What do you spend on food for a week?

[SandraMort]

It looks great but I've never lived anywhere with TGG stores near me

I've never found coupons worth the time, especially since I don't normally buy papers with coupons.

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[SandraMort]

Local produce at farmers' markets around here is *MORE* expensive than the imported stuff. The farmers' markets jack up the prices for the weekend people and tourists

And the farmstands are inexpensive, but not predictable about having stuff in stock.

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[SandraMort]

Aldi's meat *IS* cheap, as is Costco, but the quality is just so abysmally poor. It makes me grateful that my kids don't eat it. I read the ingredients and can't bear to eat it, either.

I wish, though, that Aldi's was closer. Their bagged frozen vegetables are comparable to the ones at the supermarket near me, but half the price.

 

[SandraMort]

What's the most cost effective way to get milk? My kids drink a lot, too.

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[SandraMort]

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It's popular with my kids, too, but white rice may as well be a bowl of sugar, nutritionally.

I rely on it during broke weeks anyway, as much as I hate to. It's guaranteed to give me mood swings after, though.

As far as paper products & misc non food items, I simply stopped buying all of them aside of toilet paper.

Heh. Google FAMILY CLOTH.

Breakfast is always boxed cereals (we keep several types on hand) and on weekends pop tarts for the kid.

Yeah, I consider both of those to be expensive convenience foods. My kids love cold cereal, so I buy it occasionally, but it's a treat. Baking your own pop tarts isn't hard, though. MUCH tastier and cheaper.

DH & I don't eat much other than dinner & a late night bowl of cereal...

No lunch?​

 

[Frogdogtimestwo]

WHERE can I get cheap powdered milk?
It is not the cheapest but the flavor is excellent for powdered milk.
http://beprepared.com/product.asp_Q_pn_E_FE M700_A_name_E_Instant+Fat+Free+Powdered+Milk

 

[SandraMort]

Unfortunately, the majority of cow sensitive people cross react to goat and a large percentage of goat sensitive people react to soy

Rice milk may be the best bet for now. Almond, hemp and sesame milk are all fabulous but I wouldn't give nut or seed products to an allergy prone toddler. Darifree is said to be good (potato based) but it's more expensive than rice milk, IIRC. I think I paid 10 dollars for a quart of powder but cant get up to see how much that makes, as I'm currently nursing the baby.

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[SandraMort]

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They make gadgets like funnels to help woman do that.

We are also participating in the Angel Food Ministries program, http://www.angelfoodministries.com/ , it isn't charity, you don't need to be on foodstamps, you don't need to belong to the group (normally) that is the distributor in your area, it is a group that helps you get bulk savings on your food without you yourself having to store the bulk. Good food, not name brands, but not junk.

Unfortunately, the main box is mostly packaged, processed stuff. I guess everybody's definition of junk is different -- I would classify most of their frozen food as junk. I could see getting the main box just to get the supplementary produce and meat boxes, then giving back half of the main box.

FE: This month's menu:

1.5 lb. Ribeye Steaks (4 x 6 oz.)

4.5 lb. (Avg) Split Chicken Breast Family Tray Pack

***1 lb. Chicken Breast Fajita Strips

1 lb. Boneless Center-Cut Pork Chops (4 x 4 oz.)

***1 lb. Fully Cooked Meatballs

***1 lb. All Meat Hot Dogs

1 lb. Frozen Sliced Carrots

1 lb. California Blend Vegetables

1 lb. Pasta

***28 oz. Marinara Sauce

***48 oz. Hawaiian Punch

32 oz. Borden 2% Reduced Fat Shelf Stable Milk

12 ct. Corn Tortillas

One Dozen Eggs
*** One Dessert Item

If I asterisk the items that are likely to be full of ingredients I wouldn't feed my family, it rules out half the box. It really is a shame -- the idea has SO much potential. But in the end, there are none within 50 miles anyway.

WHY does budget shopping always mean feeding cr*p?? SO FRUSTRATING!!!
$30.00​

 

[MissPrissy]

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I was refering to RAW milk. Not pasturized. It takes effort to get the pure milk these days. Raw milk and pasturized milk are as different as night and day.

 

[SandraMort]

What I'm looking for is the cheapest, though. The kids aren't fussy. Any leads on 25# bags? Cases of #10 cans?

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