Groceries

Originally Posted by crittermom

My DH went to the store and got JUST zuchinni(6 small),yellow squash(6 small),and cabbage(1) and spent $40!!! (this was during the Summer too!)...
So in my experience, it is FAR cheaper to buy junk food than healthy food.Fruits and veggies are OUTRAGEOUS!!

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Wow, that's a bummer! Are there any local crops grown around there? Sometimes local produce will be cheaper, and sometimes at Farmers' Markets, too, but not always. The squash and cabbage are priced like exotic, imported vegetables.

What are some prices of junk food? Just curious.

Cheers, from
SwampWitch

Grocery shopping is best done when not hungry!! Did you all know that!?

Originally Posted by kittylover4ever

Grocery shopping is best done when not hungry!! Did you all know that!?

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It's also best to leave hubby at home so he can't throw all kinds of junk in the cart

Originally Posted by missymotus

It's also best to leave hubby at home so he can't throw all kinds of junk in the cart

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Very true!!

Originally Posted by SwampWitch

It seems to me that healthy foods are CHEAP if they are: beans, whole grains, fresh vegetables and fruits, etc.

Healthy foods are EXPENSIVE if they are: Amy's lasagne dinner, Annie's shells and cheese, etc. (Compared to Stouffer's and Kraft.)

Prepared foods will always cost more. Organic usually costs more, too, but not always. I get better deals on healthy prepared foods at a store that sells a lot of them, and better prices on the basics (grains, beans, fresh produce) at the regular grocery store and farmer's market. Here, anyway.

Cheers, from
SwampWitch

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I agree! I buy beans and brown rice dry from the bulk section. I do the same with oatmeal. Fresh veggies are generally a little more, but cabbage, carrots, onions and garlic are usually pretty reasonable. I spend more on bread (I like the sprouted grain) and splurge on spices and tea. Weight for weight, I am pretty sure Danny's food is more expensive than mine (he gets Natural Balance) but he is worth it!!
Catfriend

I go to Price Chopper (low overhead as they don't have a bakery or butcher staff member on) and they have great sales. I spend about $150 every two weeks and maybe a few bucks for milk or bread in between that if we run out.

The best way to save money on groceries is to make out a 2 week meal recipe plan..This way you have everything on hand and generally eat healthier, and don't end up eating quick crap. You can make a great healthy meal or some good hearty soup in 30 minutes and many people don't realize that!

I never buy processed packaged foods with the exception of waffles (which BF likes). Everything is fresh (including the herbs) and it's not difficult at all and tastes so much better...!

Originally Posted by missymotus

It's also best to leave hubby at home so he can't throw all kinds of junk in the cart

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Yeah, but then he complains that I didn't buy any "real food." His idea of real food is pizza rolls, frozen pizza, frozen dinners, things he can have out of a box. My idea of real food is a grilled turkey burger on a homemade bun (I make all my own bread since I got a breadmaker) or whole-wheat spaghetti with marinara sauce or grilled fish and corn on the cob. I don't usually eat frozen stuff unless I'm super short on time.

Another tip, I mentioned in my previous post that I have a breadmaker and make my own bread. Way, way cheaper and better than buying it. Once you eat homemade bread, you will not want to eat store bread anymore. My Sunbeam bread machine cost me $33 on amazon and shipping was free! I can get stone ground whole wheat flour for $0.42 a pound and vital wheat gluten (can't remember the exact price) from the bulk bins at the health food store. Cheap rice there too.

We spend about $100 on groceries a week and probably another $30-$40 on takeout when I don't want to cook! I've stopped buying lunch at work and am bringing Lean Cuisines and whatnot into work once a week so I'm "stocked up" and it's really making a difference in the amount of $ I spend. I need to get better at making meals out of pantry stuff when I'm out of "fridge food" and also need to learn that, for two people, it's better to buy LESS food than I think I need for the week. Between our schedules there's always at least 1 night a week where we can't eat dinner together and I can never predict it ahead of time, so I'm always having to throw out a half a cucumber or half a head of lettuce, that sort of thing.

For junk food
chips are $1.00-3.00 a bag
lunch cakes around $1.00 also
mac-n-cheese .65 a box for Kraft
frozen pizza around $5.00 for a good brand--supreme
ice cream about $2.00 a gal.
a loaf of white bread is $1.50 here Heiners(it's locally made here)
As for Farmers markets,yes we have them here.The closest one is an hour drive.
We're going to be buying a hog off of my BIL.So, that will help with pork this winter!!

Originally Posted by Loveysmummy

I go to Price Chopper (low overhead as they don't have a bakery or butcher staff member on) and they have great sales. I spend about $150 every two weeks and maybe a few bucks for milk or bread in between that if we run out.

The best way to save money on groceries is to make out a 2 week meal recipe plan..This way you have everything on hand and generally eat healthier, and don't end up eating quick crap.

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although ours does have a bakery and deli but not butcher, the meat is better quality and cheaper elsewhere anyway.

Where are you people shopping?

Including basic toiletries (toothpaste, TP etc) we spend about $100 CDN per week including the milk etc we pick up during the week

I go to Save-A-Lot to shop.It's the cheapest place around here.For shampoo and etc. I shop at Wal-Mart
I also have a family of 6