Good day to you, dear reader. Can you help me out with something? I need some analysis of my grocery choices. I currently spend $600 month on groceries for 6 people in northeast Ohio. Please peruse my list and tell me how I can do better, if you have the time? Others will benefit from your comments as well. Thank you!
No, of course I'm not going to ask you how much you spend on groceries! Are you crazy? I would never do such a thing! Besides, Kristen Welsh already asked that a few months ago. She spends $550 per month for a family of five residing in Texas. Her readers answered her spending question in her comments section, regarding their own grocery bills. Apparently, teenagers eat a lot. I'm glad I don't have one yet!
Everything is purchased at Super Walmart, except for spices. Other area grocery stores include Giant Eagle and Acme, which are too expensive. There's also an Aldi Discount market about 25 minutes away. And a Save-A-Lot market 15 minutes away. It's hard enough to just get to Walmart once a week, but if you have stories of high savings at alternate markets, I'm all ears (or eyes, rather). I don't use coupons because we don't get a paper. Also, coupons seem to be produced by manufacturers to advertise packaged-type foods, and I prefer mainly whole foods. I could use them for Cheerios maybe, but not much else.
I should tell you up front that my kitchen appliances do not allow for homemade pasta and chip making, in case you were going to suggest that. I own a hand mixer for baking cookies. That completes my kitchen appliance list. But I'll still take your suggestions and look at garage sales for the appliances you mention! Thank you!
I bought a breadmaker at a garage sale without a manufacturer's brochure, but the bread was hard to slice for lunch-time peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, which is our main use for bread. I used a basic whole wheat recipe. Any suggestions for breadmaker bread that is easier to slice?
One other detail: We buy 1 hot n' ready Little Caesar's pizza a week, at $5.50, for Daddy and the kids to eat while I go grocery shopping on Friday night. Other than that, all meals are prepared and consumed at home. My husband takes leftovers for his lunches every day. Since he's gone 12 hours total, his lunch needs to include a good amount of calories. Sandwiches don't cut it for him.
My husband doesn't get home until 7:00 PM, so making dinner while also supervising my four children means that prep must be simple. Here are our usual dinner meals, on a ten-day rotation:
Ten-Day Rotation Main Dish Menu
- 2 pasta meals (spaghetti and baked ziti)
- 1 pancake meal (with one pound lean turkey sausage for the main protein, although whole wheat pancakes paired with milk makes a complete protein. My husband prefers meat every night, unfortunately. The kids eat the leftover pancakes for breakfast the next morning)
- 1 turkey burger meal
- 1 taco/burrito meal
- 1 baked chicken meal, followed by 1 homemade chicken noodle soup meal (On hold until I find another store who carries large whole chickens without solutions or hormones. Walmart switched to another brand, Tyson, which has injected solutions. We don't make soup in the summer. We bake the chicken in the oven in cold weather, and put it in the crockpot in hot weather)
- 1 large shepherd's pie or 1 large taco bake
- 1 turkey black bean chili
- 1 Sloppy Joe meal
If my husband buys propane for the grill this summer, we will use individually-frozen chicken breasts for 1 grilled meal a week in the summer and early fall, replacing the chicken noodle soup meal. I used to make turkey meatloaf, but the only child who liked it was Peter, so I dropped it for now.
I am currently looking for ground-meat or crockpot meals to replace the shepherd's pie and taco bake, since they require the oven to be on for 25 minutes and that doesn't work well in summer.
I find turkey to be the cheapest meat in our neck of the woods, as well as whole chickens. I'm sure chicken legs and thighs are cheap too, but I hate dark-meat chicken. My husband loves them and gets them once a week when I prepare a whole baked chicken.
Beth has a hard time in the mornings due to her arthritis, so putting ingredients in the crockpot in the morning, other than a whole chicken, is difficult right now, but I still want to know how you save money with your crockpot. Please? I could possibly do it at night.
My grocery list is featured below (all are purchased weekly, unless noted otherwise). I try to buy items before we run out of them.
Master Grocery List
6-7 packages of meat a week
- 4 to 5 (18-20-ounce packages) 7% lean ground turkey
- 1 (one-pound) package lean turkey sausage for pasta
- 1 (one-pound) roll of leaner turkey breakfast sausage to go with one homemade pancake dinner a week
- 1 whole chicken (when I find one we like again).
- 12 eggs (for pancakes and baking, and cheesy omelets)
Whole Grains
4-5 loaves/week of Nature's Pride all natural 100% whole wheat bread (about $1.88 loaf)
- 1 package taco shells
- 1 package whole-wheat tortillas
- 1 package wheat hamburger buns (Walmart doesn't carry 100% whole wheat buns)
- 1 large bag Mini-Spooners shredded wheat cereal
- 1 large box Cheerios, every other week
- 1 container Walmart brand whole oats, every 2 weeks
- 1 package penne whole grain, high-protein pasta
- 1 package whole grain, high-protein angel hair spaghetti
- 1 package 100% whole wheat flour (every 3 weeks)
- 1 small package corn meal (every 5-6 weeks, to make corn bread to go with chili & soup)
- 1 package albino wheat flour (100% whole wheat white, for baking, every 3 weeks)
- 1 small package flaxseed every 4-5 weeks. I use 1/2 cup in each doubled pancake recipe. (2.5 cups whole wheat flour, 1/2 cup flaxseed per batch)
Dairy
- 2 lb. of Colby Jack cheese a week (or 1 pound part-skim mozzarella for baked ziti) Walmart brand
- 8 Activia strawberry yogurts (for Beth, who is particularly hard to feed at breakfast when her joints hurt the most, and for Peter, who gets up earlier than I do and needs a snack right away)
- 3 gallons skim milk (All milk is Walmart brand. My husband drinks a ton of milk. I drink 3 glasses a day.)
- 3 gallons lowfat milk, 1 gallon whole milk (2 of my kids are too skinny)
Produce
- 2 bags frozen steamer California veggies (broccoli, carrots, cauliflower) for microwave steaming (Walmart brand)
- 1 bag frozen steamer green beans (Walmart brand)
- 2 bags frozen steamer corn(Walmart brand)
- 1 medium bag russet potatoes every 2 weeks
- 3-4 sweet potatoes
- 1 small bag fresh carrots
- 1 bag frozen mixed berries to top the pancake meal (Walmart brand)
- 1 large bag mixed frozen fruit (pineapple, purple grapes, strawberries, cantaloupe, Walmart brand, summer only)
- 1 bag apples every 2 weeks; every week in winter
- 2-3 small bunches bananas
- 1 bag oranges (Only when clementines are available, usually)
- 1-2 packages of in-season fresh berries (blueberries, strawberries)
We've switched to only eating salad when we have guests. My husband and I are so busy with the children at meal time, we never had time to eat our salads!
Cans
- 2 medium cans black beans, Walmart brand
- 2 large cans all natural tomato sauce, Walmart brand
- 1 medium can all natural tomato sauce, Walmart brand
- 2 medium cans diced tomatoes (all natural, no-salt added), Walmart brand
- 1 large can Bush's Boston baked beans
For Baking
- 2 packages Nestle semi-sweet chocolate chips (one for eating, one for baking)
- 1 package white sugar, Walmart brand every 3-4 weeks, depending on how many batches of cookies we make
- 1 package brown sugar, Walmart brand, every 2-3 weeks (for oatmeal mornings, and for baking)
- 1 bottle canola oil, Walmart brand (as needed for pancake recipe, chocolate cake recipe)
- 1 pound Walmart-brand butter (for baking) every 2 weeks
- 1 can baking powder, Walmart brand, as needed
- 1 box baking soda, Walmart brand, as needed
- 1 large canister cocoa powder, purchased at Save-A-Lot every 4 weeks
- 1 large bag powdered sugar, Walmart brand, as needed for cake/cookie frosting
Condiments & Misc.
- 1 small jar peanut butter (no high fructose corn syrup, Walmart brand, doesn't come in large)
- 1 bottle all natural, no high fructose corn syrup grape jelly (major brand to get no corn syrup)
- 1 large jar Walmart brand, no-sugar added applesauce (for putting Peter's medicine in)
- 1 container no high-fructose-corn syrup pancake syrup every 3 weeks
- 1 medium bottle ketchup no high-fructose-corn-syrup every 3 weeks
- 1 large bottle barbecue sauce every 4 weeks (I can't find one without the corn syrup)
- 1 large tub margarine every 6-7 weeks (for morning toast a couple days/wk)
- 1 large canister Nestle chocolate milk powder every 4 weeks (because Paul hates white milk and we never forced the issue, and a couple of the kids need the extra calories)
- lemon pepper and garlic pepper as needed for whole chicken, major brand
Junk Food/Snacks
- 2 small containers Walmart brand ice cream (2 of my kids are too skinny)
- 1 large package Lime-flavored tortilla chips every 2 weeks (for taco bake or snacking)
- 1 large container Goldfish every 4 weeks
- 1 package Sunchips every 2 weeks
- 1 (8-bag) package popcorn, every two weeks during the cold months
- 1 large Walmart-brand container cashews every 2 weeks (because my husband is thin too and needs the extra fat)
Drinks
- 1 24-pack Mountain Dew every 2 weeks (For my husband. Caffeine helps my husband's ADHD symptoms--something which has actually been proven. He doesn't like coffee or tea)
- 1 large canister Country Time Lemonade for the kids (every 2-4 weeks, depending on the heat and humidity)
- 1 box hot chocolate packets every 2-3 weeks in cold months
- 1 24-pack, 20-ounce/per bottle Walmart brand bottled water. To keep the washer from shaking too forcefully when it's on spin cycle. I kid you not. When the previous owners turned the porch into a formal dining room/sun room, they moved the laundry area to one end of it, and the floor is just uneven enough there to cause the washer to shimmy too much. The washer was in the one-car garage, but they made that into a family room (our play room). And I drink the bottles, too, because our water is terrible. We badly need a filter. But the water just really works to keep that washer behaving. Yes, we need a handyman around here.
Spices - All purchased at Save-A-Lot market, as needed.
- baking powder
- baking soda
- oregano
- basil
- onion powder
- cumin
- garlic powder
- garlic salt
- chili powder
- vanilla extract
(and others as needed for holidays)
Thank you for your time and input!
photo credit
13 comments:
Just a few small suggestions: Hot cocoa in a canister is much cheaper than packets, and popcorn purchased as kernels and popped in oil on the stove is much cheaper and healthier than the microwave kind. You can even pop the kernels in a brown paper bag or covered container in the microwave if dirtying a pot is prohibitive. Popcorn made this way is so cheap and filling!
I would urge you to consider a once-monthly trip to Aldi, at least to try it. I think you would find that the canned and packaged foods, meats, and produce that you purchase will all be cheaper there. I too shop at Walmart as a rule, but I was getting a lot more for my money when I also went to Aldi.
Oh crockpots...I forgot. When I do use mine, I almost always put the ingredients together the night before and store in the fridge until the morning. There is way too much going on in my house in the morning to be cooking dinner. Unfortunately, I have almost always found crockpot meals to be better in theory than in practice. For the most part, I do not the texture of meats that have cooked in the crockpot, with the possible exception of whole chicken. I do think that it's possible to make good food in the crockpot, but I haven't mastered it. Have you read this blog? She has many ideas that may help you come up with some things that will work for your family: http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/
Thank you, Terri! I appreciate you! About how much kernel do you use when you pop popcorn in the microwave in a regular size lunch bag?
Yes, I will try Aldi's. I will just have to take the kids with me.
And thank you for that website. I hadn't heard of it. I make soups in the crockpot without any trouble, like navy bean with ham, and black bean soup, but only Peter and my husband and me will eat them, so I do it when I have a craving only. We also do potatoes, ham, and cheese in the crockpot a couple times a year. Ham seems to do well in the crockpot.
Thank you!
I am not sure if this will be helpful to you, but have you considered Costco,BJ's or Sams. Yes, there is the initial membership which can be costly, but at Costco as you shop you earn a percentage back so at renewal time you get a check which typically will cover the cost of membership and then some. Not sure if Sams or BJ's has the same program. I shop there weekly for most everything that I can and fill in at the grocery store for items that are not feasible for me to buy in bulk. We are only a family of 4 and getting certain perishable items would go to waste.
I have also heard good things about Aldi, but haven't shopped there myself. Good luck on cutting costs and finding better deals. I find bargain shopping to be increasingly difficult these days.
Hi Margie,
Thank you! Sams is about 30 minutes away so I haven't seriously considered it. The other two bulk stores aren't around here. How is the meat at these places? Any better than Walmart prices, do you think? I will check the meat prices at Aldi and see if they beat Walmart. If they don't I'll try to check meat prices online for Sam's, if possible. They probably don't carry many things without high fructose corn syrup, I am thinking. I will check their website and see if they list their products on it.
Thank you!
I wish I had something to say that would save you lots of money, but unfortunately, food is very expensive, and good food even more so. I live in Indiana, so it is probably similar to you in Ohio. I do agree with the other person who said try Aldi. There are some jewels there amongst the processed foods. I'd not try to do a big run there with your kids in tow. Dairy is cheaper there for sure! Best wishes.
I am not sure about Sam's pricing, but find that meat is typically much cheaper than at the grocery. Granted, initially the price can be shocking, but when you are buying in bulk and separating into individual family meals the price is much less expensive. At Costco, at least, the meat quality is very good for both fresh and frozen. I tend to buy the large 10 lb bag of individually frozen chicken breasts, while my husband likes the beef selections especially for summer grilling. They also carry a large selection of organic and high fructose corn free products. I try to minimize how much high fructose corn we take in as well. I also buy 36 eggs(2 18 packs) at a time quite cheaply and find that a gallon of milk is much less expensive as well. Hope this helps, but Sam's may be worth looking into.
Thank you, Jennifer and Margie. I am going to check Aldi out this weekend. There is a park near it, I remember now. Hubby can look after the kids easier there than the house, while I check it out. They kind of drive him nuts in the house after an hour or so.
I will check into the membership for Sam's and still check their website.
Thank you for all your help, friends!
We shop at Costco, it is the only way to feed a family of seven in southern CA. I use the crock pot for chicken and roast. I buy when they are on sale and freeze them. I use ground turkey to make pasta dishes but that is hard in the summer because of baking. We bbQ a lot in summer because it is so hot and we do not use air conditioner. Sorry I wish I had some suggestion to help. Oh you an put chicken in the crock pot and have bbq chicken sandwiches...We love that in the summer also. Hugs friend I used your quote in my WED post.
I use coupons for cereals only, which we have once per week. The other mornings, we have whole wheat bagels, baked oatmeal, scrambled eggs, etc.
We have a CostCo membership and love it. The meat is more expensive there than Walmart, but we buy paper products, peanut butter, sugar, flour, and other staples there.
I also shop at Sharp Shopper. It's a grocery discount store with great prices. And I have shopped at Save-a-lot, too. Their prices beat any that I've seen in Walmart. I don't have a bread machine. I make it myself. I have a really easy oatmeal bread recipe (on my blog post about bread bowls) that I use alot. You only have to let it rise once, so it doesn't take alot of time.
Wow. I didn't mean to write a book, but I hope this helps.Jennifer is right - food is just plain expensive. As my hubby says,
"Everything keeps going up, except the paycheck."
Love you, friend! :)
Oh I'm so glad there's a park next to Aldi! That will work out well. You will be able to take the time to compare prices and really think about things that way. I will be interested to hear what you find.
I haven't used a paper bag in the microwave because I have a microwave rice cooker with a snap on lid that I use for that purpose and it works really well. Here's a tutorial for the paper bag: http://www.squawkfox.com/2010/07/27/popcorn-recipe-gourmet-popcorn/ I also recommend white popcorn kernels rather than yellow if you can find them, as they are more tender.
Oh yes I do like soups in the crockpot, particularly beef stew. That's probably not the most economical, though, which is why I didn't mention it.
Hi Terri, thank you for the tutorial! Beef stew would actually be pretty economical for us. I've seen stewing beef cubes for $4 something a package. Because it creates leftovers too, it's a cheap meal. But only Peter and hubby and me will eat it, unfortunately. I think because the meat is chewy? What do you do to get your stewing beef tender? I use a packet of onion soup mix, one pound of pre-cubed stewing beef, a little water in the bottom of the crockpot, and sliced carrots and potatoes,putting the meat on top of the veggies. It usually takes 8 hours on low for the veggies to become tender. Do you do something special to make for tender meat? I would love any tips! Thank you for all your help!
My beef stew is more of a soup, I guess. I often use leftover pot roast in mine, so it's already cooked. I don't buy stew meat but choose a cut of roast on sale and cut it myself if I am buying it fresh for the stew. If it's raw I brown it before I add it. I mix together as many veggies as I can manage, the beef, canned tomatoes, and beef broth. I season with salt, pepper, italian seasoning, onion and garlic. By the end of a day on low everything is tender and tasty.
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