Tips for curbing spending on food

[Anonymous]

$800 a week is ridiculous especially given you said you don’t eat out very often. We are a family of six and we are probably at 50-60% of that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Family of 5, and my best guess is we spend appx $1500/mo. on food.

Since January 2023, we stopped going out to eat or doing takeout for the most part when it is us alone (just our family of 5) - except for on vacation and special occasions. We will do take out or dine out socially with others - that’s not something I was interesting in giving up.

It sounds like you’re regularly doing 3 nights a week of takeout. You could try cutting to 2, for a while and then later to 1.

We try to use up what we have in the house. I see what we have before making the grocery list and try to do some meals that involve some things we already have on hand. I have been freezing more things before they go bad if it doesn’t seem like we will finish them.

I am not up to doing yet this but the people who really their spending on track have an inventory of their pantry and freezer items.

Family of 4 and we spend about this much as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Stop getting take out

Shop at Aldi.

Seriously, do these two things and report back in a few months how much you’ve spent

Shop at Aldi!? Why not get your baby food at the Dollar Store too??

Look there’s a certain cost to growing an apple or a pig. How do you think every link in the supply chain can make money when they’re selling the pork shoulders for 0.99 per pound and the chops for 1-3.99v. A pig to slaughter is, at most 350 lbs. even if every pound is sold (it’s not), the most marketable cuts going that cheap should be a huge red flag.

When giant is making less than 5% profit store wide including their brand name and packaged goods, produce is probably making around 1%, how does Aldi find apples at 30% cheaper to still sell at a profit?

Retail grocery is incredibly competitive. You’re not always getting more when you pay more, but you should be really concerned about the consistently cheapest option around. Especially when they’re all too eager to move into poorer areas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stop getting take out

Shop at Aldi.

Seriously, do these two things and report back in a few months how much you’ve spent

Shop at Aldi!? Why not get your baby food at the Dollar Store too??

Look there’s a certain cost to growing an apple or a pig. How do you think every link in the supply chain can make money when they’re selling the pork shoulders for 0.99 per pound and the chops for 1-3.99v. A pig to slaughter is, at most 350 lbs. even if every pound is sold (it’s not), the most marketable cuts going that cheap should be a huge red flag.

When giant is making less than 5% profit store wide including their brand name and packaged goods, produce is probably making around 1%, how does Aldi find apples at 30% cheaper to still sell at a profit?

Retail grocery is incredibly competitive. You’re not always getting more when you pay more, but you should be really concerned about the consistently cheapest option around. Especially when they’re all too eager to move into poorer areas.

There are a number of articles that highlight how places like Aldi and Lidl have lower prices. It has little to do with direct food quality. Biggest reasons (broadly):

1. Fewer staff (most important, you can immediately tell in the store that there are fewer employees inside)
2. Many fewer product options/selections (this can be annoying, there are a few things we simply can't get at Aldi)
3. Deep simplification of operations- products put directly on shelves in boxes (much faster/more turnover/less staff), huge bar codes (much faster scanning/shopper throughput), the coin thing for carts, so need much less staff to deal with carts/less time.
4. Cheaper real estate- they locate in slightly less busy areas with cheaper prices/leases
5. House brands

https://www.foodrepublic.com/1385441/why-aldi-groceries-so-cheap/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:40,000 a year is $3,300 a month.

That's a tremendous amount, even for a family of 5.

What are you buying, and how much?

Expensive large quantities of meat and seafood?
Organic grass fed milk or just store brand organic?
How much fruit, in season?
Are you counting stuff like in-store sushi and pre-made things?
Drinks: alcohol? How much is a bottle of wine for you and how much do you drink?

I can not fathom what you are buying to get to that amount and I buy pretty much everything I want, for probably under half that amount. Plus we eat out more.

DP: I refuse to include alcohol in the food "budget". We have 3-4 bottles of wine in a typical week plus other cocktails. Wines are typically 30-60$ sometimes $100-120. I figure we spend $500-1K/month on alcohol, a lot more if we host a dinner. But it's much cheaper than drinking in restaurants, and we believe in quality wines

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't count vacation meals as part of monthly grocery spend.

What kind of coffee do you drink at home? Nespresso pods are $1.25 each and K cups around 0.55. We use 4 k cups a day so it adds up.Nespresso would be even more.

Similarly, do you drink sparkling water? At one point we were going through 3 packs a week - around $120/month just for that.

Agree with others about a costco membership. Good for individual packs of snacks, produce, spices, dairy, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stop getting take out

Shop at Aldi.

Seriously, do these two things and report back in a few months how much you’ve spent

Shop at Aldi!? Why not get your baby food at the Dollar Store too??

Look there’s a certain cost to growing an apple or a pig. How do you think every link in the supply chain can make money when they’re selling the pork shoulders for 0.99 per pound and the chops for 1-3.99v. A pig to slaughter is, at most 350 lbs. even if every pound is sold (it’s not), the most marketable cuts going that cheap should be a huge red flag.

When giant is making less than 5% profit store wide including their brand name and packaged goods, produce is probably making around 1%, how does Aldi find apples at 30% cheaper to still sell at a profit?

Retail grocery is incredibly competitive. You’re not always getting more when you pay more, but you should be really concerned about the consistently cheapest option around. Especially when they’re all too eager to move into poorer areas.

You don’t know squat about Aldi apparently. Mine is super good, lots of organic. It’s in Del Ray, not exactly a poor area. Also, they’re owned by the same parent company that owns Trader Joe’s. SMH at your ignorance.

But if you want to be a snob that throws money away, have at it. Seems like a dumb decision, but you do you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And I would separate out entertaining and babysitting food from your general family grocery / dining out budget personally.

+1 I would also separate out the alcohol and dining out and take out expenses. You are mixing entertaining with regular eating. Our food expenses are also very high (for a family of 3) but dining out is our major source of entertainment now so we are ok with it.

[Anonymous]

Homemade ramen (just the packets of choice), plus veggies and an egg. Cheap.

Roasted veggies over rice.

Beans/rice with some chips/salsa side.

All cheap options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stop getting take out

Shop at Aldi.

Seriously, do these two things and report back in a few months how much you’ve spent

Shop at Aldi!? Why not get your baby food at the Dollar Store too??

Look there’s a certain cost to growing an apple or a pig. How do you think every link in the supply chain can make money when they’re selling the pork shoulders for 0.99 per pound and the chops for 1-3.99v. A pig to slaughter is, at most 350 lbs. even if every pound is sold (it’s not), the most marketable cuts going that cheap should be a huge red flag.

When giant is making less than 5% profit store wide including their brand name and packaged goods, produce is probably making around 1%, how does Aldi find apples at 30% cheaper to still sell at a profit?

Retail grocery is incredibly competitive. You’re not always getting more when you pay more, but you should be really concerned about the consistently cheapest option around. Especially when they’re all too eager to move into poorer areas.

You don’t know squat about Aldi apparently. Mine is super good, lots of organic. It’s in Del Ray, not exactly a poor area. Also, they’re owned by the same parent company that owns Trader Joe’s. SMH at your ignorance.

But if you want to be a snob that throws money away, have at it. Seems like a dumb decision, but you do you.

DP but IME Aldi quality can be very location dependent. The one closest to me is not that great- the produce tends to spoil quickly. Limited organic meat options. I occasionally stop for a few things during the week but the parking lot is always a sh-tshow on the weekend plus I simply can’t get everything there. So it’s just not always worth my time to save a few bucks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You also say you don’t eat a lot of meat but you’re spending $125 a week on meat cheese and school snacks. That sounds like a lot on cheese and school snacks per week if it’s not a lot of meat.

The meat portion is probably 50 dollars a week. More if I’m entertaining, which isn’t frequently. Cheese is maybe 20 max? I get school snacks and some other things at that store (specific items we like/only find there, but not meat or cheese) and sometimes we also buy sushi or premade grilled chicken there. But truly not a lot of meat.

50 on meat alone weekly isn’t crazy, but also not nothing, especially since you said it mostly chicken. That’s probably at least 5 meals worth, right? I just don’t get how you’re spending so much on groceries but still getting takeout 3 times. Are your kids teenagers that just eat a lot of food right now?

I don’t find WF terribly expensive for many things but you talk about getting grains/lentils there- that’s an easy thing to switch. The WF bags are small and not good value. Get a big bag of quinoa at Costco, and rice/dried lentils from H Mart. Much cheaper and you don’t have to buy as frequently.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stop getting take out

Shop at Aldi.

Seriously, do these two things and report back in a few months how much you’ve spent

Shop at Aldi!? Why not get your baby food at the Dollar Store too??

Look there’s a certain cost to growing an apple or a pig. How do you think every link in the supply chain can make money when they’re selling the pork shoulders for 0.99 per pound and the chops for 1-3.99v. A pig to slaughter is, at most 350 lbs. even if every pound is sold (it’s not), the most marketable cuts going that cheap should be a huge red flag.

When giant is making less than 5% profit store wide including their brand name and packaged goods, produce is probably making around 1%, how does Aldi find apples at 30% cheaper to still sell at a profit?

Retail grocery is incredibly competitive. You’re not always getting more when you pay more, but you should be really concerned about the consistently cheapest option around. Especially when they’re all too eager to move into poorer areas.

You don’t know squat about Aldi apparently. Mine is super good, lots of organic. It’s in Del Ray, not exactly a poor area. Also, they’re owned by the same parent company that owns Trader Joe’s. SMH at your ignorance.

But if you want to be a snob that throws money away, have at it. Seems like a dumb decision, but you do you.

DP but IME Aldi quality can be very location dependent. The one closest to me is not that great- the produce tends to spoil quickly. Limited organic meat options. I occasionally stop for a few things during the week but the parking lot is always a sh-tshow on the weekend plus I simply can’t get everything there. So it’s just not always worth my time to save a few bucks.

That’s fine, if it doesn’t work for you. but for people who seriously need to save money, it is a good suggestion. I cut my grocery bill in half. The meats are much better than what can be found in Safeway/Giant.

Of course not everyone is going to want to deal with less variety, fewer products, annoying parking and carts, and self bagging.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stop doing your regular shopping at Whole Foods and see how much you save. Just go there for fruits / veggies that you want to prioritize.

Ironically I find Whole Foods super affordable. Their brand grains like quinoa, rice and lentils are far more affordable than normal grocery stores. I get fruits and veggies there because the quality is good and the prices are equal to or better than any stores. We aren’t buying the expensive stuff or prepared food at Whole Foods.

Normal grocery stores are the worst unless a product is on sale. We buy dry goods from target and Walmart. Delivery is free above a nominal amount and everything is cheaper than grocery stores. We buy meat and fruit and vegetables from whole foods. Frozen, bread, and dairy from Safeway

But normal grocery stores are great when a product is on sale, so we shop Giant and Teeter and stock up on non-perishables when things are at their cheapest (after a while, you know what the low end is). Sale prices cycle every few months, which is usually about how long it takes us to go through 10 boxes of Annie's or name-brand pasta that we bought for $1. If we're overstocked when things go on sale we buy less, if we run out we might end up buying a box of something at a higher price but overall we save a lot by planning shopping and meals around what is on sale.

We also buy some things (olive oil, vegetable oil, etc) in bulk from Costco and decant into smaller containers for the kitchen cabinet. You can keep the 1-gallon jug in the basement where its dark and cool.

Grocery bill in 2023 averaged $1600 a month, family of 4 with two teenagers.

[Anonymous]

OP's actual grocery bills are reasonable and hardly outrageous.

It's that she's including all her vacation dining in the year's food expenditures that's making it seem wildly out of wack. A family of five eating out three times a day over a few weeks of vacations will definitely add up into the thousands.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stop getting take out

Shop at Aldi.

Seriously, do these two things and report back in a few months how much you’ve spent

Shop at Aldi!? Why not get your baby food at the Dollar Store too??

Look there’s a certain cost to growing an apple or a pig. How do you think every link in the supply chain can make money when they’re selling the pork shoulders for 0.99 per pound and the chops for 1-3.99v. A pig to slaughter is, at most 350 lbs. even if every pound is sold (it’s not), the most marketable cuts going that cheap should be a huge red flag.

When giant is making less than 5% profit store wide including their brand name and packaged goods, produce is probably making around 1%, how does Aldi find apples at 30% cheaper to still sell at a profit?

Retail grocery is incredibly competitive. You’re not always getting more when you pay more, but you should be really concerned about the consistently cheapest option around. Especially when they’re all too eager to move into poorer areas.

You don’t know squat about Aldi apparently. Mine is super good, lots of organic. It’s in Del Ray, not exactly a poor area. Also, they’re owned by the same parent company that owns Trader Joe’s. SMH at your ignorance.

But if you want to be a snob that throws money away, have at it. Seems like a dumb decision, but you do you.

DP but IME Aldi quality can be very location dependent. The one closest to me is not that great- the produce tends to spoil quickly. Limited organic meat options. I occasionally stop for a few things during the week but the parking lot is always a sh-tshow on the weekend plus I simply can’t get everything there. So it’s just not always worth my time to save a few bucks.

That’s fine, if it doesn’t work for you. but for people who seriously need to save money, it is a good suggestion. I cut my grocery bill in half. The meats are much better than what can be found in Safeway/Giant.

Of course not everyone is going to want to deal with less variety, fewer products, annoying parking and carts, and self bagging.

PP here- oh I do agree with this. When I do go I always grab a couple packs of the fresh chicken tenders to stick in the freezer. My kids love those on the grill. We just don't eat a lot of meat overall, and also belong to Costco, so in general that benefit isn't as relevant to us.