This is pretty much what I do. We are on a pretty limited budget so have to really watch what we spend. I go to 3-4 stores over 2-3 days' time at the beginning of each month. I save back about $50-75 for bread, milk, fresh fruits & emergency items. I grab the cheapezt items from each store that are on my list. I have not had to buy chicken since we started doing our own birds this year. Egga are another item I no longer have to buy. Jopefully milk will also join that list this spring when we breed the goats. I feed 2 adults & 2 children (plus snacks for sports, 4-H, etc.)for about $550 per month. We shop discount stores like Aldi's. I also go to Wal-Mart for some items (mostly the paper & soap products) that tend tp be more expensive in stores that are primarily food. I make about 2 trips per month total for groceries. If my freezer were bigger I wouldn't even go that often because I would freeze bread, milk & fruit/veggies like I used to when I still had the big freezer. I am 1 of those people who learned to stock up as well. I grew up in an area that flooded frequently & roads did not get cleared in winter. You could easily survive on what I have stockpiled for 3-4 months if necessary. We never go hungry here. If all else fails, the birds feed us...lol