Meal plan on $50ish grocery bill

[quesyrah]

cjcouple I agree. If I had to, I could feed my family for a week on $50. But that diet every single week in perpetuity makes me want to cry.

[gastro]

Jan 12, 2016 12:04:21 GMT -5 quesyrah said:

cjcouple I agree. If I had to, I could feed my family for a week on $50. But that diet every single week in perpetuity makes me want to cry.

Exactly. Trying new things and having a variety drives up cost but I'm not sacrificing. I also like fresh produce and meat. I'm not a huge fan of cutting and freezing for later.

[amynumbers]

Jan 12, 2016 12:08:56 GMT -5 gastro said:

Jan 12, 2016 12:04:21 GMT -5 quesyrah said:

cjcouple I agree. If I had to, I could feed my family for a week on $50. But that diet every single week in perpetuity makes me want to cry.

Exactly. Trying new things and having a variety drives up cost but I'm not sacrificing. I also like fresh produce and meat. I'm not a huge fan of cutting and freezing for later.

Meat I don't mind as much -- like I like have a stash of frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts in a pinch. But generally I totally agree.

Not to mention, I'm not Franny Framer.  Nothing about gardening appeals to me, let alone canning or flash freezing or whatever the fuck for the winter. I imagine if that was a hobby of mine and I actually enjoyed it maybe I would feel different. Or not. Because time and quality of life do have a value.

[lala]

The thing with the $50 on a regular basis means you never stock up on pantry items. Sure I could only spend $50 one week but that means I'm leaving out some spice or olive oil or butter or flour, etc.

I don't mind freezing meat, I buy at Costco & divide.

I can a little bit and we do have a small summer garden but it's not substantial. Thank god for my BIL farmer and his jersey corn, tomatoes & peaches.

Re: Frozen stuff - I usually keep frozen mango & pineapple on hand and they'll eat them in any state of defrost. Berries are usually smoothies only, but one of them will eat them straight from the freezer. But they also love frozen pees, so there is that.

[lala]

Oh and for me the canning I do (jam, tomatoes) is more about having fun and completing the process. It's not necessarily cheaper (unless your BIL is a farmer!) but it's line sewing my own Halloween costumes. I enjoy it.

[dizzycooks]

I will point out that @pouch8r said some weeks are over $100... Average isn't $50 for her either it seems.

[quesyrah]

Jan 12, 2016 12:56:38 GMT -5 dizzycooks said:

I will point out that @pouch8r said some weeks are over $100... Average isn't $50 for her either it seems.

Which is another reason her "you can eat healthy on $50/week!" schtick is annoying. Spending only $50 every single week for a family of 4 is not possible. And certainly not possible if you're eating healthy.

[lala]

Jan 12, 2016 13:07:03 GMT -5 quesyrah said:

Jan 12, 2016 12:56:38 GMT -5 dizzycooks said:

I will point out that @pouch8r said some weeks are over $100... Average isn't $50 for her either it seems.

Which is another reason her "you can eat healthy on $50/week!" schtick is annoying. Spending only $50 every single week for a family of 4 is not possible. And certainly not possible if you're eating healthy.

Exactly. Doing $50 a week means you have a A LOT of staples at home, need no pantry staples or are willing to do without and/or you eat boring/crappy food. 

[lattelady5]

Jan 12, 2016 11:50:24 GMT -5 cjcouple said:

My kids LOVE frozen blueberries, while frozen (not thawed) lol

Frozen blueberries while still frozen are like candy. So freaking delicious. I really don't care for any frozen fruit thawed.

I love our Aldi but if I don't have a quarter or reusable bags with me I don't go there.

[thecheshirekat]

Jan 12, 2016 8:34:14 GMT -5 momin2013 said:

Jan 11, 2016 22:33:53 GMT -5 thecheshirekat said:

I guess I'm going to have to go examine my produce containers to see where the berries I bought today at Sam's came from. I just did the week's main grocery shopping and spent $110, and that included 12oz of raspberries for around $4, 14oz of blackberries for $4, and 16oz of blueberries for $6. Reasonable enough for me, and they look to be of decent quality.

Yep, this sounds like me, too (in Canada, though). I'm happy if I can leave the store spending less than $150, and my cart ALWAYS includes strawberries, blueberries, either blackberries or raspberries, bananas, apples, and usually another fruit or two (this week it was kiwis and pears). My guess is a lot of that came from Chile/Argentina/Mexico. The only thing that really does often suck in taste is the strawberries, but I buy them anyway because I'm weird and I'd rather have not-so-great strawberries than none at all.

I checked last night while I was packing lunches. The raspberries are from California, surprisingly enough, but the blueberries are from Peru and the blackberries from Mexico. And both the blueberries and blackberries were 18oz containers, so I got more than I thought for the price. They're not organic, of course, and they might not taste as amazing as they do when they're in season locally, but the kids still wolf them down. And they wouldn't touch frozen berries with a ten foot pole.

[cabbagecabbage]

Jan 11, 2016 19:00:28 GMT -5 auroraloo said:

My hatred of Aldi comes from my late father's (he was an old-fashioned butcher) hatred of the company. I've never even been.

My husband is a butcher and we shop at Aldi a lot!

[Kcthepouchh8r]

Jan 12, 2016 13:07:03 GMT -5 quesyrah said:

Jan 12, 2016 12:56:38 GMT -5 dizzycooks said:

I will point out that @pouch8r said some weeks are over $100... Average isn't $50 for her either it seems.

Which is another reason her "you can eat healthy on $50/week!" schtick is annoying. Spending only $50 every single week for a family of 4 is not possible. And certainly not possible if you're eating healthy.

What is inherently unhealthy about the list I posted? My kids are eating 4-5 servings of vegetables, 3 fruits, whole grains, mostly minimally processed, dye free food. "Junk food" is veggie sticks that have like four ingredients in the list. There's no rule you have to buy gross tasting grapes for $4/lb in January to be healthy. On the contrary I would much rather eat clementines everyday for three months when they're in season and taste good than have a variety of out of season fruits where the quality is sacrificed.

[Kcthepouchh8r]

Though i agree, you would have to spend more than $50 to stock on occasion as needed. You do not need to spend a lot lest you want to live on processed foods.

[quesyrah]

I guess I am going to replace the word healthy with boring. You're right, those are pretty balanced meals.

[auroraloo]

Jan 12, 2016 16:31:24 GMT -5 cabbagecabbage said:

Jan 11, 2016 19:00:28 GMT -5 auroraloo said:

My hatred of Aldi comes from my late father's (he was an old-fashioned butcher) hatred of the company. I've never even been.

My husband is a butcher and we shop at Aldi a lot!

Dad's issues were with the parent company's business practices. He grew up in a grocery family and they all hated it. 

[Deleted]

Jan 11, 2016 19:31:36 GMT -5 Kcthepouchh8r said:

Jan 11, 2016 16:59:45 GMT -5 andrewsgal said:

I spend over $50 a week on produce alone and I have zero desire to cheap out on my kids diets.

We already are well aware you buy overpriced, unseasonal fruit that tastes like ass because your precious asked for it. Cookie?

So nice to have all the family back together :0)

[Kcthepouchh8r]

Jan 12, 2016 17:45:35 GMT -5 @tooshort said:

Jan 12, 2016 17:23:10 GMT -5 Kcthepouchh8r said:

Though i agree, you would have to spend more than $50 to stock on occasion as needed. You do not need to spend a lot lest you want to live on processed foods.

That's just plain untrue. Let's not get crazy. I can get hamburger helper in 5 different varieties for $1 a piece. I can eat hotdogs and chips for pretty cheap. Pizza pockets are dirt cheap. Buying veggies, fruit and lean cuts of red meat set me back. I can find those things cheap but not as cheap as processed foods.

What really cost the most is proving variety. I try to only have red meat once a week, I like to add a fish meal once, have chicken a couple of times....that's what gets expensive, offering variety.

I was not meaning to imply that healthy foods were the same cost as unhealthy ones (though truthfully, you would spend more money on 1lb of ground meat plus hamburger helper mix and get far less meals vs the ham I bought under $4). I was just saying that eating healthy on a budget can be done. Can you spend $50 a week and eat steak and fish weekly? Nope. To eat at that price point do you have to live on hot dogs and hamburger helper? Nope. Its not for everyone but if you need to/want to commit time to shopping sales, stocking, growing produce, etc. it can make a huge difference in what you spend a month. Obviously it goes without saying there are some exceptions like if you live in a rural area or a HCOL area.

[cjcouple]

Jan 12, 2016 18:41:31 GMT -5 Kcthepouchh8r said:

Jan 12, 2016 17:45:35 GMT -5 @tooshort said:

That's just plain untrue. Let's not get crazy. I can get hamburger helper in 5 different varieties for $1 a piece. I can eat hotdogs and chips for pretty cheap. Pizza pockets are dirt cheap. Buying veggies, fruit and lean cuts of red meat set me back. I can find those things cheap but not as cheap as processed foods.

What really cost the most is proving variety. I try to only have red meat once a week, I like to add a fish meal once, have chicken a couple of times....that's what gets expensive, offering variety.

I was not meaning to imply that healthy foods were the same cost as unhealthy ones (though truthfully, you would spend more money on 1lb of ground meat plus hamburger helper mix and get far less meals vs the ham I bought under $4). I was just saying that eating healthy on a budget can be done. Can you spend $50 a week and eat steak and fish weekly? Nope. To eat at that price point do you have to live on hot dogs and hamburger helper? Nope. Its not for everyone but if you need to/want to commit time to shopping sales, stocking, growing produce, etc. it can make a huge difference in what you spend a month. Obviously it goes without saying there are some exceptions like if you live in a rural area or a HCOL area.

Is the ham from aldi's? That's so cheap.

[Kcthepouchh8r]

Jan 12, 2016 19:47:06 GMT -5 cjcouple said:

Jan 12, 2016 18:41:31 GMT -5 Kcthepouchh8r said:

I was not meaning to imply that healthy foods were the same cost as unhealthy ones (though truthfully, you would spend more money on 1lb of ground meat plus hamburger helper mix and get far less meals vs the ham I bought under $4). I was just saying that eating healthy on a budget can be done. Can you spend $50 a week and eat steak and fish weekly? Nope. To eat at that price point do you have to live on hot dogs and hamburger helper? Nope. Its not for everyone but if you need to/want to commit time to shopping sales, stocking, growing produce, etc. it can make a huge difference in what you spend a month. Obviously it goes without saying there are some exceptions like if you live in a rural area or a HCOL area.

Is the ham from aldi's? That's so cheap.

Yes, it's listed on the slip.

[cjcouple]

Jan 12, 2016 19:57:24 GMT -5 Kcthepouchh8r said:

Jan 12, 2016 19:47:06 GMT -5 cjcouple said:

Is the ham from aldi's? That's so cheap.

Yes, it's listed on the slip.

Oh I didn't notice the slip. Lol.

Is it bone in? Just curious. I might go get one.

[andrewsgal]

Jan 11, 2016 19:31:36 GMT -5 Kcthepouchh8r said:

Jan 11, 2016 16:59:45 GMT -5 andrewsgal said:

I spend over $50 a week on produce alone and I have zero desire to cheap out on my kids diets.

We already are well aware you buy overpriced, unseasonal fruit that tastes like ass because your precious asked for it. Cookie?

Oh KC never change. Yes I do buy out of season fruit because I care more about my kids health than I do trying to spend as little as possible on food. I don't consider limiting my kids fruit intake to frozen fruits a badge of honor.

[andrewsgal]

Jan 12, 2016 17:15:15 GMT -5 Kcthepouchh8r said:

Jan 12, 2016 13:07:03 GMT -5 quesyrah said:

Which is another reason her "you can eat healthy on $50/week!" schtick is annoying. Spending only $50 every single week for a family of 4 is not possible. And certainly not possible if you're eating healthy.

What is inherently unhealthy about the list I posted? My kids are eating 4-5 servings of vegetables, 3 fruits, whole grains, mostly minimally processed, dye free food. "Junk food" is veggie sticks that have like four ingredients in the list. There's no rule you have to buy gross tasting grapes for $4/lb in January to be healthy. On the contrary I would much rather eat clementines everyday for three months when they're in season and taste good than have a variety of out of season fruits where the quality is sacrificed.

The last grapes, strawberries and cantaloupe I bought were amazing. Just because you refuse to spend money on it doesn't mean they are gross. I would rather my kids have a balanced diet year round than life on clementines because I am cheap.

[Kcthepouchh8r]

Jan 12, 2016 20:06:40 GMT -5 cjcouple said:

Jan 12, 2016 19:57:24 GMT -5 Kcthepouchh8r said:

Yes, it's listed on the slip.

Oh I didn't notice the slip. Lol.

Is it bone in? Just curious. I might go get one.

Yes, bone in. They were on sale for $1/lb already and my store had a $3 off sale stacked on top of that. They had huge ones too; I just got a smaller one because we are not huge ham eaters.

[fancynewbeesly]

Jan 12, 2016 9:11:17 GMT -5 lala said:

have you tried frozen blueberries?

My daughter eats frozen blueberries out of my bag.

[Kcthepouchh8r]

Jan 13, 2016 6:18:15 GMT -5 andrewsgal said:

Jan 12, 2016 17:15:15 GMT -5 Kcthepouchh8r said:

What is inherently unhealthy about the list I posted? My kids are eating 4-5 servings of vegetables, 3 fruits, whole grains, mostly minimally processed, dye free food. "Junk food" is veggie sticks that have like four ingredients in the list. There's no rule you have to buy gross tasting grapes for $4/lb in January to be healthy. On the contrary I would much rather eat clementines everyday for three months when they're in season and taste good than have a variety of out of season fruits where the quality is sacrificed.

The last grapes, strawberries and cantaloupe I bought were amazing. Just because you refuse to spend money on it doesn't mean they are gross. I would rather my kids have a balanced diet year round than life on clementines because I am cheap.

I spent the whole summer spending a premium for organic grapes so I have no issues shelling out money when it's worth it. I looked at the grapes at whole foods and wouldn't even buy them because they were small and looked bad. I bought strawberries a few weeks ago because my DSs fav is strawberry cake and they were not good at all even feom whole foods. Seasonal fruit is in no way comparable in taste to out of season. Just no.

[cjcouple]

Actually a couple pp mentioned small grapes not being tasty. My red grapes are small but excellent. Nice and sweet. Size really doesn't matter IMO

ETA: That sounded bad - lol

[cjcouple]

Jan 13, 2016 13:38:51 GMT -5 @tooshort said:

Jan 13, 2016 13:22:14 GMT -5 cjcouple said:

Actually a couple pp mentioned small grapes not being tasty. My red grapes are small but excellent. Nice and sweet. Size really doesn't matter IMO

ETA: That sounded bad - lol

Size *always* matters

Haha

[Kcthepouchh8r]

Jan 13, 2016 13:38:51 GMT -5 @tooshort said:

Jan 13, 2016 13:22:14 GMT -5 cjcouple said:

Actually a couple pp mentioned small grapes not being tasty. My red grapes are small but excellent. Nice and sweet. Size really doesn't matter IMO

ETA: That sounded bad - lol

Size *always* matters

Amen. Lmao

[mamaalysson]

These prices are making me want to cry. I just spent $4 on a dozen free range, organic eggs that will last like 3 days. And a block of cheddar? Creeping up on $10. We buy almond milk, and a gallon is about $6, and will last a week. That's $20 for next to nothing! I only buy meat on sale, but it still adds up. And produce? At least $50 on just that. I don't think I have ever left the grocery store for less than $100.

[andrewsgal]

Jan 13, 2016 13:14:49 GMT -5 Kcthepouchh8r said:

Jan 13, 2016 6:18:15 GMT -5 andrewsgal said:

The last grapes, strawberries and cantaloupe I bought were amazing. Just because you refuse to spend money on it doesn't mean they are gross. I would rather my kids have a balanced diet year round than life on clementines because I am cheap.

I spent the whole summer spending a premium for organic grapes so I have no issues shelling out money when it's worth it. I looked at the grapes at whole foods and wouldn't even buy them because they were small and looked bad. I bought strawberries a few weeks ago because my DSs fav is strawberry cake and they were not good at all even feom whole foods. Seasonal fruit is in no way comparable in taste to out of season. Just no.

I call bullshit. First you would never buy out of season fruit but now you did so you know it's horrible. Bullshit.