Eating Large On A Small Budget...

A friend of mine on Facebook posted a question asking how much people would budget a month on their groceries for a family of four.  I was surprised that everyone spent substantially more than our family does and said they still came up short, while some admitted to chronic dining out in addition to spending several hundred dollars more than we do on their groceries.  I wondered how people go about making their grocery lists, what sorts of foods/meals they buy and eat. 


We have budgeted for ourselves $500 each month for groceries.  It seems, compared to people I've talk to, we're on the low side (is that be true?).  But I've found it relatively easy to shop well and have great meals every day.  I do try to use coupons when possible, but I find that often the coupons don't jive with my grocery list.  I typically use them on cleaning supplies, cat food, & bath items most of the time.  I also stick with store brands on some items (if they truly are cheaper than the name brand).


 So where does the money saving come in? I split my shopping among Costco, Target, and our grocery store.  I've gotten to know what stores have cheaper prices and on what items.  I buy almost all of our meat at Costco, primarily buying chicken, pork & salmon (we're not big beef lovers here).  They have lovely cuts of meat and the value has always been good for us.  And there are certain staples we always have on hand in our pantry that we use frequently: rice, assorted beans, canned tomato (diced, crushed or sauce), & pastas.  Also, we rarely buy processed, boxed foods or frozen meals.  They tend to be over priced and just plain "ick" in my humble opinion.


I'm convinced the biggest money saver is that I make a meal plan for the week and shop for the great majority of my groceries based on that.  We are absolutely not skimping, and our meals are full of variety and fresh ingredients.  A sample of last week's and this week's meal plan (I always pull the majority of our meals from Cooking Light - they're fabulous): 


Note: usually one or two meals a week are vegetarian also


last week
guacamole chicken wraps with side of fresh mixed fruits (CL)
cubed steak (in savory sauce) with potatoes and carrots
homemade chicken pot pie (CL)
taco salad with side of fresh mixed fruits
spinach-potato frittata with salad (CL)
green chile chicken risotto with side of sliced tomatoes (CL)


this week
country potatoes au gratin & salad and fresh fruit slices (CL)
greek chicken with angel hair pasta & caprese salad (CL)
salmon patties & homemade pasta salad (CL)
white bean-tomato pasta with salad (CL)
pork ribs with corn on the cob and salad/fresh fruit
honey chipotle barbecue chicken sandwich with seasoned pintos and fresh fruit (CL)


We do have a "dining out" budget also that we typically use once a week, so we do "splurge" a little there.  Anyway, it's pretty simple and easy for us.  I can't imagine what we'd do if we spent $200 more on groceries each month.  My guess is I'd buy all organic, naturally fed, caged free, no GMO's, yada yada EVERYTHING! A girl can dream, right?!