BellaOnline Forums Family Work & Family Do you have a budget tip when shopping for food?

Shopping for food can be a killer on your budget. Does anyone have a budget tip when shopping for food?

I always buy the largest size bag of frozen mixed veggies. I use them as a hot side dish; I take a cupful to add to a cold salad, I use put them in a blender to thicken easy homemade soup; I put them in Ramen noodles (use just a corner of the packaged mix) for lunch. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

What do you do to save money?

V~

Hi Vannie,

I think the best tip I can offer is to alway build a menu before going to the store. Next would be to always buy the items with the least amount of packaging. (A negative example would be Lunchables with the box, the plastic wrap cover and the hard plastic container with separate pockets. What are you really buying here--food or packaging?

I hate advertising campaigns that target children. Remember the sad little boy who drips rainwater from his hat into his lame paper bag lunch and saddens when he doesn't find a pre-packaged lunch inside? Or, how about the older children who are inside the phone booth calling home while the little brother waits outside in the rain?

Now, how about a positve example (My husband works for Pepsi, so this isn't an endorsement). I love that commercial for Coke where you can hear the dad call from the other room for a soda and the teenager gives him the last coke because he is appreciative of all his dad has done for him.

Aaaah! That's nice!

Jean

I buy larger packages of meat and chicken, which are usually cheaper per pound, and freeze into smaller meal-size packages.

And, for things we use regularly, I buy at wholesale clubs. Detergent, a few other cleaning supplies, paper products, tea, some canned foods and some frozen foods, plus their store brand pain-relievers, vitamins and allergy meds are usually a big cost-savings. I hate to shop, too, so stocking up saves time as well.

Jean, that really does make sense. I must admit that I don't do it. However, I do have a general idea of what I want. Now that I work from home and no longer work 9a to 5p, I have been trying to eat fewer calories while I eat more. It is so easy to nosh while sitting at my lap top. I am trying to keep more fruit in the house for snacks too. I suspect menu building is perfect for me. I would also save money. Great idea.

I guess it is best to plan for the whole week.

I have not bought from wholesale clubs because I am a family of one, not sure if the clubs are for me. Yes, buying larger packages of meat and chicken freezing them into smaller meal-size packages is an excellent idea.

Vannie, I must say I do love the wholesale clubs. I definitely recoup my membership fees with the savings. I would probably buy more there if I had extra storage space! I also buy office supplies there-- the ink for my printer is $30 cheaper than at office supply stores, so that almost pays the fee itself.

My boyfriend buys his gas there, since he has a gas-guzzling pick-up truck and works 20 miles away, so even the 5 cent price difference adds up. I have a small car & don't buy much gas at all! LOL

When my kids were younger I bought lunch stuff there-sandwich stuff & snacks & juices. That was a big help!

I make a menu for the week (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and make a list. There are items that I get every trip to the grocery so they go down on the list first. Then as I go through my menu, I check the cupboards for anything I'm not 100% sure I've already got. Anything from the menu that I need, I put on the list. Then I sit down with the circulars on Sunday and price shop. I write down any prices of sale items that are on my list. I shop at a store where they price match, but I have to be able to present the ad, so I usually end up taking a bunch of circulars with me. That's ok because I usually save money.

We're a family of 6, so every single penny counts.

With a family of 6, when do you have time to do all this?!? <img src="/images/graemlins/ooo.gif" alt="" />

I know my mother did the same, but she stayed up very, very late. In our house, though, the first step was eliminated. By shopping day, the cupboard was bare.

I would do price clubs and all, but when I shop large, food tends to go to waste somehow. I'm better doing two or three days at a time and trying to remember there are only three of us. One might not show up for dinner, the other might not want dinner, and that leaves me, who won't cook for just myself. It's hard to keep the pots from being overfilled, as I grew up cooking for a mob, 15 or more at a time. We had company for breakfast Saturday, so I got a chance to pull all the stops out. Then I had to go back to bed, exhausted. <img src="/images/graemlins/rolling.gif" alt="" />

When my kids were all still little (and at home) money was very tight. I tried not to buy and packaged goodies...I would always bake cookies or cake or ect. I think that is where you can spend a fortune! I can hardly believe the price of packaged cookies still!

Deb

Oh my gosh. I did not realize that you could get that kind of stuff from a wholesale club. The cost of printer ink is outrageous <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> I think I need to take a look. This may be a dumb question, but will they let me in without a membership card? Also, which wholesale club do you use?