Hey everyone, just trying to get everyone's ideas on how to save on the grocery bill. Baby is no longer on formula so that helps, and I do have a food saver. Any suggestions?
We shop at Aldi for snacks, cereal, soup, pretty much everything except meat and produce. We go to Meijer and buy that stuff when it's on sale. We save a ton! A weekly menu helps too so you don't impulse shop.
I shop at Meijer and about 75% of what I buy each week is on sale. I only buy meat that is on sale. I have a large extra freezer, so if chicken is on sale, then I stock up. I pretty much plan our meals for the week according to the meijer flyer in the Sunday paper. I also have a stock pile cabinet for things like ketchup, salad dressing, cereal etc that I buy on sale. Sometimes I get coupons from the Sunday paper and use them for things that are already on sale or hang on to the coupons and see if those things might be on sale next week. I don't know how it is at other stores, but at Meijer, their sales seem to kind of rotate, so once you get used to the "system" you will know how much of something to buy to last you until the next sale. I buy fully cooked boneless hams on sale and slice for lunchmeat, whole chix make at least two meals for us and pork loins can be sliced into chops and frozen in meal size. And definetly try making your own baby food. You can make a couple of kinds each week and freeze them. Look at the dollar store for a set of small tupperware.
I have started using a service called Angel Food Ministries. It's not income related and it's pretty good food. The downside is the ordering/delivery times aren't always able to be worked into my schedule, but you can get a unit of food for $25. Each months menu is different. They say it will feed a family of 4 for a week or a single person for a month. I make it work for my family of 3 for a month or so with some additions. I also started buying stuff on sale (meat esp) then I do a 'cooking day' and put together several meals at one time (mimi - cooking once a month idea).
website for Angel Food - www.angelfoodministries.com
Yes - SAMS CLUB is amazing - and we go about 1 a month - it seems like a lot all at once but it sure does pay off in the end. We buy our meat and split it up in freezer bags proportioned for meals. We have 4 girls my husband and I - so we have lots of mouths to feed:-) I also think about the food that I will make in the weeks to come - easy things for the week since we both work. BUY in BULK it truly does make a difference...you will notice it when you track your spending over a course of a month from buying at a normal grocery store to a place like SAMS etc. (I include everything from toilet paper, shampoo to all of our food, garbage bags etc...)
Hey J.,
We have recently found something that has helped us with groceries each month. It is Angelfood Ministries and they are based in several states including MI. There are no qualifications for the program. You do not have to be a welfare case, just want to save money on the grocery bill. Several of the pick up sites are at churches, but you are not required to be a part of that church or any church. The food is of good quality (restaurant quality)and contain a fair amount of meat. Go to the website and check it out. All of the information is there along with a place where you can find a location near you if there is one. I hope this helps. It has saved us a lot of money this month.
I participate in Angle Food. You get about 65$ worth of food for only 25$. The web site is www.angelfoodministries.com.
There is no income requirements it is for everyone. You don't even have to show ID.
Have you considered making your own baby food instead of buying small jars? It's cheep, easy, and you know what your baby is getting. Let me know if you have any questions regarding this.
I also shop the ads and compare name brand ingredients/prices with store brands. On some things, I've found the store brand to be just as nutrious and still cheeper than a name brand on sale. I also found it easier to make extra dinner and have left overs for lunch, and to make my own jello and puddings and put them into individual disposable containers, that I wash and reuse.
Another thing to watch for is that more doesn't necessarily mean a price break. I found a double pack of lysal wipes to cost more than two individual containers.
I hope this helps.
nk
we were amazed at how much creating amenu for each week saved us. Also, we would have fairly regular things during the week, which made planning easier and buying cheaper. For example: Tuesdays would be grilled cheese and soup, wednesday is pizza, Thursday is date night, so the kids just get left overs, friday is Asian (which usually is a combination of fried rice, vegetables or ramen so that is different, Saturday is party night, so we just snack and that leaves sunday and monday as the only days to have to really plan stuff
Also we got our 1 yr old to eat table food as soon as possible, actually, he got us to let him, since he was always grabbing off our plates, and that really cuts costs.
Angel food ministries is a good thing but as for my family i would have to buy like 3 bundles to feed everyone that we do. So if u have a big family its not so good. I also have to suggest........ WALMART>...... Did u know u can ad comp with competitors ads at walmart. Any thing that is not buy one get one or buy one get on 50 % off, u can get for the ad price. Like our local glens store has alot of 10 for $10. I ad comp alot of things from the glens paper plus meijers. plus its great cause they have Low prices always anyways. Also walmarts new thing is living better saving more. so why not save more. With the prices of things now days like milk more then the price of gallon of gas, u have to save.
