Saving On Groceries

[usc2009]

Any advice for foods I should stock up on or buy frequently to reduce our grocery bill. It's just me and my husband. He is a meat and potato guy, while I would be fine living off salad. I am vegetarian, but try not to eat a lot of dairy or eggs (he doesn't drink much milk). I usually end up fixing him meat and then eating side dishes and a salad or a meat substitute sometimes. Our grocery bill is insane for two people. I need something that will keep us both happy. Thank you for your help!

[hollywoodveg]

I like to buy foods you can mult-task with, like use the same veggies or cheeses all week for omelettes, stir-fries, baked potatoes, pastas etc. I also have a bf that eats meat and potatoes, I like to buy a big bag of organic potatoes that I could easily bake or mash as a side, or with a baked potato even as a meal. If I see steaks on sale I stock up and freeze them for him, and if I see boca/gardenburgers on sale I do the same. I also like to make rice dishes or risotto too, very affordable. If I buy for instance fresh veggies I'll try and incorporate them in as much as I can all week, for instance as a baked potato topping, in a veggie bagel, or an omlette or pasta, same goes for fresh cheese. It helps planning it roughly in the beginning of the week for me and then sticking to it. Also another money saver is making your own pizza and instead of snacking on packaged stuff like chips I make a lot of airpopped popcorn, healthier too.

[codemonkey]

Try to buy stuff that stores well for a long time in bulk. I like to buy things like rice and other grains, beans, gluten flour, oatmeal and pasta in bulk. I also buy my soymilk in the shelf-stable packages at costco so I can get a whole bunch at a time for cheap. I try to stock up on stuff when it's on sale so I don't have to buy it when it's not.

[usc2009]

Totally off subject, but what kind of soymilk do you drink? I find the kind I just bought too sweet.

[codemonkey]

I get the Costco store brand. It's the cheapest and I like how it tastes.

[Mandy_Sav]

I wish I had some advice to offer, but unfortunately, I have the same problem as you.. my grocery bill is insane (and we're only two people). I'm lucky that my boyfriend eats vegan at home though. I don't have to buy meat for him. We spend about $600/month on food. OUCH! I am going to watch this thread for some tips.

[MrFalafel]

The best thing you can do to bring your food budget down is to make a weekly menu. Plan out exactly what you are going to eat for the entire week, right down to the recipes to make everything. In that list, eliminate any ready meals. From that weekly menu plan, make a shopping list and buy everything on it and do not return to the store for the rest of the week!

Once you get used to doing this, make a monthly menu planner. Thats right, plan everything you are going to eat for an entire month. Now look at what ingredients can carry over from one meal to the next. For example, lets say you are making pizza on Monday then Spaghetti the next day. You can buy a large can of tomatoes for the pizza sauce and then use the leftover tomatoes for the Spaghetti sauce. This kind of thinking means you can buy bulk sized food and use them throughout the week, saving money.

The easist way to save money is to stay out of the supermarket. Buy everything with as few trips to the store as possible. And also do not buy ready meals or prepared food: make everything from scratch whenever possible.

[karenlovessnow]

And if you make extra you can have the leftovers for lunch or even breakfast!

[MrFalafel]

If you are cooking for two, make enough for 4 people and put the other two portions in the freezer. That way you have a 'no cooking day' for when you're hungry but to worn out to cook.

[Veggie Friendly]

Decide what your staple foods are and buy them in bulk if you can. We always have beans (multiple types), rice, pasta, tomato sauce, onions, potatos, garlic, frozen vegetables, and other basic items on hand. You can put these together in so many combinations and use them with many seasonal fruits and veggies. Buy fruits and veggies that are in season. When you go into the grocery store, sit down for 2 minutes with the store flier and look at what is on sale. Stock up on staple foods when they are sale and plan some basic meals with other items that are good deals. We also have a garden that we share with our extended family and are part of a CSA where we get fresh organic veggies every week from April - November.

[usc2009]

Thanks for all of the advice. I am going to the store today, so we will see if I can stick to the plan.

One more question, what about fresh fruit? Frozen veggies I can deal with, but canned fruit is gross.

[rabid_child]

Buy in season. I've been buying berries and stone fruits and melons all summer, now that it's cooling off I'm gearing up for another long winter of apples, bananas, citrus, and pears. I do the same for veggies as well since I don't like many frozen/canned veggies.

Our grocery bill averages about $70/wk for 2 people. I make 3 or 4 "new" dinners a week, and make enough for several meals and we have leftovers on the other nights. I find it's cheaper to make more of one thing than make smaller amounts of multiple things.

[jenni-anti-fur]

I get the Costco store brand. It's the cheapest and I like how it tastes.

me too...and buying in bulk saves money:bobo:

[Skylark]

Make a price book. Open up a spreadsheet on your computer, type in every item you usually buy, and figure out what all the places to buy food are in your area. My area is small, and I have 15 stores which includes three Amish produce stands. Go to each one, write down the prices on the items you'd usually buy, and put them in your spreadsheet. Compare the prices, find out which ones really are lowest, and buy accordingly. As you surely know, the savings on, say, black beans at Store B has to be significant if Store A has everything else at a lower price except for black beans.

[rvijay]

The best thing you can do to bring your food budget down is to make a weekly menu. Plan out exactly what you are going to eat for the entire week, right down to the recipes to make everything.

This is very true and hope those who can follow here, follow it. I feel artistic about food and am unable to follow premade plans as this feels too routine. I prefer to cook/eat whatever my wish is before a meal. This is certainly not frugal but I can't help it. For taking food to work, I have a plan though. I am forced as I work a special shift and no Vegan/Veggie place is open at those hours.

[codemonkey]

I find that keeping a well stocked pantry/freezer/fridge is more important than making a detailed list every week. That way I can stock up on the stuff that's on sale and I don't have to buy it when it's not on sale. For fresh fruits and veggies, I buy what's on sale. Then I just plan my meals around what I've got in the house.

[rvijay]

I find that keeping a well stocked pantry/freezer/fridge is more important than making a detailed list every week. That way I can stock up on the stuff that's on sale and I don't have to buy it when it's not on sale. For fresh fruits and veggies, I buy what's on sale. Then I just plan my meals around what I've got in the house.

I do this also. However, meal planning also has its advanteages.

[usc2009]

I have to brag on myself... I spent $201.08 for groceries for all of September. That included a couple last minute tailgating supplies, probably too much beer, some soy products for meat substitutres, my husband's two McDonalds runs, and a foot long sub for $7 that fed my husband for five days. Now we just need to cut out these extras. I am super proud of myself because compared to August that is a $150.00 savings. I only went $1.08 over my budget for the month! That's $200.00 for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for a month. And that was a ton of food and it was healthy.

Some of my favorite finds were cabage for $.39 a pound, cucumbers 3 for $.99, corn 4 for $1.00, and beans for $.50 each. I am going to try to do even better in October. I couldn't have done it without all of you! Thanks!

ETA: That includes personal hygenine products and cleaning supplies. I am hooking on vinegar for cleaning my kitchen.

[Mandy_Sav]

a foot long sub for $7 that fed my husband for five days.

Seriously? A footlong sub only feeds me for one meal.
What was in the sub? lol

[Michael]

We tend to buy bulk items as well - beans, pasta, pasta sauce, etc. Potatoes, onions, and garlic keep for some time. Mandy likes to make chili, soups, and stews on Sunday and freezes them in individual servings for the week. Might be good to stock up on some canned and frozen fruits and veggies as well.

One thing we've started doing that saves us a lot of money... We do our grocery shopping a Meijer. They always have the sales fliers by the door. We get that first thing and then go sit in the snack bar and look through it for things that are on sale.

[Skylark]

Seriously? A footlong sub only feeds me for one meal.
What was in the sub? lol

I can get one, sometimes two meals out of a footlong. I have no idea how a normal-appetite adult could stretch it for five meals unless they were eating a lot of sides and hardly had room for the sandwich. Plus, Subway sandwiches don't seem to be very appealing after 24 hours.

[Kristobel]

My boyfriend is a meat eater but luckily for me likes cooking me vegan food!

He has started just making vegan stuff for both of us and then I have falafel or vegan patties or something and he has meat :o) works for both of us and he eats more vegan stuff that he did before as a bonus for the animals!!

Some things we make

-Thai green curry (he adds in chicken at the end and i have tofu)
-Pasta (he adds in mince and I have vege mince)

I think the best way is to find foods you can both eat and that he can add meat to when he wants. That is what works for my bf and I at least :o)

Oh and LENTILS!!!

So cheap but so good!!

[flvegnewbie]

Here are some of my staples:
Sugar
Rice (I like to keep at least 3 different types on hand)
Flour
Baking Soda
Baking Powder
Butter
Dried Beans and Canned Beans
Lentils of choice
P.Butter
Frozen Veggies
Canned Soups
Canned tomatoe products
Pasta Sauce
Different Types of Pasta
Pancake Mix
Frozen Fruits/berries
Chocolate Chips
Soy/Tamari Sauce
Chopped Garlic
Jelly/Jams
Maple Syrup
Cocoa
Tortillas
Cheese
Milk
Country Time Lemonade mix
Tea Bags
Vinegar
Salad Dressing
Olives
Pickles
Mustard
Ketchup
Bar-B-Que Sauce
Mayonnaise
Crackers
Vegetable Oil
Olive Oil
Seasonings

This is a good "starter" list for us and then I have to add things onto it for myself, as well as the rest of the family (omnis).

I keep all of these on hand at all times and then when I shop weekly I'll buy my fresh fruits/veggies.

Of course everyone's lists will be completely different, and I do buy other items occasionally, but these are the ones I keep on hand all the time.:)

[growfly]

My family buys in bulk too. We buy dried beans, rice, and pasta in bulk. I also use powdered soymilk for my baking and cooking.

A pressure cooker helps reduce the time it takes to cook from scratch, and you can use these staples in many different dishes.

We're also trying to reduce our food waste because that also wastes money.

[codemonkey]

Where do you get powdered soymilk? I've never seen it at any store.