Shopping
An interesting subject~
August found me over extending my budget just a touch. Nothing detrimental but enough to create a need to tighten the belt and decide what was the most important things in the way of groceries.
Coupon and sales shopping is something I do most of the time. I also tend to know what stores carry what products at "everyday" prices that are cheapest for items we use the most of. During lean times in the past I was extra cautious with my grocery budget. For several years I fed my family of 6 for right around $150 a month excluding bread and milk cost.
Of course at that time food costs were less expensive. There were several different cuts of meats you could get for under a $1 a pound. Now that price is only on sale items and less "meaty" cuts. Every thing is at least a few cents higher than it was 2 or 3 years ago.
Anyway, after this last few weeks, I decided it was time to return to my old habits when it comes to shopping. I am sharing here (on the advice of my friend) how it is that I am able to feed a large family cheaper than many feed one person.
The first thing I do is pull out the meat sales~ since most meals are planned around a meat dish, this is where I start. Once I have an idea of what meats are on sale I start making a menu plan. Menu plans include using "leftovers" for other meals. So if we are having say Lemon Herb Chicken for dinner on night #1, the next night we might have chicken enchalada's or shredded chicken in a pasta dish. If we have a ham dinner on Sunday night on Monday we might have Ham Sammiches with Soup or Ham and Beans. You get the idea. Stretch that left over meat that isn't enough for a whole meal for the family into a meal. By making a menu, it gives the use of each bit of meat into a plan that keeps the food costs down.
Another thing I do is I have a collection of compartment containers ( SEE HERE ) These are great when there is only a servings worth of left overs left after dinner. Put the leftovers in the container and pop it in the freezer. Then the next time you are short on time to cook or just not up to it, there in the freezer is a "TV Dinner" ready to go in the microwave.
Once I have planned my meals, I then go through the cabinets and fridge to see what I have. Once I have the inventory, I am able to make my shopping list. When school is in session there are certain lunch items that are staples. Just as much as coffee, flour and sugar. Also as a staple on my list is things like butter and fresh fruits for snacks. I do try to hit whatever is on sale for the staples. Also when ever possible I will stock up on perishibles that last longer if they are on sale. Especially things like pasta, rice, tomato products (paste, sauce, chopped, diced, etc.), canned meats/meals like tuna, tamales, soups, and so on.
Here again, meal plans are important. While school is in session we don't need much in the way of "quick" lunch things like soup. But there are weekends and holidays. Part of the meal planning is thinking ahead for these. Macaroni and cheese served as a side dish with dinner for instance~ instead of making 2 cups make 3 and then you have left over for lunch the next day (or freeze it for lunch later).
I also look at the possibilities of dinner leftovers being used for breakfast. Baked potatoes for dinner, I'll make 4 or 5 extra so that they can be diced up the next morning for o'brien potatoes or shredded for hash browns. This is all part of the budgeting, meal planning, and keeping the food costs down.
Coupons~ I admit I use them but I am not one of those who can shop and only spend $5 for $100 worth of food. I go through the coupons to find the foods we use and then use them. I will buy a different brand of some foods if there is a coupon that makes it worth it. A good example of this is a few weeks ago when Best Foods had a mayonaise coupon that made the mayo as cheap as the store brand we usually buy. Generally coupon shopping saves me about $10 a month. Not a lot but when you think of it as 5 loaves of bread or 5 pounds of chicken...
All of this combined brings us to a food budget that although low, gives us plenty of good food.