Grocery Costs

[Sunny Day]

Hi Everyone, there was a thread on here a while ago about saving $ on groceries, but now I can't find it. What do you all do to save $ on food--it just keeps getting more and more expensive! Also, are any websites for ideas/coupons you use? There were a few listed on the other thread...I am in Canada. Thanks!!

[thecrazyisout]

You might be able to go to hotcouponworld.com There you will find a bunch of stores, but it isn't in Candian $$ so I don't know what to suggest.

I am trying really hard to stick to portions the USDA recommends...you might be able to find something similar or got to the usda.gov website and look for Childcare food program and that could give you an idea!

I will be interested in seeing what everyone else has to say too!

[Zoe]

I buy generic brand food. We shop at Wal-Mart instead of a grocery store because it stretched our very thin budget a lot further. I had to get over my "snobby" phase, but I'm glad that I did. Even the name brand food is cheaper there than at any grocery store I've seen.

Call it naivete, call it a blonde thing, but I don't know if you have Wal-Mart in Canada. You'd think being in Minnesota....nope! Sorry if this wasn't any help! ::

[Meyou]

I meal plan each week. It's really easy once you get a system going. It takes me about an hour to plan on Thursdays when the fliers arrive and I shop on Saturday AM. THis is what I do step by step:

1. Get some paper and a pen

2. Get the fliers

3. Go through the grocery store fliers, walmart etc...anywhere you shop for food

4. Circle great sales and jot the item and price on the paper by store. This is just a rough list so I can see the best sales. EG boneless chicken 3.99/lb

5. Look at your best sales and decide on 6 dinners, 6 lunches and 4 or 5 breakfast items and general snack items. I also do 10 daycare snacks and 5 daycare lunches since I buy everything together. EG. If ham, chicken and pizza are the best sales that week we would have pizza one night, stir fry, fahitas, ham and scalloped potatoes, corn chowder (with leftover ham) etc etc

6. See if there is anywhere you can cut corners. If whole chicken is on sale you can roast it one night, have hot chicken sandwiches the next and make a pot of soup for 2 daycare lunches. I try to plan to use leftovers twice a week because I never want to cook every night.

7. Then make a shopping list based on your menu and what you already have by store.

I don't buy prepackaged snacks other than for school lunches so my kids snack on popcorn, apples, bananas, cheese and crackers, sandwiches, taost, waffles...cheap food basically.

[mac60]

Shop at ALDI stores for many items. Buy generic. Buy lots when on sale, like veggies 3 for $1. I have in the past bought applesause by the gallon, peaches by the gallon, and veggies by the gallon. Freezer bag them and take out as needed.

[countrymom]

I love Aldis (I'm from ontario but the michigan border is minutes from me) but I buy things on sale and then I stock up on it. I do use coupons but I forget alot of the times.
Also, I don't expensive things that i can make at home. I cook and bake alot so I don't buy processed food, it save money too.

[daycare]

The person that posted several sites had the name wash try looking under that in the search

[Candyland]

I like to buy chuck roasts when they are on sale and then put them in the crock pot; I can make several meals out of one roast:
1. BBQ on a bun
2. "Roast" tacos w/ lettuce & tomato
3. "Roast" chalupas w/ lettuce & tomato

Same thing with a whole chicken:
1. Chicken casserole
2. Chicken tacos w/ lettuce & tomato
3. Chicken chalupas w/lettuce & tomato
4. Soup
5. Chicken enchiladas or envueltos
6. Chicken salad sandwiches
Don't forget after cooking your meat; to label (include date) and freeze in the freezer.

Burger meat:

1. Spaghetti sauce
a. Use leftover sauce to make mini pizzas
b. Use leftover sauce to make lasagna
2. Soft shell or hard shell tacos
3. Hamburger casserole
4. Beef envueltos
5. Mini burgers

[afmama]

I stock up on coupons and then use them when those items go on sale at the store. Thats how I plan our meals, by what is cheap that week not by what we want to eat

[DBug]

Sunny Day, not sure where exactly you're located, but if you're near a No Frills, shop there! Especially on the dollar days. I've found that shopping at No Frills, buying mostly PC and No Name products (which are still better quality than other store's in-house brand) will save between $100 and $150, compared to buying the same list of things at Sobey's or even Zehrs. I shop once every 2 weeks, and will spend $250 or so, whereas if I shopped at Sobey's I'd spend $350 - $375. And I really do buy basically the same things every shopping trip, for both my family of 5 (sometimes 6),and my daycare kids (6 kids with 2 meals, 3 snacks/day).

And, No Frills is usually quite a bit cheaper and the products are better quality than Wal-Mart's stuff. Okay, except for the produce ... that's always kind of iffy, but they've been pretty good for the past year or so.

I've also used Food Basics for extended periods of time, and they're still more expensive, and again, the quality of packaged foods leaves something to be desired.

Also, if you don't already have one, a menu (for daycare & family) makes shopping easier, quicker and cheaper since you're only buying exactly what you need.

HTH!

[countrymom]

Sunny Day, not sure where exactly you're located, but if you're near a No Frills, shop there! Especially on the dollar days. I've found that shopping at No Frills, buying mostly PC and No Name products (which are still better quality than other store's in-house brand) will save between $100 and $150, compared to buying the same list of things at Sobey's or even Zehrs. I shop once every 2 weeks, and will spend $250 or so, whereas if I shopped at Sobey's I'd spend $350 - $375. And I really do buy basically the same things every shopping trip, for both my family of 5 (sometimes 6),and my daycare kids (6 kids with 2 meals, 3 snacks/day).

And, No Frills is usually quite a bit cheaper and the products are better quality than Wal-Mart's stuff. Okay, except for the produce ... that's always kind of iffy, but they've been pretty good for the past year or so.

I've also used Food Basics for extended periods of time, and they're still more expensive, and again, the quality of packaged foods leaves something to be desired.

Also, if you don't already have one, a menu (for daycare & family) makes shopping easier, quicker and cheaper since you're only buying exactly what you need.

HTH!

did you see the sale at sobeys, they have 8 pound bag of apples for 3.99 and so are the oranges. Now thats a deal. I love dollar days at no frills, did you know that no frills now price matches. I usually take my flyer to walmart to price match and then I don't have drive around from store to store.

[Jewels]

I actually find it very hard to save money on groceries, I don't use most of the items you can get coupons for, and even the ones I do, I just find the store brand to be an even better deal, unless you combine it with a sale, and I use all organic fruits and veggies, nothing canned. I end up spending on average $200/per week, sometime slightly more. I do make out my menus ahead of time, and shop off of my menu, so I only buy the items I need, and I try to sometimes plan my menu around the sales.

[DBug]

did you see the sale at sobeys, they have 8 pound bag of apples for 3.99 and so are the oranges.

Seriously?! I know where I'm going tonight

[Meyou]

Seriously?! I know where I'm going tonight

Wow! That's so cheap for Sobeys. I get most of my produce at a local fruit and veg place but for that sale I'll buy apples at Sobeys. I normally pay $5.97 for 10lbs of any variety.

[gbcc]

I do a lot of fresh but frozen meals. I will make larger portions for my family and then what is left over I will give to the kiddos or freeze for another day. It's cheaper to make large crock pot meals than 2 smaller ones.

For snacks I do a lot of crackers and other things from Aldi's. I can give the kids snacks from Aldi's for just $10 or less a week.

Also, in the summer I buy fresh fruits and veggies from a home stand because they are much cheaper then the stores and you also help keep money local!