I was just wondering what method of grocery shopping you all use -- is it weekly from sale ads with coupons? is it always Aldi's? is it once a month at a warehouse club?
I was down to almost nothing in all categories (dairy/fresh produce/staples/paper products/etc) and stocked up today with a trip to Sam's. After $340 on all grocery and household items (no books/clothes/office supplies, etc) I feel I am adequate now in the dinner dept. and snacks etc (also have diapers and dog food to last 24 days, etc). while I am certainly tired after my 1 hour of shopping and 1 hour of putting all things away (I stash my surplus all over the house) I am relieved I don't have to do it again for awhile. Does anyone else feel this way? I have eight gallons of milk which should get us to the expiration date of 7/16. We're not extravagent eaters and usually follow the same menu weekly (chicken one day, meat loaf another, soup and salad and sandwiches another, grilling another) I like to bake the kids snacks twice a week (a batch of brownies or cookies and Jell-O) I'm thinking that while I like to save money like anyone and have been known as the Coupon Queen for quite some time, I simply might manage my time, budget and kitchen better with a trip to Sams twice a month. (I am a Secondary Member on my parents' card and don't pay for the membership).
What works for you?
Grocery Shopping Advice
June 27th, 2007 at 10:27 pm
June 28th, 2007 at 01:28 am 1182990526
June 28th, 2007 at 04:55 am 1183002958
There is a Walgreen, CVS & Dollar General and near my church, so on Sundays I check out there sale ads and hit them after church. I get my shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, soap...at these stores. If I do the coupon and or rebate thing, I can usually end up getting these items for free. But to take advantage of the free, I have to check their ads and shop weekly. If I don't get it there on Sundays, I don't go. Its 30 minutes from my home and I usually only go to that town on Sundays.
I have a small pantry in my kitchen, but I have a huge one in my basement. So, I have to watch my dates and rotate the food thru.
June 28th, 2007 at 04:59 am 1183003174
June 28th, 2007 at 05:05 am 1183003520
I shop weekly, for loss leaders at two or sometimes even three stores. I use coupons if available for the sale items.
We purchase bananas, chocolate chips, baguettes, shredded cheese, pepperoni, bread flour, yeast, tomato sauce and paste, coffee, and sometimes milk at Sam's. Those items are more reasonable there, than at the grocery stores, but that is about all we get there in the food category.
I get spices and cocoa at a food co op. The rest of our food is purchased on sale at the chain grocery stores in our area. We don't have Aldi's here.
One Albertson's here routinely has 85% lean hamburger marked down to $.99 to $1.49 a pound the day before expiration. It is sold in packages of about five pounds. I double wrap it, and freeze it in amounts that work for my recipes. I purchase bone-in chicken breasts when they are on sale for 99 cents a pound, and de-bone them, and remove the skin myself. I use the bones, and whatever meat is left on them to make chicken broth for soup and cooking. I purchase London broil, round steak, and chuck roasts when they are on sale for about $1.69 a pound. I stock up when there is a good sale. You really need a freezer to save on meat. I make my own bread, in a bread machine. I make oatmeal bread, and purchase Quacker Oats when it is on sale for 10 for $10.00 in the 42 oz size. I freeze the containers. We also eat oatmeal for breakfast frequently. I don't pay more that $1.25 a box for cereal, because I get it when it is a loss leader, combined with coupons. It costs much more at the warehouse clubs.
We use store brands on many products, too.
I check the ads every week, and purchase the loss leaders, planning meals around them. I have a well stocked freezer (two actually) and pantry. Some weeks, I don't buy any groceries. I freeze milk, when it is on sale, or free like it was this week.
It takes a little extra effort, but you can save a lot of money, making food from scratch. Today, I made a chocolate pie, using a recipe for homemade chocolate pudding, found on line, and made a graham cracker crust, too. If you use a store brand graham crackers, it is cheaper to make the crusts than to purchase a store brand crust.
I bought boneless ribs yesterday, marked down, and cooked them in the crock pot with barbeque sauce. I put it in the refrigerator, overnight, so I could easily remove the fat, and reheated it tonight, for barbeque sandwiches. The ribs were marked down to $1.66 a package, and served four adults.
With a little extra work, you can reduce your food bill by about half.
June 28th, 2007 at 07:49 am 1183013343
anyway. but this is just for two people. we budget around $70 each for food a week, not including takeaway. i probably didnt help you vvery much though!
June 28th, 2007 at 01:10 pm 1183032612