and then stick to it? DH told me last night that we'll have to tighten the bootstraps soon, and we need to start spending less now before crunch time. Thing is, he doesn't seem to want to eat off-brands or shop at places like Sav-A-Lot. As it is, I look for the lowest prices on everything, and will not pay full price for staples (like chicken breasts - usually get them when they're BOGO). I go to the grocery about once a week or 8 days if I can. I have a picky 4yo who's also stubborn - my "if you don't eat this, you won't eat anything until the next meal" doesn't work with her, she'll go hungry.

So, is it as easy as keeping the receipts for a month and then figuring out what we spend vs. what we should spend? Are there other ways to save money at the grocery store? (I think last night was bad, but I needed laundry detergent - $20 for the bottle which I can dilute a bit - and was overcharged for something which I'll be going back today to have fixed) I'm trying to avoid fighting with him over this *again* and I also think we'll be eating a lot of soup this week.

Thanks :)

$20 for a bottle of detergent???

yikes!

i think one way to trim (and there are zillions) is to put in super cheap meals with more expensive meals so you don't feel deprived and are able to stick to your budet. Ie, have a ramen night with some asian veggies now and again. Dinner for $1.

Yes, $20 for the Tide HE - we have a front loader and I was buying a box of detergent (5.35) about every other month. I called dh from the store and asked him which way we should go. The bottle proclaims about 3x the loads from it vs. the 28 (?) per box. His idea to give it a try, and I'm going to dilute it. It says "2x Concentrated!" on the label, and I'm hoping this bottle lasts a few months!

DD loves ramen, and I could make the veggies separately. We have lots of ramen..... I need to peruse the Food Forum for recipes too. Thanks Emily!

we have a front loader and use regular powder detergent. I just use alot less, between a teaspoon to a tablespoon per load with a scoop of oxyclean and it works really well.
Do you shop alone, or does he take you? If you went alone you could go to save-a-lot or aldi's.

For detergent (I have a front loader, and using reg detergent just doesn't work as well for me), I buy whenever it's on sale, and stock up. Found some at Target on clearance, and bought 3 containers. I still only use 1/2 of what they recommend, but do get the HE.

I would look at your shopping and eating habits, and figure out what costs you the most money. And figure out how to cut down on that. For the off brand stuff, start experimenting with 1 thing at a time (like 1 can of green beans, instead of stocking up). And see how it goes. Take notes of what is OK, and what you don't like.

For brand name stuff, I find it easier (not always cheaper) to shop at Sam's. Boneless skinless chicken breasts are ALWAYS $1.98/lb there. THat way I don't have to wait for a sale. I can get off brand canned vegies cheaper at WM, but brand name cheaper there. Of course, even cheaper would be catching the sales and stocking up then.

Coupons, Grocery Coupons - TheGroceryGame.com (http://www.thegrocerygame.com) is great if you get a newspaper and clip coupons. And stock up on the things you use when it's a great price!

I have a front loader and I use HG detergent and I only put in enough to cover the bottom of the dispenser cup... lol so about 1/3-1/4 of what it reccomends??

I meant earlier too, I don't feel I was very clear... like, cheap/cheap meal one night, reg price meal the next, cheap/cheap next night... that kind of thing.

What are you spending? What kind of meals do you like?

Does he do the shopping, or do you? If you do it, it won't even affect him where you shop.

I have a master shopping list of things we use that I print off twice a month (a few days before Dave gets paid) and circle the things we're out of, add things I remember we need that aren't on there, etc. It's all cheap basic scratch stuff but I can make alot of great dinners and snacks from it. I only really shop those two times per month, so having a list jogs my memory of things we're out of.

What are you spending now on a typical supermarket trip? Aim to spend 20% less. Just having a goal makes you be much more mindful of what you're putting in your cart. You can easily cut it by that much I bet without even noticing.

Kerri

For that same $20 you can get this:
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?cat=Washers+%26+Dryers&pid=03209860000&vertical=APPL&subcat=Detergents+%26+Cleansers&BV_SessionID=@@@@1977267533.1185675023@@@@&BV_EngineID=cdcfaddliijifklcefecemldffidflk.0

It says 275 loads but I've been using my bucket since January with only half the amount. So that would be 550 loads for $20. If you did around 10 a week, it would last you a year. :)

and this is kind of how I did it. I took every single darn thing we used and looked at how much we use, is there a way to use less, what's the cheapest way to get it, do we really *need* it, is there a sub, etc. I'd been stuck on Tide and Downy for years, it was just what i did. I kept working and workingn to find tide as cheap as possible, but in reality, I can't touch a bottle of tide at even the lowest lowest cost with a coupon for the price of the sears stuff. And it works great.

I wish we had the Sears stuff like that here in Canada. We have it, but it's nowhere near as cheap as you can get it in the US, and I don't know how well it works. Oh well. I've heard really good things about the stuff you guys have, so that's totally worth a try!

I've been using the Sears detergent for several years now, and it's great. Very cheap. I recently began using a whole scoop, and anticipate it lasting me 6 months that way...so 6 months of washing for $25, or $20 on sale - not bad at all. I went to a whole scoop because stuff was just not coming clean with 1/2.

For the grocery budget, it helps to meal plan, on paper, then make a grocery list from that. If you know the prices at the store, or roughly, you can estimate your cost for a week or two weeks from the list. Then if it's too high, cut out a meat meal and make a bean/rice or pasta night.

My quick tips for cutting the cost of meals:
*Use meat as a garnish, not as the main focus (if you eat it at all).
*Try to make at least 3 nights vegetarian meal nights.
*Make extra and eat leftovers for lunch.
*Eat hot oatmeal or other hot cereal, bought in bulk, for most breakfasts. On weekends we eat crepes or bacon & eggs. Wean the family off the expensive boxed cereal for breakfast.
*Buy lunch snacks in bulk, then bag them up.
*Pop popcorn on the stovetop for cheap snacks.

I have gotten some GREAT deals playing The Grocery Game (http://www.thegrocerygame.com)

Also, we use a lot of jasmine rice. 25# bags are around $10 at Sam's. It fluctuates a bit. Rice is a wonderful meal-stretcher.

I use laundry soap from the BX/PX that is $2.39 for 128 oz, and since I have a front loader I use 1/4-1/3 the recommended amount. I'm going to have to figure out if that Sears stuff is cheaper though. :)

Soup and bread night once a week is supposed to save $, but I have yet to institute that.

Dh gets GIANT cans of tomato sauce at Sam's really cheap and uses 2 to make a HUGE batch of spaghetti sauce or sauce with chicken and peppers and onions. We eat one batch and have 4 meals left over.

If your dh wants name brand, the Grocery Game will probably help you a lot. The first 4 weeks are $1, so you can try it before signing up. After that it's $5 a week. My first trip, I got $80 worth of groceries for $30. :)

If he isn't doing the grocery shopping I would go wherever I could get the best deal. I can't afford to be a name brand snob anymore and I've noticed some things aren't any different in taste. Put them in different containers if you have to. :lol: A lot of off brands are made by the name brands, but with different labels.

For that same $20 you can get this:
Sears 9860 Ultra Plus™ Detergent with Fabric Softener, 275 loads at Sears.com (http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?cat=Washers+%26+Dryers&pid=03209860000&vertical=APPL&subcat=Detergents+%26+Cleansers&BV_SessionID=@@@@1977267533.1185675023@@@@&BV_EngineID=cdcfaddliijifklcefecemldffidflk.0)

It says 275 loads but I've been using my bucket since January with only half the amount. So that would be 550 loads for $20. If you did around 10 a week, it would last you a year. :)
Thank you! I just sent that link to dh, he'll remember it when I run out of the jug I just bought.

and this is kind of how I did it. I took every single darn thing we used and looked at how much we use, is there a way to use less, what's the cheapest way to get it, do we really *need* it, is there a sub, etc. I'd been stuck on Tide and Downy for years, it was just what i did. I kept working and workingn to find tide as cheap as possible, but in reality, I can't touch a bottle of tide at even the lowest lowest cost with a coupon for the price of the sears stuff. And it works great.
And we're going to do this with the freezer and pantry tomorrow when he's off work. I had no idea there were other laundry solutions for a front loader, we've only had ours since last year and I almost always shop at Meijer. I know we have a Sav-A-Lot nearby, but there's no Aldi here. There's one close to Mom, I'll have to go check it out again next time we visit her. A friend of mine (up there) shops there every month too and she's amazing me with how little she spends for her family of 6. I can get away with shopping anywhere, since we use cloth grocery bags now ;) Just depends on when I have the car.

I'm taking notes from all you of you! Thanks! :D

I went Cash. That was the only way to really stick to the budget. I took $100 every paycheck for "stock up" time and then $50 the next week. That means that every month we spend $300 on groceries right now. We each have $20 per week that we sometimes eat like Taco Bell with, and we just did a stock up on regular staples like pasta and McGreggors runs (in which we can "stock up" on not-so-staples for SUPER cheap) and this month will be $420 because of those extras. But last month we spent $50 a week. All month long. :D

My budget isn't something I would model another one off of though. It has taken me YEARS to hoan this system to my area and sales etc. I always take the coupons for things I would regularly buy and throw away the ones I don't... saves me from stocking up on yet another thing I need to maintain. Like if the kids don't have juice for months and then you get two weeks worth of juice, then the kids think we should have juice in the house all the time (dh too!). So I don't do that. I stick to what I need to buy with coupons and when we want juice I get one or two... no more... and then I don't mind paying full price. :)

Another thing... I don't use any disposable products. We don't have paper towels, paper napkins, etc. We also don't use dryer sheets, we use less than half the regular detg... I have a top loader and I always have clean laundry... so I am guessing you could use a 1/4 dose or less for your front loader and that detg should take you for the next 6 mos!

Just some cutting back ideas. :D

Val

My tried-and-true method of food purchashing food for my family is based on the old "Pantry Principle" from Amy D's Tightwad Gazette. If you don't have her books (or the complete version) go to your library and get it...today! I used that as a template for my own plan. I don't buy "meals" for the week... like, make a menu and just shop for that menu. That is a sure way to go broke unless you actully plan on beans every night.

I shop at Save A Lot for staples I always have on hand (baking supplies, canned goods and selected frozen foods like 5lb bags of french fries.) Then, I use my sales paper and search out all of the "real" sale items. "Real" as in is it really a sale? And do you buy it only because it's on sale? I "never" save 50 cents on Pop Tarts... because i never buy Pop Tarts... so actually, I am really saving more.

I also practice as much portion control as possible. I know it isn't easy but I really feel that we (as a collective society) expect to "eat until we are stuffed" or at least "as much as we want."

I have tried from the very beginning to gently remind my kids "you have had a whole piece of chicken already... if you are still hungry, try a few more green beans..." Boy, I am goin' out on a limb here... Some of you may think I am starving my kids to save money, or I am suggesting some of allow your kids to binge on Pop Tarts. Please know that isn't my intent.

My general approach to all (ALL) types of consumerism is "enough" and "use less". I look at our pantry and see food. We have enough. I see the gas prices rise and everyone complain about the money and I (very) quietly say... don't drive so much. I go to work. I come home. I walk to the library... you get the picture. I don't keep discounted bags of potato chips for my teens to drag into their room. If they want to eat that crap, they can spend their own money on it... I buy real food that keeps us healthy and nourished.

I am so sorry this grew into a blog instead of a post! Food, home and hearth is my passion!

I am the same way Patti. I am thrilled when I make "just enough" and we don't have massive amts of left overs. I also only make one chicken breast per person, and when we are having cassarole, fajitas, or something like it is usually 2 for the whole family. So I know where you are coming from! (and you can't starve a 11 yr old boy anyway... he will just go find food elsewhere.... My son has gone MANY times from the dinner table strait to the fridge and asked for an apple. I always say yes. :) lol!)

Val