"prepackage" food buying help...

[milkmommy]

FOr those whole groccery buying includes some degree of packaged buying how does it relate to your budget? HAve you found ways to trim it without compromising too much. This is one area that really affects the budget but I can't rally think of how to cut it in a way I can consistantly stick too..

example.. main shopping trip I went and picked up
meat for 2 weeks worth of meals (about 9 packs of meat)
frozen veggies (most good 2 weeks worth)
fresh fruit
fresh veggies (should last the 2 weeks)
potatos (2 weeks)
pasta (2 weeks)
some jarred spaghetti sauce (2 weeks)
laundry detergent (month +)
cheese (2 weeks)
Rolled oats (month+)
rasins (2 weeks +)
brown sugar (months)
bread (2 weeks)
milk (weekish)
Orange Juice (weekish)
frozen blueberries (weeks+)
jar peanutbutter
butter
package frozen mini pancakes (around a month)
4 pack "dora" yogurt (depends)
3 dozen eggs (2 weeks)

total $109 most everything except the fresh fruit and milk and maybe juice should pretty much last till next pay...

Then in a second store run I bought...
2 bagged cereals (maybe 4 days)
1 box crackers (didn't even last 24 hours)
3 cans ready to go soup (3 days)
2 packs cookies (days if I dont regulate them)
2 large family size tuna packs (depends)
1 large salmon (depends)
jar mixed nuts (days if I dont regulate)
Juice box packs for girls (regulated so it depends if not then days)
3 box Mac N cheese
3 more "microwaveable versions"
1 choosen by my girls frozen fruit pops
1 requested by DH pack of icecream sandwiches
bottled water

Total $65 without strict regulation that is often ignored this list will maybe last 4 days at best around here. Things like crackers and cookies or any heavy flour carby items can be rummaged through and eatten with in 24 hours if I don't yell and threaten to never buy again (which is an empty threat mostly)
I dont care so much about say the fruit pops or the icecream those were added because we could and were this trips "special buys" I fill our cookie jar if I can but I'll admit I like it when I can as its ussually our limit to a "quick sweets. things however things like cereal if I dare bring in something like crackers or chips ect goes in a matter of days even hours. I hate getting some things like the ready made soups especially as often as I do but I have to give into DH wants some.. It kills me though that we end up spending a good 3-4xs on "prepacked" stuff.. I dont want to make this stuff from scratch not completely remove it from my list it does also help keep the peace and me sane but I feel like I much be crazy thinking It should last longer..That my family (ones old enough to serve them selfs) should be able to self regulate and get that they shouldn't be emptying pakages out 24 hours after I brought them home and yes most anything their were big family sized packs.

[momyshaver]

I have no answers... I struggle with getting the children to regulate also. It is really frustrating sometimes. I don't wish to create 'food issues' by seeming stingy, but if a few people just help themselves the others don't get any, and then the ones who are without may feel the need to get it while they can the next time... viscous cycle. :shrug3

[Sparrow]

If they eat through the packaged stuff, which are treats, that's it til the next shopping day. They did it twice before it really sunk in.

[Katigre]

What happens if you just let it run out when it runs out and buy more at the next grocery trip?

None of the packages stuff is a necessity, so if your budget is "one box of crackers and two boxes if cereal per week" then that's all the family gets regardless of whether it's gone on Monday or Saturday

Sent from my Android phone using Swype

[WildFlower]

is there somewhere you can buy in bulk? that's the only way I found to save on stuff like cereal, crackers, nuts, raisins, pasta etc. That said, I haven't found many other ways to cut costs on those foods you listed. With canned beans I cook my own dry beans and freeze them. if you find a discount bread store, you can get bread cheaper there and freeze it. I found that freezing bread works quite well. I try to tie a not in the bag so it doesn't dry out but otherwise it's fine. I have like 4 loaves in the freezer now. They thaw fine in the fridge. and the discount bread store sells loaves for 69 cents all the time!

[MomtoJGJ]

I agree with the buy it at the store trip and then not again until the next store trip.

I also agree with finding a discount bread store. We have an outlet store here and on Thursdays (that's their big markdown day) we can get 3 loaves of bread, several boxes/bags of snack cakes, and a bag of bagels for 3 dollars.

[milkmommy]

What happens if you just let it run out when it runs out and buy more at the next grocery trip?

None of the packages stuff is a necessity, so if your budget is "one box of crackers and two boxes if cereal per week" then that's all the family gets regardless of whether it's gone on Monday or Saturday

Sent from my Android phone using Swype

I don't buy till the next big trip (basically every 2 weeks) they do not learn its been this way for years. I get constant melt downs or DH who just goes and gets things anyways which makes the situation worse. Ive tried cutting the stuff totally but its is not realstic.

---------- Post added at 12:05 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:02 PM ----------

is there somewhere you can buy in bulk? that's the only way I found to save on stuff like cereal, crackers, nuts, raisins, pasta etc. That said, I haven't found many other ways to cut costs on those foods you listed. With canned beans I cook my own dry beans and freeze them. if you find a discount bread store, you can get bread cheaper there and freeze it. I found that freezing bread works quite well. I try to tie a not in the bag so it doesn't dry out but otherwise it's fine. I have like 4 loaves in the freezer now. They thaw fine in the fridge. and the discount bread store sells loaves for 69 cents all the time!

No bulk buying we dont have the storage space and I can fit VERY little into our freezer (I HATE the size) We have a discount store but its full of HFCS stuff which I try my best to avoid and the prices are not that much better. General sandwich or say dinner rolls ect aren't a big hit to our budget.

[abh5e8]

maybe separate out things for dh from things the girls can have? that would at least help in the budget sense, if dh is not going and buying more. for cereal, could you decide on a meal plan for the week, say cereal on mon and thurs only, ie. eggs or oatmeal the other days. that way they know when they can have it. you could also pour the bowls, say they get 1 bowl each and if still hungry can have a banana or PB toast or something.

just curious...why not cut it out completely? for me personally, i have to just not buy that kind of thing, or I will eat it all at once. i do think it can be addictive. both the sweet and the salty foods. and, if my kids are having melt downs over food, i just don't buy it anymore. not worth it, to me. we do buy ice cream, but the kids know its "for daddy" (and mommy after they go to bed).

eta: another thing too...i'm not sure that 1 box of crackers or 1 jar of nuts or 1 bag chips would really last that long with (almost) 3 adults + 1 child eating it. i know cereal does not have very many servings per bag. the ready to eat soup is only 1-2 servings per can, right? some of the cost of those items is certainly for the convenience...maybe it seems like they should last longer because that same cost of say bananas or beans would last longer?

[milkmommy]

DH wont touch oatmeal or eggs girls wont touch oatmeal Cereal is the only simple breakfast thing he will eat. He feels at the very least a portion of the paycheck he works to earn can buy a few boxes of cereal. :shrug3 I really can't argue with that, for good or bad he'll eat the cheepie cereals fine so I ussually gets two big bags of like those frosted mini wheats or like honey nut Os. A bag has like 24-28 servings so two per pay period should be enough even with others occasionally having some (I very rarely have cold cereal) When I make a big fuss the cereal lasts if I relax then its gone in like 2-3 days. I hate always having to make a big stink over it.

I buy some of these foods because I NEED to have some degree of "easy" around I do it because the melt downs over not bringing some in is 1 billion times worse (mostly from DH)

the bag of chips is a family size BIG bag, Cecilia and I are the only ones who like the nuts (so if I keep it high enough its not a big deal and I do only get those when on sale) and its a big box of crackers. If these are dished out as complements to the occasional meal then yes it should last. I'd also not be against getting a little more even IF I saw it was used well and not eatten all at once eaither my my kids or given away to firends and such..

The only one that eats the soups is DH I get a few for when he might need to eat a meal on his own.. He always eats the entire can in one sitting. I ussually have about 3 in stock for him. :shrug3

FWIW the cost overall is not a big issue we have a fairly comfortable food budget and things are soon going to get easier. Its more the idea that these things should just last longer..

[MomtoJGJ]

btw, I just wanted to add in about the bread outlet store... we aren't able to get the HFCS free bread at the grocery because it's just too much. It's 50-75 cents a loaf at the outlet. That's what we get.

[milkmommy]

btw, I just wanted to add in about the bread outlet store... we aren't able to get the HFCS free bread at the grocery because it's just too much. It's 50-75 cents a loaf at the outlet. That's what we get.

totally understand.