primitives discuss grocery bills

[formerlurker]

I have three boys and my door is revolving with constant company - I spend an insane amount of money per month on groceries.   Just insane. 

[Conservative Libertarian]

In 1968, me and the wife got by on $20 every 2 weeks.....me and current wife can eat that up on one trip to a greasy spoon......and one of us will leave hungry.

In the early 70's, my mother would spend ~$25 per week on several bags of groceries. This would feed a family of 5 very well. By the end of the 70's, after the Carter Era double-digit inflation, it was closer to $100 for a family of 4 (my sister was married by that time).

[Ballygrl]

dixiegrrrrl (29,180 posts)    Sat Mar 2, 2013, 07:01 PM

6. 7 years ago I budgeted 50.00 a week for food for the 2 of us.

Just groceries, no TP, no pet food, etc.

No eating out, no fast food, just basic ingredients to cook with.

The budget worked fine for 4 years.

3 years ago the price of rice doubled.

so did the price of coffee.

And milk and....well, you get the picture.

We buy the same basics every 2 weeks.

But spend twice as much now.

there is very little budget room left.

Hmmmmmm, hope and change?

[Ballygrl]

So since your democrat overlords have been in control the prices have doubled? They sure are helping you aren't they?

Why do they vote against their own self interests?

[Ballygrl]

If you have an Aldi within a reasonable driving distance, it is worth it.  I don't care for some of the off-brand cereals and snacks, but the staples cannot be beat.  I figure I save enough there to at least buy a tank of gas.

Yep, my husband is a huge snacker and I buy most of them at Aldi's, I buy almost everything at Aldi's, a few things at the regular grocery store, a few things at Walmart and a few things at BJ's. I usually get my milk and butter at BJ's, $2.79 a gallon for milk and a 4 pack of 1 pound sticks of butter are about $7.99.

[Conservative Libertarian]

Why do they vote against their own self interests?

That's why they are called DUmmies.

[JohnnyReb]

In the early 70's, my mother would spend ~$25 per week on several bags of groceries. This would feed a family of 5 very well. By the end of the 70's, after the Carter Era double-digit inflation, it was closer to $100 for a family of 4 (my sister was married by that time).

I remember as a child listening to old men talk about filling up a 2 horse wagon with groceries for $5. I imagine at that time though the groceries consisted of salt, sugar, flour and some other staples because everything else they needed was grown/raised on the farm.

I remember flour coming in 50 and 100 pound sacks. The sacks were of a fine printed cotton material that women made shirts, blouces, dresses, pillow cases, quilts and other items from.  Daddy ran a country store in the 50's and women would come in and shop for flour more by what the sack looked like than what was in them. Sometimes they would buy a sack of flour and didn't need it just because they liked the pattern on the sack. Some animal feeds came in similar sacks back then.....not so today.

[Delmar]

MissB (10,357 posts)    Sat Mar 2, 2013, 07:07 PM

9. I have two teenaged boys.

So yeah, I probably spend a bit more in groceries than I would if it were just dh and I.
 
Dh and I work full time, so meal prep has to be pretty easy. We rarely go out to eat. We don't do fast food but once in a blue moon. We cook at home. Dh and I take leftovers for lunches, or soup.
 
I generally cook two whole chickens or a package of pork tenderloin on Sunday or Monday. Leftover meat is used in one or two dinners during the week - like enchiladas, tacos, curry, Chinese food, etc. I also make soup (split pea, chili, roasted pepper/carrot, vegetable) on Sunday.
 
If I make a lasagna during the week, I make two because it is just as easy. I cook one and freeze the other. The more that I cook, the more I find ways to save money on ingredients. Obvious examples include dried beans instead of canned or homemade vegetable stock instead boxed. Prep time is always a pain to deal with, but nice you get the hang of it, it isn't that big of deal.

What does dh mean?  Anybody?

[JohnnyReb]

What does dh mean?  Anybody?

Dear husband....I think......but it could be "duh honkey".

[Ballygrl]

DH=Dear Hubby.

[USA4ME]

What does dh mean?  Anybody?

DUmmie husband.

They're keeping it in the family.

.

[Delmar]

Thanks for the answers.  The DUmmy needs to change her name to MrsB.

[Carl]

I've been drinking 2%-1% for so long, Whole tastes like Buttermilk, to me.  Can't handle it and I LOVE milk.  A couple years ago, the GF found Whole Milk in sale for something ridiculously cheap.  One swig and I made the sour face.  Same with her. We used it to cook with, that's it.

I grew up drinking raw Guernsey milk so was just the opposite for me...one taste of pasteurized stuff would make me gag.
Now I have gotten used to it but that is one of the few things I miss from the farming days.

[AprilRazz]

I grew up drinking raw Guernsey milk so was just the opposite for me...one taste of pasteurized stuff would make me gag.
Now I have gotten used to it but that is one of the few things I miss from the farming days.

Selling raw milk is illegal here. So a few enterprising farmers started selling cow shares. A set price gives you a gallon or so of milk a week except when they are freshening the cow.

[JohnnyReb]

Selling raw milk is illegal here. So a few enterprising farmers started selling cow shares. A set price gives you a gallon or so of milk a week except when they are freshening the cow.

You may have to explain that to the non-farm types.

....and don't start with the birds and the bees.

[Evil_Conservative]

You may have to explain that to the non-farm types.

....and don't start with the birds and the bees.

Duh, it means give the cow a bath.  Everyone knows that.