Sick to my stomach - grocery spending this month

amother

Fri, Sep 30 2022, 12:42 pm

I am really trying hard to make a budget. I always assumed we appx spent 350 a week on groceries or so. I just sat down and checked every bank statement and credit card and come to find out we spent 1600 dollars on food this month even more if I really get down to the nitty gritty of it!!! I literally am so ashamed. I am not serving luxurious or even good dinners. Really really reallly basic. There is certainly food waste which I am not happy about. I am a family of 5. This comes out to appx 416/week. The kids are not teenagers but eat and snack a lot.
I really thought we were doing better than this. We live out of town and I understand there is inflation but we can't go on spending like this.

amother

Ivory

Fri, Sep 30 2022, 12:44 pm

amother OP wrote:

From $350 to $416 I would think you’re doing great. It’s not such a difference considering inflation

amother

Bluebell

Fri, Sep 30 2022, 12:45 pm

do you buy disposables?

are non food items (like household cleaners and diapers) included in this?

can you use costco or another warehouse store for some things? (they are great for snacks)

can you shop at aldi ?

amother

Fri, Sep 30 2022, 12:49 pm

amother Bluebell wrote:

Yes, I buy the cheapest disposables. This is more for my mental health as I work full time and the house is flying even with disposables but that may be an excuse. I can certainly try to cut it out after sukkot.
I do get snacks/chicken at costco but we get so sucked into costco we end up spending like 300/trip there. I realize a big part of this issue is the snacks for the kids. We try to get snacks from costco but even individual bags of muffins and chips add up.
Diapers are not in this number but I didnt itemize costco so there can be overlaps for household stuff.
I have been to Aldi a few times but really have yet to see the benefit.

amother

Bluebell

Fri, Sep 30 2022, 12:50 pm

flowerpower wrote:

The prices went up like crazy!!! Eggs are about $5 a carton. Forget about meats! Those are insane prices

eggs (at Aldi, which I shop at via instacart) near me at 2.85 a carton. I just checked. Where do you live and where do you shop that it's $5?

amother

Babyblue

Fri, Sep 30 2022, 12:52 pm

amother Bluebell wrote:

eggs (at Aldi, which I shop at via instacart) near me at 2.85 a carton. I just checked. Where do you live and where do you shop that it's $5?

The Jewish stores in my area are $5 for eggs. Hence the reason I go to Aldis. Also produce and dairy and dry goods are much cheaper there too.

amother

Bluebell

Fri, Sep 30 2022, 12:53 pm

amother OP wrote:

I've been using costco via instacart. not only do I save time (I'm also a full time working mom BH) but there's no browsing (and no kids lol) you can add whatever to your cart and search by (example) granola bars. you put your costco number in and they honor the same prices. you may want to look into this option.

amother

Bluebell

Fri, Sep 30 2022, 12:54 pm

amother Babyblue wrote:

The Jewish stores in my area are $5 for eggs. Hence the reason I go to Aldis. Also produce and dairy and dry goods are much cheaper there too.

yeah I onlyshop at jewish stores for things that I can't get elsewhere.

happy7

Fri, Sep 30 2022, 12:55 pm

Snacks and individual snacks are a huge drain.
Everything has gone up in price. You can either cut things or bring up the budget.
Some weeks, I cut out dried fruit and some other snacks that I don’t find are actually a solution for hunger.
You might be able to cut a little bit here and there, but prices have really gone up.

amother

Fri, Sep 30 2022, 12:58 pm

amother Bluebell wrote:

This is helpful, I was told instacart prices are always more plus the tips. So Costco prices will exactly match the one in the stores? I really don't have time in my week to go to multiple stores. I try doing target for cheaper stuff or Amazon Fresh.

amother

Mintgreen

Fri, Sep 30 2022, 1:05 pm

amother OP wrote:

It’s a little more per item, but you’ll spend a lot less than going to the store. I never had a Costco membership because everyone told me that they end up spending ridiculous amounts when they shop there. Once I found out about Costco instacart, I got a membership, and I don’t spend a ton at all. I buy what I need and save a lot on each item. Also, don’t go to instacart and choose Costco. Do it through Costco’s website - same day delivery. I believe it’s cheaper that way.

amother

DarkGray

Fri, Sep 30 2022, 1:05 pm

Your family needs to eat. You are doing nothing wrong. Those numbers are realistic not insane at all. Does your community have a kosher food pantry? Most do. I live oot in a very cheap area and make a combined income of 160k for a family of 5. I make use of the food pantry. It is so helpful. No shame. Please look into this.

amother

Bluebell

Fri, Sep 30 2022, 1:06 pm

amother OP wrote:

For me it is. Or a tiny bit more. I have Instacart + free from my credit card (chase sapphire) It’s been life changing. I’m super frugal but the fee extra dollars is actually saving me money and so much time (not to mention driving to stores costs money too)

amother

Fri, Sep 30 2022, 1:27 pm

amother Bluebell wrote:

How much percent are you tipping on Instacart delivery? Is it 35 dollars per store to shop? I was hoping to open a Chase card soon but was hoping their bonus offer would increase soon.

amother

Bluebell

Fri, Sep 30 2022, 1:33 pm

amother OP wrote:

How much percent are you tipping on Instacart delivery? Is it 35 dollars per store to shop? I was hoping to open a Chase card soon but was hoping their bonus offer would increase soon.

it’s 10% which I think is super fair. And yes $35. Min per store which is crazy easy to hit. The app and website are both very easy to use

amother

Mon, Oct 03 2022, 2:51 pm

I am really struggling with how to minimize the expenses. Yesterday I did a Target online order of a few things... only 35 dollars worth. Then today I realized we don't have fruit. I am sure like half of the fruit will go to waste... but then I hate shlepping out so much. So that will be more... we are good for YK food but then comes Shabbos and bam... forget about Sukkot. What concrete steps can I actually make at this point?

amother

Bluebell

Mon, Oct 03 2022, 2:53 pm

amother OP wrote:

Why do you think the fruit will go
To Waste?

amother

Mon, Oct 03 2022, 2:58 pm

amother Bluebell wrote:

Why do you think the fruit will go
To Waste?

For example spent 7 dollars on a watermelon last week that was really bad tasting. It got canned. Fruits like strawberries or bananas turn so quickly and they always want them when we don't have them but never seem to want them when we do. I am jealous of people who have very simple fridges. I feel like my kids are always always hungry/snacking.

amother

Bluebell

Mon, Oct 03 2022, 3:04 pm

amother OP wrote:

Well watermelons are out of season so it’s not surprising that it didn’t taste good. This is the time of year to buy apples and citrus fruit both of which last a long time. Forget the berries; they’re not in season now either.