The Money Mustache Community
General Discussion => Post-FIRE => Topic started by: Maxman on March 11, 2015, 07:25:26 PM
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My wife and I have special dietary needs. I am a diabetic and my wife has Rheumatoid arthritis. We eat a low carb Paleo diet. My wife also avoids all nightshades. Most nights we eat rotisserie chicken, ribeye steak, fish, or pork with salad and vegetables. Our current grocery budget is around $700 per month and we don't eat out much maybe once a week. How can we lower our grocery costs?
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Cook the chicken yourself. Save the bones for broth- it's super healthy anyway (and save veggie scraps to go into this). Don't just eat steak- buy whatever cuts of meat are on sale.
Budget Bytes is your friend.
Cabbage is cheap and incredibly helpful. It can be noodles, stir fry, broiled to be crispy and crunchy, etc.
Eat whatever veggies are in season.
ETA: If you don't already use websites like the PaleoMom and NomNomPaleo, and cookbooks like the AIP protocol, I definitely recommend. Really helped me to establish our "new normals" for meals. I'm at 5 years paleo now, although less restrictive than you have to be. Best of luck! It can be done.
Other thought I had: people hate hearing it, but organ meat! It is incredibly healthy, often incredibly cheap, and is a good "use the whole animal" option. If you can't stand organ meats- I couldn't at first- see if your meat counter will grind the liver/heart/etc in with some ground beef for you.
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Where do you live?
Worst case scenario, eating decent fish/steak each night, where I live I can get steak for two people for about $10 easily, that's $300 per month. Figure 1lb of fresh vegetables at $2/pound is another $60, so $360/month on dinners.
What do you do for lunches/breakfasts?
If you really want to reduce cost keep all your receipts for a while then itemize them (after a few months). This will be really revealing.
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I understand your pain as I eat a strict paleo diet and have food intolerances. Buy quality meat in bulk straight from the source/farmer. I buy a quarter cow twice a year and it's helped me cut costs considerably. Also investigate "bulk" buying on Amazon for core ingredients (I buy coconut milk there, alternative flours). Lastly, does your town/city have a food buying club? I belong to one that allows me to source expensive ingredients (e.g types of berries) in bulk for much cheaper (and still good quality).
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I understand your pain as I eat a strict paleo diet and have food intolerances. Buy quality meat in bulk straight from the source/farmer. I buy a quarter cow twice a year and it's helped me cut costs considerably. Also investigate "bulk" buying on Amazon for core ingredients (I buy coconut milk there, alternative flours). Lastly, does your town/city have a food buying club? I belong to one that allows me to source expensive ingredients (e.g types of berries) in bulk for much cheaper (and still good quality).
Second to amazon. Their "subscribe and save" has been a major resource for things like coconut oil, seaweed snacks and larabars for traveling, chia seeds, etc. I get 15% off these things, and then the 3% reward from the amazon visa. Woo!
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Normally the folks who overspend on groceries buy too many different things, especially processed junk, that sits in pantries and freezers forever.
That's not your issue as you seem to be eating clean and healthy. I live on what I call "The Costco Diet" both for financial and health reasons. Ninety percent of what I buy/eat -- and I'm guessing there's a lot of overlap between us -- comes from Costco: Rotisserie chicken, fish, veggies (both fresh and frozen), protein powder, ready-to-drink protein shakes, etc.
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I didn't see eggs on your no-go list. If they're available as a food option, this opens up a ton of choices. Frittatta, crustless quiches, omlettes, scrambles, hard boiled, soft boiled, etc etc. And a fairly cheap option too!
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(http://I didn't see eggs on your no-go list. If they're available as a food option, this opens up a ton of choices. Frittatta, crustless quiches, omlettes, scrambles, hard boiled, soft boiled, etc etc. And a fairly cheap option too!)
we eat eggs often. I make lots of tuna salad for lunch.
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Bracken_Joy suggested organs/sweetbreads. I find I can't tolerate liver but that heart is rather tasty and very lean.
It was also suggested keeping chicken scraps to make stock. The same trick works for fish scraps. The heads are where the most flavorful stock comes from (ordinarily completely inedible.)
Do you have room to grow your own tomatoes? I bought 6 plants from Wal-mart for $2.88. They will produce roughly a 100 pounds of fruit. You can probably grow most of your own spices as well.
And...get a DBA number (doing business as), then use it to shop at 'restaurant supply' stores. They are pretty slack about caring whether you actually have a restaurant so long as you buy in bulk and don't ask to break packaging into smaller lots. You might need to make room in a closet somewhere to store stuff at that point but you'll save a ton.
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Switch from rib-eye steak to chuck steak. Still very tasty but much less expensive.
Buy the beef (hell, actually buy all the meats) in quantity when they are on sale and avoid the meat case when they are not. Use your freezer space. Get a chest freezer (we did) to really do this right.
It's already been mentioned, but bears repeating. Do your own broiling, roasting, etc. Stay away from the deli counter.
Ditto on the cabbage. Super cheap. Super filling. Super versatile. Mix it up with carrots, cauliflower or broccoli. Or all.
When it comes to dairy, canned stuff, and so on... BUY THE STORE'S GENERIC BRAND. If you check the labels, you'll find that the ingredients listed on the generic items are the same as those listed on brand name items. AND they are listed in the same order, which indicates the relative percentage of the ingredients is also the same. So, buy generic whenever this applies.
For what it's worth, our dietary parameters are almost exactly the same as yours (meat/veg/salad dinners... egg/tuna/lunch meat lunches... etc). But our grocery bill is less than half of yours.
So...
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Portion size hasn't been mentioned.
So many people think they are eating a normal sized meal, when in reality it is a supersized meal.
Start using smaller plates and bowls.
If overeating is a problem, do not make leftovers.
Meat portion should be no larger than their palm.
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When it comes to dairy, canned stuff, and so on... BUY THE STORE'S GENERIC BRAND. If you check the labels, you'll find that the ingredients listed on the generic items are the same as those listed on brand name items. AND they are listed in the same order, which indicates the relative percentage of the ingredients is also the same. So, buy generic whenever this applies.
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I worked in food production for a while. Spoiler alert: a lot of the generic brands are almost identical. Made in the same plants, from the same ingredients, with maybe a little tweak here or there to make them cheaper (ie, the stabilizer we used in the generic brand was cheaper than in our brand, but a consumer wouldn't be able to tell any difference. It had more to do with how the product handles shipping and how far you can ship it). It's called co-packing, and is a very common practice.
So if that cottage cheese tastes the same as the name brand? It very well might be the same.
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My wife also avoids all nightshades.
Do you have room to grow your own tomatoes? I bought 6 plants from Wal-mart for $2.88. They will produce roughly a 100 pounds of fruit. You can probably grow most of your own spices as well.
Tomatoes are nightshades (as are potatoes, peppers, eggplants, tomatillos, ground cherries and tobacco).
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My wife also avoids all nightshades.
Do you have room to grow your own tomatoes? I bought 6 plants from Wal-mart for $2.88. They will produce roughly a 100 pounds of fruit. You can probably grow most of your own spices as well.
Tomatoes are nightshades (as are potatoes, peppers, eggplants, tomatillos, ground cherries and tobacco).
Definitely grow your own fresh herbs though. If you're avoiding nightshades, that limits your spice options, so fresh herbs are a great choice, and can be very cost effective if grown at home. (Healthy, too!)
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... How can we lower our grocery costs?
It is so obvious, I hesitate to mention it. But...
(1) Make sure you have an affinity card for your grocery store(s) so you can get the lower price that is customarily offered to card holders.
(2) Pay for your groceries with a cash back credit card. Amex has a default 2% or 3% cash back rate for grocery stores. Other cards run seasonal 5% grocery cash back promotions.
(3) Check the store's weekly flyer for specials BEFORE you go into the store.
(4) Make and shop from a list!
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... How can we lower our grocery costs?
It is so obvious, I hesitate to mention it. But...
(1) Make sure you have an affinity card for your grocery store(s) so you can get the lower price that is customarily offered to card holders.
(2) Pay for your groceries with a cash back credit card. Amex has a default 2% or 3% cash back rate for grocery stores. Other cards run seasonal 5% grocery cash back promotions.
(3) Check the store's weekly flyer for specials BEFORE you go into the store.
(4) Make and shop from a list!
This is actually great to check out.
Another thing: while the Trader Joe's is cheaper for a lot of foods for us, our fancy-pants co-op actually ends up being way cheap sometimes. We have an ownership share, and every quarter, we get a sliding scale discount... so we stock up ($200+ trip) and get 15% off. We also recently got a rewards CC and use it for the % back. Being aware of the sales and rewards around you is a huge boon.
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and we don't eat out much maybe once a week.
IMHO, once a week is actually pretty frequently.
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I disagree with whoever said cook your own whole chickens instead of buying rotisseries. I can get a 5 lb. Bird already cooked from Costco and make stock from the bones. The cheapest raw whole chickens I can find are .99/lb. I save time and hassle. Winning!
If you do not have a Costco or SAMs club membership you should run, not walk, to get one.
Agree with buying cheaper cuts of beef. We make beef tips in the crockpot that are melt in your mouth good for 4.49/lb. pork is also 2.00/lb or less.
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How about buying half a cow from a farmer? Or a whole pig? Good prices if you do it that way, and it should be better meat, I think.
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Post your receipts for the past month.
That will tell us volumes, and we can give specific advice.
How much food are you tossing out each month?
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Thanks for all the replies and guidance.
We do shop at Sam's Club. I buy their rotisserie chicken. I use the bones to make bone broth adding 5lbs of chicken wings, carrots, onion, and celery. We drink this daily. So I make this about once a week.
We don't like the meat at Sam's though, but I buy bulk nuts, coffee, heavy cream, kerrygold butter, and beef jerky there. Oh I also buy box wine at Sam's. Wish we had a Trader Joes or Costco here, but the nearest ones are 50 miles away.
We live in a retirement community in Florida called The Villages. This place is huge with over 100k inhabitants.
I do grow my own herbs (basil, parsley, rosemary, sage). We are thinking of purchasing a freezer for the garage to store bulk meat. I don't buy grass fed beef anymore because of the cost, so we supplement with omega 3 fish oil to counter the omega 6. We don't use canola oil or buy any dressings that contain it. We only use olive oil, coconut oil, palm oil, or pastured butter. I do eat potatoes, cheese, and heavy cream that are not paleo.
I really think that the advice to eat more eggs to save money is valid. I love eggs and don't mind eating them several times a week. In fact for dinner tonight I had three over easy eggs, bacon, and homemade hash browned potatoes. I let the runny yolk mix in with the potatoes. It tasted great and satisfied me.
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We do shop at Sam's Club. I buy their rotisserie chicken. I use the bones to make bone broth adding 5lbs of chicken wings, carrots, onion, and celery.
I hope when you say you use "chicken wings" for your broth you're only talking about the tips. Chicken wings are the most expensive part of a chicken, and should be turned into hot wings, not wasted!
Personally, I get excited when I've saved up enough for a meal of hot wings (which, for two people, only happens once every 5 chickens).
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Agreed that you should check out nomnompaleo. She has great AIP compliant recipes.
Also agreed that a freezer and bulk buying cheaper cuts of meat will help. Also frozen fruits and veg are often cheaper and retain more nutrients than fresh.
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A few more thoughts - for cooking, lard is great. Saturated fat 32%, Polyunsaturated fat 11%, Monounsaturated fat 41%. High smoke point. Perfect for sauté.
Beef - get a tough cut and toss it in a slow cooker - with red wine (super cheap is fine for this), beef bouillon, onions, carrots, turnip, (and later in the cooking add snow or snap peas), spices - allspice and cloves (I use ground for both, but whole is fine too, just don't bite them), and a bay leaf. Delicious, no night shades. When everything is eaten but the stock, use it for French onion soup.
Pork - same but use chicken bouillon, black currant syrup (I use Ribena) or the juice from canned sour cherries (and add the cherries near the end), and choice of vegetables.
Re your wife's arthritis - a friend of mine has permanent damage/inflammation from a car accident 30 years ago - she recently gave up black tea (it is apparently inflammatory, who knew?) and her inflammation is way down.
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Thanks for the tips on saving on groceries and help with my wife's inflammation. We bought a rotisserie chicken from Sam's club today. It looks like it will be good for a couple of meals.
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They're not for everyone, but my household eats a lot of sardines. They're healthier and more sustainable than canned tuna- lots of good fats, minerals, no mercury concern because they're low on the food chain. They do taste a little "fishier" than tuna, but not by much. I ate them on toast or pasta in my carb-loving days, and now enjoy them straight from the tin with mustard, hot sauce, or lemon juice.
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Thanks for the tips on saving on groceries and help with my wife's inflammation. We bought a rotisserie chicken from Sam's club today. It looks like it will be good for a couple of meals.
You should try for 3 meals...then take the carcass and make a soup..for another 2 meals
..usually you can buy a raw chicken for a cheaper price, or at least a larger chicken for the same price (but we buy them too, on occassion)
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They're not for everyone, but my household eats a lot of sardines. They're healthier and more sustainable than canned tuna- lots of good fats, minerals, no mercury concern because they're low on the food chain. They do taste a little "fishier" than tuna, but not by much. I ate them on toast or pasta in my carb-loving days, and now enjoy them straight from the tin with mustard, hot sauce, or lemon juice.
This is what my fiance does. He found the ones packed in water to be much less fishy than those packed in oil. I'm still working on liking them =) Thank you for the reminder.
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They're not for everyone, but my household eats a lot of sardines. They're healthier and more sustainable than canned tuna- lots of good fats, minerals, no mercury concern because they're low on the food chain. They do taste a little "fishier" than tuna, but not by much. I ate them on toast or pasta in my carb-loving days, and now enjoy them straight from the tin with mustard, hot sauce, or lemon juice.
+1 on sardines/pilchards.
We should not be eating tuna at all - they are under serious threat.
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We should not be eating tuna at all - they are under serious threat.
There's tuna and then there's tuna. Perhaps not coincidentally, ranking tuna species from most to least desirable also ranks them from most to least threatened: Bluefin (which is what really expensive sushi is made from) is worst, followed by Yellowfin, Bigeye, Albacore, and finally Skipjack (which is what you get in 'chunk light' canned tuna). The last one, Skipjack, is actually so common that (according to Wikipedia) it's not yet overfished and thus OK to eat.
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I only like the sardines packed in tomato sauce. My wife stays clear of tomato sauce and won't eat most weird stuff. I on the other hand love raw oysters, the green gook in the head of a maine lobster, sea urchin, and liver.
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Our grocery budget last year was $800 a month. We don't eat paleo but eat a vegan diet instead. This year, I've managed to cut our grocery bill in half - seriously -- only one month so far this year has our total grocery expenses been over $400.
The first thing I did was make an inventory of everything we had on hand already. Everything. Then I figured what meals I could make using the stuff I had on hand and only bought whatever ingredients I needed to complete just those meals. I started doing this each week and eventually, our pantry has become much less packed.
Each week I make a list of 8-9 meals to make (to have options). Then I make a list of the ingredients I need to buy only for those meals and add whatever other items I need to buy like coffee, shampoo, toilet paper, etc. We have green smoothies every morning for breakfast so I'll buy those ingredients. We both take leftovers for lunch so that's covered, too. Then I only buy what's on the list.
Wow! I'm amazed at how much less I'm spending when I do this instead of just going to the store and buying whatever I think I need or whatever looks appealing. Even if it was stuff I used. And I was amazed, too, at how much food we had on hand when I would think "there's nothing to eat, I have to go to the store."
Plus, it makes dinners so much easier... I have my list of meals for the week on the side of the fridge. As I make something, I cross it out. I always know what other meal options we have for the remaining days of the week and I always know I have everything on hand to make those meals. It's been wonderful.
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Rather than steaks, how about the cheaper stewing meats? (Shoulders, shanks, leg) They should be less than half the price of steak and you can cook them with a slow cooker or over the weekend if you don't have time during the week.
I'd also check out any ethnic markets, consider freezing good deals. For the meat, it will take less space if you braise it and then freeze only the meat in meal-sized containers, use the bones for a very condensed stock. Otherwise you're looking at the cost to maintain a separate freezer.
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Rather than steaks, how about the cheaper stewing meats? (Shoulders, shanks, leg) They should be less than half the price of steak and you can cook them with a slow cooker or over the weekend if you don't have time during the week.
This. My last slow cooker meal featured ham shanks at 1.19/lb. I made a nice stock out of boxed wine and spices and a couple quartered onions. Add carrots and potatoes when the entire thing is almost ready so you get slightly cooked veggies with some texture left. Serve over steamed rice. Cheap. Yummy.
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I am a huge proponent of Walmarts price match policy. Currently for my wife and I our monthly budget is right around $100.
We do buy quite a bit of produce, but by no means organic or vegan.
We have a great website that price matches all the local stores to make sure you are price matching the lowest price. It saves me some time, especially for produce.
http://www.thecentsableshoppin.com/weekly-price-list-february-25th-march-3rd/
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This. My last slow cooker meal featured ham shanks at 1.19/lb. I made a nice stock out of boxed wine and spices and a couple quartered onions. Add carrots and potatoes when the entire thing is almost ready so you get slightly cooked veggies with some texture left. Serve over steamed rice. Cheap. Yummy.
This sounds delicious, I will have to make it soon. Thanks
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Rather than steaks, how about the cheaper stewing meats? (Shoulders, shanks, leg) They should be less than half the price of steak and you can cook them with a slow cooker or over the weekend if you don't have time during the week...
You don't even have to actually give up steaks. Just switch from rib-eye to chuck. You'll enjoy a very well-marbled and tasty cut of beef at about half the price of the vaunted rib-eye. Yum!
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I understand your pain as I eat a strict paleo diet and have food intolerances. Buy quality meat in bulk straight from the source/farmer. I buy a quarter cow twice a year and it's helped me cut costs considerably. Also investigate "bulk" buying on Amazon for core ingredients (I buy coconut milk there, alternative flours). Lastly, does your town/city have a food buying club? I belong to one that allows me to source expensive ingredients (e.g types of berries) in bulk for much cheaper (and still good quality).
Wow, this is really good stuff. Thanks!
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I agree with Retired to Win. Buy chuck steak instead of ribeyes as they are usually about half the cost. Stock up when they are on sale and save even more. Are you overbuying and wasting food? Throwing out produce? Not using leftovers?
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I agree with Retired to Win. Buy chuck steak instead of ribeyes as they are usually about half the cost. Stock up when they are on sale and save even more. Are you overbuying and wasting food? Throwing out produce? Not using leftovers?
Be smart about the use you get out of your refrigerator's freezer. Filling it with meats is going to give you your biggest bank for the space buck. And evaluate whether to add a stand-alone freezer. (We did.)
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Look at your bills and tally up how much you're spending on various areas (see other threads for categories people have broken it into, e.g. eggs, dairy, baking supplies, meat, beans, vegetables, fruits...). You mentioned nuts for example, which can be quite expensive so this may show you the areas where you're really spending.
Figure out the costs of your favorite meals. Then try to rotate in the cheaper ones more frequently.
Buy bulk, buy on sale (freeze/cook meals around the sales).
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Wow - ACL - your monthly bill is $100 for 2 people? That is amazing. I agree, Walmart, as much as I dislike it, has an amazing price match policy. And purely from a financial perspective, is the cheapest and easiest way to shop. I go through all the local stores' Wednesday sale flyers, pick out the best deals, take them to Walmart and pick those foods.
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I like to eat and don't mind spending money on good food but your budget is high by our standards and we still have a teenage boy in the house!
We do shop the discount bins at the stores but we get a big "bang for our buck" (pun intended!) by hunting, fishing, and to a very small but growing extent, gardening.
I saw from your other posts you live in The Villages? I think they have good local fishing don't they? If you manage to avoid equipment envy, fishing could certainly provide you with both entertainment and protein. If they will let you use jug fishing, limb lines, yo-yos, or trot lines then it can be very efficient.
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Another key one for me at least- go when stores aren't crowded, and leave plenty of time. I get overwhelmed very easily in a crowd, and so I won't pay attention to pricing changes, what is on sale, etc.
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Another key one for me at least -- go when stores aren't crowded, and leave plenty of time. I get overwhelmed very easily in a crowd, and so I won't pay attention to pricing changes, what is on sale, etc.
Yes, I do that without even thinking about it -- given that I am already FI/REd and have almost total control of my time. :)
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Go buy an 8 pound pork shoulder. Should be less than $15. Hell, go crazy and spend $30 for a pork shoulder from a pig that wasn't tortured it's whole life. Wrap in banana leaf. Shove some fresh pineapple and green chili and your favorite non-nightshade paleo bbq sauce down in there.
Slow cook at 250 or 300 degrees until you can't stand it any more. Hours and hours. Have a mojito or something while you wait. Don't worry, you can afford it with all the coin you're not spending on ribeye. (Are you kidding me with the "how can I cut my ribeye budget?" question?)
Serve with cabbage slaw and roasted sweet potato.
There, you just cooked like 20 generous dinners for $40. Congratulations on your savings.
Done.
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Go buy an 8 pound pork shoulder. Should be less than $15. Hell, go crazy and spend $30 for a pork shoulder from a pig that wasn't tortured it's whole life. Wrap in banana leaf. Shove some fresh pineapple and green chili and your favorite non-nightshade paleo bbq sauce down in there.
Slow cook at 250 or 300 degrees until you can't stand it any more. Hours and hours. Have a mojito or something while you wait. Don't worry, you can afford it with all the coin you're not spending on ribeye. (Are you kidding me with the "how can I cut my ribeye budget?" question?)
Serve with cabbage slaw and roasted sweet potato.
There, you just cooked like 20 generous dinners for $40. Congratulations on your savings.
Done.
Gosh I wish this forum had a LIKE button.
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I'm not sure I saw it mentioned, but no one here has called out Aldi. Not only does it save us 50% on groceries, but it's also a much better company/shopping experience than your typical store. It's cheaper than Costco, without the large buy-in and huge crowds/stores. Here's why you should shop at one if you have one in your area:
1) All Aldi brand (but manufactured by name brands), so costs are >50% less, and you don't waste time making decisions
2) Stores are small and thus easy to get around. Weekly shopping will take all of 15 minutes
3) Quality is as good, OR BETTER than name brands. Aldi makes this claim and I find it to be true. They even back it with a double money back guarantee
4) Because they put multiple barcodes on each product, and employees are paid well, expect checkout to be < half of the time of anywhere else. In fact, many times I cannot unload my cart faster than the employee can scan them
5) While no where close to a whole foods, they do a decent job with having lots of organics/gluten free/dairy alternatives, etc. They do well with alternative diets.
6) You are not enticed to spend on things you don't need
7) They pay their employees well. Min wage of $13/hr, full health care, etc.
I think Aldi got a bad name in the 90's for quality, and I am a stickler for quality. But they have seriously upped their game. No cost saving measure in the last 5 years has had a bigger impact on my bottom line than switching from shopping at Super Target to Aldi. It's actually gotten to the point that I get depressed when I do have to shop at SuperTarget (huge parking lot, huge store, long checkouts, overpaying, etc.) It all seems like such a bear. It even caused me to cancel my Costco membership, because I realized that I never walked away spending less than $150 there, not to mention the food waste and unnecessary purchases. I struggle to spend over $80 at ALDI.
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I'm not sure I saw it mentioned, but no one here has called out Aldi. Not only does it save us 50% on groceries, but it's also a much better company/shopping experience than your typical store. It's cheaper than Costco, without the large buy-in and huge crowds/stores. Here's why you should shop at one if you have one in your area:
1) All Aldi brand (but manufactured by name brands), so costs are >50% less, and you don't waste time making decisions
2) Stores are small and thus easy to get around. Weekly shopping will take all of 15 minutes
3) Quality is as good, OR BETTER than name brands. Aldi makes this claim and I find it to be true. They even back it with a double money back guarantee
4) Because they put multiple barcodes on each product, and employees are paid well, expect checkout to be < half of the time of anywhere else. In fact, many times I cannot unload my cart faster than the employee can scan them
5) While no where close to a whole foods, they do a decent job with having lots of organics/gluten free/dairy alternatives, etc. They do well with alternative diets.
6) You are not enticed to spend on things you don't need
7) They pay their employees well. Min wage of $13/hr, full health care, etc.
I think Aldi got a bad name in the 90's for quality, and I am a stickler for quality. But they have seriously upped their game. No cost saving measure in the last 5 years has had a bigger impact on my bottom line than switching from shopping at Super Target to Aldi. It's actually gotten to the point that I get depressed when I do have to shop at SuperTarget (huge parking lot, huge store, long checkouts, overpaying, etc.) It all seems like such a bear. It even caused me to cancel my Costco membership, because I realized that I never walked away spending less than $150 there, not to mention the food waste and unnecessary purchases. I struggle to spend over $80 at ALDI.
In my experience Aldi is pretty useless for those keeping a to a paleo diet. The meats and produce were abysmal when we went, and since that's all we buy...
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Not sure about the Aldi store you were at with the poor produce. Our Aldi has trucks delivering daily that are filled with quality, low price produce. They have a generous variety and also carry organic items. It seems like people either love or hate Aldi - no in between.
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Not sure about the Aldi store you were at with the poor produce. Our Aldi has trucks delivering daily that are filled with quality, low price produce. They have a generous variety and also carry organic items. It seems like people either love or hate Aldi - no in between.
Complete hearsay on my part, since there are no Aldi's near me, but I have heard the chain varies quite a bit from store to store. One blogger I followed who used to do majority of her shopping at Aldi's moved and hated the new Aldi's she was near.
So maybe that is at play?
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Here is another vote for ALDI - organic blueberries for 99cents and the quality was outstanding. I love that it is a much quicker in and out than any other store and their weekly fresh meat specials are awesome too. You might give it another go at a different ALDI location - it would be worth it on a Wednesday when they get their fresh meat buys. Just sayin'.
In Florida there is no excuse not to have truly fresh veggies and fruits and herbs. We have several outdoor markets, farmers markets and even homegrown vendors at the nearby flea market not to mention the roadside stands all within a mile or two from home. One friend goes to the Fleamarket produce section on Wednesdays, whenever she wants to can or fix a large batch of something. Her pear-cinnamon jam is to die for, so is her hot pepper jelly and homemade applebutter.
We trade fruits with our friends, we have avocadoes, they have tangerines and limes - cost zero. Hope to have my first batch of figs and macadamia nuts this year. There is a grower at the market who sells macadamia nut trees that are suitable for growing in Florida and mine is looking fat and happy:).
Since you are already growing herbs, how about:
Lemon Verbena, a milder somehow sweeter but intense yet more delicate flavor than a lemon - season a fish filet then wrap with a couple of branches of lemon verbena, wrap in parchment paper or foil if you prefer and bake in the oven - DELICIOUS and simple and works on the grill too:)
Makes a fine cup of tea too:) In Florida this will grow into a small bush - I've found mine prefers to be in a pot and wants to be watered regularly.
Blue African Basil, not the sweet Italian kind - a slightly spicy but not hot, peppery, full flavor basil that will punch up any Italian dishes, egg dishes and of course mozarella and mushrooms. Grows into a bush too, lives for 3-5 years - the only variety of basil you cannot grow from seeds, must be propagated or just buy a small plant whenever Lowes has them in stock in the spring. I plant mine in the ground, it doesn't mind the Florida summer heat and full sun.
Chocolate mint - your carrots never tasted so good - add a little brown organic sugar and as much mint as you like along with fresh butter, serve over steamed carrots - to die for:)
I like at least one sprig per carrot.
Lemongrass - easy to grow in a pot or in the ground - great for pork, chicken and fish and free lemongrass tea whenever you want it.
Bayleaf - looks attractive and I know mine is 100% organic and what's a good stew or roast without a bayleaf anyway?
Rosemary - can fend for itself here in Florida - just give it a little love and water the first year. A must have for pork and chicken, good with fish too. I saw you mentioned you already grow that, but it is worth mentioning again, because it is so good and savory. Makes a great pick me up if you use it as a sachet in your bathwater or just float a few branches in warm water. It has a 101 uses.
I shop on base which saves us minimum 30% on meat and they always have a managers special of some sort in the meat department as well - often for pennies on the dollar.
I designate one or two days a week to meat free dishes partly to save money and partly because I think it is healthier. We like casseroles, frittatas, quiche, veggie soups, homemade waffles and pancakes filled with anything from fruit to cheese to jams/jellies, chocolate - savory veggies and any kind of egg dishes you can think of, mushroom omelets made with bella mushrooms, my grandmothers apple pancakes etc. ......
One last thought on the food budget, one of the guys DH works with is a hunter and my nephew has a boat he takes to the keys for fishing and lovely lobsters - so we benefit and trade. My son goes crabbing for blue crab and likes to fish to, so there are always a few freebies that way. So even if you don't fish and hunt, it is possible to get fresh fish and seafood and meat for free or in trade for something else - maybe your fisherman friends freezer is running over:)
Living in Florida we need an emergency stash of food and water anyway in case of a Hurricane. After Katrina I expanded on that and created a rotating pantry which will last for 30 days. What I realized in setting up the pantry is that each food item is on sale within a given cycle - some only every 8 to 10 weeks even. So I made a note of the sale cycle of our favorite food items and buy enough to last until then. That's an easy way to save a guaranteed average of 35%.
I'm not big into coupons, mostly because the things I buy seldom have coupons except for real coffee beans, real butter etc and I make it a point to have at least one coupon for every bag of coffee and every single package of butter I buy. Adds up that way, he looks in the coupon section of the paper and I browse online. We don't spend more then 15 min to half an hour a week on looking for deals and coupons.
Good coffee is my one indulgence I never do without even during dire times. Tea grows in my garden from mint to lemon and my son knows how to make a good fruit wine.
We are foodies, but we do not over indulge. For me concocting a great dinner on whatever budget I can afford at the time is both an ever welcome challenge and a great pleasure. Money isn't everything when it comes to food, but quality ingredients, a little passion and an attractive presentation to please the eye not to mention a little wilyness in procuring the food is a good thing!
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Not sure about the Aldi store you were at with the poor produce. Our Aldi has trucks delivering daily that are filled with quality, low price produce. They have a generous variety and also carry organic items. It seems like people either love or hate Aldi - no in between.
Aldis vary wildly from location to location in terms of the quality of their fresh foods (meat and produce). Produce is rotting and meat dubious-looking at the two "near" me (40 and 45 miles off), but my mother swears by Aldi and couldn't understand why I didn't love it. Finally, on a visit she took me to "her"Aldi and I understood. Hers is wonderful.
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Not for everyone or every location but can you hunt, fish or grow your own?
There are some expenses involved but for me it is a HUGE money saver and the highest quality meat, same goes for our vegetable garden.
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Some links that may be of interest:
http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/share-your-badassity/grocery-shopping/
http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/journals/forummm's-journal/msg704138/#msg704138
http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/journals/forummm's-journal/msg704139/#msg704139
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Not for everyone or every location but can you hunt, fish or grow your own?
There are some expenses involved but for me it is a HUGE money saver and the highest quality meat, same goes for our vegetable garden.
I have to thank my wife for our vegetable garden and chickens, because she's the one doing the tending. She enjoys it as a hobby, and we both are benefiting from producing our own eggs (way more than we can use), a wide variety of vegetables, and even fancy fruit (like blackberries, which are coming into season right now and which I thoroughly enjoy eating without having to factor in how much they cost in the grocery store). We've also butchered chickens, but all of those are still in the freezer.
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At my last house I had a homestead, and I plan on having one once I move out of the HOA community I live in now, and definitely part of my ER plan.
I had six chickens and about 28 rabbits (started with three and ended up whith that many in about 4-6 months or so). I also had tilled a large area of the yard with a manual tool for a good sized garden with onions, potatoes, corn, lettuce, cilantro, parsley, carrots, tomatoes, zucchini, etc.
Raising your own chickens for eggs, meat, and not to mention rabbits for meat and a garden for your vegetables and fruits reduces your food bill drastically. Add to that a 20lb bag of basmati rice, beans and pasta, and some bread and butter and you're set.
You can eat very well like this for less than what people spend on coffee every month. A lot less...
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Has anyone noticed a price increase at aldis?
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My husband has Crohn's and Rheumatoid arthritis as well so we have very specific dietary needs for him. I have several coupon apps on my phone (cartwheel, Ibotta, and Checkout 51). I also get my coupons for free at coupons.com.
Before you go shopping, check your weekly circulars to see which grocery stores are having sales on the items you need. You can triple up by have the item on sale, using a coupon, then getting the grocery rebate on Ibotta or checkout 51. It may be time consuming but I save about $60 a month on groceries.
If you live near a commissary and have an ID or a friend an ID, go there. Groceries are substantially cheaper.
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WE average about $300/month & like meat & buy good quality. I do plan meals before I make the grocery list so I know that I have enough to feed us for the month. we usually have company about once a week. This does not include eating out. I only grocery shop once per month which helps keep costs down. Obviously you have to buy milk, eggs, fruit etc in between but when I need those I go right to them & do not look around for obvious reasons.
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My husband has Crohn's and Rheumatoid arthritis as well so we have very specific dietary needs for him. I have several coupon apps on my phone (cartwheel, Ibotta, and Checkout 51). I also get my coupons for free at coupons.com.
Can I ask what your husband's restrictions are? I have Crohn's and doctors here have never given any advice on diet.
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My husband has Crohn's and Rheumatoid arthritis as well so we have very specific dietary needs for him. I have several coupon apps on my phone (cartwheel, Ibotta, and Checkout 51). I also get my coupons for free at coupons.com.
Can I ask what your husband's restrictions are? I have Crohn's and doctors here have never given any advice on diet.
Unfortunately Doctor's usually can't give advice on diets because every Crohn's patient is different, and it also varies on the type of Crohn's you have. While we were at the hospital a nutritionist came in to speak to us everyday and tailored his diet depending on his the food affected him. We were there for 16 days so we had the time to figure out what worked best for him while we had the resource of the nutritionist. During a flare up, which is what he is currently dealing with, he can't have raw fruits or veggies, cooked veggies high in fiber (spinach, broccoli, kale, etc.) seeds, nuts, dairy, fried foods, fatty meats like red meat or pork, alcohol or coffee. When he is not in a flare up he can have all of the above except for alcohol, seeds, nuts, and he has to do dairy and fried foods in small quantities.
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My husband has Crohn's and Rheumatoid arthritis as well so we have very specific dietary needs for him. I have several coupon apps on my phone (cartwheel, Ibotta, and Checkout 51). I also get my coupons for free at coupons.com.
Can I ask what your husband's restrictions are? I have Crohn's and doctors here have never given any advice on diet.
Crohn's is very individual for dietary impact. The best answers come from doing elimination diets and keeping a journal of everything. Two basic approaches to the elimination diet:
1- restrict nearly everything for 1 week, then add food groups back in one at a time, at least a week apart. Veggies and fruits tend to see the largest variation in reactions, so adding them in individually works best.
2- eliminate one thing per month, and see how you react when it is added back in. This takes longer than the above, but obviously is easier to trial while living life normally.
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To answer OP --
Use only cash and set your budget tight --- Budget $2.5 per day per person.
Buy meats, eggs, butter in bulk when on sale. Meat freezes well and eggs can be kept for months in the fridge.
Use water as your primary drink.
Use all the veggies you buy.
Avoid any processed foods (learn to cook)
Soups!!
Break your shopping receipt up into categories as follows so that you know how much is for food :
Booze
Drinks
Fun food (ice cream, snacks, yogurt etc..)
Junk food
Real food - Meat, veggies, cheese, fish, eggs, canned tomato products etc...
Non grocery items
Cleaning supplies
Then track each category --- It really isn't a stretch to eat on $2.5 per day per person..
If you are using coupons you are probably eating junk food.
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Sorry Bob but I don't see someone going from 700 to 155/month. I would try to cut your bill in half which appears to be reasonable.
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Sorry Bob but I don't see someone going from 700 to 155/month. I would try to cut your bill in half which appears to be reasonable.
Oh yeah, yeah most people won't make that much of a cut but some people reading this may pick up a tip or two. And who knows after a few months of tracking and practice the OP may decide that having an extra $6,500 in the bank at the end of the year is worth a little effort? (that will come to around $150,000 in 10 years if invested properly)
I typically say "shoot for $2 per day per person, fail and end up at $3." I think our fearless leader comes in around $3 PPPD?
So here might be a daily food plan per person-
Breakfast - 2 eggs, 2 strips bacon, toast = .78
Lunch - Sliced meat (slice either $2 lb ham or $1 chicken yourself) and cheese sandwich (or wrap), piled with spinach, onions, tomato + chips = .98
Dinner - Homemade chicken and rice soup (chicken, celery, carrots, rice, olive oil, skip the high dollar canned broth which is mostly salt flavored water) = .85 ($1 per pound chicken bought as a loss leader and frozen)
Bedtime snack -- homemade popcorn popped in butter = .25
Total = 2.85
It is very doable.
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Sorry Bob but I don't see someone going from 700 to 155/month. I would try to cut your bill in half which appears to be reasonable.
Oh yeah, yeah most people won't make that much of a cut but some people reading this may pick up a tip or two. And who knows after a few months of tracking and practice the OP may decide that having an extra $6,500 in the bank at the end of the year is worth a little effort? (that will come to around $150,000 in 10 years if invested properly)
I typically say "shoot for $2 per day per person, fail and end up at $3." I think our fearless leader comes in around $3 PPPD?
So here might be a daily food plan per person-
Breakfast - 2 eggs, 2 strips bacon, toast = .78
Lunch - Sliced meat (slice either $2 lb ham or $1 chicken yourself) and cheese sandwich (or wrap), piled with spinach, onions, tomato + chips = .98
Dinner - Homemade chicken and rice soup (chicken, celery, carrots, rice, olive oil, skip the high dollar canned broth which is mostly salt flavored water) = .85 ($1 per pound chicken bought as a loss leader and frozen)
Bedtime snack -- homemade popcorn popped in butter = .25
Total = 2.85
It is very doable.
Bob, you are spot on.
We're in Canada, where the prices are a bit higher, and my husband (who is 220 lbs) and I spend around $50-$60 week on average.
I say, on average, because when a deal comes up, we stock up.
The other day, the local drug store had tuna on sale for 99c a can. That is a good price here. However, if we bought $35 worth, we got $10 off.(in the form of points) That makes the tuna $0.72 each.
The grocery store has reduced fruit and vegetables...the last time we bought them, they lasted 3 weeks. (cost $9)
You never know what they are going to have..which is fun.
We plan our meals around specials, and what we have at home.
The other day, the grocery store had an incentive. For every $30 spent, you saved $10. (in the form of points...no matter)
We use our bread machine 4-5 times a week. Costs $0.60 a loaf and 2 minutes to stick into the machine. The cheapest bread in our area is $1.50
My suggestion for some one spending $700 month....wow, I can't even fathom it, unless they are buying a lot of premade crap food...
anyways, go through your grocery flyers..and see what is on sale...stock up !!
The other day, peanut butter was on sale for brand X...which was a good price....but brand Y, which wasn't advertised, was cheaper...we bought that instead. Just as yummy.
My bananas sometimes ripen too fast. I stick them whole, in the freezer. Yesterday, I took out 8, and made muffins.
We rarely shop for groceries. Instead, we shop for reduced produce and meat, and stock up on sales.
Eggs will last for months.Cheese can be frozen.
The other day I decided to make a pot of chili. Out of the freezer, I used up celery, onions, yellow peppers, that I froze a couple of months ago, when I couldn't use them up fast enough.
I save all my bread crusts in the freezer. I use it to make bread stuffing , when I cook a chicken...or bread pudding, for a dessert.
When my ketchup or BBQ sauce bottle gets empty, I rinse out the remainder with water or vinegar, and use it in a recipe of sweet n sour sauce.
With mayo or jam, I use my rubber spatula.
I would venture to say, I rarely throw anything out.... can the person spending $700 a month say the same thing?
With the money you save...pay off bills.
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We spend about 300/month & eat well. Occasionally we may spend 400 for 2 people. WE usually have people for dinner 1x /week.
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Most people simply overeat...thus the obesity
And groceries don't cost enough...people buy too much, and throw most of it out.
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I really disagree with that. Food on the West Coast is not cheap. We throw very little of our food away. We either eat or freeze our leftovers.
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When I refer to 'cheap'...it means, we really don't appreciate it.
How often have you seen people throw out leftovers..half eaten fruits...bottles of condiments because they want to open another one.
Bottles of half drank pepsi/coke.
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Actually no I have never seen people throw that stuff away unless the soda is flat.
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I eat paleo myself and it can be expensive. Frozen veggies are cheaper than fresh and I like to stock up whenever I find a sale. I've also cut back on my meat portions and upped the amount of veggies I eat instead to save some money there. Also I make sure I eat large buttery omelet for breakfast and that pretty much keeps me full all day so I can get by on a smaller supper (I usually only eat 2 meals a day)
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Thanks FitFrugalFab and Bracken Joy. Appreciate the info.
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My wife started a vegetarian diet and I was surprised how this cut down on our grocery bill. I still eat meat occasionally but because we cook together, I end up eating more fruits and vegetables now and the cost of those are much less.
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My wife started a vegetarian diet and I was surprised how this cut down on our grocery bill. I still eat meat occasionally but because we cook together, I end up eating more fruits and vegetables now and the cost of those are much less.
Have to disagree on the cost argument here. Wife and I consume 12-14 lbs (before cooking) meat each week; at $1.50/lb that comes out to $18-$21. We can easily spend twice that on veggies. We probably eat double that weight in veggies and they are $1/lb at minimum, typically more.
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Did I mention that the absolutely cheapest Paleo food is olive oil. That shit is dirt cheap on a per calorie cost basis. You could easily get 50%+ of your calories from olive oil.
Canned Mackerel = $2 per can at 3-4 servings. Don't overdo the meat or fish. I would say in general that 1/4 - 1/2 lb of actual protein (about 100-200 grams as stated on the labels) is more that enough.
My guess is that you could get by on a 1400 calorie diet if you are eating nutrient dense foods. Skip the organics, hand fed, free ranged, grass fed and just stick with the hormone laced CAPO meats. The real benefit of Paleo is in the reduced calories, no sugar, low glycemic and more veggies than the SAD.
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Wow - ACL - your monthly bill is $100 for 2 people? That is amazing. I agree, Walmart, as much as I dislike it, has an amazing price match policy. And purely from a financial perspective, is the cheapest and easiest way to shop. I go through all the local stores' Wednesday sale flyers, pick out the best deals, take them to Walmart and pick those foods.
I have heard they are looking at doing away with the price matching, though. It will be a pain to have to go to all the stores if it happens!