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12-09-2011, 07:33 PM
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#1
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 445
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save money on food?
I am impressed with how little so many of you spend on food! How do you do it? I buy only store brands, shop at Walmart most weeks even though they do not have fish, and still we two are about $200/week. The Beloved loves good imported beer... and I have a diet soda fetish--but that still would be only about $400/year different.
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12-09-2011, 08:00 PM
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#2
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Gone but not forgotten
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Sarasota,fl.
Posts: 11,447
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Quote:
Originally Posted by palomalou
I am impressed with how little so many of you spend on food! How do you do it? I buy only store brands, shop at Walmart most weeks even though they do not have fish, and still we two are about $200/week. The Beloved loves good imported beer... and I have a diet soda fetish--but that still would be only about $400/year different.
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How many are in your family ? I spend $100 a week for two . I shop the sales and cook from scratch usually five or six nights .We also eat all breakfasts at home and I eat lunch at home most days . We eat tons of chicken and when I find good sales I stock up . Turkeys are on sale now so I'll buy a few . One turkey will make several meals Turkey , turkey sandwiches , turkey tetrazzini , turkey soup . We do drink wine but it's cheaper wine and I drink one diet soda a day .
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12-09-2011, 08:17 PM
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#3
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 445
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We are also just two. And we never eat out--perhaps 4 times a year--unless we are traveling. I also cook everything from scratch except a frozen diet lunch each day at work ($1-2/day.)
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12-09-2011, 09:20 PM
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#4
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 9,343
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Quote:
Originally Posted by palomalou
I am impressed with how little so many of you spend on food! How do you do it? I buy only store brands, shop at Walmart most weeks even though they do not have fish, and still we two are about $200/week. The Beloved loves good imported beer... and I have a diet soda fetish--but that still would be only about $400/year different.
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Im single and pretty much every day I eat an apple and celery for breakfast from walmart and that is 10 bucks a week by itself. Lunch I always eat oatmeal and milk with walnuts and bannana chopped into it and that costs about $15 a week by itself. I dont eat it because Im poor, I just like it and it takes 2 minutes to fix. Thats a hundred bucks alone a month and not many people would eat like that. Dinner is varied and usually $5 a pop for a good frozen stir fry type meal. The snacks, soda, bottled water, and high grade coffee, put a big dent in the food budget. That pushes me to close to $400 a month. I have to buy my snacks individually at gas station. If I bought the bigger bags at walmart, there would be no savings as I would just eat it up in a day anyways and get fat.
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12-09-2011, 10:25 PM
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#5
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 410
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Where do you live? Prices vary a lot between different parts of the country/different cities. And are you "foodie" types who buy a lot of specialty items, fancy condiments, imported food, etc.? Posting a typical week of grocery purchases and rough cost for items might give us a better idea of why your costs are so high.
Oh, and do you end up throwing away a lot of food/leftovers? That can be a huge money suck. I am trying to put more leftovers directly into the freezer for that week or the next week's lunches, because sometimes we get backed up and end up missing a few things that get to iffy status and we don't want to eat. Hoping the soup I just had for lunch was not one of those, for example.
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12-09-2011, 11:15 PM
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#6
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 3,681
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A few years ago we had two kids in college at the same time which made for a very expensive year. While it was just DH and I at home I started buying marked down meat that was close to it's "sell buy" date. These things are marked down 30%-50% and I've never had something that wasn't just as good as the full priced meat.
I still keep an eye out for discounted packages and use a Foodsaver vacuum sealer to freeze meat.
I also like to use a pressure cooker to make soups or stews. There is always extra for leftovers.
__________________
Married, both 69. DH retired June, 2010. I have a pleasant little part time job.
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12-10-2011, 12:27 AM
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#7
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Hooverville
Posts: 22,983
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I read about these food budgets and wonder how it could be possible. I have tried, but so far all my efforts are cancelled by what to my eye has been considerable food inflation.
Ha
__________________
"As a general rule, the more dangerous or inappropriate a conversation, the more interesting it is."-Scott Adams
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12-10-2011, 12:39 AM
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#8
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 35,712
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Quote:
Originally Posted by haha
...I never buy fancy mustard or much of that jamon iberico beloved by one poster...
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Eh, you are talking about me!
I was joking about these fancy food. I have not had jamon iberico since my trip to Spain. I do not even know where to get it here in town.
Just have to set the record straight.
__________________
"Old age is the most unexpected of all things that happen to a man" -- Leon Trotsky (1879-1940)
"Those Who Can Make You Believe Absurdities Can Make You Commit Atrocities" - Voltaire (1694-1778)
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12-10-2011, 12:58 AM
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#9
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Hooverville
Posts: 22,983
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NW-Bound
Eh, you are talking about me!
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A-ha! The high living free spending wastrel has been uncovered! If you don't cut out this profligacy you will be be NW-Bound for the rest of your life, and never NW-Arrived.
One of my sons just came back from Madrid and he found a tapas place that sold specialty hams from all the different provinces and regions of Spain. He said it was magnificent!
Ha
__________________
"As a general rule, the more dangerous or inappropriate a conversation, the more interesting it is."-Scott Adams
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12-10-2011, 01:01 AM
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#10
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 35,712
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Oh man! And you did not go with him? Everybody knows about Italian and French food, but Spanish food is also a true delight. Is he bringing back some for you? Smuggled in his briefcase somewhere?
PS. I of course have arrived in the PNW. Many times, in fact. But I just couldn't stay! Too expensive!
__________________
"Old age is the most unexpected of all things that happen to a man" -- Leon Trotsky (1879-1940)
"Those Who Can Make You Believe Absurdities Can Make You Commit Atrocities" - Voltaire (1694-1778)
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12-10-2011, 01:10 AM
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#11
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: midwestern city
Posts: 4,061
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I spend much less than $100 a week on food on my own (I live on my own). Sometimes I get a veggie footlong sandwich at Subway. About $5 for the day, it's healthy food and it tastes good too.
Quote:
Originally Posted by palomalou
I am impressed with how little so many of you spend on food! How do you do it?
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__________________
Very conservative with investments. Not ER'd yet, 48 years old. Please do not take anything I write or imply as legal, financial or medical advice directed to you. Contact your own financial advisor, healthcare provider, or attorney for financial, medical and legal advice.
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12-10-2011, 03:23 AM
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#12
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Easten Long Island
Posts: 414
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For the two of us we spend ~ $300 per week for consumables.
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12-10-2011, 03:45 AM
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#13
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 8,368
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Moemg
We eat tons of chicken and when I find good sales I stock up . Turkeys are on sale now so I'll buy a few . One turkey will make several meals Turkey , turkey sandwiches , turkey tetrazzini , turkey soup . We do drink wine but it's cheaper wine and I drink one diet soda a day .
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There are two of us and we do almost the exact same thing, (except we don't drink soda and our wine is 'home made').............turkeys were on sale at a local supermarket yesterday at 77¢ a pound...(which is cheap hereabouts); we bought 2 (fairly small ones), and put them in the freezer.
__________________
"Exit, pursued by a bear."
The Winter's Tale, William Shakespeare
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12-10-2011, 03:55 AM
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#14
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Northern Illinois
Posts: 16,599
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We grocery shop at Walmart once a week - always between $100 and $120 for 2. Its the same every week - bread, eggs, sliced ham, cheese, yogurt, apples, veggies, pineapple, pork chops for me, fish for DW, frozen healthy choice steamer lunches, popcorn. I do fast food about 4 times a week that adds another $20. About once week, I pick up a steak for another $12. So I guess our total is around $130 to $150.
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12-10-2011, 05:15 AM
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#15
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Administrator
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Chicagoland
Posts: 40,708
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We shop primarily at Whole Foods Market. I'm afraid to calculate just how much we spend there because it will make my BP spike at that will make my insurance premiums rise.
In South Fl. Publix has opened a chain called Greenwise to compete with WFM. So far, a very good option.
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12-10-2011, 05:39 AM
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#16
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: PWC VA
Posts: 144
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I separated the food and wine budget and am eating much cheaper now.
At one point in life when I was in debt and earnings were low, I achieved a really low cost of food. I built a menu for the month and shopped only to complete what I needed for the menu. I built it to maximize the use of left overs. Buy a ham for Sunday dinner, ham sandwiches for lunch, Monday and Tuesday ham dinner, ham and broccoli casserole on Wednesday and ham and split pea soup next. And so on. Buy enough hamburg for burgers the first night, meatloaf the next couple and chopsuey the next. Chicken breast tonight, chicken stir fry the next and chicken Alfredo the next with chicken sandwiches for lunch. Build the menu for the month and then a shopping list to meet it, then only buy whats on the list. Cook enough bacon for breakfast, BLT's for lunch and crumbled on the salad for dinner. Saves on cooking utilities. 100% cook at home, pack your lunch for work, institute portion control, (good for weight control as well) and your cost will drop dramatically.
Fortunately I don't need to do that today, but will do it again if required.
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12-10-2011, 06:19 AM
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#17
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: dubuque
Posts: 1,174
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don't you think this is sad? work all those years to retire and have to skrimp on groceries instead of eating what we like? If you can't eat what you enjoy whats the point?
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12-10-2011, 06:22 AM
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#18
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 225
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I just did a calculation from my database, and we (two people) spent $74/week so far in this year on food. We don't eat out unless travel. We do eat a lot of fruits (from local farm market) and vegetables, only very very little meat. We grow our own vegetables like green/pole beans, garlic, tomatoes, radish, etc. to supplement. I make my own yogurt and bake my own garlic olive bread. I guess that also helps.
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12-10-2011, 06:29 AM
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#19
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 225
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Quote:
Originally Posted by frank
don't you think this is sad? work all those years to retire and have to skrimp on groceries instead of eating what we like? If you can't eat what you enjoy whats the point?
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+1. Enjoying healthy food doesn't have to cost a leg and an arm, and the keyword is moderation. After a certain threshold is crossed, more frugality won't make sense anymore.
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12-10-2011, 07:43 AM
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#20
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 35,712
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ratto
+1. Enjoying healthy food doesn't have to cost a leg and an arm, and the keyword is moderation.
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I am eating pretty healthy food, I think. The problem is I want to eat good-tasting food, even if it costs more. Those often are not healthy.
__________________
"Old age is the most unexpected of all things that happen to a man" -- Leon Trotsky (1879-1940)
"Those Who Can Make You Believe Absurdities Can Make You Commit Atrocities" - Voltaire (1694-1778)
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