Family off our grocery budget?

[Anonymous]

I spend between $150 and $175 per week on groceries. We have two adults, a three and a half year old and an 18 month old. We eat out About once a month so basically on that amount we get all meals. We pack lunches for everyone and cook at home. How am I doing? I feel like I spend too much but don't know how to cut back. I have been buying more conventional (non-organic) but I don't want to compromise on organic milk.

Would I save money if I had a bread maker? Any other tips? I don't buy a lot of pre- packaged foods so coupons aren't really helpful. I do a lot of vegetarian dishes. Do yogurt makers save money?

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Don't bother with a bread maker. I've made my own bread for a couple years and its a huge money saver for us! You can make no-knead breads super easily. And if u have a mixer u can just use ur dough hook to knead. I'd say I save maybe 50$ a month because of bread! But you sound like you're doing pretty good!

[Anonymous]

Yes, don't bother with a bread maker. You can look up the 'Artisan breads in 5 minutes' books at the library for quick recipes. Even the regular bread recipes don't take much time. I have a yogurt maker, and making yogurt at home will save money provided it is consumed quickly. You don't really need one though I find it very useful.

[Anonymous]

Get the book "make the bread, buy the butter" from the library. It will break down costs of what to make and what to buy. Also it has a great bread recipe.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004T4KXMS

[Anonymous]

That seems a little high to me. We're mostly veg and spend about $125/week and our kids are a little older than yours.

My tips:

1) Meal plan - each week do an inventory of what you have on-hand, plan a week's worth of meals around it, and only shop for the ingredients you need to complete those meals. No extras into the cart!

2) Eat leftovers. Every meal I make will feed us at least two dinners, and I often freeze whatever's left for nights when I don't want to cook.

3) Have at least two nights a week for simple/cheap meals - ours are beans and rice night and spaghetti with homemade sauce night (side salad). They're cheap, not unhealthy, filling, and cheap.

4) Find some meals that you guys like that use up leftover veggies so nothing goes to waste. My go-to is a stir-fry of all the leftover veggies, add a block of tofu and a bottle of Trader Joes curry sauce, put over brown rice. Also a peanut-noodle dish with all the leftover veggies steamed and added to the mix.

I don't spend a lot of time making bread or tortillas - I don't find the cost savings to be worth the time. I do spend time making homemade sauces, especially marinara and peanut sauces. They freeze beautifully and end up costing me about $1 per "bottle." Google "recipe Rao's marinara" for a good, easy, cheap one - I add a lot of extra basil and spices but it's a great starting place.

Hope that helps!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That seems a little high to me. We're mostly veg and spend about $125/week and our kids are a little older than yours.

My tips:

1) Meal plan - each week do an inventory of what you have on-hand, plan a week's worth of meals around it, and only shop for the ingredients you need to complete those meals. No extras into the cart!

2) Eat leftovers. Every meal I make will feed us at least two dinners, and I often freeze whatever's left for nights when I don't want to cook.

3) Have at least two nights a week for simple/cheap meals - ours are beans and rice night and spaghetti with homemade sauce night (side salad). They're cheap, not unhealthy, filling, and cheap.

4) Find some meals that you guys like that use up leftover veggies so nothing goes to waste. My go-to is a stir-fry of all the leftover veggies, add a block of tofu and a bottle of Trader Joes curry sauce, put over brown rice. Also a peanut-noodle dish with all the leftover veggies steamed and added to the mix.

I don't spend a lot of time making bread or tortillas - I don't find the cost savings to be worth the time. I do spend time making homemade sauces, especially marinara and peanut sauces. They freeze beautifully and end up costing me about $1 per "bottle." Google "recipe Rao's marinara" for a good, easy, cheap one - I add a lot of extra basil and spices but it's a great starting place.

Hope that helps!

NP. You sound exactly like me except you are doing it so much better. This is how we operate too, but I am just not as organized. Post your shopping list/pantry list? Pretty please?

[Anonymous]

^^ yes, please, please, please!

[Anonymous]

NP. We don't eat leftovers, yakes. I like fresh food.

[Anonymous]

OP, if you must have a breadmaker, there are always several for less than $10 at every thrift store I visit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP. We don't eat leftovers, yakes. I like fresh food.

OMG Get thyself over to the cold pizza thread immediately. You are missing out on one of life's delicacies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP. We don't eat leftovers, yakes. I like fresh food.

Are you eating the food as soon as you pick it from the farm outside your door?

I made chili last night before bed. I will freeze 2 containers tonight and we will eat the remaining chili over 2 meals before next week when it goes bad. By cooking ahead I have a dinner full of healthy veggies and protein ready in 2 minutes so I can spend more time with my kid. Win, win.

I spent $10 for the meat, $3 on tomatoes, $2 on pumpkin, $1 on spices, $1 on onions, and maybe $.10 on a splash of apple cider vinegar.

$17.10 for 6 meals for 3 people. Less than a dollar a serving. We will eat with some greens on the side or over shredded zucchinis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP. We don't eat leftovers, yakes. I like fresh food.

Lots of soups, sauces etc are actually better when they have sat for a day or two--the flavors blend better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

NP. You sound exactly like me except you are doing it so much better. This is how we operate too, but I am just not as organized. Post your shopping list/pantry list? Pretty please?

Thank you! I always come on DCUM prepared to be smacked around. Not sure what to do with a compliment!!

So I'm posted overseas right now, but there are a lot of the same foods here as at home. I didn't say this in the post because people find it obnoxious, but we're actually vegan at home and we eat as we please outside of the house. I know it's strange, but it works for us. So our list wouldn't work for most people. Beans, rice, tofu, veggies, fruits, tortillas, nut butters, granola bars. That's pretty much it!!

We run a rotation of these kinds of meals:

* Black bean, corn, mango salad (from cooking light - it's amazing)
* Veggie chili (beans, lentils, sundried tomatoes, leftover veggies thrown in)
* Spaghetti night with salad
* Beans and rice (with toppings for personalizing - corn, avocado, tomatoes, salsa, lettuce, etc.)
* Veggie stir-fry curry (with leftover veggies)
* Veggie burgers (sometimes homemade, sometimes not) with roasted potatoes or crinkle-cut french fries (yum)
* Sloppy lentils (sub lentils for meat in this recipe: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/simply-the-easiest-beef-brisket/)
* Falafel (sometimes homemade, sometimes from a mix) with bean salad
* Peanut noodles (from the epicurious recipe for cold sesame noodles - it's fantastic)
* Rice salad with cashews, raisins, leftover veggies (curry powder for flavor)
* Indian-type meals with chickpeas, coconut milk, cashews, etc. over brown rice
* Soup!

The reason it's so easy for me to remember these is that most are frozen in small batches in my freezer right now. I hope it's helpful!

[Anonymous]

Highly recommend meal planning to get your costs down and waste less. If you find it difficult to do it yourself (I do) then The Fresh 20 is great. It's made shopping and dinner time much easier for me and reduced our costs too.

thefresh20.com

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thank you for the helpful tips. I do plan our dinners out in advance. Breakfast lunch and snacks is a little less planned. I do think making a list and sticking to it would help keep costs down. I do avoid shopping when hungry.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a good homemade granola bar recipe?