My groceries this week
This strange looking cart is the key to how we keep eating healthfully on a budget. This is cooking from the pantry. I first heard about the pantry method in Amy Dacyzyn's frugal classic, The Complete Tightwad Gazette
The gist of the idea is that you fill your pantry and freezer with food purchased at the lowest possible price, and then plan your meals around what you have in your pantry.
Like many frugal homemakers, I go through the weekly sales ad to see what the loss leaders are. When there is a mega good deal, I stock up. I match coupons with loss leaders whenever possible. I also take all my coupons to the store with me, in case I see good manager markdowns. This is what my shopping list consists of, plus a few things that rarely go on sale, or special things my husband sometimes requests. I've gotten lots of groceries for pennies on the dollar using these methods.
For example, yesterday my cart held 5 bags of corn chips, one bag of sun chips, two pounds of shrimp, an 8 pack of yogurt, Italian sausage, organic cream, green peppers, zucchini, onions, corn tortillas, organic sliced mushrooms, and a store bought pie. I spent $47 dollars on these items.
If you looked into my cart, you may think my family lives on junk food and mushrooms. If I made a menu and then bought all of the items for that menu, we would be eating a lot of chips this week. Instead, I find good deals and then "shop" in my pantry. Those chips won't all get eaten this week, and the buy one get one free shrimp were quite reasonable. We'll be able to enjoy a shrimp dish later on, even if the shrimp are not on sale at the store when we want to have it.
I'll be posting pictures of the groceries I buy over the next month and how much I spend on them. Be aware that you will likely see things that I did not buy this month- stuff I pulled from my pantry. This way of cooking and shopping works for me!
How do you shop? Do you cook by the pantry method? Do you make a menu each week and shop off that list? Do you buy what looks good? Spill in the comments!
10 comments:
I shop somewhat simirarly. We have pretty much a set menu each month, so I stock up on the pantry items that we use a lot when they are cheap. (For example last month they had 10lb bags of brown rice clearanced for $4.10 a bag - I bought four) I almost never pay full price for staples... and we tend to stay with cheap seasonal produce.
I am really loving this thread of your blog! I try to shop like this, too--- to an extent. However, we only live two blocks from the only grocery store in town, so I have trouble really stocking up a lot. I don't like to feel like I'm hoarding, and I hate the thought of things possibly going to waste. We don't have a lot of food storage space, and I hate the idea of paying for the amount of electricity it would take for a second fridge or freezer.
I also have problems with coupons. I use them, I like them, but I rarely get my hands on the really useful ones, there are no double coupons offered anywhere near me, and they are usually for junk that I don't want or need! So frustrating.
We have a household budget of $400 a month for all groceries, household supplies, toiletries, etc. for our family of four. I can usually stick to it, I know I have never gone over $500 a month. However, I would *LOVE* to be able to get it to $60 a week! :)
Keep going, I'm following you!
My standard grocery list is milk, eggs, bread and fresh fruit. The rest of what I buy is an odd combination of things I am out of and what's on sale with coupon. I am usually embarrassed when people look in my cart as it in no way what we are planning to eat that week.
I shop at the three regular groceries, the two discount groceries, Costco, the bread thrift stores and the salvage store where my Mom lives. You can't be store or brand loyal when you're trying to squeeze every penny.
I agree--this is going to be a great series and I look forward to following it!
I shop very similarly to you. I try to keep a stock in the pantry and freezer and cook around what I have in there and buy the loss leaders at the store. My husband and I bought a small freezer that we keep in the basement and that really helps us to stock up. I put leftovers in there for later, too. I don't use alot of coupons because they are usually for junk-type and prepared foods that we rarely use. I'm looking to reduce our spending even more beginning this month.
I'm looking forward to seeing what you have to share.
I shop this way, too, for the most part. I scour the sales ads before going and make my list accordingly. I try to plan a menu each week, but sometimes I don't. I'm pretty good at keeping our grocery bills fairly low; however, all that goes out the window if I'm sick or my husband happens to accompany me to the grocery store. ;-)
How do you shop? Do you cook by the pantry method? Do you make a menu each week and shop off that list? Do you buy what looks good? Spill in the comments!
I was doing really well, till we moved. I was making a menu each month and then shopping off of that menu. The start of each month I inventoried the pantry and freezer and made the meals off of what we had in stock. Then I would ask each child and husband for their meal idea's for the breaks in the menu.
With moving, we no longer have that extra freezer. Also, my husband is still unemployed. We are needing to seek assistance and will be doing so soon.
When my husband was out of work for a year I discovered "The Tightwad Gazette" book and it was full of motivation and ideas. I still love it. That's where I first heard about a pricebook.
I am hoping to really cut down on our grocery budget so I am looking forward to reading about what you'll be doing. Will you be posting menus? Do you do Organized Junkie's Menu Plan Monday (look on my sidebar for a link if you want to see her site). They post menus every Monday.
I live alone, so I have to be careful about not allowing anything to go to waste. My fridge is a real 1920s GE that looks cool but has 2 inches of freezer space. I bought a massive chest freezer, and LOVE it. When my staples go on sale, I buy as much as possible, making several trips to beat the "limit of 4" rules. Frozen berries, veggies, and fake meat products are my best buys. Plus, freezing half of what I make is a great time-saver. Soup ladled into ice cube trays and then carefully slid into a freezer bag works for me.
For non-freezer items, I buy my daily staples of eggs, cheese, etc. once a week, and pick up fruits and veggies every other day. The store is on the way home from work, so it is not a wasted trip, and it avoids tossing spoiled food.
Allison
I would love to use the pantry method more. One problem is a lack of storage space. What suggestions do you have for families who opt to live in small spaces?
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