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JodieLyn
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| Posted: Nov 18 2008 at 3:06pm | IP Logged
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Books,
It's been about 7 years.. but we used to live in Tucson. and Costco was only a couple miles further than the grocery store. At that time, grocery store sale prices were meeting or beating Costco's regular prices.
So while you could get that price at Costco all the time, I could save the membership cost and still get my groceries at those prices (or better) by shopping the sales at the grocery store.
One thing that is a good bit cheaper is tortillas. But we can usually have someone with a membership pick them up for us (often my ILs bring them whenever we see them)
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
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Martha
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| Posted: Nov 18 2008 at 3:08pm | IP Logged
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I buy once a month for all my non-groceries.
I buy once a week for my groceries, b/c I always hit any sale items that I can stock up on, but other than sale stuff and milk - the majority of my grocery shopping is twice a month.
I couldn't do once a month because I can't afford that big an outlay at one time, so I need to divide it by paydays, and I can't store that much at once, even in the freezer. Also, fresh produce type stuff only stays fresh for so long and again, only so much can be frozen.
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Martha
mama to 7 boys & 4 girls
Yes, they're all ours!
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Bookswithtea
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| Posted: Nov 18 2008 at 3:29pm | IP Logged
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I have tried price books in the past and I have tried couponing, too. I just cannot seem to find the time it takes to track the local sales. We don't get a paper and we don't get the grocery store flyers in the mail box, either (I think that's because we aren't close by???). I have gravitated to places like Costco and Trader Joe's because they have consistently decent prices, and then if I notice the item on sale at the regular store, I buy in bulk at that point. I consider myself an organized person, so it bugs me to no end that I cannot seem to do this. But I finally decided that its probably a function of living with dh's odd work schedule. I have take those windows for shopping when they come, which doesn't work well when tracking sales. I think that's why OAM shopping appeals to me.
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~Books
mothering ds'93 dd'97 dd'99 dd'02 ds'05 ds'07 and  due 9/10
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Angel
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| Posted: Nov 18 2008 at 4:43pm | IP Logged
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What about shopping Amazon grocery for various nonperishables? I've got Amazon prime so I think that gives me free shipping on at least some items, and then there's the subscribe and save program...
I just need to find some way to go out to the store less. Right now my dh does the shopping after work because he's in the town with the store and it doesn't make sense for me to make an extra round trip. Going shopping with my ALL of my crew is a recipe for disaster (3 yo twins), but I do find that my dh and I get our wires crossed sometimes, or he can't get as much as we need of some items because he doesn't have time or can only use one cart, and then he ends up going even more often... which he hates. I already do all my other shopping online... I don't think I've set foot in a clothing store in three years. 
Books, I think we are going to be in need of a second freezer soon, too... we're planning on raising meat chickens and turkeys and possibly ducks and geese next year, and right now our freezer is stuffed "just" with a side of beef, 9 chickens, some lamb, and the fruits and veggies we froze this summer. (Which is why I was scratching my head about freezing milk.) Isn't gardening and raising your own food supposed to be cheaper?
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Angela
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Three Plus Two
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crusermom
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| Posted: Nov 19 2008 at 8:17am | IP Logged
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You guys are amazing. I am unfortunately on the 3x weekly Costco trip. It is just too close and I am in there for RX refills, broken eyeglasses, pizza for a soccer team, etc. Oh yes, and gas. The problem is that it is only 5 min from my house and I drive past it almost every time I go out. I have had teens go in to pick up RX and DH stop for milk. I don't see how I would save too much money by stockpiling. Our house is not that big and I have to think of the cost of storing it. I do buy in big quantities when I go to the Army commissary and something is on special.
Also, we like to go to Costco and get a free meal out of the samples. Just kidding.
Mary
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Mary
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Erin
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| Posted: Dec 02 2008 at 3:47pm | IP Logged
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We have been shopping once a month for the past four years and I love it  Initially I wasn't too certain but my dear friend who has 11 children really encouraged me.
Now let me clarify, when I say once a month shop I refer to the supermarkets and butchers, I still shop once a week at the produce store for fruit and veg, milk and bread.
In the house we live in now (100sq feet) we do not have a big pantry, in fact my storage consists of a tallboy dresser and another clothes cupboard with four short shelves. I do however have an upright freezer. When we shop we fill two trolleys to give you an idea.
I plan a menu and stick to that, when I don't my bill goes up. I am far less stressed shopping this way, I love the fact that I don't shop often. Time is what is saved, all up shopping may take 1.5-2hrs once a month, which is not much more than I was spending every week. Dh and I (sometimes children) tend to go after tea when it is not very busy. We live in a town of 20,000.
My once a week shop takes 20 minutes.
We also save money this way, not sure how but we kept dockets and analysed at the beginning (dh is an accountant;) Possibly it's a case that if you run out you do without, ie. I tell the dc if they rush in and eat the biscuits than they have none left for the rest of the month.
It is a big task at the end unloading and packing away but everyone pitches in and then we're done for the month:)
Initially it takes a little fine tuning and getting into the groove of being prepared but it is worth it. My menus are typed, my master shopping list is typed and I only have to write the amount needed in the little boxes. (excel spreadsheet.)
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Servant2theKing
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| Posted: Dec 02 2008 at 5:44pm | IP Logged
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Like you, Erin, I am truly grateful for the once monthly grocery haul...it's so much easier than doing it all several times a month! Like others here my husband picks up extra dairy and produce, whenever possible...usually mid month. When gas prices rose, the extra cost came out of our food budget...when gas has been cheaper, we've used the savings for grocery items again.
I'm a little dismayed tonight. My husband just came home and mentioned that one of his employees, a single male, gets $176 per month in food stamps...I've been busy working on compiling a monthly grocery list for Dec. using only $200! My husband actually thanked me for feeding our family so well for so little...this conversation transpired while he ladled tonight's leftovers into a container for tomorrow's lunch and I filled eight smaller containers to serve as freezer meals for him when we go to help our daughter when her twins are born.
I've helped at our parish food pantry many times and was quite astounded when they explained to us that those they serve often refuse to eat much of what is donated. Many will not, or often do not know how to, cook from scratch. When I suggested perhaps teaching a class for economical, scratch cooking, the coordinator of the pantry said it had already been suggested and tried, but the recipients simply won't use the food! That experience bolstered my efforts to teach our children how to cook economical meals from scratch. We've even had neighbors, who get food from a local pantry, give us their "cast-offs"...many of the items were things we just typically cannot afford.
Even though I'm confounded that so many people would refuse decent food, I am profoundly grateful that I learned to cook simple, economical meals from my mother and grandmother, who both survived the Depression.
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Bookswithtea
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| Posted: Dec 02 2008 at 5:56pm | IP Logged
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Servant, you've got me curious. Care to share what you all eat on your monthly list, and how many you are feeding/ages?
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Blessings,
~Books
mothering ds'93 dd'97 dd'99 dd'02 ds'05 ds'07 and due 9/10
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LeeAnn
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| Posted: Dec 02 2008 at 10:24pm | IP Logged
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I'm all ears (eyes?) too, Servant! And Erin!
My frugal contribution: Tonight we had teriyaki beef (3/4 lb. ground beef, half an onion, garlic, salt & pepper and soy sauce) with peas over rice. Pretty frugal I think but not up to the standard American expectations probably. My husband would prefer grilled or fried chicken EVERY night. He looks pitiful if there is no giant slab of meat on his plate. Help!
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Servant2theKing
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| Posted: Dec 03 2008 at 9:59am | IP Logged
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I am now serving two adults and three very hungry teenage boys, but we also had a similar budget when our daughter and granddaughter lived with us. While I'm working with $200 this month, our groceries run anywhere between $200-$300 per month throughout the year. The months when we spend $300 include approx. $100 at SAM's.
For breakfast: toast with PB, oatmeal, cereal (if it's on sale), occasionally boiled eggs with toast or pancakes (if you serve boiled eggs you can get by with 1 egg per person, so the eggs go further), served with milk or juice.
For lunch: leftovers, pasta with cheese, homemade pizza, quesadillas and such, served with vegetable or fruit and milk or tea.
For dinners: Lots of soups and casseroles (using an abundance of vegetables), homemade bread, fruit or vegetable side and milk.
I use only 1/3 to 1/2 lb. of meat for most meals. Stretching a recipe with less expensive ingredients is very helpful. If you have lots of vegetables, pasta or rice, add more to compensate for less meat. If a recipe calls for meat as the main ingredient, simply lessen the meat portion and add pasta, rice or beans. Many entree recipes can be adapted to a casserole or soup.
We also use a lot of dried or canned beans to substitute for meat. Black beans are one of my favorite beans to add to a recipe...they don't really alter the taste or texture too much. Seasonings (purchased in bulk) can really liven up economical foods and give a gourmet taste to simpler meals. We also use minced garlic quite a bit...we buy the very large container from SAM's and it lasts about two-three months. (DH makes an occasional trip to the SAM's where he works for items I can't get at our regular grocery...bulk flour and yeast, minced garlic, etc.)
Some economical family favorites:
Beef Barley Soup
Split Pea w/ Ham Soup
Cream Chicken 'n Biscuits
Shepherd's Pie or Pot Pie (with ground beef or chicken)
Baked Spaghetti
Chicken Rice Soup with Garlic and Mushroom
Calzones
Chili
Black Beans and Rice
Chicken Soup w/ Homemade Noodles
Quiche w/ Muffins
Zucchini Stew over Pasta
Freezing produce when it's in season, and therefore much less expensive, is very helpful. This summer we picked blueberries at a local farm for $1 per pound (yielding approx. 3.5 cups per pound); compared to $3 or $4 a pint at the store, that's an incredible savings. We also sliced loads of zucchini, onions, peppers and froze them as a mixture for our zucchini stew and other recipes.
I stock up on "loss-leader" sale items in bulk and usually buy only items that are on sale...even without coupons I usually save 33% off the normal cost of the same grocery items, which means I am able to buy $300 worth of groceries for $200!
LeeAnn, your Teriyaki Beef sounds delicious. We make a similar dish with chicken, using celery and broccoli in place of the peas. My DH would prefer much more meat as well, but he has adjusted quite well over time and actually enjoys our frugal meals now! He had heart surgery several years ago, so less meat also has health benefits for him.
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: Dec 03 2008 at 12:00pm | IP Logged
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great ideas servant!
I just wanted to add one that helps here. My dh complains on the flavor if meat is dropped entirely from something.. you can use bullion in say.. meatless speghetti sauce to add a beef flavor but no meat 
and again on using the spices.. I make a sausage gravy occationally, and I use only a half pound of the bulk spicy sausage for 8-10 cups of gravy.. then I make up the flavor by adding more sage, cumin, oregano, red pepper flakes and just a pinch of allspice.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
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4Real Forums : Our Lady's Loom, Larder, and Laundry
Topic: Once a month shopping
