Budgeting for groceries

[Beekissed]

I'm not sure if it's a topic of debate on this board or not (if so, I'm sorry) but I don't feel that cow's milk is very healthy for people anyway so we limit it and the kids only drink it in their cereal

I happen to agree with you about the milk and dairy products being harmful and it has nothing to do with carb consumption or calorie consumption at all. We haven't debated that subject yet but have done so on sister sites.

We've been avoiding dairy for many years now and have seen amazing results in our health levels. Cereals? We eat so little cereals that they don't seem to have any ill effects. I agree, Green, that sometimes its nice to have a simple cereal like mini-wheats or wheaties to offer on a busy morning!

 

[Homesteadmom]

You might be able to find the mandarin oranges packed in mandarin orange juice. Ours is Krogers store brand. Smiths is the same as Krogers. I don't know if you have either store where you live.

I know what you mean about taking a long time to shop. We are starting to speed up as we learn what the different stores have. Then they go and change what they stock and you have to learn all over again.

Finding salt free or low sodium veggies is also a challenge.

Kroger's is Fry's here. There are a few Smith's also.

Not only do they change the stock they rearrange the store too & you can't find anything & it takes forever then. I started buying Dannon all natural yogurt to eliminate HFCS from our yogurt & 4 different stores had it, now only 1 carries it & of course it is the highest price store in town that carries it! It is $1 more for a 4 pack than Walmart priced it at. Dh eats it 5 days a week & dd would it all day every day if I let her. So we eat a lot of yogurt here.

 

[FarmerChick]

Hey Green

you are doing great being frugal and SS......wait til you can have a garden in AZ......Pam (Homestead Mom) lives in AZ and she gardens like crazy all year long. Cool you are moving to AZ.

Go for your cereal...LOL...a little of anything in moderation never hurt ya.

I love dairy etc. and feel it all should be part of a rounded diet.....not problem if you eat good and moderate and enjoy life!!!!!


Hope your move goes well...when do you leave?

 

[greenrootsmama]

I wish we could move now, LOL. But DH needs to find work there first. He's been emailing, faxing and mailing out resumes hand over fist. And if he finds a job that doesn't offer a relocation package then we need to be able to pay for the move ourselves. So we're socking money away the best we can for the next couple of months. With any luck we'll be moving around May Day.

ETA
Homesteadmom: We are homeschoolers too so I may pick your brain for field trip ideas and legal info.

 

[Wifezilla]

The Dairy issue does come up a lot on low carb forums because those following a Paleo diet do not eat dairy. Dairy is fairly "new" in an evolutionary sense to the human diet being introduced about 10,000 years ago. Grains from agriculture came on the scene around 5,000. Highly refined grains and things like hfcs...the last 50-100 years (depending on the product)

 

[FarmerChick]

OH I hope he can score something.....it is so hard to find a job so many states away. It is alot of work but fingers crossed you hit a sweet deal!!!!!

yea it is rough having to move....definitely costs but you can sure do alot of moving tips to save money......don't ever buy a box ya know...LOL...start saving all you can now.

and socking the money away is always a smart thing!

 

[Wifezilla]

socking the money away is always a smart thing

 

[greenrootsmama]

We got all of our moving boxes from the beer distributor, freecycle and a few from the grocery store the last time we moved. I can only imagine what the neighbors would have thought if we'd tossed all those beer boxes out to the garbage. LOL. Many of them are now composting the ground where we were going to plant our garden (the beer boxes, not the neighbors).

As much as it goes against my grain, DH will probably end up getting a job with Border Patrol. I can handle it if it's just temporary to get us moved and then he can look for something else once we're settled in. Just renting a U-Haul will cost about $2500. That doesn't include the start-up costs of renting a house, turning on utilities and buying food. It also doesn't include the gas we'll be eating up in that beast. Yikes, I'm getting light-headed just thinking about it. LOL. I'll be 8 months pregnant then too. I'll definitely be enlisting the help of my mom and my sister for unpacking. I don't think I'll be able to handle it all on my own and still chase the kids around. I'm hoping my uncles or brothers will be able to help unload the big stuff.

I don't really want to start a debate on the dairy topic. I think the most important thing is to be educated about what you and your family are consuming. There are dichotomies surrounding many other facets of health as well but as long as you're aware of both sides of the topic then you can make a sound and educated choice. Regardless of the conclusion you come to, I think there is a lot to be said for anyone who takes the time and puts forth the energy to educate themselves. I have a lot of respect for anyone who does their research. Honestly, one of my biggest pet peaves is people who do a thing because that's what's popular. I'm on some other forums oriented toward pregnancy, families and natural living. I'm amazed at the ignorance of most people. So far I find this forum to be a breath of fresh air because everyone seems to be like-minded in that they live consciously.

 

[FarmerChick]

8 months pg then....while moving...yikes.

Is AZ where you are originally from? Cause you said your mom and sister can help you unpack.....that is great you are moving to where family is and can get the extra help.

Border Patrol....wow...that is a scary job isn't it? I saw a show on it and those patrol guys have it rough I think......but at least once out there there are options then and can be easily searched.

Yea please lets not start a dairy debate....LOL---I agree with you. Everyone needs to do what they believe and feed their families what they want.....everyone being individual it is best left to the family eating it..---I hate the "evils" of food conversations..LOL-LOL

Yea those bills do rack up when one moves. All the set up costs....but at least you got good boxes free......even though beer cases...HA HA

The u-haul price isn't bad. It is that stupid gas huh?

UGH

fingers crossed it all goes well for you!

 

[greenrootsmama]

When I left home as a kid I moved to Phoenix and then a series of events caused my family to move to the Tucson area. I spent 11 years in AZ before I got the hare-brained idea to go forth and find myself. It's been an adventure and now I'm ready to go back.

Luckily DH's experience will give him a management office position so he won't have to be in the line of fire, so to speak. He did 10 years in the Navy on submarines and has special security clearances that are saught after by other branches of the government. Some of the jobs he's qualified for with BP pay really well - better than what he's making now. I just have some personal opinions about law enforcement that I will keep to myself.

We're still trying to figure out how we're going to swing this. We can't fit all the kids, our dog and DS's bunny into the U-Haul so we thought maybe we'd hire a driver to take everything to our new home and then all of us would pile into the van and drive. Or we could fly the kids and pets out ahead of us and then me and DH could drive the U-Haul. Either way I'm not going to enjoy squeezing my swollen body in and out of a car for three or four days straight.

We have some child custody issues we have to deal with before we leave which could potentially cost us a lot as well. So moving isn't the only expense we're staring at.