What is your limit?

[liltreesy]

I'll just chime in here with, there are 5 of us, and the grocery/diaper/pullup budget is 260$ every 2 weeks. It was very rough the first couple of weeks that we moved here and had no food at all, but I finally got a stockpile built up.

I shop the discount meats (expire within 2 or so days) and drop them in the deep freeze. I make everything from scratch because its cheaper to buy the ingredients and I can make 5 or 6 times the amount as buying cans. I use coupons where I can. It has definitly been time consuming, but well worth the effort to see money in the bank at the end of the pay period as opposed to a big goose egg haha. Also, we are on WIC since my three children are aged 4, 3, and 18 months. And that has been a huge help.

Also, we don't have to waste money driving store to store, since were on such a small base, and the nearest grocery store is 21 miles away, we make do from the Commissary and NEX. Its been compromises since we moved, but again well worth it for my kids to have more quality time with their mom and home cooked meals every day. The only splurge I would say I make is baking. My kids and I bake together 4 times a week, but that hasn't even been a huge problem, since I stockpiled basic ingredients like butter, brown/granulated sugar, and baking soda.

 

[simonbaker]

I wish we had an aldi here. The closest one is 4 hours east. Here we have 2 adults & a twelve year old & go through about $150. week including paper products.

 

[Rob Babcock]

I honestly can't say- I don't track it very well. Much of the stuff I get comes from Sam's Club, great prices but large amounts. My problem is that I'll get an urge to make a certain recipe and just run off to buy whatever I need to make it. Occupational hazard of having spent a couple decades as a chef!

 

[garlicjosh]

mine has roughly been 150 every two weeks. This next time is going to be a little more because I need to restock a lot of spices finally and I've ran out of a lot of a lot of stuff.

 

[Aunt Bea]

I am single and keep my weekly budget at $35.00 except for a few holiday splurges. This includes all food and non-food items. I am not sure how much longer I can do it though as prices in my area have been moving up rapidly in the last few weeks. I am lucky to live within three miles of three major chain stores and two no frills stores. They constantly strive to attract new customers with sales and promotions that are a big benefit to me. Elimination of waste, scratch cooking, and using very few convenience foods are the biggest things I have done to reduce costs. I also use the 80/20 rule when shopping. I try to get all the basics for the week on 80% of my budget and keep 20% aside for great deals on discounted items. Also, in the spirit of full disclosure, this does not include booze. That comes out of my personal allowance or pin money as Aunt Bea likes to say.

 

[babetoo]

my limit has stayed the same $300 a month. that is all food, paper and pet products. the amount maybe the same but i get less and less product as time goes on. no pay raise for three years. bummer!

 

[Saphellae]

I try to keep our total expenses at $300 every two weeks. Gas and groceries eats up all of it and we usually end up going over. Groceries are just SO much more expensive than they were 3 years ago. Even planning meals, I spend about $30 - $50 dollars more than 3 years ago. And we ate BETTER back then.

I am in Canada though.. things are so expensive here.

 

[CWS4322]

I am shocked how much the prices in Ontario have gone up for:

chicken
flour
rice

 

[Saphellae]

And milk, and fruits and vegetables. And the sales always STINK!

 

[CWS4322]

Not to mention cheese!

 

[Saphellae]

How about.. everything?? lol. Eggs too. Oh my gosh it's gotten SO expensive to cook a simple meal. I still can't believe how much we spend on groceries, and I'm pretty careful.

 

[CWS4322]

Not to mention Ontario Hydro is charging different rates for time of use. My homemade tomato paste needs 18 hours...I have worked really hard at being more self-sufficient--I make my own bread, cook from scratch, but these things take more time than nuking something, and now I have to figure out how to do these things during off- or lower peak times. I was online today looking for a wood cookstove...my cousin got rid of the one that was at the cabin--the one I was looking at that is close enough to go get across the border is a dead-ringer for the one we had at the cabin. I was thinking it would make sense to replace the woodstove (used for heat) at the farm for a wood cookstove...I made my turkey soup the other day on the top of the woodstove...don't want to do that in the heat of the summer (cook on the woodstove).

 

[CWS4322]

How about.. everything?? lol. Eggs too. Oh my gosh it's gotten SO expensive to cook a simple meal. I still can't believe how much we spend on groceries, and I'm pretty careful.

I'm getting three laying pullets so I can have my own eggs...if cows didn't produce so many liters of milk each day--I'd consider getting a dairy cow as well.

 

[CWS4322]

How about.. everything?? lol. Eggs too. Oh my gosh it's gotten SO expensive to cook a simple meal. I still can't believe how much we spend on groceries, and I'm pretty careful.

At least you have a good farmer's market there. But yeah--everything has gone up in price and getting the ingredients for a simple meal has gone up. Do you have a garden?

 

[Saphellae]

I have a gas stove, I love it !!!
We bought a rowhouse type of condo so we have limited space. We are building a fence in our teenie yard this year so I will be able to build raised beds! I can't wait !!

 

[CWS4322]

I have a gas stove, I love it !!!
We bought a rowhouse type of condo so we have limited space. We are building a fence in our teenie yard this year so I will be able to build raised beds! I can't wait !!

You can do pots of herbs (and bring them in for the winter). A friend of mine lived in a condo in Kingston and not only did raised beds, but planted pots (big) of pole beans that she strung up to the 2nd storey. If you'd like, I can ask her to send me an email about what she did re: getting the most mileage out of that small space.

 

[Saphellae]

Oh I have certainly been considering herbs lol !!! My problem is that I only get sun in the back of the house, and I have no room in the house to put plants just in my large back window unfortunately I can always bring them to the office in the winter though!
I haven't been able to do planters even yet, as we don't have a secure backyard. ANd they would have to be in the back.. the front gets zero sun.

 

[simonbaker]

I have tried a home herb garden but my cats keep mowing them off.

In South Dakota tomatoes are really exspensive now.

 

[love-cooking2]

While just the two of us we seem to average around £45.00 per week, when our daughter is back from university at term ends, the bill rises to around £65-70 per week.
This does not include alcohol, but does include some household cleaning products and toiletry necessities.

 

[Smith85]

I am in Canada though.. things are so expensive here.

Thats why we have started to make a trip to the states (Port Huron, Michigan), maybe once every month or couple months to stock up on items. Its crazy how cheaper some items are!