We are not the Gateses.

[sofamonkey]

Menu planning helps a ton. Also, being honest with yourself - if you aren't wanting to cook every night, then put that in your budget! And look at groupon or use coupons for going out.

May I ask how much food you waste in your shopping efforts?

[sofamonkey]

Also, I usually use the Rockefellers. LOL #old

[lilac05]

It really boils down to self-discipline. Don't ask me about that, because I have basically none.

Try to choose easy meals for dinner. Last night, I made the crock pot chicken tacos but with ranch instead of taco seasoning. The easier it is, the more likely I am to actually make it.

Plan meals based on what is on sale that week.

The biggest thing for me is to stay out of stores unless I'm specifically looking for something. Don't open store sale emails. Delete your credit cards from your computer/iPad memory. It's amazing how that one step of going to get my card saves me from silly purchases.

All easier said that done, of course!

[rosiebear]

If you really hate to cook, grocery store "ready to eat" meals are your friend. They are still expensive to my budget, but much less than eating out.

Menu plan simple stuff you can just throw throw together and then shop for a week's worth of menus. If the food is already there and ready to roll, you'll be much less likely to eat out. Good luck; it's hard to change habits, but you can definitely do it.

[dowagercountess]

Get an app to track your spending!

[agnes]

Besides actually not eating out, do you eat out at restaurants (fast food or otherwise) that have coupons? Some restaurants I eat at have $10 off or BOGO type deals.

[Deleted]

Cash envelopes. Once its gone, its gone. Can't spend what you don't have

[sofamonkey]

Jan 28, 2015 20:06:38 GMT -5 nuggetbrain said:

Jan 28, 2015 19:44:36 GMT -5 sofamonkey said:

Menu planning helps a ton. Also, being honest with yourself - if you aren't wanting to cook every night, then put that in your budget! And look at groupon or use coupons for going out.

May I ask how much food you waste in your shopping efforts?

God, so much.  We have all these grand plans of "we're going to buy all these veggies and fruits and cook at home!"  And then we don't, and end up throwing stuff out in two or three weeks.  

And our problem with eating out is we are also trying to lose weight, so the cheap places aren't going to be the places we're probably going to want to eat at (I'm looking at you, fucking McDonald's.)

Well, there is a middle ground of places between a 5 star restaurant & Whackdonalds.  Be honest about how many meals you will actually cook, plan for that meal, then make yourself stick to it.  If it's only 3 days, then that's a start.  You will save money right away by planning. 

As for coupons - here the decent Mexican restaurant does coupons sometimes.  Don't be too proud to do that, that's why they put them out there.  Also, when you go out, see where you can cut expenses.  @ drinks each?  NEWP.  Appetizers and 2 meals?  Unless that is going towards your lunch, you are buying too much food.  Try splitting plates, cutting as much as you can.  You are going out because you don't want to cook, NOT because you have a shitton of money to spend, right?  Make compromises you are comfortable with at first, and then build on that.  Each week, try cooking one more time.  Bulk cook like suesue said.  Save splurges (like going out with all the trimmings) for special occasions.  Being at a restaurant doesn't magically make more money appear. 

[sofamonkey]

Jan 28, 2015 20:13:36 GMT -5 nuggetbrain said:

Jan 28, 2015 20:03:50 GMT -5 agnes said:

Besides actually not eating out, do you eat out at restaurants (fast food or otherwise) that have coupons? Some restaurants I eat at have $10 off or BOGO type deals.

Sometimes....the other problem we have is that we don't really plan eating out.  It's more "...I don't feel like cooking, let's go to Outback."

Yeah, you have champagne taste on a beer budget.  Compromise!! 

[agnes]

Jan 28, 2015 20:13:36 GMT -5 nuggetbrain said:

Jan 28, 2015 20:03:50 GMT -5 agnes said:

Besides actually not eating out, do you eat out at restaurants (fast food or otherwise) that have coupons? Some restaurants I eat at have $10 off or BOGO type deals.

Sometimes....the other problem we have is that we don't really plan eating out.  It's more "...I don't feel like cooking, let's go to Outback."

We do this too.  But then you'll hear me say, "What kind of coupons do we have?"  And go to one of the coupon options if they sound good. 

[agnes]

Jan 28, 2015 20:06:38 GMT -5 nuggetbrain said:

Jan 28, 2015 19:44:36 GMT -5 sofamonkey said:

Menu planning helps a ton. Also, being honest with yourself - if you aren't wanting to cook every night, then put that in your budget! And look at groupon or use coupons for going out.

May I ask how much food you waste in your shopping efforts?

God, so much.  We have all these grand plans of "we're going to buy all these veggies and fruits and cook at home!"  And then we don't, and end up throwing stuff out in two or three weeks.  

And our problem with eating out is we are also trying to lose weight, so the cheap places aren't going to be the places we're probably going to want to eat at (I'm looking at you, fucking McDonald's.)

Try frozen fruit and veggies?

[miniroller]

Jan 28, 2015 20:13:36 GMT -5 nuggetbrain said:

Jan 28, 2015 20:03:50 GMT -5 agnes said:

Besides actually not eating out, do you eat out at restaurants (fast food or otherwise) that have coupons? Some restaurants I eat at have $10 off or BOGO type deals.

Sometimes....the other problem we have is that we don't really plan eating out.  It's more "...I don't feel like cooking, let's go to Outback."

Nope. See- this is where menu planning comes in! And since you don't like to cook(ish?), follow SueSue's advice to do 2 big dishes, baked ziti, a big pot of chili or beef stew, sloppy joe meat (sandwiches, coney dogs, nachos) are dishes that work great for me with a spread it out over a couple of meals plan. I also make a big bowl of salad! There's your veggie &/or side when you're too rushed/ stumped to come up with anything else!

Start using your crockpot at least once a week. You won't be tempted to stop somewhere when you've got a meal almost fully prepared at home! Search crockpot meals on here; there are a couple of really good FixIt&ForgetIt ideas!

Last, I used to be such a food waster/ tosser too Do a fridge/ pantry full inventory. Make a list- especially for your pantry. Toss anything old/bad, order all multiples oldest to newest. Keep that baby organized & keep that inventory checklist updated. It takes a bit of work to start, but just 5-10 mins/ wk after that, & it's sooo worth it $$$

GL Nugget!! There is so much room for improvement on your poor soul who doesn't even use a shopping list!!! I'm cheerin for you!

[dojo]

This is going to sound awful and extreme. Go back through the last 3 (preferably 6) months of your accounts and figure out where the money is ACTUALLY going. Before we did that we had a completely skewed idea of where we were really spending money. You might find that you spend money in places that seem ridiculous when you see it in black and white. $200 on coffee (which is easy enough to do, especially between two people) made me a bit sick to my stomach when I saw it on our spreadsheet.

Realistically, I will probably take you less than two hours to go through six full months, especially if you are doing it with someone else (DH inputs the info in our spreadsheet and I read out to him what the amount is and what category it should go under.

It's really easy if you have excel and know how to do basic SUM functions.

This may not be exactly what you were looking for, but honestly our spread sheet is the best tool we have to stay on budget. If you're just looking to curb your expenses, you could consider an allowance for fast food / coffees etc. I won't lie. Allowances SUCK but they keep you honest.

[sjh722]

Jan 28, 2015 20:13:36 GMT -5 nuggetbrain said:

Jan 28, 2015 20:03:50 GMT -5 agnes said:

Besides actually not eating out, do you eat out at restaurants (fast food or otherwise) that have coupons? Some restaurants I eat at have $10 off or BOGO type deals.

Sometimes....the other problem we have is that we don't really plan eating out.  It's more "...I don't feel like cooking, let's go to Outback."

We did this a lot. What helped with meal planning was a. make things that have leftovers you don't mind eating (like enchiladas, or lasagna, or soup) so making dinner one night means you've got leftovers for lunches or another dinner later that week and b. not planning a labor-intensive meal for each night of the week. We don't mind eating frozen pizza, so if there's a night where we both don't want to cook and would rather just go out, it's a lot easier to rally and throw a pizza in the oven than make a meal that requires a lot of prep. (Other things that are easy - crockpot meals, bagged salad, tacos, breakfast for dinner, etc). I don't mind baking, so I make homemade pizza dough a lot (or you can buy it pre-made at most stores) and that's a really easy, mindless option too. Each batch makes enough for 2 pizzas, so you have one to throw in the freezer for later.

It takes a lot of self-discipline to get into the habit, though. :/ Good luck!

[trafficgirl]

I agree with all the meal planning advice. I signed up for a website (PlanToEat) that has really helped us cut down on the amount of spoiled food we toss.

I use my crockpot a lot, once a week or at least every other week. And we eat a lot of leftovers. But that makes things way easier.

Like this week I made a rice dish on Mon, leftovers on Tues. Today I made pulled pork in the crockpot and we'll have leftovers tmrw, possibly even Fri too. That's dinner for 5 days and I'm only "cooking" for 2 of them.

You can do it Nugget!

[dexteroni]

We were in the same boat, and our biggest overspending category was also groceries/restaurants. I could outline what I did this month that included meal planning, cooking more, etc., but it won't help you if you really hate to cook. So I second Sue Sue's plan of cooking once a week. Make a huge batch of one thing per week that will freeze well, eat it once or twice that week, and freeze the rest in two-portion-size containers. After you do this a few times, you'll have a stash of premade dinners in the freezer, so that all you have to do at dinnertime is microwave your entree of choice.

You can also cook some food that isn't a full recipe, so you aren't eating lasagna or casseroles every night. If you bake and freeze a bunch of chicken breasts, then you can top one with some Italian seasoning, a slice of tomato, and a slice of provolone cheese, and toss it in the oven for a little while. Or shred one, stir in some salsa, pile it in soft tortillas, and add cheese and lettuce. Or slice one and toss it in a pan with some frozen stir fry vegetables, and sprinkle on some stir fry sauce. It gives you flexibility for nights when you don't feel like having any of the premade meals in the freezer.

For sides, try some of the precooked grains - Trader Joe's has precooked frozen brown rice and quinoa (and I think pasta?), and Uncle Ben's has shelf-stable precooked basmati and brown rice. 3 minutes in the microwave, pour it into a bowl and season it a little, and you're ready to eat. For vegetables, there are bagged salad kits, Steamfresh frozen vegetables, and Ziploc Zip & Steam bags for microwaving fresh vegetables. All of these are cheaper and healthier than take out, but don't require nearly as much effort as actual cooking. 

[Deleted]

Re eating out:

Try dining out at lunch. Save leftovers for dinner.

Lunch is cheaper, and then you don't pay for dinner at all.

[Deleted]

Re grocery shopping:

Do you have any Asian supermarkets? They are usually cheaper.

My nanny manages to spend only $20 to $40 every two weeks, and it's all fresh produce.

[Deleted]

Jan 28, 2015 19:45:09 GMT -5 sofamonkey said:

Also, I usually use the Rockefellers. LOL #old

I use that all the time.  And most people around here have no idea what I'm talking about!

[Deleted]

Jan 28, 2015 23:16:16 GMT -5 toledo said:

Jan 28, 2015 22:31:46 GMT -5 @misoangry said:

Re grocery shopping:

Do you have any Asian supermarkets? They are usually cheaper.

My nanny manages to spend only $20 to $40 every two weeks, and it's all fresh produce.

Lol, don't you eat out, like, ALL the time?

Not for dinner.  Most weeknight dinners are made by the nanny.

[frenchies]

I think I just gave this advice in MM, but here goes:

Definitely know what you have at home before you go shopping. If I don't check the pantry/fridge first it's really easy for me to pick up "staple" items (blocks of cheese, chicken broth, noodles, whatever) and then get home and realize I already have 4 of the same item. So: buy things with a plan to use them. It also helps to give you ideas--"Oh, I've got 2 cans of refried beans, maybe I'll make tacos this week." *adds ground beef and taco shells to the grocery list* So you're building from what you already have, and avoiding duplication.

I also started shopping with a calculator in hand. It seems obnoxious but just get a tiny pocket calculator or use your phone and add up what you're spending as you go through the store. If you have a number in mind for how much you're willing to spend each week (for me it's about $100), then seeing the totals add up helps you to make more conscious decisions. I'd decide not to throw that 3rd type of meat in the cart because realistically, am I going to cook chicken, ground beef, and a roast this week? Probably not. It also helps toward the end of the shopping trip when I hit the junk food aisle to be like, "Oh, I'm already at $85 and I still need two gallons of milk... maybe I don't need pretzels AND oreos."  I'm also less tempted to throw in extra staple items "just because" (see above) since they're going to add to my total without having a specific purpose in mind.

My calculator broke a couple of months ago (dropped it one too many times...) but by then I'd been shopping with it for several months and even now I regularly come in right around $100 per shopping trip because I have a better sense of how much things cost and what a $100 cart looks like.

As far as what to eat... I have a core set of recipes I fall back on. My husband would eat the same thing every day for a month if left to his own devices, so he doesn't care if I repeat. I tend to keep the staples I need for those few dishes handy, and then just buy the meat/perishables for that week. For example, with ground beef I might make beef stroganoff or skillet lasagna. I keep the staples--noodles, spaghetti sauce, beef broth, etc.-- and then I fill in the ground beef, cheese, mushrooms, or whatever. So every week I know I'll buy a pound of two of ground beef, and have a couple of mainstay dishes I can use it in.

I've gotten in the habit of buying a pack of chicken breasts and cooking them up in the crockpot with a can or two of Rotel and then shredding. That gives me something to start with to make things like chicken quesadillas, enchiladas, chicken & dumplings, tortilla soup... it saves time and I can decide later how I want to use it.

I totally understand how it easy it is to spend way too much on food (groceries, eating out, and otherwise.) That's probably the area of our budget with the most fat to trim (no pun intended) as well.

Just... be realistic with yourself. I know that we will eat out on weekends. I plan for 4 dinners at home a week and there's always leftovers if we stay in another night or two. I try to use the most perishable items first (chicken always goes bad first in my fridge, so I use it early in the week--ground beef usually has a longer expiration on it, so if I don't get to it right away I'm not throwing my money away.) I also try to only do one new recipe/experiment a week because usually those require more time to prepare and buying more ingredients--I don't want to plan to try 3 new recipes and have a bunch of stuff go to waste because I was overly ambitious.

[Deleted]

I recommend making more money. It is the only budgeting trick that works for me.

[mrsukyankee]

We use a great online/app system called Goodbudget.  It's an envelope system w/o having to put money in an envelope.  And you can have two phones with the app and as many computers as you like (I think).  You can have up to 10 envelopes for free.  The great thing is that with the app, you can update as you go...so if I go out to lunch, I put that amount in the 'lunch' envelope.  We have 4 envelopes:
1. Groceries
2. Lunch
3. Entertainment
4. Other spending (clothing, hair, etc)

It works for us as we figured out what our budget would be for each (looked at past spending).  When you 'run out of money' in an envelope, you can choose not to spend any more or you can move between envelopes.  And if you have left over money in your envelopes at the end of your two week or monthly time period, then you can put in in unallocated and use it for treats the next month.

[idoinjuly]

Nugget, do you have a meal assembly place like Dream Dinners near you? It's a lot cheaper than eating out and it takes the shopping, prep, and meal planning out of it. You will have a bunch of dinners in your freezer and you just have to pull a few out to thaw each week. Making the meals is really easy.

[RoxMonster]

You guys sound exactly like us! This is our big problem too. We do not go out and buy huge purchases willy-nilly or take a bunch of trips or whatever, but we get off budget with all the little things that add up--Starbucks a few mornings each week, eating out more than planned, etc.

I hate cooking and never do it. H likes cooking but there are nights he would rather go out. We are bad about it, too. One thing that has helped is splitting meals at places with big portions (which is almost everywhere!) At the local Mexican place, we get free chips and salsa, don't order alcohol, and split their ginormous 12" burrito and our bill (pre-tip) is 9 bucks. It's awesome.

I have also found that putting the money I save into a specific fund for a specific thing helps motivate me. So, for instance, maybe I say that I will cut out two Starbucks trips each week (which is easily 10 bucks probably) and that money goes into a fund specifically for our trip to _____. It's fun seeing the money add up and I am more motivated to skip those SBux trips and stick to it if I have a saving goal in mind.

[noodle]

Everyone here has given great advice. One thing that helps me is batch cooking and then freezing in small portions in ziplock bags (chili, marinara or meat sauce, shredded chicken ) plus individually portioning chicken breasts with marinade in ziplock bags and freezing. H doesn't like "leftovers" when we eat the same meal multiple nights in a row. But I can make chili on Sunday for dinner and then that can be dinner once a week for 4 more weeks, no problem. Plus when I'm at a total loss, thaw chicken breasts (in the bag, in a bowl of water). For about 10 minutes, then toss in a baking dish and cook at 375 for 20 min. Plus salad or a frozen veg= easy dinner!

My freezer and my crock pot are life savers for easy dinners.

[btay]

I eat a lot of ramen, but that probably doesn't help if you are trying to be healthy

[nomad100]

This is likely to be one of your least liked options since you don't like to cook but for me it is the prep time that kills me on a week night so I have started doing a version of Once a Month Cooking. It takes up pretty much a whole day but then we really don't have to do any other prep for many many meals. Since most of our meals involve marinated meats of some kind, I can make up a month of meals pretty quickly.

I get chicken breasts, pork chips, flank steak, etc. and bag it up with various marinades and then throw them in the freezer - they marinate when they thaw in the fridge. I cook up batches of rice or quinoa and freeze in dinner sized portions to heat in the microwave when dinner is cooking. I get bagged frozen veggies (which are not bad) so those can also be cooked in the microwave when the meat is in the oven.

I will make a meatloaf and cut it into individual portions and freeze those so we can get a couple of meals out of them by just pulling out 2 or 3 slices. Also pasta dishes - I make a big batch and freeze in dinner sized containers.

Using this and planning the week's menu so we know to take whatever out of the freezer the night before usually means we are eating within 20ish minutes of getting home.

Many nights the only thing I don't make ahead is the salad. And even that can be cut up and washed and stored in a large ziplocs with a paper towel on Sunday so you can just pull it out and use throughout the week (I also cut up carrots, cukes and peppers and store them in ziplocs with a papertowel so I can just grab what I need on any particular night).

We have so much less waste this way and we are eating healthier and having just enough for the dinner or the dinner and lunch the next day helps us with portion control. Having a big pan of lasagna in the fridge would be really bad for me. So a small pan with just 4 servings (for dinner then lunch the next day) works better for us.

[bella427]

If you know you aren't really going to cook, just go to Trader Joe's and buy a bunch of the prepared meals. They're perfect for two and still a lot cheaper than eating out. And you can microwave them in 5 minutes.

[frenchies]

Jan 29, 2015 10:07:27 GMT -5 @aliciaroset said:

Never grocery shop hungry! Eat a full meal and then go. You'll make better choices

This doesn't work for me... I'm so full that NOTHING looks good!