Comments on: Grocery Spending For April and May http://www.lighteningonline.com/2009/04/30/grocery-spending-for-april-and-may/ Simple Living... Frugality... Gardening... Cooking From Scratch... Knifty Knitter Projects.. And More. Mon, 13 Feb 2012 09:18:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: lightening http://www.lighteningonline.com/2009/04/30/grocery-spending-for-april-and-may/comment-page-1/#comment-10791 lightening Sat, 02 May 2009 02:58:15 +0000 http://www.lighteningonline.com/?p=1569#comment-10791 Lynne - glad I'm not the only one with a "buy more groceries whether you need them or not" issue. :) Thanks for the encouragement re the groceries and the decluttering. :) Libby - I hope so. Will need to keep Farmboy out of the supermarket though I think. LOL. Kiwi Chick - I've been meaning to get back to doing that (adding powdered milk to the regular milk). Used to do it and got out of the habit. As for menu planning....it definitely does help but I really hate doing it. :) River - sometimes the budget just needs to be thrown out the window. At least it'll all be fresh again when you do a stock up. Claire - thank you. Yes, it always helps if there is a goal in mind. Lynne - glad I’m not the only one with a “buy more groceries whether you need them or not” issue. :) Thanks for the encouragement re the groceries and the decluttering. :)

Libby - I hope so. Will need to keep Farmboy out of the supermarket though I think. LOL.

Kiwi Chick - I’ve been meaning to get back to doing that (adding powdered milk to the regular milk). Used to do it and got out of the habit. As for menu planning….it definitely does help but I really hate doing it. :)

River - sometimes the budget just needs to be thrown out the window. At least it’ll all be fresh again when you do a stock up.

Claire - thank you. Yes, it always helps if there is a goal in mind.

]]> By: claire http://www.lighteningonline.com/2009/04/30/grocery-spending-for-april-and-may/comment-page-1/#comment-10790 claire Fri, 01 May 2009 12:16:28 +0000 http://www.lighteningonline.com/?p=1569#comment-10790 very well done on your savings..its difficult to budget and as you are feeding a family I think you are doing a spectacular job! I suppose its how much you really want something that makes the difference, I spent years saying there was no way to afford a horse but here I am with one...and there is no budget left after her needs are met!! very well done on your savings..its difficult to budget and as you are feeding a family I think you are doing a spectacular job! I suppose its how much you really want something that makes the difference, I spent years saying there was no way to afford a horse but here I am with one…and there is no budget left after her needs are met!!

]]> By: river http://www.lighteningonline.com/2009/04/30/grocery-spending-for-april-and-may/comment-page-1/#comment-10789 river Fri, 01 May 2009 10:55:57 +0000 http://www.lighteningonline.com/?p=1569#comment-10789 I've thrown my budget "out the window" and have not "shopped" as such for quite a while. L is insisting we save money and just eat what's in the cupboards etc. So that's what we're doing, eked out by bits that I bring home after work, like milk, bread, a few veg. Saving quite a bit, but once the stores are used up, the savings will probably disappear in a huge shop. I’ve thrown my budget “out the window” and have not “shopped” as such for quite a while. L is insisting we save money and just eat what’s in the cupboards etc. So that’s what we’re doing, eked out by bits that I bring home after work, like milk, bread, a few veg. Saving quite a bit, but once the stores are used up, the savings will probably disappear in a huge shop.

]]> By: Kiwi Chick http://www.lighteningonline.com/2009/04/30/grocery-spending-for-april-and-may/comment-page-1/#comment-10785 Kiwi Chick Fri, 01 May 2009 03:59:52 +0000 http://www.lighteningonline.com/?p=1569#comment-10785 I would say definitely get a solid menu plan in place. We do this weekly at the moment and only buy what is needed for those meals. Before finalising the menu plan I do some scouting around on the internet to figure out what is on special. We're limited in what meat we can have anyway due to hubby being restricted to red meat once a week. I do like the idea of changing from weekly to at least fortnightly - just getting fruit and vegetables in between shops. Oh and milk. I've cut down on how much fresh milk we go through by buying one litre a week then making up milk from milk powder when the bottle is empty. No-one in my house knows I do this and there have been no complaints or questions. I think it is hilarious and it has worked out so much cheaper than fresh milk. They all check the date on the bottle so I have to buy at least one bottle a week to get a new date stamp. I would say definitely get a solid menu plan in place. We do this weekly at the moment and only buy what is needed for those meals. Before finalising the menu plan I do some scouting around on the internet to figure out what is on special. We’re limited in what meat we can have anyway due to hubby being restricted to red meat once a week.

I do like the idea of changing from weekly to at least fortnightly - just getting fruit and vegetables in between shops. Oh and milk.

I’ve cut down on how much fresh milk we go through by buying one litre a week then making up milk from milk powder when the bottle is empty. No-one in my house knows I do this and there have been no complaints or questions. I think it is hilarious and it has worked out so much cheaper than fresh milk. They all check the date on the bottle so I have to buy at least one bottle a week to get a new date stamp.

]]> By: Libby http://www.lighteningonline.com/2009/04/30/grocery-spending-for-april-and-may/comment-page-1/#comment-10784 Libby Thu, 30 Apr 2009 21:53:38 +0000 http://www.lighteningonline.com/?p=1569#comment-10784 I'm sure with a menu plan and your goal in sight you'll do just great. Libby I’m sure with a menu plan and your goal in sight you’ll do just great.

Libby

]]> By: Lynne-Ft Worth http://www.lighteningonline.com/2009/04/30/grocery-spending-for-april-and-may/comment-page-1/#comment-10783 Lynne-Ft Worth Thu, 30 Apr 2009 21:42:16 +0000 http://www.lighteningonline.com/?p=1569#comment-10783 good luck!! We have tons of food in the pantry and freezer yet we still go to the store each week and buy more. I am slowly trying to use up what has been in the freezer forever. I did at the first of the year go thru and throw leftovers that had been in there away that was liberating. I look forward to hearing how you do groceries for 5 for under $200. It is a great challenge. We only shop for ourselves, no kids and can't seem to get out less than $75 per week. Your personal challenges are making it easier for me to challenge myself. Right now I am trying to declutter keeping your blog in mind, while I chant less is more, less is more. Keep up the good work, and I know you will have tons of money saved up for your big trip. good luck!! We have tons of food in the pantry and freezer yet we still go to the store each week and buy more. I am slowly trying to use up what has been in the freezer forever. I did at the first of the year go thru and throw leftovers that had been in there away that was liberating. I look forward to hearing how you do groceries for 5 for under $200. It is a great challenge. We only shop for ourselves, no kids and can’t seem to get out less than $75 per week. Your personal challenges are making it easier for me to challenge myself. Right now I am trying to declutter keeping your blog in mind, while I chant less is more, less is more. Keep up the good work, and I know you will have tons of money saved up for your big trip.

]]> By: lightening http://www.lighteningonline.com/2009/04/30/grocery-spending-for-april-and-may/comment-page-1/#comment-10781 lightening Thu, 30 Apr 2009 13:50:01 +0000 http://www.lighteningonline.com/?p=1569#comment-10781 Kin - I do find shopping less often helps. The biggest trap is picking up extras in a milk/bread/f&v run. Katy - go you! that's awesome. :) I love it when I manage to stretch the meat out. It's getting harder with 3 growing kids fast approaching adult sized meals. Tamsyn - Sometimes it can be a pain but most of the time it really is worth it. I regularly spend $100+ less than others I know with similar size families. Over 10 years, that's enough to pay for our 3 month trip (including the caravan). Makes it all seem worth the effort then. :) Kin - I do find shopping less often helps. The biggest trap is picking up extras in a milk/bread/f&v run.

Katy - go you! that’s awesome. :) I love it when I manage to stretch the meat out. It’s getting harder with 3 growing kids fast approaching adult sized meals.

Tamsyn - Sometimes it can be a pain but most of the time it really is worth it. I regularly spend $100+ less than others I know with similar size families. Over 10 years, that’s enough to pay for our 3 month trip (including the caravan). Makes it all seem worth the effort then. :)

]]> By: Tamsyn http://www.lighteningonline.com/2009/04/30/grocery-spending-for-april-and-may/comment-page-1/#comment-10779 Tamsyn Thu, 30 Apr 2009 10:49:12 +0000 http://www.lighteningonline.com/?p=1569#comment-10779 Wow, impressive! I need to do some serious work on my grocery shopping so that I can start to save some more money. Wow, impressive! I need to do some serious work on my grocery shopping so that I can start to save some more money.

]]> By: katy http://www.lighteningonline.com/2009/04/30/grocery-spending-for-april-and-may/comment-page-1/#comment-10778 katy Thu, 30 Apr 2009 08:53:47 +0000 http://www.lighteningonline.com/?p=1569#comment-10778 I totally identify with you!!! We usually bulk buy meat every second month, but this month (meat shopping month) I've managed to stretch it all out to last a third month - a saving of at least $100. I totally identify with you!!! We usually bulk buy meat every second month, but this month (meat shopping month) I’ve managed to stretch it all out to last a third month - a saving of at least $100.

]]> By: Kin http://www.lighteningonline.com/2009/04/30/grocery-spending-for-april-and-may/comment-page-1/#comment-10776 Kin Thu, 30 Apr 2009 03:44:30 +0000 http://www.lighteningonline.com/?p=1569#comment-10776 Good luck with it all. I managed this weeks shop for $94 and I was pretty chuffed with that, but there was NO MEAT whatsoever in that. What with being paid monthly I'm contemplating menu planning and shopping monthly, then doing 2 x milk, bread, F&V runs a week as needed. I wonder if that will help with the currently ballooning shopping I'm doing? Good luck with it all.

I managed this weeks shop for $94 and I was pretty chuffed with that, but there was NO MEAT whatsoever in that.

What with being paid monthly I’m contemplating menu planning and shopping monthly, then doing 2 x milk, bread, F&V runs a week as needed. I wonder if that will help with the currently ballooning shopping I’m doing?

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