Groceries WTF

Sardaukarama

Sardaukarama

Member
Damn !! I'm in charge of shopping for the first time in a while and I spent $160 without even buying Meat or Poultry! I need to know the art of coupon clipping or something because that is terrible for just 2 people for a few days.
I'm already baking my own bread and fo sho I'll be doing a veggie garden next Spring and the Deer that sometimes come in the back yard will soon begin to look very tasty.
Anyone got any tips to save a few sheckels?
 
Sticks said:
Eat less and drink tap water
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feel-me-think-about-it.gif
 
Sardaukarama said:
Damn !! I'm in charge of shopping for the first time in a while and I spent $160 without even buying Meat or Poultry! I need to know the art of coupon clipping or something because that is terrible for just 2 people for a few days.
I'm already baking my own bread and fo sho I'll be doing a veggie garden next Spring and the Deer that sometimes come in the back yard will soon begin to look very tasty.
Anyone got any tips to save a few sheckels?
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If you really want to save, you have to travel to more than 1 market. At least, that is what I do. I usually do 3 because each one usually has lower prices for certain things, like meats/vegetables/everything else
Then, you see what days the "Deals" lol, fall on for things you are interested in.
It's not 100%, but I do save more than just blindly going to one place for everything.
 
Eat lots of Taco Bell. I can feed my whole family for under $20, and I never have to buy napkins because they give you so many. If you join their rewards program you get a surprising amount of free food too.

Honest answer: at least where I'm at (Chicagoland) the prices are shit but they often have good sales/coupons. You have to make your choices based on what's on sale.

Rotisserie chicken + potatoes/rice + a veggie makes for a cheap healthy meal in a pinch. Canned tuna is another great source of cheap protein.

Learn how to make a giant ass pot of chili or spaghetti sauce. You can make it for cheap in huge quantities and freeze portions for later.

Also it's great to grow your own veggies, but that's not going to save you much $. Fresh vegetables are usually cheap.

Also agree with the suggestion to drink tap water. If you really want carbonated beverages, get yourself a SodaStream. It comes out way cheaper in the long run (plus no lugging cases of soda home from the store all the time)
 
Shop at Aldi. Buy meat from a butcher or a fancier supermarket.

Shit is expensive and were paying more for less due to shrinkflation and inflation so youre min/maxing with razor thin margins.
 
What did you even buy if it's just for a few days for only 2 people? That sounds crazy.
if there's like 10k worth of calories in there per person, you're probably buying a whole bunch of shit you don't actually need.
 
Reizo Ryuu said:
What did you even buy if it's just for a few days for only 2 people? That sounds crazy.
if there's like 10k worth of calories in there per person, you're probably buying a whole bunch of shit you don't actually need.
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Lol slight exageration by me I 'd say a weeks worth stuff like Coffee, Bread Flour salad stuff and fruits and Fish.Sugary stuff and soda is out I'm diabetic so I have to be careful what I buy .I do drink Tea and coffee like its going out of fashion though
I'll actually be going to Aldi next time
 
DonkeyPunchJr said:
Eat lots of Taco Bell. I can feed my whole family for under $20, and I never have to buy napkins because they give you so many. If you join their rewards program you get a surprising amount of free food too.

Honest answer: at least where I'm at (Chicagoland) the prices are shit but they often have good sales/coupons. You have to make your choices based on what's on sale.

Rotisserie chicken + potatoes/rice + a veggie makes for a cheap healthy meal in a pinch. Canned tuna is another great source of cheap protein.

Learn how to make a giant ass pot of chili or spaghetti sauce. You can make it for cheap in huge quantities and freeze portions for later.

Also it's great to grow your own veggies, but that's not going to save you much $. Fresh vegetables are usually cheap.

Also agree with the suggestion to drink tap water. If you really want carbonated beverages, get yourself a SodaStream. It comes out way cheaper in the long run (plus no lugging cases of soda home from the store all the time)
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I would argue getting a water filtration unit for the water... We have a fridge with a huge filter, so that's a plus. But, yeah. tap water is fine.
I do like a good bottled water, but shit is over priced for something that naturally occurs and is detrimental to your life.
Last time I remember drinking potable tap straight from the faucet, was sometime in the 80s.
 
dispensergoinup said:
Receipts? Shit's expensive but a weeks worth of food for 2 people for 160$ seems insane.

Are you buying top tier brands or something?
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If he bought any non-food items like laundry detergent, razor blades and personal hygiene items that could set you back quite a bit. I may be alone using the term so loosely as I tend to shop for both on the same day.
 
Sticks said:
Eat less and drink tap water
Click to expand...

Filter your tap water fr. Don't care where you live it's no good.

Humans have historically lived off of starches like rice, beans, potatoes, quinoa, etc, etc. Those are always going to be cheap and plentiful.

You can literally live off nothing but potatoes if you have to though, it's one of the few foods that have all nutrients humans need. You know how people go to grab ramen as a cheap food source? Fuck that. Potatoes are where it's at. Not only will they not give you colon cancer they're versatile and can be eaten in an unlimited number of ways. So if you're seriously struggling that's something to think about.

I can't emphasize how important it is to buy in bulk at places like Costco and Sam's though. Even if you're a single person if you know what to get you can save a tremendous amount of money. Tofu, for example, goes for $5 a block at places like Safeway. At Costco you can get 4 blocks for close to the same price. Rice, beans, flour, etc are soooo much cheaper.

I get all my staples at Costco and can feed a household of 2 for close to $300 a month if I'm careful. But I'm also careful about buying foods high in pesticides (lookup dirty dozen) or are over processed. If you're saving money on cheap unhealthy food it'll just end in insane doctor bills later down the line.
 
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I don't think prices in Canada changed at all. And if they did it must had been so small I don't even notice.

Wait for deals and you can still get chicken and pork chops for $2-3/lb just like before COVID. You can still get apples and oranges for $1/lb on sale and bananas have been $0.59/lb at most stores for probably at least 10 years.

The only thing I've noticed that has gone up a lot is pop the past 5-10 years. A case of 12 or 24 has doubled vs way back.

Just shop on deal and save money. Only buy at regular price if you're desperate for something that week or it's the kind of product that never seems to go on sale ever. A lot of Costco Kirkland products never go on sale it seems.

Buying at reg price is a suckers game because most things in life go on sale. You'd never buy a car or TV at sticker price right? Of course not. You probably wait for deals or wheel and deal to scrape back as much as your can. Apply that same logic to buying stuff every week. Wait for deals.
 
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DonkeyPunchJr said:
Also it's great to grow your own veggies, but that's not going to save you much $. Fresh vegetables are usually cheap.

Also agree with the suggestion to drink tap water. If you really want carbonated beverages, get yourself a SodaStream. It comes out way cheaper in the long run (plus no lugging cases of soda home from the store all the time)
Click to expand...

Frozen vegetables and fruits are just as healthy as fresh too. It won't taste as good, but it'll be much cheaper and you'll be able to get more.

Sodastream is an awesome suggestion. You can even refill them yourself with dry ice instead of buying the refills for $15. Again though, water filters are cheap and seriously worth it. There's so much crap that's leftover in water. Just an example on the top of my head; people who live by golf courses have an increased risk of Parkinson's. Whatever is in your environment gets in the water. Getting something like Pro One or Alexpure is a tiny investment that pays off in the long run.
 
I've been drinking water more but it's a tough slog since I love pop.

But years ago I bought a Brita at Costco and it came with like 6 refills. The refills take forever to blink red and throw out. I still got I think 3 spare ones.

What I do is always have the Brita full and cold. And also a pitcher full of brita'ed water with a lemon or lime wedge in it. Just refill the pitcher with a new wedge.

I don't know how healthy they are (probably horrible for you too), but I also have a bunch of those Mio squirt things if I want some taste.
 
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Sinozen said:
Frozen vegetables and fruits are just as healthy as fresh too. It won't taste as good, but it'll be much cheaper and you'll be able to get more.

Sodastream is an awesome suggestion. You can even refill them yourself with dry ice instead of buying the refills for $15. Again though, water filters are cheap and seriously worth it. There's so much crap that's leftover in water. Just an example on the top of my head; people who live by golf courses have an increased risk of Parkinson's. Whatever is in your environment gets in the water. Getting something like Pro One or Alexpure is a tiny investment that pays off in the long run.
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I buy frozen fruit and veggies too. But also fresh. Depends on the mood and if I'd get through it all. If not I go frozen. Frozen fruit is great too for smoothies and iced drinks. Just add some water or yogurt and grind it all up in a nutribullet.

Fresh produce is hit and miss because I'm single with no kids. I've tried in the past buying a big cabbage. No joke I think I cut up portions making stir fry side dishes for dinner and still had like 2/3rds of it left. I ended up throwing it out when it hit around the halfway point. There is no way a single person can get through it unless they eat it every day. Lol.
 
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stuff those cabbage leaves with meat and barley. Very filling ! Any leftover fruit and veg either goes in the freezer .I'd like to start pickling too as i love pickled onions ,cabbage,cucumber etc
 
I fish from my land and grow a small garden. High pressure canning for when food is cheap. Frozen flash dry meat and vegetables. I vacuum seal leftovers and stay fresh up to a month. I'll probably be raising chickens for fresh eggs.
 
Join your local supermarket's reward plan and eat what is on offer that week. Also if you can shop in the morning don't be too proud to check out the reduced section, especially for long life stuff that is just in a damaged box or dented tin.
 
StreetsofBeige said:
I buy frozen fruit and veggies too. But also fresh. Depends on the mood and if I'd get through it all. If not I go frozen. Frozen fruit is great too for smoothies and iced drinks. Just add some water or yogurt and grind it all up in a nutribullet.

Fresh produce is hit and miss because I'm single with no kids. I've tried in the past buying a big cabbage. No joke I think I cut up portions making stir fry side dishes for dinner and still had like 2/3rds of it left. I ended up throwing it out when it hit around the halfway point. There is no way a single person can get through it unless they eat it every day. Lol.
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I make overnight oats with my frozen berries, works great. The thing about cabbage, especially purple, is that its one of the cheapest sources of antioxidants you can get. It's super versatile; you could even blend it in your smoothies. Other ideas are broths, salads, roasting. Even if you don't use it all it's still a great deal if you think of it in that lens.
 
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Sinozen said:
I make overnight oats with my frozen berries, works great. The thing about cabbage, especially purple, is that its one of the cheapest sources of antioxidants you can get. It's super versatile; you could even blend it in your smoothies. Other ideas are broths, salads, roasting. Even if you don't use it all it's still a great deal if you think of it in that lens.
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I agree. It's a dirt cheap vegetable. it's on sale for like 59 cent/lb here. A big cabbage only costs a $1-2.
 
Sinozen said:
You can literally live off nothing but potatoes if you have to though, it's one of the few foods that have all nutrients humans need.
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A tough to kill urban legend, they lack essential fats, protein, and certain vitamins and minerals like Vitamin A, Vitamin E, calcium, and zinc. While a short-term, all-potato diet for a few days to a week might be tolerable and even beneficial for some, a long-term, potato-only diet would lead to significant nutrient deficiencies and serious health issues. Vitamin C also becomes a long term issue, as you'll probarly cook the potatoes, which destroys vitamin C.

Add butter, milk, and bananas though, you'd probarly could go a year or so. But missing micronutritions will become a issue.

Tuna, the crappiest stuff is still pretty cheap, legumes, carrots and pasta would probarly hold you up longer.
 
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Costco is my go-to so I only shop once a month and spend maybe 150-200. Fruits, rotiss chicken which will last a while, bagels, a box of chicken bake or those french bread pizzas if they have it. Veggies, rice, eggs, milk, and meat in bulk. Freeze meats and use as needed.

I'll buy a treat of maybe cookies or something but most of the time I can't even get thru it all. Granted I shop for one so I could actually cut down more on the items and still come out alright.

Edit: Oh I'll check out Slickdeals and see if there are bulk deals for tuna, ramen, mac n cheese etc. and buy from Amazon if I get the itch.
 
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Consider starting a garden. We have green leaf lettuce coming, harvested beefsteak, better boy and cherry tomato varieties. Have Meyer Lemons, Valencia oranges and Navel oranges + a Peach and nectarine tree.
My personal goal is to start 4 different types of herbs 🌿 in a home built grow box this year or sooner if the weather permits.
 
Liljagare said:
A tough to kill urban legend, they lack essential fats, protein, and certain vitamins and minerals like Vitamin A, Vitamin E, calcium, and zinc. While a short-term, all-potato diet for a few days to a week might be tolerable and even beneficial for some, a long-term, potato-only diet would lead to significant nutrient deficiencies and serious health issues. Vitamin C also becomes a long term issue, as you'll probarly cook the potatoes, which destroys vitamin C.

Add butter, milk, and bananas though, you'd probarly could go a year or so. But missing micronutritions will become a issue.

Tuna, the crappiest stuff is still pretty cheap, legumes, carrots and pasta would probarly hold you up longer.
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You're totally right, that was incorrect to say. I would not suggest someone try to live on nothing but potatoes of course, but it's most definitely better than ramen or this other processed junk people survive on.

Tuna, beans, carrots, and pasta is an interesting combo. I'd probably swap out the tuna for sardines though and maybe white rice instead of pasta.
 
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StreetsofBeige said:
I don't think prices in Canada changed at all. And if they did it must had been so small I don't even notice.

Wait for deals and you can still get chicken and pork chops for $2-3/lb just like before COVID. You can still get apples and oranges for $1/lb on sale and bananas have been $0.59/lb at most stores for probably at least 10 years.

The only thing I've noticed that has gone up a lot is pop the past 5-10 years. A case of 12 or 24 has doubled vs way back.

Just shop on deal and save money. Only buy at regular price if you're desperate for something that week or it's the kind of product that never seems to go on sale ever. A lot of Costco Kirkland products never go on sale it seems.

Buying at reg price is a suckers game because most things in life go on sale. You'd never buy a car or TV at sticker price right? Of course not. You probably wait for deals or wheel and deal to scrape back as much as your can. Apply that same logic to buying stuff every week. Wait for deals.
Click to expand...
It's gone way up here in Alberta. I used to buy brisket for 7.99 a kilo. Bought one today at 18.29. Kraft dinner was 7.99 a case, it's 14.99 now. Cheese whiz was 4.99 a jar, same jar is 6.99. I have loads of examples.

Some steaks are pretty close to old prices I find and though. Tenderloin is about 55 ish a kilo, it varies of course and sirloins are around 33 a kilo.

Gas is about the same though.
 
I've started going direct to source for my food here in the UK

Farmers shop for Eggs, Unpasteurised cheese and millk and cream, meat and bond broths for stock. Was able to buy about 5kg of minced beef, 12 eggs, big block of Poacher cheese and some spices for just £45 the other day. Once per month stocks the freezer full.

As for fruit and veg, we grow a lot of it ourselves in the greenhouse, I have onions, garlic, potatoes tomatoes and lots of herbs most of the year round. When we run out I just buy from a local greengrocer. The supermarkets are scamming you hard.

I've been looking into growing my own mushrooms for a while. I got some high quality oak and pine logs to build a stack for Shiitake, chestnut and white button shrooms in the plot at the end of our yard but they need darkness. I dug a good chunk of the ground up and also planted some hedges and shrubs that will grow along the edge and provide a good bit of shade next year so they will have a dark and protected area to grow nicely,
 
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Every week I buy groceries and it's typically $260 - 320. That's not including some things that is cheaper to buy bulk online.

Also live in one of the lowest cost of living areas of the USA. It's getting out of control.
 
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