grocery bill keeps going up

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Forum -> Household Management -> Budgeting & Bargains

Grocery bill keeps going up

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SorGold

Tue, Jun 01 2010, 10:03 am

Dont remember if your family drinks seltzer or not, but we bought a seltzer maker and make with tap water. Paid off after 2 months especially sine we dont pay bottle deposit

de_goldy

Tue, Jun 01 2010, 10:18 am

I think we also need to take into account that some people (adults and children) are just bigger eaters than others. There are things on this thread I can't relate to. Not to pick on anyone - but not fininshing a pepper? That would never happen in my house. eg. for supper each night we make a salad with 3 heads of romaine, 5 cukes, 2 peppers, 2 tomatoes etc and my kids devour it. It is always gone to the last drop.

Some families are small eaters.

Of course prices do factor in in a big way, but when doing comparisons, I think number of eaters is not really definitive because 1 eater in one family can equal 2 or 3 in another family.

gryp

Tue, Jun 01 2010, 10:23 am

We're also big eaters. I look forward to summer time when we eat mostly fruits and vegetables and not much else.

Hashem_Yaazor

Tue, Jun 01 2010, 10:34 am

de_goldy wrote:

When I say not finishing a pepper, I mean because I'll take a few colors (red, yellow, orange, green) and split them up for stir fries or the like. Or take a green pepper and dice it for a meat sauce...
It's not that we don't eat a lot, it's that we have a whole bunch of other things in the same salad/dish.

nylon

Tue, Jun 01 2010, 12:18 pm

USDA food budgets:

http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/usdaf.....e.htm

This should give you some idea of whether your spending is reasonable, frugal, or lavish. Keep in mind to allow a bit extra for kosher meat, etc.

rgk

Wed, Jun 02 2010, 7:32 pm

Hashem Yaazor,
do you work full time? I would love to do the things that you do but I don't have time. or do you not sleep? How do you do it?
Thanks

estibesty

Wed, Jun 02 2010, 7:57 pm

YALT wrote:

Uh oh. We're a family of four. We spend about $150 just on Shabbos. Then about another $100+ during the week. I guess we are majorly overspending. We go out to eat 3 times a year - once for each of our birthdays, and once for our anniverssary. On a regular shabbos we have about 2-4 guests per meal. Where am I overspending? I must be able to cut out half my shopping list to get it to where you all seem to be. But looking at other imamother's menus, it seems that you all cook more than I do.
Can someone explain?

Me too shabb is 150 and the rest of the week 100 do we overeat or do you guys who spend 150 a week not buy extras like cakes ands ice cream cuz 600 a month is yet to happen to me

estibesty

Wed, Jun 02 2010, 8:00 pm

my friend must spend $50 a week they have cheerios for breakfast a PB jelly bread lunch and plain supper snack is fruit or yogurt theres never anything exciting in her house but they r used to that my cabinets r b"h bursting its jsut plain weird to me

YALT

Wed, Jun 02 2010, 8:23 pm

estibesty - thank you! I'm so glad to see I'm not nuts (oh, thanks ra-mom as well!)
I figured out a few reasons that prob we spend more.
I've noticed that some ppl just create dishes with just basic everyday spices: garlic, salt, pepper, onion, tom. sauce. If they don't have the balsamic vinegar or the mustard powder, or the basil - then who cares. they'll eat it no matter what it tastes like. DH will never eat a supper he doesn't like 2x. It needs to have the right spices in it, or it just isn't the same.
Also, alot of ppl don't make shabbos, or only make part. They also forget to include the deli's kugel that they picked up on Friday.
They don't make lunch for DH - they let them buy something from KD or sushi place. They didn't think of adding that in. After all, it's calculated under "eating out". But I make full lunches for DH every day.

Those are just a few examples.

lamplighter

Wed, Jun 02 2010, 10:33 pm

I just went shopping this week and I spent $250.
That includes fruits, vegetables, meat/chicken and some disposables. It also included about $20 of sale items bought in bulk.
We are only 2 people but my husband is a huge eater and we are making shabbos iyh.
This should last us about 2 weeks (might have to buy more fruits/veg).
It's definitely higher than it used to be. Scary Sad

BinahYeteirah

Wed, Jun 02 2010, 10:37 pm

estibesty wrote:

Me too shabb is 150 and the rest of the week 100 do we overeat or do you guys who spend 150 a week not buy extras like cakes ands ice cream cuz 600 a month is yet to happen to me

I spend less than $150 per week (right now it's around $125 per week) for five people. You are right, I almost never buy cakes or ice cream. I bake cake and only buy ice cream for a very special occasion. Sometimes I make my own ices or ice cream, but not too often.

BinahYeteirah

Wed, Jun 02 2010, 10:41 pm

YALT wrote:

I spend roughly $125 per week and we don't do any of those things. I use lots of different kinds of spices. We do eat food that is fairly simple during the week, but that has to do with the time I spend, not the money. I can get pretty creative within this budget, if I feel like spending the time. I make Shabbos every week. I include all food expenditures in my grocery total. Even if my dh just picks up a coffee, I add that in.

Teacup9

Wed, Jun 02 2010, 11:12 pm

I am trying to get to 100 a week for two adults and two babies with an extra 20 to spend impulsively (ice cream man for DS, coffe & danish, fries for DS, etc). However I always go over. We are big eaters and have expensive taste.

Things I am good about: DS and I have refillable water bottles in the fridge at all times filled with filtered tap water and a splash of juice. I clip coupons and search sales to get very good bargains on cereals, soap/detergent, tissue/paper towels/bath tissue/wet wipes, baby food, condiments, and sometimes pasta and rice at the chain stores (pathmart, shop rite, drug stores). We eat dairy meals, tuna meals, tofu meals, beans/rice, and mostly chicken. I cloth diaper.

I don't try to save on veggies/fruit except for buying in season. If it tastes good and we eat it I'll keep buying it.

Things I struggle with: yogurt pops and freeze pops to keep DS cool and happy on the go. DH only drinks soda and only one flavor that is never on sale. We got a grill so now DH is grilling. DH likes ice cream and I can't keep up with sales. Milk. We are always in need of milk. Cheese. Even block is expensive.

I find that showing DH the grocery bill and helping him to be awake of what is a good price and what is just a sign that says "sale" is very helpful. Also if he truly sees what costs what he can decide that his special soda is important to him and that he can eat tuna casserole one night a week. If your husband is so specific with tastes and expensive foods than that will be his splurge and he'll have to live without in another area.

Hashem_Yaazor

Thu, Jun 03 2010, 9:29 am

rgk wrote:

Hashem Yaazor,
do you work full time? I would love to do the things that you do but I don't have time. or do you not sleep? How do you do it?
Thanks

I did until September. Now I get home around 3.
I sleep plenty, B"H.
My suppers are not labor intensive -- I don't really know what makes you think they take a long time?
Stir fries are one of my easiest things, but it requires standing by the stove. So it's 15 minutes from start to finish, but you have to be available that whole time.
I take advantage of my crockpot -- I have a stew in there now that I prepared last night (took beef cubes/stew meat, peeled and cut potatoes, sweet potatoes, and carrots, and put in onion...poured tomato sauce and spices and water). 10 minutes to prep?
As far as bread, you can make it in a bread machine overnight. I also make rolls sometimes from an easy recipe that doesn't have much rising time, but it's not the best once they aren't fresh from the oven. Luckily my kids don't care that much.

Hashem_Yaazor

Thu, Jun 03 2010, 9:31 am

estibesty wrote:

YALT wrote:

Me too shabb is 150 and the rest of the week 100 do we overeat or do you guys who spend 150 a week not buy extras like cakes ands ice cream cuz 600 a month is yet to happen to me

I spend less than that, and I never buy cake (simple to make -- and if you really feel pressed and wanted to get Duncan Hines, it's still cheaper)...ice cream extremely rarely.
I basically buy ingredients more than I buy ready made food.

Hashem_Yaazor

Thu, Jun 03 2010, 9:31 am

estibesty wrote:

Yogurts are expensive -- if it's supper every night for a few people, that adds up Smile

Hashem_Yaazor

Thu, Jun 03 2010, 9:38 am

YALT wrote:

I have balsamic vinegar, I have basil. I don't have mustard powder because my husband doesn't like it. I have a whole array of seasonings. But one bottle of balsamic vinegar lasts a while and I don't have to buy it every week. I also have rice vinegar. Smile

I make shabbos -- that is what makes my bill cheaper because I'm NOT buying a ready made kugel.
I don't make lunch for my husband, I admit, but the money isn't being spent elsewhere since he gets it in yeshiva...
So yes, I do realize my budgeting is different than other circumstances, but not enough for such a big discrepancy, IMO.
Another thing I do to save money is make do with what I have.
I wanted to make a stew last week but forgot to buy the stew meat, so I changed that supper to be chicken soup w/o the soup (previously spoken about) since I had chicken and potatoes and carrots and onion and celery and what not (and it wasn't just for my family -- I had another adult there as well), I forgot to buy rice, so the tacos on Sunday night I ended up using some minute rice I happened to have in the house already (for making unstuffed cabbage), and then since I had used Tuesday's menu last Thursday (I shop weds. nights), I made a chicken, broccoli, and scalloped potato dish for supper -- all ingredients I had in the house -- and I didn't have to go shopping again. I'm flexible so I won't have to shop again. (You do realize that was 3 fleishig weekday meals in a week.)

SorGold

Thu, Jun 03 2010, 9:44 am

OK my husband confirmed final amount (He does the shopping and I'm forever greatful) $130 a week including shabbos even if I decide to buy takeout potatoe kugel (sometimes I cheat if its been a hard week.) We definately buy treats for shabbos. I bake challah and dessert.

Hashem_Yaazor

Thu, Jun 03 2010, 9:46 am

BTW, my grocery bill does not include diapers or shampoo or things like that -- it's food/food related items like parchment paper/foil....

saw50st8

Thu, Jun 03 2010, 9:47 am

We spend around $500/month on groceries for 2 adults, 1 toddler and 1 baby. We buy mainly organic fruits and veggies, I cook most things but we buy challah. Some shabbosim we just use matzah instead.

I'm working on cutting this back because I think its way too expensive.

SorGold, we are getting a seltzer maker very soon. DS goes through it like crazy!

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