Help us cut our food/dining expenses
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Anonymous
If you are getting carryout for dinner almost every night because every meal is a surprise, what are you buying at the grocery store? It sounds like your main issue is that you are not particularly inclined toward planning. You need to get more comfortable with that. I understand the laziness issue with lunch at work and have been there before, but with a small amount of planning, leftovers from dinner can be tomorrow's lunch. It just doesn't work if dinner is carryout and it's all gone. |
Anonymous
| Aldi's has been the biggest help for us. Cheaper than coupon shopping at the commissary which is cheaper than most grocery stores. |
Anonymous
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OP here: Thanks for the encouragement. I've done some deeper analysis of our food/dining budget, thanks to Mint, and made some alarming discoveries. Over the past 12 months, here's the breakdown of that $2000/month:
Groceries: 42% Restaurants & Carryout: 25% Lunch, Coffee & Snacks: 20% Alcohol & Bars: 13% It seems I'm better at tracking and trending our expenses than changing our dysfunctional spending behavior. Based on this research, and the suggestions offered above, my first step will be to make a science of meal planning with the goal of packing lunch at least 3 days per week for DH and myself. I already pack DC's lunch. By doing so, I will have made more dinners at home too. Did I mention I hate to cook and meal plan? But I will enlist DH to help - he certainly has lots of opinions about what I make  And I will buy him a cool lunch box without flowers or polka dots.
Thank you!!! |
Anonymous
| OP, I would also give some serious thought to the meal boxes that are increasingly available. They are a lot pricier than buying that food separately, but they can be a helpful tool for holding you to the cooking/planning end of things. It's also worth watching how much food (if any) you are throwing away. We definitely have stretches of being worse about that, and I do find it helpful to periodically have a couple of weeks when we "eat through the pantry" to really use up what's in the freezer/fridge/etc. |
Anonymous
One caution about this: sometimes the pre-packaged frozen fish is more expensive than buying in bulk and freezing yourself. But I agree that keeping some frozen foods to heat up on weeknights is more convenient and cost-effective than ordering out. |
Anonymous
There are so many great services now that really make it easy. Yes - you will initially pay a premium but by making it easier it is something you will do. A few things I do: I make meatballs and put some aside to use and freeze some. I will do meatball subs for dinner one night and pasta with meatballs. One of my kids will take meatballs for lunch in a thermos I always have a container of pasta that is precooked in the fridge. I will either cut up a bunch of tomatoes, saute some frozen shrimp, saute some mushrooms or other veggie I will marinade steak / chicken and have small pieces ready to cook. Serve it over pasta, or greens. My daughter will take it in a wrap for lunch. None of the above is particularly hard - or time consuming. Start small to get momentum. Good luck |
Anonymous
IMO - I can't imagine how you are spending $800 a month on food if you are typically eating out for lunches / dinners. Question: Does your grocery line item include household items or just food? Vitamins / Laundry Detergent and other cleaner supplies / OTC medicine etc. |
Anonymous
| I broke my antipathy to packing lunch when I redefined lunch. I stuck in thinking lunch should be a salad, or a sandwhich, or even leftovers. I got frustrated every time I thought about it. Then I started just grabbing bits and pieces and throwing them in a bag. My lunch today is an apple, a red pepper, a cucumber, mozarella cheese, and pepperoni. I usually keep a box of Wheat Thins in my office as well if I want some carbs. And I've downgraded what dinner needs to be, as well. Scrambled eggs, toast, and frozen peas is a fine dinner. |
Anonymous
| It’s been helpful for me to remember that convenience food at a grocery store is still way cheaper than carry out. I used to buy “ambitious” dinner ingredients at the store (beans that needed soaking, vegetables to chop for sauces, and not easy things like premade tortellini or soups or premade salmon burgers. But those things can be a lifesaver on a weeknight and even though they’re a splurge for the store they are a lot cheaper than ordering out. |
Anonymous
| Where is your spouse in this plan? Do they cook and meal plan, too? My DH and I share cooking/planning responsibilities, although I do the shopping. Most weeks, he cooks three nights, I cook three nights, and on the seventh night our DC cooks. We both keep electronic "recipe boxes" from Epicurious and NYTimes and tend to select from there, plus from a family recipe file that we keep in the kitchen. So, on a Sunday evening, say, recipes for the week are "due." (I can't shop if I don't know what to buy...) I am better about working our CSA share into the menu planning, but in general we don't waste much. |
Anonymous
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I wonder if you might actually save $ by shopping in the pre-made (but not baked) food at Wegmans once in awhile. It's not cheap, but it's cheaper than carryout or restaurants.
And, I find that a single portion actually serves 2. For instance, the chicken dishes are made of such large chicken breast pieces that after I bake it, I cut it in half and it serves DH and I (I usually add pasta or rice to it anyway). But, for $9 + a serving of rice/pasta we have dinner for two adults. My kids don't eat it usually, so I make separate chicken for them. When I buy the fully done chicken (like the grilled lime cilantro chicken), it comes in a package of 4-5 completely done chicken breasts for $16. They have various sides if you are in a pinch. Realistically, you don't want to eat this for every meal. But, if you plan for a sort-of-prepared meal one or twice a week, then add in tacos that you make or spaghetti one night, + home made pizza (I love using the raw dough and sauce from Wegmans too -- so much better than carryout pizza)... maybe pork tenderloin or "breakfast for dinner" (we usually have french toast/sausage/fruit or waffles/sausage/fruit once a week) -- you pretty much get through the week. Ideally, you could make one batch of something that has left overs on a Sat. or Sun. OP, you might find that you are eating healthier, weigh less, and save money all by eating at home more! Win, win, win! |
Anonymous
| Is it just me or does 2k not seem that outrageous? Say each partner has lunch and coffee out each day ($500) they do one date night per weekend ($400) one meal out per week ($400) and one take out night per week($100), and a weekly grocery trip where alcohol is also purchased ($600). |
Anonymous
You go on $400 dates every week? 
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Anonymous
Those are monthly numbers. Assuming $100 for a date night for 2, assuming drinks. |
Anonymous
| We are trying to be better to the environment by cutting out single-use plastics and it has had the impact of lessening our grocery bill. No pre-packed fruit that is nicely cut up, no bottled iced tea, no fresh ravioli, no prepared foods. Even though a few things are more expensive (peanut butter or mayo that comes in glass jar instead of plastic costs more), but over all it saves us money! Double win. |