primitives discuss stretching dollars at grocery store

[franksolich]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1128988

Oh my.

Proud Liberal Dem (9,046 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore

Stretching dollars at the grocery store on household supplies, food

I was just kind of curious what everybody is spending at the stores nowadays on household supplies and food?

My wife-who handles the shopping- routinely walks in the door every other week with approx. $400-450 worth of items for a grand total of $800-900/mo. which is, frankly, killing our household budget. For reference purposes, this is a 5 person household: Two thirty-something adults, a 5-year old and two teenagers. Is this extreme and/or out-of-sync or pretty much par for the course? My wife and I seem to disagree about what is "normal" (relatively speaking) for families our size to spend. I would be interested in hearing others weigh in on this.

cbayer (107,069 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore

1. Editing because I apparently can't read.

I figure on about $100/week for two of us, so she may not be far off.

2-3 meals a day for 5 people can really add up. Even if you figure only $5/person/day, that's $175/week. And that would only be food.

Sherman A1 (8,831 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore

2. Seems a bit on the high side, but not too much, grocery prices are up about 6% over last year. There are a few ways to save, but really it's just a matter of timing & gaming the system whenever you can do so. I am sure that she is doing as much as she can to keep costs down.

independentpiney (1,055 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore

3. We're about $450- 500/month for 2 adults and a teenage girl with 2 teens and a 5 year old you may not be that far out of line. I would consider myself a fairly frugal shopper too.

woodsprite (5,024 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore

4. Sounds about right

We're a family of 4 - 2 adults, and 2 teens.

Curmudgeoness (7,060 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore

5. I cannot compare my budget with yours, since I live alone and don't have teenagers (who definitely will be eating more). I spend less than $200 a month for food and household items, so if I were to compare that to your budget, you are not doing too bad.

(And if you think that your wife is spending too much on all this, why don't you take over the shopping for a couple of months and see if you can do better....you might be surprised at how well she is doing.)

If you are trying to cut your budget, some suggestions I would make if you aren't already doing these:

Use coupons, but only for things you use.

Buy in bulk when things are on sale.

If you don't have one, buy a freezer and purchase things only when they are on sale. (I never buy meat that is not on sale, but buy it on sale in bulk and freeze it. Same for v*****s.)

Processed foods are much more expensive than putting together meals from scratch. Make a lot at once, and either eat as leftovers or freeze half for another time.

Buy store brands. I cannot say this enough.

Shop at discount grocery store if there are any near you.

Buy household products at dollar stores.

Avoid the fancy cleaning supplies and the newest products that are usually more expensive than old standards.

[Ballygrl]

His wife needs to go to Aldis.

[franksolich]

His wife needs to go to Aldis.

I knew you'd show up; I'd picked this campfire just to draw your attention, as I did with two others to get USA4ME engaged in his own interests.

<<sneaky.

[obumazombie]

I knew you'd show up; I'd picked this campfire just to draw your attention, as I did with two others to get USA4ME engaged in his own interests.

<<sneaky.

Let's see you do that to ME !

[franksolich]

Let's see you do that to ME !

It takes a while to know members' interests.

In the case above, with Ballygrl, I know she's into such things, and wanted to drag her away from that damned women's forum into here.

[Doc Savage]

WALMART!

[obumazombie]

It takes a while to know members' interests.

In the case above, with Ballygrl, I know she's into such things, and wanted to drag her away from that damned women's forum into here.

It turned out to be a short drag !

[Skul]

It takes a while to know members' interests.

In the case above, with Ballygrl, I know she's into such things, and wanted to drag her away from that damned women's forum into here.

We have a Wimmins Forum??
Window cleaning, sammich makin', foot rubbin' sort fo thing?
Dang, I need to get out more.

[USA4ME]

I knew you'd show up; I'd picked this campfire just to draw your attention, as I did with two others to get USA4ME engaged in his own interests.

<<sneaky.

I know you did, so that's why I posted.

<<more sneaky

 

.

[franksolich]

It turned out to be a short drag !

It's part of "marketing."

If one can identify a particular person's interests, then one brings over campfires from Skins's island involved with that interest.

With USA4ME, for another example, anything on banking and financing draws him like flies to honey.

It's not malicious or manipulative; it's just trying to please members, by catering to their interests.

[Ballygrl]

I knew you'd show up; I'd picked this campfire just to draw your attention, as I did with two others to get USA4ME engaged in his own interests.

<<sneaky.

LOL! times are tough, screw going to the regular grocery store, although I do have to go there for a few items I can't get at Aldis, but most of my shopping is done at Aldis and we save a lot by shopping there. I also do BJ's for things like soap, detergent, paper products, water and some frozen items.

[obumazombie]

It's part of "marketing."

If one can identify a particular person's interests, then one brings over campfires from Skins's island involved with that interest.

With USA4ME, for another example, anything on banking and financing draws him like flies to honey.

It's not malicious or manipulative; it's just trying to please members, by catering to their interests.

Yeah, but the malicious, and manipulative, those are value added !

[Ballygrl]

WALMART!

Yep! there are a couple things I can't get at the other stores so we hit Walmart once a month at least.

[franksolich]

LOL! times are tough, screw going to the regular grocery store, although I do have to go there for a few items I can't get at Aldis, but most of my shopping is done at Aldis and we save a lot by shopping there. I also do BJ's for things like soap, detergent, paper products, water and some frozen items.

You know, one of the joys of being single--there's miseries too, in about equal proportion--is that I don't have to worry as much about what groceries cost, as do married people, and married people with dependents.

Being single and a dairy-and-eggs fanatic, the grocery bills never add up to much.....even if I happen to go to the most-expensive place. 

[obumazombie]

You know, one of the joys of being single--there's miseries too, in about equal proportion--is that I don't have to worry as much about what groceries cost, as do married people, and married people with dependents.

Being single and a dairy-and-eggs fanatic, the grocery bills never add up to much.....even if I happen to go to the most-expensive place. 

That's possibly insensitive in some way. Can I get a jury ruling on that ?

[BEG]

LOL! times are tough, screw going to the regular grocery store, although I do have to go there for a few items I can't get at Aldis, but most of my shopping is done at Aldis and we save a lot by shopping there. I also do BJ's for things like soap, detergent, paper products, water and some frozen items.

I'm sorry... 

[franksolich]

I'm sorry... 

Yeah, it got me too.

Then I finally figured out it's probably one of those obscure northeastern supermarket chains.

[USA4ME]

Proud Liberal Dem

My wife-who handles the shopping- routinely walks in the door every other week with approx. $400-450 worth of items for a grand total of $800-900/mo. which is, frankly, killing our EBT allotment.

Fixed.

.

[BEG]

Yeah, it got me too.

Then I finally figured out it's probably one of those obscure northeastern supermarket chains.

 

[franksolich]

That's possibly insensitive in some way. Can I get a jury ruling on that ?

Yeah, it looks as if I might've pulled a Pamela, subtly gloating in front of everybody about something I have but they don't.

Ooops.

[USA4ME]

I think doing BJ's for "frozen items" has the most sex appeal.

.

[GOBUCKS]

You know, one of the joys of being single--there's miseries too, in about equal proportion--is that I don't have to worry as much about what groceries cost, as do married people, and married people with dependents.

Being single and a dairy-and-eggs fanatic, the grocery bills never add up to much.....even if I happen to go to the most-expensive place.

But at Sam's Club you can get sour cream in 55-gallon drums.

[franksolich]

I think doing BJ's for "frozen items" has the most sex appeal.

Earlier today, I was in the big city, and then on my way back here stopped at the "in" supermarket, Hy-Vee.

Hy-Vee's really the "in" place to buy groceries, up here on the roof of Nebraska.

I don't care for Hy-Vee though, because it's just too damned big; one practically needs hiking-boots.

I prefer the smaller places, but those were out of my way.  Because of 0bamagasoline prices and the distances involved, I try to be efficient about "travel."  And Hy-Vee was on my way back here anyway.

I took a grocery cart and hiked directly back to the dairy section, and then directly back again to the cash-registers.

[franksolich]

But at Sam's Club you can get sour cream in 55-gallon drums.

But not even I could do 55 gallons of sour cream in time enough before it spoiled.

However, when I was at Hy-Vee today, I picked up six quarts (six one-quart containers) of sour cream at $1.38 each, enough to see me, maybe, through next Monday.

I think that at $1.38 each, they might've been on special, but I didn't check.  I would've gotten them even if they were $5.00 each.

[Tucker]

Yeah, it got me too.

Then I finally figured out it's probably one of those obscure northeastern supermarket chains.

Monica knows exactly where it's at.