Frugal Food, $150/month on food- possible? (sell, sale, items, old)

[Dave5150]

Is there a low cost shopping store nearby, like for example here we have Aldi. For our family of 3, 2 adults and 1 toddler, 3 meals a day we spend about 160 a month. I dont know that 150 is possible although at skimpy times we have done it if necessary, but I dont recommend.

[Cinebar]

Originally Posted by Dave5150

Is there a low cost shopping store nearby, like for example here we have Aldi. For our family of 3, 2 adults and 1 toddler, 3 meals a day we spend about 160 a month. I dont know that 150 is possible although at skimpy times we have done it if necessary, but I dont recommend.

I looked to see if the OP had listed a location listed but didn't see one.

However, for anyone in Washington, Idaho, Nevada, California, or Oregon, if you have a WINCO store near you, please check them out. They have absolutely the best prices on everything - they have a nice meat department, a full service deli, fish department, and bakery.

And they have an AWESOME bulk food department. I've never seen such a complete and varied bulk food selection anywhere. Nuts, dried beans, pasta (including whole wheat), spices.......it really is amazing.

The closest one to me is about 56 miles away and I go there once a month. If it weren't for the fact that it's across the road from my bank and I have to do my banking once a month, I would probably double or triple up on my shopping and go less often.

It is a bag your own kind of place and I suggest staying away from the store on the first couple of days of the month because it can get pretty intense.

[Cav Scout wife]

Originally Posted by Mamavisca

Hi all,
I am a wife and stay at home mother of two {a 4 & 2 yo}. I was wondering if you think it's possible to live on a budget of $150/month for food costs, with only the four of us- remember that's 2 adult serving sizes and 2 toddler serving sizes. If so what are your suggestions. I do want to try and make it as nutritious as possible, and still get meat into at least 3 or 4 dinner or lunch meals out of the week.

It's very possible but you have to bust your heiney to make it work.

First off grow a garden. Even a tiny SFG can make a difference. Also if possible, get your own chickens and maybe a milk goat. That really cuts down on costs of milk, eggs and occasionally meat. Coupon EVERYTHING. Got to places that double or triple coupons and only buy stuff that you have coupons for.

Originally Posted by Mamavisca

So far, these are some great tips that I've heard of:
cheaper foods in bulk: beans & rice
farmers market: veggies & fruits, 1/2 your plate: healthy & cuts cost
bread: buy on sale and freeze
bake: bake snacks & breads yourself *I don't have a bread machine*
in general: meal plan
chicken: buy whole, or from places like Costco
Don't: eat out
Do: eat left overs, freeze leftovers

Sometimes its cheaper to buy in bulk, but if you have a ton of coupons, then it can be cheaper if not free to buy the smaller packs.

Farmer markets are good if you go at the end of the day, when you get the best deals, cause they don't wanna pack up what's left. But growing your own is cheaper than that.

Bread, bake it yourself and save even more, unless your coupons are good and it ends up free.

You don't need a bread machine to bake bread!

Meal plans are essential to cooking cheaply.

Chicken can be cheaper if it's thigh/leg quarters, but generally wholes are cheaper. I can get 10lb bag of thigh/leg quarters for $2.90 a bag, that's $0.29/lb!

No eating out!

Leftovers are a great way to save.

I also double recipes as well, especially for soups or chili; then seperate into individual servings and freeze or can it.

Originally Posted by Mamavisca

So what do you guys think? Is it possible to have 3 well rounded meals everyday on a budget of $150 month for food?

*I am trying to find ways to cut my costs in half.

Totally easy to do, but you have to work for it honestly. One of our staples during the summer is "italian chicken pasta salad", really cheap and pretty tasty.

You need:
1-2lbs cooked shredded chicken (I use the $0.29/lb leg quarters)
1 box pasta (around $0.50/box after coupons, but sometimes free!)
1 small can of black olives (right around $0.50-$1 a can)
handful of fresh chopped spinach
handful of fresh cherry tomatoes
salt, pepper, & any other spices you like
italian salad dressing (we still have 12 bottles I bought that ended up being free)
also shredded parmesan cheese over the top, and sliced red onions if desired.

We also eat lightly toasted garlic bread with this.

Feeds us 3 for 2 meals easy.

Originally Posted by gwynedd1

Eat the weeds.


Canada thistle quiche + acorn crust and 100% gourmet.

You have a recipe for this? Sounds decent, and I'm always wanting to try something new, lol! I have baked with acorn flour before. As long as it's well soaked, it's pretty darn good, and has a nice nutty flavor.

Originally Posted by Hopes

Hubby said with disgust, "I grew up that way." He did grow up utterly impoverished. Large family of 6 kids in a rural area on his father's small income.

If you absolutely MUST survive on $150/month, you gotta do what you gotta do...But seriously consider the importance of creating desirable healthy meals, not just healthy meals.

I'm sorry that your hubby was scarred for that. Yes, food is a must, but it doesn't have to be crappy food on a budget.

You can eat VERY well for next to nothing, if you plan, shop around, use coupons, and garden and grow as much as possible.

We also hunt and fish, so that REALLY cuts down on our budget yearly.

Originally Posted by Wilson513

If it is not an economic issue, subjecting two small children to a starvation diet of $150/mo ($5 a day for a family of three) is a neurosis. Call Childrens' Protective Services. If it is an economic issue, send her to the USDA web site.

Please tell me you are being sarcastic!

Originally Posted by LivingDeadGirl

I've been watching this subject for a while. I'm vegetarian and eat well: no meat, no fish. I garden and can because I enjoy it and get good organic food inexpensively. But I do not see how 4 people can eat on $150 a month or so, even eliminating meat and gardening/canning. I spend about $35 a week for one person and I don't eat much being really small. I believe food intake and quality depends on the activity level of the individuals. However, with growing children, you cannot take risks and chances and deprive them of enough and quality food to support growth. Good luck - check with your local agricultural extension office for info.

It's easy if you manage your shopping, and grow plenty to use at a later date. You ought to know how awesome canning is! We also dehydrate as well. Watermelon and cantaloupe leathers are the best for a sweet snack!

What do you spend your $35/week on?

We have lots of beans, rice, oats, flour, and pasta as staples.

With coupons, price matching, and store discounts, they are less than a dollar each and sometimes free.

[janacanada]

Cav Scout Wife I'm curious to know what your food bill is, your post is very interesting and aside to hunting and double/triple coupons (can't do it where I live) my family does much of the same things to save $$$ on food.

[Cinebar]

I just want to address the chickens and goat suggestion. It's a great way to get quality and nutritional food for your family but there are some things to keep in mind:

1) A 50-pound bag of chicken food costs around $15.00 (I remember when it was less than half that);

2) A 50-poind-bag of dairy goat ration costs $24.00;

3) Goats require adequate fencing, shelter, mineral supplements, vaccinations, worming, a good quality hay, and an occasional trip to the vet in the case of accident, injury, or illness;

4) Goats are herd animals and it is not fair to expect a single goat to live by itself, which means feeding two goats;

5) Sometimes chickens don't lay but they still eat;

6) If you are milking a goat, that is a HUGE twice a day commitment that cannot be ignored just because you "don't feel like it;"

7) Unless you're willing to keep a buck for breeding, you will need to pay someone for the services of their buck (it costs me $35.00 for the services of a good quality buck);

8) Sometimes goats are "dry" (not giving milk), but they still eat (I dry my doe up for the last 6 - 8 weeks of her gestation prior to freshening);

9) Sometimes "things" eat your chickens.....and it isn't you.

I know the other poster was just tossing the chickens and milk goat out as a possibility; I just wanted to point out the expenses angle. While you will get a GREAT product (my goat, at the peak of her lactation, was giving almost a gallon and a half a day and to buy fresh, raw goat milk around here costs around $10.00 a gallon), when you factor in all the other things, it may not be cost effective for someone who is already struggling to buy groceries for the family.

Chickens would be more practical. A 50 pound bag of feed would last a half a dozen birds quite a while, especially if they are allowed to free range, and you might, on occasion, get an extra dozen or two pf eggs to sell to your neighbor. But chickens don't always lay, especially during the winter, and they will still need to be eating out of that expensive bag of feed. And, they still need shelter and a way to protect them from things that like the taste of chicken tenders.

[Cav Scout wife]

Originally Posted by janacanada

Cav Scout Wife I'm curious to know what your food bill is, your post is very interesting and aside to hunting and double/triple coupons (can't do it where I live) my family does much of the same things to save $$$ on food.

Well, if you take out the coffee (hubby drinks 2 pots daily!) and my soda addiction; then it's right at $120/month*. But add those in and it's up quite a bit (right at $170)*, lol! (We splurged this month and it was right at $250*, but they had SUCH a good sale on sea food, and I just had to get starters for my new project on trying to make homemade yogurts and new types of breads,and not to mention the stuff to try and make homemade cheese, as well as pectin and stuff on hand for canning soon, and there ya go lol!) We also have a very nice 4 course "fine dining" dinner( usually salad, soup, main (meat, and 2 or 3 veggies) and dessert) each month with the in-laws over (my Dad and step Mom and his Mom and step Dad, and his Dad and step Mom, plus the kiddo, so 9 total!), and that tends to be a bit more, but still doable. Especially since we "require" them to bring their own alcoholic beverage, lol!

It goes up a bit during the summer as well but not by much, since the kiddo eats all 3 meals at home.

My usual yearly expense is canning lids (since they really aren't reusable with any success) (although I have been looking at the plastci reusable ones) but the rings and jars are, and you can find them all over the place for fairly cheap.

*note those prices are AFTER all coupons, store discounts, price matching, etc... double the price or more and that's the usual retail. Although the $250 bill this month was almost $600 before all that stuff. I usually save 50% or more each trip.

I try and do that with non grocery items as well, although it usually doesn't work as well, lol! But Walgreen's usually has good prices, and they accept not only their coupons for an item, but manufacter coupons as well; the only flaw is that your coupons can't exceed your number of items. So you have to be very careful there with that one.

[joe moving]

Cinebar, don't chickens eat a lot of food scraps?

I know people give pigs just about anything, but I am not sure about what is healthy or OK chickens or goats.

We hope to have at least chickens when we have our own home. How much do you think it costs to have enough chickens to get 2 dozen eggs a week using quality feed ? I am not sure how many chickens that is, maybe 5 or 10 or 15?

I would be concerned about the quality of food anyone is getting on $150/month for a family of 4. Unless you have a ton of free time and can make a lot of food yourself from scratch.

[modhatter]

Price matching? Do you bring ads in from other supermarkets for their sale items and ask them to match their price? Is that common with supermarkets?
Who does it? I know some electronic stores do this, but wasn't aware food stores do this.

[Cav Scout wife]

Originally Posted by modhatter

Price matching? Do you bring ads in from other supermarkets for their sale items and ask them to match their price? Is that common with supermarkets?
Who does it? I know some electronic stores do this, but wasn't aware food stores do this.

Yup that's exactly it!

Around here it is, especially with the family owned smallish stores, since they have to compete with Wal-Mart.

If I go to Wal-Mart, (they don't double or triple) I print out ads from where ever close (100 miles away is my personal max) and show them the deal I am looking to match. They usually don't even ask which ad or what store it was from. But then again, I am very neat and organized about it, and have things grouped together (ie, sale, sale w/ price match, sale w/ coupon, sale w/ price match and coupon, etc...).

Being organized is the BEST way to do things, especially if you deal with bigger amounts and bigger numbers.

Gather all your coupons and ads together well BEFORE you go. Then go through your stores (personal stocks) and see what you are low on and make a list. Then go through the ads and try and match what you need with what is on sale. Then go though all your coupons and match them with what you need, and what is on sale and go from there.

I don't just price match at the grocery store, I do electronics as well, and pretty much everything I can get away with.

[AZDesertBrat]

Originally Posted by Cav Scout wife

Yup that's exactly it!

Around here it is, especially with the family owned smallish stores, since they have to compete with Wal-Mart.

If I go to Wal-Mart, (they don't double or triple) I print out ads from where ever close (100 miles away is my personal max) and show them the deal I am looking to match. They usually don't even ask which ad or what store it was from. But then again, I am very neat and organized about it, and have things grouped together (ie, sale, sale w/ price match, sale w/ coupon, sale w/ price match and coupon, etc...).

Being organized is the BEST way to do things, especially if you deal with bigger amounts and bigger numbers.

Gather all your coupons and ads together well BEFORE you go. Then go through your stores (personal stocks) and see what you are low on and make a list. Then go through the ads and try and match what you need with what is on sale. Then go though all your coupons and match them with what you need, and what is on sale and go from there.

I don't just price match at the grocery store, I do electronics as well, and pretty much everything I can get away with.

Excellant advice! I wish all my customers could read this. lol I have to admit though, most of my customers are pretty well organized. At least they have a list of the ad matches. Each cashier has their own copy of all the ads so they don't need to bring them in. We will ad match any store in our general shopping area which includes two towns each 50 miles away.