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Real Food Tips: 12 Ways to Keep it Cheap

During this time last year our family of four was gearing up for our “100 Days of Real Food on a Budget” pledge. But once the pledge ended (in January 2011) I stopped sticking to our strict food budget of $125/week, and I often wonder how I even managed to do it. Just the other day I was reading some of my old budget blog posts, and on one shopping excursion I somehow left my favorite grocery store (Earth Fare) after only spending $67. If you want to know what I spent at Earth Fare earlier this week….well, just add about $100 – yikes! It is amazing how much more you spend when you don’t have a specific budget in place to help you keep it cheap. The scary thing is though, I sort of was “trying” not to spend a lot the other day. Now my effort didn’t go beyond a conscious thought in my head, but I should know by now that just thinking about being on a budget never really works. :)

As some of you know, my husband and I were fortunate enough to go on a very adventurous – and expensive! – trip to Asia earlier this month. So, for us, there is no better time than now to get back on the food budget bandwagon. I won’t be doing another official budget “pledge,” but since I’ve already proved this could be done I don’t really have any good excuses to convince my husband to let me off the hook (darn!). So for all of us – me included – here are some budget tips that I could never be reminded of enough. And if you have any advice I left out please share in the comments below…

  1. Set a specific budget. This tip may sound basic, but as I just said simply thinking about “not spending a lot of money” DOES NOT work!
  2. Be organized and plan out your meals for the week. Last minute purchases that you haven’t put a lot of thought into can add up fast.
  3. Minimize waste by saving all uneaten food instead of throwing anything away.
  4. Know and use what you have on hand especially if it’s perishable. Even consider keeping an inventory list of food on your fridge or freezer so different family members can check off items as they use them. I know my husband is more likely to eat something in the fridge if I leave a note telling him it is there (don’t ask me why)!
  5. Make substitutions in recipes to reduce how many things you have to buy…or even leave out a small ingredient all together.
  6. Maximize “cheap” foods like bananas, beans, and pasta. Here are some of our favorite super cheap recipes:
  7. When making inexpensive meals like soups and pasta dishes double the recipe and freeze the leftovers for when you have one of those days where you just don’t have time to plan out a good dinner.
  8. Make sacrifices like drinking water instead of milk and skipping juice and other flavored beverages all together. If you really have trouble kicking the juice habit at least water it down a little so the juice lasts longer.
  9. Reduce your consumption of meat and desserts. Meat can be a big-ticket item and while dessert is certainly a “nice to have” it is by no means a regular necessity (sorry)! Also experiment with “stretching” your meat dishes by mixing in veggies and/or beans.
  10. Buy produce that’s in-season and if you like to frequent your local farmers’ market try going just before closing time to get some great deals on items the vendors won’t want to haul back to the farm.
  11. If you can’t afford the organic version of everything consult the dirty dozen list.
  12. Check your receipt after you get home to make sure your money was spent wisely (most grocery stores accept returns and I’ve been known to take stuff back on occasion!).

 

Post Budget Pledge 1: Some Relief and Revelations
The Best Apps for Grocery Budget Tracking (and coupons)

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Caroline

    January 8, 2014 at 1:04 pm

    I see that you mention buying a lot of items at Earth Fare. Unfortunately, I don’t have an Earth Fare but I am an Amazon Prime member. Can you tell me some of the products that you buy on Amazon that are good? I struggle with finding pastas and whole grain crackers that aren’t processed. Thanks.

    Reply

    • Assistant to 100 Days (Amy)

      January 23, 2014 at 8:53 am

      Hi Caroline. Most 100% whole wheat pastas you would find, even at a conventional grocery store, should not have more than 1 or two ingredients. Hodgson Mill is a common brand. I buy their organic whole wheat angel hair pasta that has organic durum whole wheat, and flax seed as its only two ingredients. The crackers Lisa most often buys are: Ak Mak, and whole wheat matzo, or whole grain wafer type crackers with only 2-3 ingredients. All of these are minimally processed options. ~Amy

      Reply

  2. Renee

    January 8, 2014 at 1:15 pm

    Thanks for all the tips! I do want to mention that while most grocery stores will take returns many state laws require that all food returned to the store must be thrown away. It cannot even be given to food shelves, etc. (My apologies if others have already mentioned that I don’t want to sound like a nag if they have!)

    Reply

    • Celeste

      May 6, 2014 at 5:22 pm

      Thank you for mentioning this. I used to work at a grocery store in college and this was the case for perishable items. Such a shame! Try not to return food if you can help it.

      Reply

  3. Ellie

    January 8, 2014 at 3:27 pm

    Sometimes being able to afford better quality food means budgeting in other areas. We don’t subscribe to television service which saves over $100 per month. We subscribe to Netflix for $9 and watch online. You can also stream a lot of your favorite shows on company websites like Fox, NBC, ABC, even some cable channels like HGTV. My 5 kids share a cell phone (which also serves as our “home” phone since we don’t subscribe to a land line service). We keep our heat on 64 during the winter and bundle up in warmer clothes and blankets to save on the heat bill. Our A/C is set to 76-78 during the summer (Arkansas) to save on the electric bill. We use dishwasher packets and washing machine packets so no one is using more than necessary when washing. (I used to make my own soap, but found the packets to be easier and budget friendly). We unplug all electrical items when not in use… nowadays everything draws a trickle of electricity… our bathroom heater has a small light on it that stays on when plugged in even though it isn’t “running”. Televisions, game consoles, computers, blenders, coffeepots, toasters, radios etc… EVERYTHING is using electricity (even when in “sleep” mode). So UNPLUG that stuff!! We use outlet timers to shut things on and off automatically to make it convenient. Use lower wattage light bulbs around the house and use a night light in bathroom instead of turning on the light every time. Use a light fixture such as a lamp to illuminate a room instead of a ceiling fan with 4-5 bulbs! There are a lot of ways you can save a little cash here and there that make a BIG difference. Then you can spend that savings on eating well!

    Reply

  4. Leny Mendoza

    January 8, 2014 at 4:25 pm

    Shop at Mexican or Asian markets instead of buying your groceries, especially meat, fruit, and vegetables at Von’s, Ralph’s & Albertsons. You will be amazed at how cheaper the same items are at these markets. Wife and I get all the market handouts in the mail every Tuesday. We go thru each one because the sale starts the next day. We never go to American markets except Stater Bros. Then we go to the Mexican and Asian markets twice a month. And we save a lot of money !

    Reply

  5. April

    January 8, 2014 at 4:46 pm

    I am a stay-at-home mom of three and we live on a VERY tight budget. We actually didn’t even have internet for years until recently when our oldest child started kindergarten. We do not have cable or any “extras” at all. We do not even have iphones, crazy right?! Not really. For years eating healthy has been a major priority in my life. I even have a degree in Public Health Education and worked to implement school health programs in rural county schools before becoming a stay -at-home mom. So, you get the picture..health is a priority to us! We have cut out any extra expenses you could possibly think of. Honestly it’s not a sacrifice either because it allows our family more time together in this busy world. Here’s another thing, I’ve seen what it’s like in countries like Thailand when I volunteered in an orphanage two summers out of my college life. We are NOT really doing without anything if you really think about it. We have a warm place to live and food on the table. However, with all that said I am STRUGGLING with our real food budget. I seriously spend about $200/week on groceries to eat “real food.” We just partnered with some local farmers around here for the Spring and Summer baskets of produce, meat and milk so I am hoping that will save us money then. We do not have a Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods where I live. My only option is Kroger. I can’t even buy all organic food, there’s no way. I want the best for my family. We will continue trying until we get this budget down to something realistic for us. So keep the tips coming! I love your blog! It has helped me, my husband and three daughters live healthier lives. Thank you for your passion with it!

    Reply

    • Liliya

      January 9, 2014 at 8:13 am

      Hi, April,
      I saw that you have a Kroger around there. Do you use coupons? I know it’s hard to find coupons for healthy foods, I am having the same challenge. But there is a couponing blog that is dedicated only to Kroger and you can find some really good deals on stuff you use, it’s called iheartkroger.com . I don’t know if you have a publix, but the same person runs iheartpublix.com . Now like I said their stuff is expensive unless you get it on sale and there is not really any coupons for veggies and fruits, but it’s worth checking out. Sometimes they have a $5 or $10 coupons for a certain amounts, or discounts on gas with the groceries. If you have time to follow the blog, it can save you some money.
      Liliya

      Reply

    • Stephanie

      February 23, 2014 at 11:34 pm

      If you live on any land, you should look into growing some of your own food. [Just to let you know-we’re semi-rural suburban but not in a farming community- My family lives in S. California in track housing.] Probably 1/2 the backyard is a garden though we’re planning on taking out the rose bushes & putting in some more- we usually grow tomatoes, zucchini, jalapenos, bell peppers, berries, limes, herbs, lettuce(s), etc. We also trade a few family friends who also grow they’re own food(one couple in particular always grows WAY more than they can eat so they give the extra to my mother- also a homemaker). In the last few years, we’ve started keeping our own chickens – (we have 4 laying hens now)- it was about $300 for initial start up costs (building the coop) but its really pretty cheap to maintain. In addition to their feed, they eat some of our left over vegetables (the ones that are a little questionable but not rotten- save those for compost). We’ve almost entirely stopped buying eggs from the store (btw – there’s 8 kids- as you can imagine we were going through A LOT of eggs). To be honest, I don’t know exactly how much my mother budgets for groceries but I’m pretty sure this helped. Of course it also depends on WHAT your family likes to eat too, but personally,as a college student, keeping my own costs down really helps by stocking up on my family’s (100% guaranteed) organic, cage-free eggs, & lately, eating a combination of the stuff from the jars my mother & I pickled over summer & making my own sauerkraut for a fraction of the store-bought cost.

      Don’t mean to get too personal- but if you’re not already- consider using cloth diapers & cloth *female products* for any ladies in the house (we’ve got 5 young women to which these products currently apply)- much better for your health (no dioxins & landfill waste) & WAY cheaper in the long run. Hopefully this helps give you some ideas where to start :)

      Reply

    • Stephanie

      February 23, 2014 at 11:39 pm

      I forgot to add – try looking at a Winco if there are any out by you. They have bins of non packaged dry goods (nuts, oatmeal, flax, pasta, soup mix, beans, etc.). They’re very reasonable and have some stuff available in organic / whole wheat / gluten-free / rice-based etc (for instance – raw cashews @ Whole Foods is $6 – $12 Lb. I think we picked up some of the same ones @ Winco for $2-$3 Lb). Also something that might help.

      Reply

    • AJ

      May 7, 2014 at 5:41 pm

      If you have a Kroger Plus card – there ARE digital coupons for $4 off $10 produce purchase occasionally, just go online and put on your card (hit the library once a week if you are offline at home). I do this on Fridays, since they usually have a “Free Friday Download” (sometimes it’s junky food, sometimes something good). Check with your produce manager to see if/when they do manager’s special markdowns. Hope this helps!

      Reply

  6. Brandi K

    January 8, 2014 at 5:49 pm

    For #8 Making Sacrifices, I’m all for skipping the juice, but calcium is important in one’s diet, so skipping milk is not necessarily the best idea. I would suggest having a supply of dry milk to use if you use milk in cooking, which I do because I make my own cream soups rather than buying canned. Also, I have heard (though I don’t remember where) that milk is sometimes (maybe even often) cheaper at convenience stores since it’s perishable and they want it off the shelves faster. I don’t know about everywhere, but that seems to be true in 2 places I’ve lived, Georgia and Wisconsin.

    Reply

    • laura

      May 6, 2014 at 5:17 pm

      There are cultures that don’t rely on dairy and they don’t have issues with calcium deficiency. Despite what the dairy council would have us believe, milk is not essential to human health. Also, dried milk is extremely processed.

      Reply

      • GRACE

        May 8, 2014 at 12:52 pm

        I absolutely agree. Calcium can be found in many greens…Kale, broccoli, and Chinese cabbage are fine vegetable sources of calcium.Fish with soft bones that you eat, such as sardines and salmon, are fine animal sources of calcium. The idea that we have to have dairy daily is a marketing ploy that we have fallen for as a culture.

        Reply

    • Barbara

      May 13, 2014 at 2:45 pm

      It is true that we do not need dairy for calcium. The countries who drink the most of it (US being one) has the highest incident of arthritis and osteo arthritis. Our bodies do not process dairy properly.

      Reply

  8. April

    January 8, 2014 at 6:03 pm

    Brandi K, something we also have to think about is the quality of the milk. My family is going to start drinking milk from a local cow that is very well-taken care of. The cow’s milk in the convenience/grocery stores would make you VERY sick if there weren’t so many processes to go through before it’s allowed on the shelf. The cows are milked so much that they get infections in their breasts and have to be given antibiotics to take care of the infection. The milk has hardly any nutrients in it and actually doesn’t provide calcium. It has been driven into our brains that we need to drink our milk, drink our milk to get that good calcium. However, there are SO many other sources of calcium. I will never drink another glass of mass produced milk ever again, and this comes from a person who used to drink milk a few times a day!! :)

    Reply

    • Assistant to 100 Days (Amy)

      January 13, 2014 at 3:17 pm

      Hi there. I’m sure it varies from week to week but I don’t know that those details will be shared. :) ~Amy

      Reply

  10. Erin

    January 9, 2014 at 3:54 am

    I am thrilled to see people share tips to help out on this, however, I noticed that when you break down the prices and monthly food budget in your meal plans, that you have the old food stamp max benefits number still. They dropped last month. Also, if you are in a real tight bind, Aldi and Wal-Mart both carry organic lines now. I have been writting a blog documenting my efforts and tips for trying to live green on minimum-wage. http://epatrick4.wix.com/greenonminimumwage#!blog/c23qi

    Reply

  12. chanchal

    January 14, 2014 at 10:45 pm

    Asian and Maxican market has no quality food ,I would not trust them.There grains are very low quality.There is no control in asian countries.I tried but even taste is not good.To spend less we should eat spices food which is very healthy and make you eat less.other thing don’t eat too much meat,it is not good for us.No need for smoothies and green drinks.Our grand maa never tried these and still lived till 90 years.Don’t watch too many food shows just to sell stuff they make us eat more fancy food.I eat very healthy and organic and spend very wisely.My store is Earthfare only.Main thing bother me is bread.So I make indian Pitta bread with whole wheat.We eat greens in three meals.we don’t buy bars,they are useless.our snack is fresh water not cold.

    Reply

  13. Erin Smith

    January 16, 2014 at 11:24 pm

    These are some very practical and easy to apply tips. Since Cameron and I have started eating real we’ve talked a lot about how much we spend on food.

    First of all we don’t eat out hardly at all anymore and we don’t waste money on empty calorie food like chips and cookies.

    Not only are we saving money that way but because the food is a little more expensive we hardly ever waste any food! Planning out our meals weekly has probably been the best thing we have ever done so we only buy what we are going to use.

    Reply

  14. Stephanie

    February 24, 2014 at 12:37 am

    I’m surprised nobody has mentioned CSA’s (community supported agriculture) – in addition to the fact that you can grow your own organic food, if you don’t own land you can always see if you have a CSA in the area (if you honestly feel as somebody implied above, that you should be skeptical of minorities & believe they are lying about ingredients & food quality). Not ALL Asian countries have poor quality control – for instance, S. Korean & Japanese markets are decently trustworthy & often carry organic veggies for about the same price as GMO’s in other stores. I’ve seen Daikon on sale once- $1 for 5 lbs (literally no exaggeration) & have picked up persimmons for $1-2 lb. If you’re used to Hippie-filled, or Caucasian-only, typical commercial chains, an ethnic market will probably be a really new experience for you. Depending on the culture, people can be (what your own culture may deem as) rude, pushy, loud, etc. it really just depends. Its not for everyone & some places, I would not recommend bringing small children (seriously – they may get trampled).

    The tricks to shopping @ ethnic food markets will vary depending on what the market is. I’ve been to quite little Persian markets with no more than two people – they were confused that I was looking around for things that caught my eye – without firm intentions of buying a particular item.
    For the Korean one I go to- oh geez. Nobody prepared me for that.
    My tips: Park your cart off to side before venturing into the fruits/veggies- throw elbows- those old ladies are ruthless & may very well knock you down in the process. Ask. You see a really cheap item but don’t know what it is or how to cook it- smile & ask- those same old ladies throwing elbows will be glad you are interested in traditional Asian cuisine & will likely give you many ideas how to use it. -Boom! Nutritional variety & introduction to foreign veggies-you’ll wonder how you ever lived without ’em.

    The majority of students I attend college with are Asian- rather than coming with a concrete shopping list, we go with a loose idea of what we want/need & alter it based on price. Parsley’s really cheap this week? Looks like another night of Tabbouleh. Seriously – this saves me more than going with a list. Except for some tea now & then, I’m really not tempted to pick up extra treats since I hate seaweed, tolerate (sweet) Kimchi, & can’t read half the other stuff in the store.

    If you’re looking to increase variety in your diet, don’t turn your nose up at Ethnic Markets.
    Are all of their fruits & veggies beautiful & picture worthy? No- they’re sometimes bruised or bad altogether you have to inspect each piece you pick up nobody is forcing you to buy the poor quality pieces- perhaps this is the “lack of quality control” referred to above(?)
    Do their store conditions rival that of super chains? -No, they’re often family owned & cut their costs as they see fit. This might include mopping less frequently, sales & price signs marked in felt-tipped pen, etc. If you’re used to high end American supermarkets, it might seem “dirty” and foreign as they do not go out of their way with shelving & lighting levels determined by research to make the consumer at ease or emotionally manipulated. Its usually all about efficiency & cost reduction – not atmosphere.
    Do they offer super cheap produce & organic/ locally grown options? -Depends on the product & where you live but yeah – often they do.
    Do they use MSG & preservatives in SOME products? -Yes.
    Are you being forced to buy these products? – Nope!
    If you decide to buy something packaged, is it guaranteed to be fresh? – No, don’t be a dummy- You should always look for an expiration date no matter where you shop.

    If you have patience- ethnic markets are actually a REALLY good place to pick up your Real Foods for real cheap prices. Often, they get their profits from the high prices of their specialty items (in-house Kimchi, locally caught & prepped fish, green-tea kit kats, etc.) so they don’t need to gouge you on the produce which- again – you’ll have to sort through.

    Reply

  15. Moramay

    March 6, 2014 at 1:18 am

    Hello ladies! I’ve been thinking it would be nice to have a list of actual farmer’s markets by region, I live in Los Angeles and although we can find “farmer’s markets” all over, the sad truth is that many times all you find there is resellers, not even local farmers, just trying to sell leftover produce from who knows where. You can’t trust those places, we’ve been disappointed every time we’ve tried. We only know of a couple of places where you can buy directly from the farmer, but it’s far and not very convenient for weekly shopping. Other than that, Whole Foods is pretty expensive, Trader Joe’s doesn’t have everything you need, so our latest favorite is Sprouts. Any thoughts on how to find authentic farmer’s markets? How do you spot the real ones from the resellers?

    Reply

  16. Nam

    March 21, 2014 at 11:42 am

    Hello there! Do you know if they make any plugins to help with SEO?
    I’m trying to get my blog to rank for some targeted keywords but
    I’m not seeing very good results. If you know of any please share.
    Appreciate it!

    Reply

  17. Royce

    March 29, 2014 at 4:32 pm

    I know this if off topic but I’m looking into starting my own blog
    and was curious what all is needed to get set up? I’m assuming having a blog
    like yours would cost a pretty penny? I’m not very
    internet savvy so I’m not 100% positive. Any recommendations
    or advice would be greatly appreciated. Appreciate it

    Reply

  19. Rachel

    May 6, 2014 at 6:02 pm

    It’s so important for all of us to realize that you can spend a ton of money on real food or not. I teach a meal planning class and people are amazed at how inexpensive your grocery trip can be if you plan ahead. I have a lot of really easy, yummy, real food recipes on my blog if anyone is interested. http://plantomakeitsimple.blogspot.com/

    Love this site!

    Reply

  21. Sharon

    May 14, 2014 at 7:49 am

    As a farmer who sells her vegetables at our local Farmers Market I have to tell you that it is annoying and insulting as having people come at the end of the market and try to get cheap produce. I’ve put an incredible amount of time, work, and money into raising my produce. If you have limited funds, then buy less, use it intelligently, and become a regular customer. Once you build a relationship with your farmer you’ll be surprised at the deals you will find.

    Reply

    • Tammy

      May 14, 2014 at 12:04 pm

      Sharon,

      I don’t quite understand why you feel insulted. I have run a market garden in the past so I do know and understand the amount of work that goes into putting one together. It not only fed my family but was the majority of our income for a long while.

      We did a small CSA and two farmer’s markets. At the end of the day honestly I didn’t want to cart any produce home and really most of it looks wilted and most people will not purchase produce that does not look its best.

      I can’t tell you how often we marked our produce down at the end of the day, traded with other vendors or simply gave some of it way. It was such a small amount left anyway, we usually sold out well before market was over.

      I didn’t find it the least bit insulting if someone asked if we had some older produce. I would rather see someone who is stretching their money make it go farther by maybe growing some of their own but I honestly couldn’t let someone not having something I probably wouldn’t use. It saved on waste and it made people happy.

      One of the first things I had to learn about being a vendor is that the vast majority of my customers are used to shopping in grocery stores. Everything looks perfect, if it doesn’t it gets market down. Until, as a nation we go back to shopping some where other than a large box store, farmer’s market customers are going to compare to and expect grocery store style items.

      Being insulted because someone is trying their best to feed their family healthy food, makes no sense.

      Reply

  22. Linda

    May 14, 2014 at 10:54 pm

    Reduce your consumption of meat and desserts, this is how I find most reasonable. Before I practice family savings, we use meat in your diet, especially Grill and use electric smoker. It consumes a lot of costs and now, we have a significant reduction in meat and dessert meals.

    Reply

  23. Tina Truelove

    May 19, 2014 at 8:17 am

    Ok, I’m going to confess: My grocery bill averages $1000 per month. YIKES! We are a family of 5 and we love food. I’m already doing most of the things you suggest and these ideas definitely help cut back on the grocery bill. I also use a lot of electronic coupons. I used to clip and clip and clip but then I would forget to take the coupons with me. Now, I try to snatch up all the electronic coupons I can and they are stored on my shopper card. Thank you for these great grocery tips.

    Reply

  24. Laurie Price

    May 22, 2014 at 9:04 pm

    Hi! We are a family of 8, plus grown children and their families who eat with us on Sundays. It can get pretty difficult to provide cheap, good food! A few months ago my 3 year old was diagnosed with a true dye allergy, after being sick for most of the year before. Now it is REALLY difficult to find safe, whole foods that are in our budget! I can usually keep groceries to around 150 a week including toiletries, but about once a month I blow it in a big way, spending around 250. I haven’t written out a budget in a long time because I “had it down”, but I am going to start again after reading this, lol. I have to get only local produce or organic because so many fruits and veggies are sprayed with dye-yuck. But we are down to just a few reactions a month, from hidden dyes. My goal is reaction free!! Thank you for your site, it gave me a pep talk I desperately needed. Blessings, Laurie

    Reply

  26. DJ

    October 23, 2014 at 9:59 pm

    Hi again! Can you tell me how you work Costco shopping into your weekly food budget. Costco and stocking up on items that I might find on sale always trip me up when it comes to budgeting. Any suggestions?

    Reply

  27. Beth

    May 7, 2015 at 6:43 am

    Love the tips. I’ve found that ingredients are generally much cheaper than processed foods, so a real food diet stacks up pretty well against the alternative that includes lots of ‘convenience’ items.

    But, as a farmer’s market vendor I’m not crazy about tip 10. Farmer’s don’t want the food to go to waste, but they have to make a living too and they have priced their food to reflect their work. If a significant number of shoppers wait til the end to try to score bargains it can really hurt sales. Also, the markets where we work have local food pantries collect at the end of the day, so the food is put to good use.

    Reply

    • Amy Taylor (comment moderator)

      May 7, 2015 at 4:37 pm

      Hi Beth. We love our local farmers! Thanks so much for your insight. It has also been my experience that if I wait too long, everything I wanted is gone. :) Though I have been handed some yummy muffins for free as a market was closing up for the weekend in Hawaii. Love that the food pantries get your leftovers.

      Reply

  30. Shelly

    August 30, 2015 at 2:27 pm

    Admittedly, we don’t eat as clean as your family. That being said, I only buy butter and shredded cheese when it is on sale and freeze it. It thaws easily in the fridge. Also, I only buy cereal, crackers and the like that is on sale. There is always something on sale. I also plan my dinners around meat that is on sale. There is just no reason to prepare a meal that calls for regular priced meat when you can make a meal with meat that is on sale. We are often given meat by our neighbor who hunts. I use it in bean soup and serve it over rice. Talk about a cheap meal!

    Reply

  31. Candy nunkey

    August 31, 2015 at 8:58 am

    What is a realistic monthly food budget? I spend $1000 monthly for a family of 4. I always have my menu planned and a list but can’t seem to trim this amount down. Just wondering what others spend each month…thanks!

    Reply

    • Beth

      December 29, 2015 at 5:56 pm

      We also have a family of 4 and I spend 400 a month and this includes soap, toiletries, etc as well as food. We are trying to pay down debt and live paycheck to paycheck, so it is a must, not really a choice, I use cash only and when the money is gone, it is gone. It is a very tight budget and I make almost everything homemade. And try to buy organic wherever I can. We also have a huge garden (but a short growing season) and chickens (eggs). I also am a full time teacher. The key is being organized and prepping meals and snacks a head of time. I did not grow up learning to cook and bake, but I’m getting pretty good at it! My kids love cooking with me, too. It can be done, but you definitely have to commit and make it a priority. Good luck!

      Reply

  32. B

    August 31, 2015 at 11:04 pm

    Just a heads up as someone who works in the grocery industry. You said reduce waste and return items in the same post. A lot of people don’t know this but 99% of consumable items are put directly onto the garbage upon return to a store. It’s too much of a risk to put it back on the shelves. So please think before you buy and think twice before you return. It will go to waste.

    Reply

  33. Karen Schoening

    May 9, 2016 at 10:21 pm

    Any ideas for buying real food for food banks? We need foods that people will actually eat (we do give recipes!), few ingredients so they can prepare meals with what we give them (even if they don’t have staples at home), can be prepared by people who have microwave only, camp fire only, no blender/food processor/slow cooker, etc. Some months our budget for food for 40 families (150 to 200 individual people) has been less than $300. We try to give enough food for 3 days (9 meals). We have freezer and some refrigerator space. Ideas, tips, websites, recipes that specifically address this issue would be greatly appreciated

    Reply

    • Stefan Uch

      September 24, 2016 at 4:45 pm

      Try dried legumes of any type. They go well with nearly every vegetable, are super healthy plus people will them.
      For more info please mail me at [email protected]
      This is the contact of our foundation which also deals with hunger.
      Good luck and thanks for all your work.

      Reply

  35. Tara

    August 14, 2016 at 12:19 pm

    Grow your own! I try to grow as many veggies as we can in the small amount of space that we have. We hardly spend any money of veggies, especially during the summer.

    Reply

  36. Christine

    September 25, 2016 at 10:10 am

    3 months ago I set a goal to cut my food/household supply bill in 1/2. Two things I did that helped was instead of cooking a full meal every night I have 2 nights of leftovers or make your own. This uses up leftovers, gives me a break from meal prep, gives my teens an opportunity to to be responsible for there own dinner and clean up. Second, because I pack my lunch for work, I switched to (mostly) vegetarian lunches. I use other forms of less expensive protein like beans and eggs. This has helped my budget, time with lunch prep and how I feel in general. I think it will help further to use the tip of being more specific. I am going to try separating food & household stuff into separate budget goals.

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  37. Rene

    October 7, 2016 at 2:15 pm

    I drop by the grocery store several times a week very early. Most stores have their meat marked down considerably. I put it in the freezer. Almost all of my meat is ‘clearance priced’ and rarely have I ever had to buy meat at regular price.

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  38. Alice Teacake

    June 8, 2018 at 5:25 am

    Thank you so much for the tips! I travel a lot, and sometimes on a cheap budget, so when I am staying in a hostel or AirBNB I still try and eat cheap (but healthy!). I agree that cutting out meat and desserts helps…and not buying beer helps too haha ><

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  39. Susan Loyden

    July 1, 2018 at 1:19 pm

    Hi. I am someone who absolutely HATES to cook. Hate it. So, on the rare occasions I do cook, it has to be the simplest of meals. Since I am getting older, and my husband has Parkinson’s, I would like to find some SIMPLE, limited ingredient recipes. Can you help? Please email if you can. Thank you so much

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  40. Arina

    September 12, 2018 at 2:50 am

    Well, your article really helps with food on a budget and I also like to buy food items on a budget but sometimes it becomes expensive as you already explained in your article. Actually, my family loves to eat delicious food so sometimes I prefer to order it and it does not cost so much, you can also try it if you want here is the link https://www.couponsmonk.com/postmates.com. I hope it helps you too in your budget. As you say you can store uneaten food in your freezer or refrigerator same way you can order food at a very less price using discount offers and deals.

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