Hi all! We are a family of four - 2 adults, 8 year boy and 16month girl with another on the way. I'm trying a budget of 300 a month, think that's possible?? I actually just started a price book so I've been going through the sale papers each week. Also I've been trying to match up coupons and been buying more store brands now. Any other suggestions?

Also when you shop at a few different stores do you make separate trips for each store? Go to one store come back, unload and go to next? I'm curious of how every does it if you get meats and dairy and a few different stores. Any help would be great!

Hey, I have a great idea for you if you are interested. I have saved tons of money doing this! I dont think I can post it here but if you want you can PM me for the info!
To answer your other questions, I try to get all my non cold items first and if I need to I take a cooler with me if I think I may need it. Just depends what I have on the agenda for the day!


Rebecca

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We are a family of 4 also. I usually spend between $100 - $150 every two weeks. Making a two week menu for dinner is the only way that I can do this. If I don't know what I'm going to be cooking for dinner every night I tend to spend quite a bit more at the grocery store.

I don't buy expensive cuts of meat. We generally eat hamburger, cube steak, chicken, and the fish that my dh catches on his fishing trips.

I usually do my major shopping at Wal mart on one day and then I go to HEB for their specials another day. I always calculate my total while shopping. If I'm getting close to $100 then I decide if we really need certain items (snack foods, chips, sodas).

Good luck with your budget.

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~Jodi~

We are a family of 6, and I pretty much do exactly what Frazzled does. My budget is slightly higher $200/every two weeks. I think that a budget will vary for everyone depending on the foods they prefer, and the area of the country they are in. Items vary so much.

I also plan my menu for 2 weeks at a time - survey my cupboard and then only shop for the things I need to complete my menu. This REALLY helps on the extra's. Every once in a while I will throw in an extra meal or two so that I have extra on hand as backup. I also tend to allow myself a trip e/o month or so when sales are good to make a special trip to stock up on meats, divide them and freeze them. This also allows me to keep my budget down during the reg. shopping trips.

Good luck!

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That is very doable. I spend around $400 a month for 8 of us. I shop at Sams and one grocery store. I don't have the time to be running from store to store looking for bargins.

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~Happiness is a large family~

Wow, $400 for 8? Thats great! We do belong to BJ's wholesale club, which I buy most of the meats there becuase they are usually cheaper. Then I divide them and freeze. I just started planning a menu, this is my second week doing it. So I hope I can stick with it it makes life much easier! Glad to see my budget is realistic, thanks!!

We're a family of 5, and I spend about $100-120 Cdn/week. Sometimes less if we hit a good meat sale the week before...

I don't go to this store and that store usually. I'll hit the store with the best sales and do most of my shopping there. If there are a couple stores with great sales I may hit 2 stores in a week, but for myself i'm not going to bounce from store to store.. What you'd be saving you're probably spending in gas $$ if the stores are not nearby.. kwim?

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~@~ Carla ~@~

I have a family of 4 (2 adults and 2 kiddos) ..... some weeks I spend $25 to pick up milk and fruit/veggies. Other weeks I spend $100 (this is usually 2 weeks). I shop the sales, coupons and I stock up. I have a room in the basement that have shelves on it for dry goods, canned goods, etc and 2 closed door cabinets with cleaning supplies/health/hygeine. In this room I also have a 2nd fridge and a upright freezer.

I think what is important to save money is to have planned leftover nights. We usually have 1 every 4 nights. That way we eat up anything in the fridge that might go bad or I freeze it in containers for DH to take to work.

I also freezer cook for if hamburg goes on sale I am making 10 lbs of meatballs and freezing them. I also cook up the hamburg and make sloppy joe filling, soup etc. That way if we have food in the freezer for days I don't want (have the energy to cook).

The big thing is planning.

HTH

I just posted in the kitchen chatter section about grocery shopping tips but this post was really eye opening. I knew I should be spending less money on groceries!!!!

Wal-Mart will match competitor's ads, so you don't have to drive from store to store.