Is your grocery bill out of control

3mnkids1

3mnkids1

New member
Mine is. :laughing: Its gotten crazy. I cant believe how high things have gotten. I am really having to edit my shopping list every week to keep from spending 200.00..
for example.. what I got today.
gallon of milk
2 loafs of bread
box of pop tarts
12 pk of soda
small roast for dinner
pkg of bologna
bag of frozen fries
gallon of OJ
pkg of bacon... and it was 49.97.. what? That seems really, really high for what I got. I have to make my shopping list with what I really need at the top and work my way down till I reach 150.00 whatever is left on the list... well, I just dont get. I know my grocery bill has almost doubled and im not getting nearly as much as I used to. how about you. Are you noticing a change in the amount you can get for the money?
 
I use the grocery game with coupons and it saves me a lot. It does take time to cut and organize the coupons and the shopping list but I think it's worth the time I put into it. You don't have to use the grocery game necessary, there is also a free listing of deals by state on http://www.couponmom.com/
I just like the way grocery game puts their list according to the lay out of the Jewel I go to and they'll also put unadvertised clearance specials on there. I don't buy everything at Jewel. I'll also go to another cheaper store for meat or whatever isn't on sale at Jewel because their regular prices are outrageously high.
 
OK, lost a post and don't feel like retyping it :laughing:

Short answer is yes! I'm definately not getting more bang for my buck. Going to the grocery is depressing and makes me cranky.
 
Things here are about the same for us. I use some coupons but I spend the same each week. I buy pretty much the same things each week also. We mainly buy fruits and vegetables some already prepared meals and quite a bit of organic products. Milk and dairy went up but since I already buy organic milk I already have that in my budget.

I don't buy meat accept for some chicken and fish. So I save money there. Things are pretty much the same here as they have been for a while.
 
It is scary...I've told you all before about using the Kroger credit card and paying it off every month to get the rewards well we got our rewards this last month so I actually got to shop for one week for free at Kroger so that saved us $150 right there. I just use my Kroger credit card like a debit card and save my rewards until I have enough to pay for groceries for one trip.

We also had $28.00 dollars in rewards left over so I went back and bought stuff that was on sale in the flyer.

Food has went up so much it is really sad...we have to buy a couple of things of bread and milk a week, plus stuff for Jimmie's lunch...we watch what we buy and it is still expensive! Really went up in the last little bit!
 
That Kroger credit card is totally cool! That's a great way to shop!!

We bought a coupon booklet thingamajig from the school. It had a punch card for Sav-A-Lot. I think it's like spend $50 get $10 off, spend $100 and get $20 off. I don't spend more than $50 there at a time so I end up getting $10 off at that store and then do most of my bulk shopping @ Kroger. I love the way Kroger is having more sales, trying to compete with Supercenter Wal-Mart.
 
completelyme said:
That Kroger credit card is totally cool! That's a great way to shop!!
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We had to do something...we had to promise ourselves that we wouldn't use it as a credit card though...we don't want to get into credit card debt again if we can help it.

They also send out some wonderful coupons every now and again based on what you have bought in the store. Last bunch had like 15 coupons including one for a free thing of Sara Lee bread, one free thing of Oscar Meyer lunch meat, $2.00 off of a $10.00 meat purchase and stuff like that. Plus you can get $.15 cent off of gas prices per gallon at a Kroger gas station for every $150.00 you spend per month. It has been one of the best decisions we have made.
 
I wish I could find something like that. It would sure help. I dont know of any Kroger's near us. They have harts, and dierbergs both high end and expensive.. even schnuck's is expensive to me. so, wal mart it is.. I do use coupons and that helps but feeding five is going to be expensive no matter where I shop I guess. We dont have sav a lots but do have aldi's.. I havent shopped there though. Maybe I should check it out. I gotta do something.
 
My Dad and Stepmom shop at Aldi's in Hopkinsville all the time. They find some good deals, but things change a lot. You never know if they are going to have the same brands the next time that you go.

I didn't realize that you didn't have a Kroger near you...they are really big down here!
 
Because of my business, I have contacts with wholesalers. Wholesale, the cost of one medium sized apple is 60 cents. I buy by the case of 100. Now, in the grocery store, you buy by the pound. That one medium apple is between 1/2 lb to 3/4 lb. Apples are selling between $2.79 and $2.99 lb. So, at a minimum, that apple is costing you $1.50.

Get a bunch of friends/neighbors together, make a list of things everyone uses and go to the closest produce house. They will sell to you. It may be a few dollars more than wholesale, but it will be a lot cheaper than retail.

I went to the grocery store today and cantaloupe were $3.00 each. I can buy them at the produce house for $15 a case of 11. Honestly, get 4 friends to join in and you will be able to make it work.

I also can buy the meat wholesale and I have a freezer to store it, so it works for me. If you can form your own co-op, it is well worth the slight extra effort to eat healthy on a budget.

The grocery store is a scary trip these days.
 
It can be, really depends on what sales I hit and how many coupons I have at the time which is hardly ever since I don't get the newspaper often (It's an out of state paper and they only carry a certain amount, by the time I remember they are usually sold out). My grocery bill has gone way up though, the prices are still rising and I'm getting less and trying to stretch what I can.

I use to be able to go to the grocery store (save a lot) and get a "pick 5" for $20 which is a choice of certain packs of meats and other items and then separate the meat into 2 packs for two meals. I now get a pick 5 and only get 1 meal out of each pack.

At the piggly wiggly milk is $5 something, I found it at save a lot for almost $4.
 
whats killing me are the things like milk, bread, cereal.. all the things we go through a lot of having three kids.. Im spending 12-15 a week just on milk.. on milk!. what am I going to do though.. hey! put that milk down right now!.. :laughing: they like it. and its good for them.. so I buy it.. alot. :cry:
 
3mnkids1 said:
whats killing me are the things like milk, bread, cereal.. all the things we go through a lot of having three kids.. Im spending 12-15 a week just on milk.. on milk!. what am I going to do though.. hey! put that milk down right now!.. :laughing: they like it. and its good for them.. so I buy it.. alot. :cry:
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Could you consider mixing powdered milk half and half? I bet the kids wouldn't even notice if you keep it in the gallon jug.
 
3mnkids1 said:
whats killing me are the things like milk, bread, cereal.. all the things we go through a lot of having three kids.. Im spending 12-15 a week just on milk.. on milk!. what am I going to do though.. hey! put that milk down right now!.. :laughing: they like it. and its good for them.. so I buy it.. alot. :cry:
Click to expand...

Same here. The kids love cereal so I've been buying the great big Malt-O-Meal bags of shredded wheat, raisin bran, cinnamon squares, etc. They're like $2.99 and with my discount I was getting them for a little over $2. We go through a ton of milk too. I'm lucky as well that my kids love milk. Bread, cheese, eggs, butter(real butter) I shop around for because we use a lot of it.

Tammy, I get those same coupons. I got a free case of Kroger water last month, some coffee-mate coupons, and some pine-sol coupons. I think I also got a coupon for $1 off deli cheese. I love those bargain coupons!!

Wolfie, how does one go about buying meat from a wholesaler? Do you mean like a butcher? I hear going through a butcher one will have to pay the middle man. The neighbors and us were thinking about going in on 1/2 a pig and cow but wanted to avoid a butcher if we could. It's been tough trying to locate a farmer who's willing to sell us just 1/2 a pig or cow. They want to sell the entire animal which is understandable but unaffordable for us at the moment.

Miki, we don't have the "pick 5 for $20" at our Sav-A-Lot but I wish we did! I spend $30+ alone on meats. I try and hit Kroger on their Meat Madness sales. I can get almost twice the amount of meals with those meat sales.
 
I'm a very frugal shopper, a big couponer. I have one shopping cart for just my coupons alone. Each week, I go through the fliers and put an asterick by any product on sale that I want/need and have a coupon for. So, our grocery bill is extremely low since we get most of our groceries for free or next to nothing; i.e., this week, we bought eight boxes of Fruity Cheerios at $.34/box. I haven't paid anything for toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, and razors in many years. I also do rebating where I can not only get the product for free but make money back if I have a coupon for it. I love the Rite Aid freebates.

Anything that is impossible to do this with like milk, we buy at BJ's or Sam's Club which are far cheaper than the grocery store or dairy store.
 
What is depressing is that all of the good for you foods are so expensive, and the cheap stuff is why we have an obesity crisis!!!

I just got back from my bi-monthly shopping trip - 2 carts full and an empty bank account :cry:
 
lidarkside said:
I'm a very frugal shopper, a big couponer. I have one shopping cart for just my coupons alone. Each week, I go through the fliers and put an asterick by any product on sale that I want/need and have a coupon for.
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Back when the stores would double coupons, I'd get tons of personal care items for just the tax!!! :headbang: I'd also shop the loss leaders and combine coupons and stock up - those were the days!!

Anymore, I just go to 1 store (Super Wal-Mart) and use coupons where I can. The gas savings are worth it {I used to shop at least 4 stores} not to mention the stress reduction since my back has gotten so bad, I'm wiped after I shop!!! :cry:
 
We also have a very small grocery store, Best Yet, where we can get deli and produce extremely cheap with their sales; i.e., we got beefsteak tomatoes for $.79/lb. and Land O'Lakes american cheese at $3.99/lb. We got two pounds of the cheese with $1.00 off coupons on each pound; so, we ended up paying $2.99/lb.
 
cin said:
3mnkids1 said:
whats killing me are the things like milk, bread, cereal.. all the things we go through a lot of having three kids.. Im spending 12-15 a week just on milk.. on milk!. what am I going to do though.. hey! put that milk down right now!.. :laughing: they like it. and its good for them.. so I buy it.. alot. :cry:
Click to expand...

Could you consider mixing powdered milk half and half? I bet the kids wouldn't even notice if you keep it in the gallon jug.
Click to expand...

I could try it I guess. cant hurt right? :laughing: unless the discover the truth and throw it at me.. that's a real possibility.


completelyme said:
3mnkids1 said:
whats killing me are the things like milk, bread, cereal.. all the things we go through a lot of having three kids.. Im spending 12-15 a week just on milk.. on milk!. what am I going to do though.. hey! put that milk down right now!.. :laughing: they like it. and its good for them.. so I buy it.. alot. :cry:
Click to expand...

Same here. The kids love cereal so I've been buying the great big Malt-O-Meal bags of shredded wheat, raisin bran, cinnamon squares, etc. They're like $2.99 and with my discount I was getting them for a little over $2. We go through a ton of milk too. I'm lucky as well that my kids love milk. Bread, cheese, eggs, butter(real butter) I shop around for because we use a lot of it.

Tammy, I get those same coupons. I got a free case of Kroger water last month, some coffee-mate coupons, and some pine-sol coupons. I think I also got a coupon for $1 off deli cheese. I love those bargain coupons!!

Wolfie, how does one go about buying meat from a wholesaler? Do you mean like a butcher? I hear going through a butcher one will have to pay the middle man. The neighbors and us were thinking about going in on 1/2 a pig and cow but wanted to avoid a butcher if we could. It's been tough trying to locate a farmer who's willing to sell us just 1/2 a pig or cow. They want to sell the entire animal which is understandable but unaffordable for us at the moment.

Miki, we don't have the "pick 5 for $20" at our Sav-A-Lot but I wish we did! I spend $30+ alone on meats. I try and hit Kroger on their Meat Madness sales. I can get almost twice the amount of meals with those meat sales.
Click to expand...

I buy the bag stuff too. I have cereal containers I put it in so they dont know the difference. There are a couple of stores here that have the 5 for 20 or 5 for 25 but usually it doesnt look very good and I have had problems with one of the stores getting bad meat.. ugh!..
I miss going to the meat market.. I havent been able to find one up here. The closest bread store is 35 minutes a way.. what we would use in gas is more than what we would save so thats out too.
 
amyshulk said:
Anymore, I just go to 1 store (Super Wal-Mart) and use coupons where I can. The gas savings are worth it {I used to shop at least 4 stores} not to mention the stress reduction since my back has gotten so bad, I'm wiped after I shop!!! :cry:
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, we don't have any Super Wal-Marts on Long Island. So, we shop in them whenever we're away someplace. I've found, if you keep an eye out, they have tremendous clearance markdowns on some items. I keep an eye out for those. If I'm lucky to have coupons, they come out for free or next to nothing. They had those Electrasol gel packs on sale one time for $2.88, and I had eight or nine $2.25 off coupons. You can't beat $.63/box. You can't even find it on sale in the grocery store at that price. In Sam's Club, I walk up and down the aisles checking what the last one or two numbers of the price is. Depending on what the last two numbers are reflects if it's a sale, clearance, or final sale price. A price ending in $.91 is clearance. So, I can find huge bargains doing that.
 
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