.

Oatmeal, to add a little something put some frozen fruit in the water before adding the oatmeal. Egg scrambles are a favorite here, eggs, onions, mushrooms, sausage, cheese. Wrap a bit in a soft tortilla shell and eat. It doesn't take much to feed 5 people that way. Toasted cheese sandwiches and some cooked veggies make a good meal. Make a roast with celery, potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, and mushrooms. It can last for a couple meals. Beans and cornbread, one of my favorites! Add some chicken breast and a little fruit for dessert and you have a good meal. 

One question I have is how much are you trying to get the little ones to eat? I know a lot of people who serve little ones adult sized servings then try to force the child to eat it all. When that happens a lot gets thrown away. Give the little ones small portions, you can always give them another small portion if they are still hungry.

Drink mixes, never buy the sweetened drink mixes. They are a huge waste of money. Buy the unsweetened packs and use only half the sugar. The kids won't know unless you're serving lemonaid. The drink mixes can be used for making your own freeze pops. A lot cheaper, no plastic wrappers to toss, and the kids can pick their favorite flavors. Another idea is to blend some fruit juice and fresh fruit and make freeze pops with that. I would never give children artificially sweetened foods or drinks. 

Yogurt, if you don't want to make your own you can always buy the big bulk tubs and add pureed fruit. 

And as was stated by some others, frozen fruit and vegetables are usually a better bargain than fresh. Especially when it comes to peas, berries and broccoli. Also, frozen products usually are more nutritious than the fresh counterpart. The exceptions are potatoes, citrus and bananas. 

One meal I fix that my whole family loves is cabbage and bratwurst. Costs maybe $6 for 4 adult size meals, $7 if you add cheese. Fry a pack of bratwurst until cooked thoroughly, slice into small sections, chop a small head of cabbage (we prefer the red) and dice a pepper and onion, toss the vegetables into the pot and cover, cook until the cabbage is soft. Top with shredded cheese if desired.


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## farmmom (Jan 4, 2009)

There are 3 of us - me, 17 year old son, and 10 year old son. We spend less than $600/month for groceries. $600 is my budget, but rarely use all of it. Since getting a Cosco membership, my expenses have dropped even more. We buy 25lb of flour for $6, 2lb yeast for $4, 20lb rice for $7. We make all our own bread. I have an arrangement with a woman in which I incubate eggs, she raises the birds, and we split the meat. We rarely buy anything "prepared".


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## Suzyq2u (May 17, 2010)

POPCORN, Popcorn, popcorn. We love the stuff.
I buy a big bulk bag of it and the kids or DH and I season it
how we want. Sometimes it's just with salt, others with
a little sugar, sometimes the kids like chilli powder. 
The kids can put a tbsp in a brown paper sac and pop it in the 
microwave for 2min, a touch of pam spray on top for it to stick and 
season away! Easy 

I also make mini muffins. A lot of wks I'm able to find a sack of
"reduced" bananas at the grocery. They make great banana muffins.
I make mini ones as they go further around here, kids eat them in their
lunch, snack, maybe breakfast. 

Pancakes and waffles get made on the weekend, I 2-3x the recipe. Then
we freeze the rest in sandwich bags that are portion sized (2 or 3) and the
kids toss them in the toaster in the morning if they didn't want grits, oatmeal
or an egg before they head out.

Meat is never served in a hunk unless it's a special meal. It's cut up and put into something (with potatoes, over rice, extra veggies, etc).

Bacon pieces are cheap here. I can get a 10lb box for about $17. NOW they aren't good slices but great to put hunks in things. Great flavor.

Bigger pieces of meat, a turkey or a ham get cooked here pretty often. They make life a lot easier as we eat off the piece for several days.


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## grandma12703 (Jan 13, 2011)

Danaus29 said:


> I am another very happy Mirro owner. Got one at a barn sale years ago ($25), bought 2 new gaskets and an extra blow-out valve for less than $20. I have used it for years even though I don't do a whole lot of canning. I recently canned 9 pints of cubed squash in about the same amount of time it took to cook what wouldn't fit in the canner. And yes, you can still get parts. Made in America.
> 
> Oatmeal, to add a little something put some frozen fruit in the water before adding the oatmeal. Egg scrambles are a favorite here, eggs, onions, mushrooms, sausage, cheese. Wrap a bit in a soft tortilla shell and eat. It doesn't take much to feed 5 people that way. Toasted cheese sandwiches and some cooked veggies make a good meal. Make a roast with celery, potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, and mushrooms. It can last for a couple meals. Beans and cornbread, one of my favorites! Add some chicken breast and a little fruit for dessert and you have a good meal.
> 
> ...


I am not asking this to be defensive but something you said really caught my eye and I am seriously curious if this is true and where that info. comes from because I always thought completely opposite. How are frozen products more nutricious than fresh? Are you just talking about groc. store products or grown at home produce?


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## Guest (Dec 8, 2014)

grandma12703 said:


> I am not asking this to be defensive but something you said really caught my eye and I am seriously curious if this is true and where that info. comes from because I always thought completely opposite. How are frozen products more nutricious than fresh? Are you just talking about groc. store products or grown at home produce?


Typically, frozen products are frozen in-season when ripe, rather than being picked just before ripeness, so as to ripen at the store. Out of season produce that has to be shipped farther and therefore picked earlier is less nutritious than frozen produce that was ripe when it was picked in season. It's the same principle for preserving food at home. You pick ripe produce to eat and to can and freeze and dehydrate, so that in winter you have a more nutritious product to consume.


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## grandma12703 (Jan 13, 2011)

Toffee said:


> Typically, frozen products are frozen in-season when ripe, rather than being picked just before ripeness, so as to ripen at the store. Out of season produce that has to be shipped farther and therefore picked earlier is less nutritious than frozen produce that was ripe when it was picked in season. It's the same principle for preserving food at home. You pick ripe produce to eat and to can and freeze and dehydrate, so that in winter you have a more nutritious product to consume.


That makes sense and is why I asked. We raise a good percentage of our produce and fruit and eat as it ripens but I do know that when you buy in the store many times it has been picked much earlier than the time we find it on the shelf. Thanks for the response.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Many fruits and vegetables start to degrade after they are picked. Corn and asparagus for example, if not consumed within 24 hours the nutrition content starts to deteriorate. But when blanched and frozen (and commercial producers can freeze stuff a lot faster than you can at home) immediately the nutrients don't degrade as fast. However, take sweet potatoes, potatoes, and squash. Those don't degrade near as much in storage and are cheaper when purchased unprocessed. And then you have things like "fresh" peaches and strawberries which are picked and shipped green (yuck) but the frozen alternative is ripe and simply tastes better in addition to having more nutrition. 

It's a lot of information to process and varies widely by product. I used to have a paper USDA chart showing all the different products and the nutrition content according to the way they were processed.


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## deb_rn (Apr 16, 2010)

We recently bought many lbs of lean, boneless pork roast for $1.99/lb... it was $1.69/lb a couple weeks later. Once home, we cubed some for chop suey, left some for roasts, sliced some for pork chop type usage. If you cut it up into serving sizes, you waste less. Even when the pork roast is done, I cut it into serving sizes to be eaten the next day, or we will just nibble away at it's goodness and not get the amount of meals we intended! We always cook once and eat at least twice... THAT is fast food! We rarely go out to eat, frankly, we cook better! DH & I are both gluten intolerant, so our flours cost more. When sugar is on sale for 99cents, we buy it, whether we need it now or not. I buy enough brown sugar this time of year to last me until next year when it is on sale. Aldi's is where we buy the bulk of our groceries. I price match all ads at Wally World and save a ton of money each week. I recently got celery for 48cents, sweet potatoes for 39cents, a turkey for 49cents/lb, cabbage for 39cents/lb... etc. If it's not on sale, we don't eat it. Ground turkey at Aldi's is far cheaper than ground beef. Chicken hindquarters are regularly on sale for 69-79cents/lb. That is almost all we eat. I don't think you can raise a chicken for THAT price! Rarely we have chicken breast. We have a small garden that produces huge! I have a postage stamp yard, but still have 2 pear trees, 2 apple trees, 1 cherry tree, raspberries that produce 130# per year, carrots that stay in the ground all winter under a 3ft pile of leaves... saves processing time and tastes better! Broccoli & kale are harvested late into fall. Eggs are a great, cheap source of protein. Making an egg scramble for supper is an excellent way to get veggies in too. I buy fresh red peppers for 59cents each when on sale and slice and freeze for use in everything! Soup and casseroles are your best bets! Fresh muffins, corn bread or biscuits make them a meal. We buy local honey by the 5 gal pail. I use it to bake with and make wine with, as well as a cough and cold remedy. We only eat homemade jam... from our free raspberries and cheap sugar! I get the word out that I'll take any apples, pears, etc that people don't want. I just bought jonathan apples for 50 cents/lb and made applesauce and froze it. You need to cruise the store, see what's on sale, and capitalize on it!

Debbie


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## cfuhrer (Jun 11, 2013)

Make a menu. I make ours weekly, I tried monthly but it didn't work as well. I make it based off what we have and what's in the sale circulars. Then pick up staples that are on sale to fill in.

Use your vegetable/fruit trailings to make vegatable stock, then compost what is left afterwards.

Make your own yogurt, then use the whey to replace the liquid in your baked goods.

Rabbits are small, easy to care for, grow up fast and cook up just like a chicken. Not to mention they are great pets for kids, well, the ones that don't go to freezer camp anyway.


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## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

Well, I've read several pages and just wanted to add a bit myself, hopefully not already beat into the ground... 

Get a bread machine and bake your own bread. With a machine it takes less of my personal time then running to the one tiny corner store to start the bread and it is so much better it would be worth twice the price! However, its really very cheap. We got a flour mill at a yard sale years ago, so I grind my own wheat berries for whole wheat bread. Store bread has gotten so nasty I can't bring myself to eat even the expensive stuff any more. I do put an egg in most of my sandwich breads for protein, btw. 

We buy 1/4 of a beef from a rancher friend when we get low, we share a lot of it with our son and his family, because they don't have as much money as we do and we like to see our three grandkids eating quality food. They are not wasteful with it either. It's as cheap as average ground beef for super quality ground beef, steaks and roasts. They throw in a box of dog bones from the butcher for free. My rancher friend often gives me heart, liver, kidneys from his beef too. 

As for canners, do look at thrift stores, Craigslist, garage sales. I got my All American from an acquaintance that didn't use hers for a very good price, under $100. I got my steam juicer off of ebay for a great price and my water bath canner for $5 at a garage sale. Same for bread machines and food dehydrators (brand new $20 at Good Will!). 

When you do get to gardening, many fruits and veggies make great snacks dried and will keep for ages. Also if you can buy decent produce at a markdown. 

I've enjoyed this thread, will read the rest of it later, as there are many good ideas. I'll be making more corn meal mush for breakfast in the future! Also more plain oatmeal with dried fruit and chopped nuts (just a little) to give it even more healthy nutrition. 

Still our bill is way too high too and getting higher all the time, though we eat the same. I guess I'll be looking it over next month with a magnifying glass out of curiosity!


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## Freya (Dec 3, 2005)

suitcase_sally said:


> On a different note, why is it that whenever Walmart is mentioned, the name shows up in a link? I posted the name a few posts back and it came out as a link.


It's usually Adsense put in by the site you are on. Happens on many websites. Affiliate income. :nerd:


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## hmsteader71 (Mar 16, 2006)

If you're on Facebook here's a link to the page I created for frugal recipes.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/377923012273341/


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Crisste said:


> That's some interesting input. I have heard others say they were satisfied with their rubber-seal type canner too. You're not the first.
> 
> But, I've seen too many of them with rotted seals sitting on the shelves in storage. The excuse? "Oh, I have to order a new gasket for it one of these days".
> 
> Its just my personal preference, but I don't like them.


Guess I'm just lucky, I can just run to the hardware store a mile away and buy a new gasket. I have a spare, but I have never needed it. MIL replaced her gasket the same year DH and I got married. She's gone and I now have that caner and it works just fine - 21 yrs on one gasket.


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