Speaking of food costs….
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- August
- 3
Back in the good old days, a $175 weekly grocery bill meant I had a cart topped with imported cheese, a couple of nice strip steaks and wild salmon — splurge city.Â
Now I can’t seem to get out of the store without spending $200 no matter what, even with the family pack of chicken thighs and store brand rice, that delicious Spanish manchego a distant memory. So last week I tried to stick to a pre-determined 5-day menu from my Everyday Food magazine, basic stuff, hoping that such pre-planning would curb any impulse buys.
Still, the final bill was upwards of $180 and I completely forgot the diapers. It got me thinking — what is a reasonable grocery bill for a family of our size these days anyway? (Two adults and three kids, all under the age of 7) Do I just have to adjust my expectations? (Like when you perk up at seeing gas for $4.15? Score!)Â
Anyone out there with a similar-sized family who wants to share how much they spend each week on groceries?
How have you adjusted to higher food prices? Just suck it up or have you found ways to cut? Is powdered milk just as nutritious? (Joke!) And I’m no coupon maven. I’ve tried, really I’ve tried, but I just can’t seem to get it together enough to save more than a dollar or two each week. Â
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on Sunday, August 3rd, 2008 at 1:14 pm by Katie Ryan O'Connor.
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I can’t get out for less than $200 either to feed 2 adults and two boys 10 & 12. Coupons are so rarely for food that have any nutritional value, so they don’t really factor into my bill. What I do rely on is menu planning. I sit down with the flyers and plan out all the food we are going to eat based on prices. And, sadly, the manchego doesn’t seem to make it into my cart, either…
I’m usually about $200 also to feed 2 adults, 2 teen boys ( 15 & 17) and to younger boys ( 4&7 )I do use coupons..usually only .99 ( I clip only what I normally would use) & Shoprite will double them…I LOVE triple coupon days that come around rarely..last itme I saved $65 (personal best) but that is usually lots of cleaning products.
I buys milk at Walgreens…cheaper then Grocery price & we go thru about 6 gallons/week..boxed ceareal is also cheaper there on a good sale. But for most meats- it’s Costco, & veggies it’s the farmer’s markets that will have the best price ( not to mention quality & support of local farms)
Siobhan – I’m with you on the triple coupon days. Those are weeks I go to both ShopRite and Pathmark, as each has different items on sale, and they both somehow seem to schedule their triple coupon days on the same weeks…
??P