grocery bill, OMG!!

[Dyngbld]

We go shopping twice a month. I get paid twice a month so it works out well. We spend about $500 a month on groceries and pet/farm food. I would love to buy flower, sugar, and beans in bulk (larger then SAM's) but it looks as if the shipping costs to get stuff to us, makes buying at Wallmart the better deal. This is the first year for us on the new farm. We chickens for the first time, and a nice garden, so eventually the egg bill will go down.

We have a family of 6. 2 adults, 13,10,9,8.

 

[eggzettera]

Dyngbid - very first post -

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[Dyngbld]

Thanks I have lurked here for several months. Gaining a welth of knowledge before buying our babys. We got them last week, unfortunatly we lost several, but the rest are doing well, and I have more set to arive in april.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

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[texaschick-a-dee]

LOL my feed bill is over $100 per week for the critters.

With 2 adults, 3 teens and 1 9yr old if I plan meals out I can get by on about $170 per week. I do try to take my lunch and I try to get DH to do the same. Kids take lunches to school because I hate paying $3 for something they won't eat. Seems like a lot but with 6 people, 3 meals a day for 7 days it's like $1.35 per meal per person.

 

[Up-the-Creek]

All kinds of great advice on here today! The best I know for a fact that works,...leave the hubby and the kids in the car or at home when you shop and make sure before you leave you have a list in hand and make sure you arent hungry. YES, eat before you go to the store, it will make a difference. Then in the summer and fall, think like a squirrel and store whatever you can get for the winter. Can and freeze whatever you can buy or grow. Local farmers markets are great for that. Cooking from scratch is a must, first and foremost it is the healthy way, but it is cheaper.
Stay away from processed food.

 

[sugarbush]

Part of the reason our shopping bill runs so "high" is we refuse to shop at Walmart or Sams club because we feel that they have done more harm than good in any community they have come to. I would rather spend the extra money shopping from a local chain or the farmers market than set foot into a walmart. Somethings it cannot be avoided, but where it can be, we do.

I don't know if it is this area or a country wide phenomenon, but we closely watch the prices of "bulk" items when shopping. 99% of the time it seems that they cost more than the regular size if you figure it out down to price per ounce.

 

[PQ]

Quote:
Has nothing to do with food but still funny my husband wont shop at wal mart because if he brings me or our tweens we all have to be carded to buy beer. No matter who is paying. He told them they are 12&13 and wifes not paying but they said he might be buying to give it to them. He flipped out called a manager over and told them they are insane and what a slap in the face to think such awful thought about a good family people. He said they are descriminating against families. I laughed, told him I guess beer for the horses is out too?? Big business does take out the small but remember they once where small to. And if it saves your family money...

 

[sugarbush]

Our regular store was out of stock on the baby formula so my wife went to walmart to get a can and looked all over the baby dept for it and could not find any formula. She asked somebody and he said "yeah...it is up front at the cigarette counter." I guess for the convenience of smoking parents they can get their baby formula and cigarrettes at the front counter so they don't have to huff and puff to the back of the store

We realize that they probably had a problem with people stealing it, but for an item like baby formula, if they need it that badly, let them have it

 

[turney31]

HOMEMADE LAUNDRY DETERGENT ! 2 cups borax , 2 cups laundry soda , 1 cup all color bleach ,1 bar fels-naptha laundry soap (grated). I use 2 tablespoons per load. You don't need fabric softner or dryer sheets. Clothes are soft ,even line dried. I found all these ingredients at KROGERS. This has saved me a small fortune. Super easy, hope this wiil help some. Micah