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Well, I started posting what I make for dinner to see how much I was spending on groceries. That way I can budget accordingly. I also asked people around me how much do they think is a good price for groceries for a family of 6. Almost everyone I asked said between $400 and $450 a month. That sounds like a good price for me. I may even be able to get it under $400. I am going to budget $400 per month not $100 per week. That way if there are a lot of good sales one week and it is over $100, I won’t use money that if for something else.
I do not think my problem with spending too much money on food has to do with what I buy entirely. I think it is convenience. There has been plenty of times I didn’t have anything planned so we ate out. Or I just didn’t feel like cooking so we ate out. There have even been times there are so many after-school activities or functions , it was quicker to eat out. So I think I need to plan my meals. I am going to try this make ahead meal thing. I am going to look up some recipes and start either tomorrow evening or Monday morning. Wish me luck!
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Hi! I am struggling with the same issue – what I spend at the grocery store. Also, the questions arises, “Do I really need all of the items that I buy?” I recently surveyed my pantry and my freezer. If you don’t eat these things within a reasonable amount of time, they will be thrown out (they go bad, or really, really expire). I am now in the middle of eating my way through the food that I have on stock.
I am shortly going to be hosting a live Internet Radio show about cooking and the kitchen. Your topic about How much to spend at the grocery store is a great one. Come visit my website at http://www.journeythruthekitchen.com
I’m glad you’ll try the ‘cook ahead’. Some weeks will be better than others, but any time you go to bed on Sunday with a meal fully cooked for Monday and maybe one or two meals partially prepped, you’ll feel good about it. I’m lucky enough to have the big freezer in the basement, but even the one over the refrigerator can hold a few meals to avoid take out. ‘Frugal’ is in my blood, and when we spend $50 on a so-so restaurant meal when I can make something better, healthier, for 1/3 of that, I’d rather see my wife or daughter take that $35 or so saved and buy a new blouse they’ll wear for years. In the other thread, you mentioned that the nasty people might just be kind and offer ideas for good meals, so I’ll pass one along:
Sausage-Zucchini Soup
Few cloves garlic
1 lb sweet sausage
1 lb hot sausage
(substitute 1 1/2 lbs boiled chicken for sausage, if you wish)
2 lbs zucchini
1 large onion
1 red or green pepper
2 cans (15oz) chicken broth
2 cans (15oz) tomato sauce
basil – oregano – parsley about 1tbl each
Brown garlic & sausage, add everything else, simmer till zucchini falls apart. (This soup is really a full meal, you can serve it over rice or noodles if you wish. And it makes the house smell great!)
I’ve made this many times with either the sausage or chicken depending what’s on sale or in the freezer (I’m neurotic about dating everything going into the freezer, and keeping a list. So if the sale chicken is getting past 3 months, I aim to cook it up)
JOE
I haven’t read every entry in your blog though I’ve skimmed several and have read a few all the way through. I’m no money expert and have debt of my own, which I’m slowly paying off, but it seems to me that if you cook more you will save a lot of money. Granted, I don’t know where you live and how much groceries cost there but I can feed a family of 6 on about $250 a month average with some months being closer to $300. Most of our meals are from scratch and that’s saved me a small fortune. Convenience foods are real budget busters but you know that. Cooking ahead will make a big difference in your budget if you stick with it. I used to do Once a Month Cooking but now I just do smaller batch cooking and it’s helped so much. If I’m tired we don’t *have* to go out. I just pull something from the freezer, pop it in the oven and turn it on. Thirty minutes or so later it’s ready to eat. It seems as though you’re making progress so good for you!
And here are a few recipes your family might like. They’re all simple and easy and can be easily varied to suit your needs and budget. I generally look for the inexpensive route so here goes! If you’d like more, just email me or let me know here. I hope your family enjoys these!
Creamy Enchilada Casserole
Serves 10
1 lb. lean ground beef (I prefer ground turkey)
1 onion, chopped
1 can cream of mushroom soup (I use homemade)
1 can cream of chicken soup (I use homemade)
1 soup can of milk
4 to 8 oz. chopped green chilies
2 cups grated cheddar cheese, divided
12 corn tortillas, quartered
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9×13 pan. Brown meat with onion, drain. Add soups, milk and chilies; stir well. Add 1 cup of cheese and stir constantly until melted. Remove from heat. Line pans with 6 tortillas and then pour half of meat mixture over. Layer again, then top with cheese. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until bubbly. We love this casserole served with a tossed salad.
Creamy Garlic Chicken
2 tsp. vegetable or olive oil
4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 lb. and I use whatever I got on sale)
1/4 cup salad dressing
2 cups frozen stirfry vegetables or fresh vegetables
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups hot cooked rice
Heat oil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook 8 minutes, turning after 4 minutes.
Add dressing, vegetables, soy sauce and garlic and stir. Cook, covered, 7 minutes or until chicken is cooked through, stirring occasionally. Serve over the hot cooked rice. We like this with a few water chestnuts thrown in.
Foil Packed Taco Chicken Dinner
4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 lb. and again I use what’s on sale)
4 tsp. taco seasoning mix (I use homemade mix)
2 cups thinly sliced peeled potatoes
1 cup mexican style cheese, shredded (any cheese you like will work)
1/2 cup salsa
1/4 cup sour cream
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Sprinkle chicken evenly with seasoning mix. Place 1/2 cup of the potatoes on center of each of 4 large sheets of heavy-duty foil and top each with 1 chicken breast, 1/4 cup of the cheese and 2 Tbsp. of the salsa. Fold up the foil sides. Double fold the top and both ends to seal each packet, leaving a little room for heat circulation inside. Place in single layer in 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and potatoes are tender. Remove packets from oven. Let them stand 5 minutes or so. Place 1 packet on each of 4 dinner plates. Cut slits in foil with sharp knife to release steam before opening. Top each serving with 1 Tbsp. of the sour cream.
Thanks for the recipes. They sound really good. I am going to try them out.I will post what my family thinks about them too. I am hoping once I get the ball rolling with making meals ahead of time, my food budget will go down. That would be great.
I think it will help you a lot but don’t get too impatient. It might take a little while for you to see the real savings. Patience is definitely a virtue in this instance.
I would like to get in touch with “D” if possible. How do I get her email address? Or, can she can email me? I am just beginning the process of looking at my debt and where I can cut back. I have a family of 5 and when I read what “D” wrote – that she could feed her family of 6 for $250.00/month, I nearly fell off my chair! I spend about $600.00/month currently! So, I’d like to ask her some more questions. Please let me know how I can do that. Thank You.
W,
I used to spend at least $600 too.I think determining where “waste” money. For me it was eating out. I will look into getting you in contact with D for you. I will let you know in a few days. Thanks so much for stopping by.
Hi there,
Any luck getting in touch with “D”? I notice in her email to you, she mentioned that you could email her for more recipes. Could you email her and ask her if it would be OK for me to email her or she can email me if she prefers. I really would like to dialogue with her for more detailed information. Please let me know. Thanks!
I have started buying whole chickens and having the butcher cut them up for me. This is MUCH cheaper than buying a boneless, skinless breast. And most grocery stores with a butcher in house will do this for you if you ask.
I cook all the pieces at one time. My husband and I share one breast, and my two (young) children eat a thigh and a leg. I shred the leftover chicken and and use it to make chicken tacos (just add some chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, etc. to a 1/4 cup water and stir around with the shredded chicken in a pan) or chicken salad or add it to chicken noodle soup. Having the cooked chicken on hand is GREAT for making another dinner FAST.
It does mean cutting back a little on the amount of meat we used to eat, but we supplement with veggies (which are healthy and cheaper) and it not only trims the budget but the last few baby pounds I’ve been trying to lose.
Good luck to you all!
P.S. I’ve had the Enchilada casserole recipe above and it is fantastic. I often freeze it in 9×5 loaf pans, which is the right portion for our family. It’s another good use for the leftover shredded chicken!
Buying organic is absolutely killing me budget-wise. I can’t even get in the $600.00 range. Anyone else have tips on organic budgets?
It is SO expensive to go grocery shopping if you aren’t careful. I highly recommend cutting coupons and checking the weekly flyers in the newspaper. In our house, I have become the “dinner dictator” which means my husband can’t come home and decide he doesn’t want to eat what I’ve planned.
That is so funny that you are the dictator with your husband. My kids love to come home and say “I don’t like that. I want something else”. I tell them I am not a personal chef,lol. I am a big coupon user. I have even started a coupon book. It is like free money. We save at least $60-$80 everytime we shop.