I am having a hard time not spending tons of money at the grocery store! *I write a list and try to stick to it. *I buy the things that we are short on in the pantry and then after spending all that money I still have nothing to cook. *How do you plan and stick to menues for the weeek? *Help, I am on a very tight budget.

I think that there are lots of ways to find what works for you. I know that I was in that rut awhile back but what I found out is that I already had the stuff...I just needed to learn to cook from scratch. Convience foods are evil..they increase your grocery budget and they don't usually taste as good as homemade. Not to mention the preservatives, bad nutrition, etc. they provide. Get creative! If you have the staples you can make just about anything. It takes a little time to find out what works for you but believe me the effort is worth it. For instance..you can make your own hashbrowns, french fries, scalloped potatoes just from a 3$ bag of potatoes. It doesnt have to come in a box!!! Sometimes that is hard to remember.

Other ideas...
-shop at aldis
-serious coupon stockpiling
-buy when things are on sale and stock your pantry with as much as you can afford to get you through to the next sale
-contact companies and let them know what you think about their products(some will send free coupons and others will send cents off coupons)

I will keep thinking but remember ever little bit helps.

It takes alot of will power for me to just get the stuff on my list. I always get something that is not on it because I always seem to forget something, or I see something on sale at a really good price.

I would try as suggested and cook from scratch but just a couple days, like on Monday and Thursday and then add days as you get used to it.

Use up what you already have before you make another trip to the store, or have your dh go to the store for you with the list.

I seem to spend more with hubby..not that he puts anything in the cart..he usually dont....he pushes..lol...but I guess I have the PERMISSION...lol...to get it...kwim...lol...not that I have to have it...but I take longer if he is with me because I look more.

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CHOOSE TODAY WHOM YOU WILL SERVE!!!

I bring cash only...that way I HAVE to stick to what I have...or put something back...or be embarrassed....
Also, I only shop once a week...and go longer than that if possible. It makes me use what I have at the house instead of running up for one or two things and coming home with ten or twenty!!

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To reach me, please use my email address of mom2kzera@yahoo.com.

Something I did was to go thru the cupboards, fridge, and freezer and write down everything I had in there. Then, I figured out what I could make with JUST that stuff. I used that to plan meals and filled in with milk, butter, etc. I had enough "stuff" in the house for an entire month of meals for me and my 2 boys (DH travels and is only home occassionally). After that, we buy a half of beef every year, so that saves on the budget. We pay 1.75 a pound for it and it's burger, steaks, roasts, ribs, soup bone, everything. I buy chicken here and there and rarely some pork to fill in because I get sick of eating just beef. Allrecipes.com has a search by ingredient feature to help you use items that you have in the house...it's been handy for me. But, I always plan our meals out a week in advance and plan around what's in the house so that I know what I need for it and STICK TO THE LIST! My grocery budget averages $40 a week for the 3 of us. I can usually go longer if I need/have to. HTH.

This may or may not be helpful (LOL) There is a place called Angel Food Ministries that offers groceries at a discount. They have a "menu" that they offer each month for $25. It's supposed to feed a family of four for one week but I get more out of it. They also offer "specials" which are ussually bulk meats for a good price. I don't know where they offer it but it's through local churches. Even if you have to drive a distance, maybe you could get together with other moms and one person pick up the food. There are no income guidelines, the food is for anyone who wants it. Here's the site, pleae check it out:
Angel Food Ministries

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Alicia

nothing to do with this post but Alicia your kiddies are georgous that big smiler is a lady killer in training:D

One thing I do is buy meat and veg in season. Eg if yo want Strawberries at Christmas you can have them but they are way dearer than in summer. Its also better for you to eat seasonal foods in their time.

I cook from scratch all the time and that helps too

Anne

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"When we know better we do better" Maya Angelou

I buy all of my veggies and fruits from a local veggie stand. They seem to be cheaper and it always has so much more flavor then the things I buy from Kroger (catelope on sale at Kroger $2, my stand is always $1.80). I also think it is fresher too. It may be that my local stand just happens to be cheaper than Kroger, but I figure I save a couple of bucks a week that way and it is less than .5 mile from my house.

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Mom to Kaylee (10/2006)
Waiting on our second bundle of joy to arrive January 2009!

didn't mean to make the picture so big. Thanks for the compliment.

Also, I wanted to mention that I know some people love name brands but a big saver for me is to buy the store brand. At Kroger, they have a cheaper brand called FMV it is better than name brand stuff and cheaper to boot!

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Alicia